Overseas Adventure Travel
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I booked a Scotland trip for September after they told me “no issues” on other trips with COVID. Just before I left, I heard two recent horror stories from folks who said OAT didn’t enforce their COVID protocols and both got COVID and/or positives and lost part of trips within several months. I cancelled because of that and requested refund. Calls and 2 letters were futile. Finally a call that said they’d reimburse. What did I get? A voucher that must be used within 3 months this year, still during COVID and bad travel time re weather. I sent letter rejecting this, no response for another several weeks! BTW, I’m one of their “loyal travelers” with a number of past trips with them. And I’ve heard of several similar complaints about lack of COVID protocol enforcement in buses and other enclosed areas. I’ll think twice about signing up for future trips.
I have been working to book my third trip with OAT. I am scheduled to travel this spring to morocco with my partner. We had to cancel due to health problems a trip we had hoped to take this fall. They convinced us that it made more sense to have a credit than to use our insurance for cash reimbursement. In any case we went to book the trip and invited a friend who is a new client to sign on as well. She had to advocate for herself to get 10% off for early booking that is printed in their material.
When we booked, using our credit from the fall trip, nobody made mention of the opportunity for the early booking discount that my friend had just gotten. We called them back to advocate for ourselves but they told us that we wouldn’t be entitled to this. The agent that we spoke to said there was nobody we could try to talk to for a better outcome. All of the negative reviews for this company are telling About a group that doesn’t inspire loyalty and leaves the customer feeling helpless. There are so many good travel agencies out there. I am incredibly disappointed with a turn for the worse that OAT seems to have taken since I took my initial trip with them to India many years ago.
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We have not taken our trip, yet. but we are scheduled for this November. I hope it will be more positive than their credit policy. We have been signed up for a tour since pre-covid and have had to cancel and reschedule a couple of times. NOT their fault. We have finally scheduled a trip and are using our credit because they would not reimburse our money. We get it, no problem. The problem is that we are in France and OAT will not use our credit to purchase our airfare (which is cheaper from here).
Ok, we can use on another tour. not exactly as we have been informed that we have to use our approximately $6000 credit by the end of this year, 2022. So, how are we supposed to schedule another trip this year when our present trip is scheduled for this November 13th. OAT can really expect us to schedule another one in December. We will have just arrived home. Unreasonable requirement.
I have been able to resolve the problem.
I made a reservation along with two other couples to travel together on the Suez Canal crossing trip with OAT travel company. We paid for the trip in full. A few days ago I received a voice mail saying that they could not accommodate us on the tour so they were moving us to another date. They were supposed to follow up with an email and a phone contact regarding the change but that never happened. Now we have to change our airline reservations and bear the cost of that and we are no longer traveling with our friends. The email has never arrived and it is impossible to reach them by phone to try to work it out. I cannot believe any travel company would behave this way. And forget trying to call them. They never respond to emails. The worst company I have ever dealt with. I will never book a trip with them again. Terrible service.
Overseas Adventure Travel response
Please accept our apologies. Thank you for letting us know that this is now resolved.
I have tried to get in touch with a person at OAT for a month- basically since I booked my trip in the beginning of August. I was able to get ahold of one person who told me they could not help me but that a supervisor would get back in touch with me – three weeks later I’m still waiting. This is absolutely not acceptable. I have been on hold for two hours at a time. I cannot imagine if I truly had an emergency. Additionally, I e-mailed several times; I got one response but the person conveniently did not address my concerns.
Bottom line- your customer service representative evidently gave inaccurate information and the company does not stand behind the information provided. I was told by the one person who did answer my call that since my request was less than 90 days from departure, I could not get what is in your own travel Guide. NOWHERE IS THIS STATED-nor was it told to me when I decided to book the additional day (at the customer service representative’s suggestion). This is our third OAT trip and it will be our last.
My issue: As directed by the customer service representative, I contacted the hotel directly to add the extra night and to schedule the hotel transfer. At. No time was I told that I would not get the lower group rate. I specifically asked about the airport transfer and was told this would be covered. I was told however that I would have to set up my own transfer.
FROM the OAT TRAVEL BROCHURE: Arrive Early, Stay Later: Arriving early or staying late allows you to spend one, two, three – or more – days abroad in the
first destination on your pre-trip extension or main adventure, or in the last destination of your main adventure or post-trip extension. The additional time is spent at your leisure, and you can either rest up or explore. Choosing this option lets you take advantage of our lower group rates – ranging from $25-$300 per person, per night – and your price includes accommodations, daily breakfasts, and private airport transfers.
I’m am stunned at all the negative reviews as they do not match my experiences with OAT. We took the Iberian Voyage: Lisbon to Barcelona cruise that departed the US on May 9, 2022. This was the first tour post-pandemic for virtually every crew member on the ship and for all our tour guides. They were all positively thrilled to be back at work and it showed in their attitude and attentiveness. Our overall tour guide, Gabo **, was the best guide we have ever had on any of our tours. The ship experience was phenomenal. The food and the service was perfect. The land portion of the trip went according to schedule and was great fun. I would give the tour 5 stars but I downgraded to 4 stars because there were a few negatives. First, getting someone at OAT on the phone was aggravating to say the least.
Second they were slow to refund our money for a Baltic trip they cancelled during the pandemic. It’s possible they are having serious cash flow problems due to the pandemic and it may take a few months for them to get back to normal. Before the pandemic they were one of the highest rated tour companies and I’m willing to bet they will be again. And a little tip that might be helpful on any overseas tour: book you air travel through the tour company. They may not route you exactly the way you would, but if any issue comes up, the tour company handles it. We are looking forward to our next trip on OAT, Hidden Gems of the Dalmatian Coast & Greece (2023), Sept 30, 2023.
I fractured my spine 2 days before my Overseas Adventure Travel trip to Spain, France & Portugal in April of 2022. I was in the hospital when the trip departed and then in a back and neck brace, leaving me unable to travel. I have received communication that my paperwork is complete, but after repeated phone calls with long wait-times I am unable to determine why I haven’t received a refund. The entire trip plus airfare was purchased through OAT and insured, which should make a refund simple. I’m expecting a refund of around $9,000 and extremely frustrated after repeated attempts to contact the company about the delay, I do not hear back from them.
Overseas Adventure Travel response
We’re sorry about the long call hold times. We are continuing to hire and train more Traveler Services team members to address this issue. Please contact us at request@oattravel.com and we will look into your case. Thank you!
TSA Travel Tip: Traveling with Alcohol
Want to bring some ‘air sodas’ on your next flight? That’s cool with us! Whether you are traveling with craft beer, cougar juice or hard liquor, we’ve got you covered. Don’t be absinthe-minded and make pour choices, follow these tips on your next trip!
According to the FAA, it’s all about the alcohol content!
Alcohol less than 24% alcohol by volume (ABV) or 48 proof, like most beers and wine:
- For carry-on you are limited to containers of 3.4oz or less that can fit comfortably in one quart-sized, clear, zip-top bag. If it’s overflowing from the bag, that isn’t comfortable. Please remember, one bag per passenger.
- For checked bags, there is no limit! I wish this was true when I was in college.
Alcohol between 24% – 70% ABV (48 – 140 proof):
- For carry-on, same rules apply as above. You are limited to containers of 3.4oz or less that fit in your quart-sized bag.
- For checked bags you are limited to five liters per passenger. However, it must be in unopened retail packaging!
Alcohol over 70% ABV or over 140 proof:
- Leave your bathtub brew at home! Seriously the strong stuff isn’t allowed in carry-on or checked bags!
Our airline partners and the FAA ask that you don’t drink your own booze while flying. Let’s leave the pouring to the pros! And be sure to check your airline’s website to make sure they are cool with being a designated flyer for your hooch.
Planning on buying some ‘cough medicine’ at the duty-free store after the security checkpoint? You’re limited to 5 liters of alcohol between 24%-70% ABV or 48 – 140 proof. If you purchased the alcohol overseas and have a connecting flight in the United States, the alcohol is allowed in your carry-on bag if;
- The bottles are packed in a transparent, secure, tamper-evident bag by the retailer. Don’t try to sneak a swig! If the bag looks opened or tampered with, then it won’t be allowed to fly in your carry-on bag.
- Keep the receipt! You must show that the alcohol was purchased within the last 48 hours.
Are you brining wine or other spirits from overseas? Our friends at Customs and Border Protection are in charge of the rules for bringing alcohol into the United States.
About This Blog
The purpose of this blog is to share the latest news and helpful information with the public. If you have questions about TSA or the information presented here, please contact our AskTSA customer care team on Twitter or Facebook.
TSA is committed to protecting privacy and securing personal information. For details, see our website Privacy Policy.
TSA Travel Tip: Traveling with Alcohol
Want to bring some ‘air sodas’ on your next flight? That’s cool with us! Whether you are traveling with craft beer, cougar juice or hard liquor, we’ve got you covered. Don’t be absinthe-minded and make pour choices, follow these tips on your next trip!
According to the FAA, it’s all about the alcohol content!
Alcohol less than 24% alcohol by volume (ABV) or 48 proof, like most beers and wine:
- For carry-on you are limited to containers of 3.4oz or less that can fit comfortably in one quart-sized, clear, zip-top bag. If it’s overflowing from the bag, that isn’t comfortable. Please remember, one bag per passenger.
- For checked bags, there is no limit! I wish this was true when I was in college.
Alcohol between 24% – 70% ABV (48 – 140 proof):
- For carry-on, same rules apply as above. You are limited to containers of 3.4oz or less that fit in your quart-sized bag.
- For checked bags you are limited to five liters per passenger. However, it must be in unopened retail packaging!
Alcohol over 70% ABV or over 140 proof:
- Leave your bathtub brew at home! Seriously the strong stuff isn’t allowed in carry-on or checked bags!
Our airline partners and the FAA ask that you don’t drink your own booze while flying. Let’s leave the pouring to the pros! And be sure to check your airline’s website to make sure they are cool with being a designated flyer for your hooch.
Planning on buying some ‘cough medicine’ at the duty-free store after the security checkpoint? You’re limited to 5 liters of alcohol between 24%-70% ABV or 48 – 140 proof. If you purchased the alcohol overseas and have a connecting flight in the United States, the alcohol is allowed in your carry-on bag if;
- The bottles are packed in a transparent, secure, tamper-evident bag by the retailer. Don’t try to sneak a swig! If the bag looks opened or tampered with, then it won’t be allowed to fly in your carry-on bag.
- Keep the receipt! You must show that the alcohol was purchased within the last 48 hours.
Are you brining wine or other spirits from overseas? Our friends at Customs and Border Protection are in charge of the rules for bringing alcohol into the United States.
About This Blog
The purpose of this blog is to share the latest news and helpful information with the public. If you have questions about TSA or the information presented here, please contact our AskTSA customer care team on Twitter or Facebook.
TSA is committed to protecting privacy and securing personal information. For details, see our website Privacy Policy.
Source https://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/overseas_adventure.html
Source https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2019/06/21/tsa-travel-tip-traveling-alcohol
Source https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2019/06/21/tsa-travel-tip-traveling-alcohol#:~:text=If%20you%20purchased%20the%20alcohol%20overseas%20and%20have,a%20transparent%2C%20secure%2C%20tamper-evident%20bag%20by%20the%20retailer.
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