Complain about a product or service

Passports, Inc.

389 Main Street, Spencer, MA
800 332-7277

Denise of Manlius NY (03/19/08)
Despite over one year notice in planning a non-school-sponsored trip (although the group is a school group, board policy forbids school-sponsored travel overseas to limit school liability), Passports failed to respect a verbal agreement to obtain late afternoon flights on the date of departure. We were very clear that the school district has a policy which does not allow teachers to take the day before a vacation off for any reason, and that an after-school departure (3 PM or later) was necessary. The flight is scheduled for 1 PM and the teachers organizing the trip and accompanying the students are being docked pay and face disciplinary consequences. Passports refuses to change the time of the flights and has also refused to reimburse the teachers for the missed pay. Their claim that teachers travel free is clearly deceptive. Our trip hasn't even begun and I have serious misgivings about traveling with such a duplicitous and unresponsive company.

Lost wages for teachers accompanying students. Disciplinary letters in the personnel files of teachers. Missed school for student participants (an illegal absence in the state of New York).

Kathy of Nokesville VA (05/01/07)
My daughter and I planned trip via Passports, Inc. to travel to two cities in Ireland and two cities in Scotland (May 12-22). After full payment was made (Feb., 2007 in cash - did not accept credit card payments) and deposited to Passports - trip plans were changed within 18 days of departure to visit 1 city in Scotland and 1 city in Ireland without change in cost.

Notification that itinerary had changed was via third party on 4/24 (per College teacher). When request was made to provide itemization/account for cost of original and modified trip - Passports responded there is no itemization for cost of original trip itinerary purchased in full or modified trip. Request for reimbursement (two individuals) was denied. I would have never elected for my daughter and I to travel oversees for ten (10) days to visit Dublin and 1 city in Scotland (that we have already visited) at the same cost (paid in full) as original planned; and without being notification by Passports, Inc.

Today is May 1 - we still have no idea what airlines, flight times, hotel, etc. have been planned. Nothing received to date; however, Passports, Inc. said package is being mailed to teacher.

What is listed on their web site is NOT true from our experience: There are good reasons for arranging your overseas adventure with a nationally-known sponsor of such trips, such as passports. Mainly, you can be sure that the trip will occur, and pretty much in accordance with your expectations and the promises made to you by the company. (That doesn't always happen with a tiny new company strapped for cash, or with a local travel agent doing quality student travel arrangements for the first time.)

Passports, Inc response from Manager, Customer Service:

-----Original Message----- Sent: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:09 AM

We are sorry but we cannot honor your request for a special refund if you decided to cancel from the tour. We are now just days from departure and the services have all been paid on your behalf. We hope that you will remain enrolled on the tour and look forward to providing you with a wonderful overseas experience.

I feel as if College Students are being targetted for Passports, Inc. financial gain. At no time did Passports deny they do not and can not provide breakout cost for total amount they charged and received in full.

Lost:
1. Total amount paid - do not know what was planned or made as arrangements.
2. Was required to pay Membership fee with Passports, Inc.
3. Pay associated with Time scheduled off from work for two individual.

Natasha of Madison WI (07/31/03)
I am a high school teacher in Madison, Wisconsin, seeking some advice on behalf of a group of my students. Let me briefly describe our dilemma:

As the Chinese language teacher at Memorial High, I planned a trip to Beijing for this April with 10 students and 6 other adults (parents and colleagues). Passports Inc. ( a company based in Spencer, Massachusetts which specializes in teacher-student travel) charged $1793 per traveler to arrange the trip.

Due to SARS, we cancelled 16 days before the planned departure. Passports Inc. subsequently mailed each traveler their plane ticket with a short letter saying that they should contact Northwest Airlines about using the ticket. However, since the tickets are group discount tickets, individual travelers are unable to negotiate with Northwest. The group desk liaison at NW was sympathetic to our plight, and suggested we attempt to work directly with the wholesale travel agency (Pacific Delights) to use the almost $800 tour packages towards other NW flights any time before December 31 (the option NW and Pacific Delights had arranged for other SARS-related cancellations).

I approached the wholesale travel agency with this objective; however, the wholesaler insisted that they do not work with individual clients, and we should work through Passports Inc. to redirect our tickets. Passports Inc. has taken the stance that there is nothing more they can do for us since we cancelled the trip. Therefore, we are unable to work with them to use our tickets.

I contacted a local travel agency to pursue using them as an intermediary with the wholesaler, but was told that they wouldn't be able to without permission from Passports Inc. and acknowledgment from Pacific Delights. We would be unwilling to pay additional money to a new travel agent, for which we feel Passports should be responsible. We would consider a refund worth the value of the tickets, or else the option of using our tickets with the help of any travel agency other than Passports, Inc. The trip was a big expense for some of the families (as organizer I'm actually not out any money), and I feel that they should be able to use the tickets they paid for.

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