Overseas Adventure Travel

I have travelled 16 times with either OAT or its parent company GCT. I was forced to cancel a trip last fall because of Hurricane Ian which closed the Fort Myers airport for a week. I had travel insurance yet it has taken 5 months to get reimbursed for both of our tickets. In the meantime, OAT has strung out the payment to its own convenience with no explanation. When pressed through countless phone calls and letters it has reacted defensively and has made no effort to mollify this long-term traveler who by any definition would be considered a loyal customer. Make that, used to be....

Consumer Affairs Review of Overseas Adventure Travel. 18 March 2023. My wife and I weren't nearly as fortunate as Gail of Laguna Beach. In November 22 we booked on the same OAT Valletta to Barcelona trip Gail and her travel mate are on and hopefully enjoying right now. Similarly, when we were within several weeks of our 4 March 23 departure, we had not received the OAT visa packet which contained all the information and forms for us to submit to PVS International for the visas required for the two Algeria stopovers. We contacted OAT Travel and reported our situation, seeking answers and help.

March 6, 2023. I was scheduled for a trip to Sicily to leave March 9, 2023. I came down with Covid and verified by my physician. In consideration for those on the airplane, and the fellow travelers, I asked to postpone the trip to not get others sick. I was very disappointed that I caught Covid, but also not to visit one of the areas on my lifetime bucket list. On March 6, I called immediately to OAT and told them I did not feel it would be fair to other travelers to go on the trip. I could have, but it would have been unethical on my part. OAT told me that unless I had travel insurance that they sold, that they would consider ME cancelling the trip and no refund was due. They were NOT going to give me a refund or allow me to credit the money already paid to another trip when I was feeling well. This is extremely bad business practice and unfair.

We have traveled with OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) a number of times (Sir Edmond Hillary Members) and we were pleased with our experience until now. We had scheduled a trip to Morocco on January 3rd and canceled January 4th. To date, we have not gotten our $700 refund and were told by customer service that we would have to wait 2-3 months to get our refund. We have waited up to an hour on hold for customer service to get the answer that refund will take 2-3 months.

I have been scheduled for a trip that is only offered once per year. It requires a visa. I contacted OAT many times to ensure that the required information be sent to me giving them a two week period of time when I would be out of town. I made several phone calls indicating that the trip was to begin in 3 weeks and I had not received the application forms. No one returned my call. Yesterday I spoke with a supervisor. I confirmed that I never received the needed information (subsequently discovered that my travel mate had not either.). She was also able to send me the information I needed by email.

Have traveled with the company 2 times before and all went smooth. This time doing Australia the guide is great but he did not set up the schedule and whoever did was an idiot. Put us in remote areas in the outback on a national holiday when everything was closed. Then sent us to another town on a Sunday when everything was closed. Then sent us around the country from the outback to Sydney to Brisbane back to Cairns. However we didn't make it due to flight connection problems. Rather than them scheduling us direct from Sydney to Cairns. Probably my last time traveling with them as I'm missing most of my time at the Great Barrier Reef.

This is by far the worst travel company we have ever worked with. I have spent 8 hours of my life on hold to correct mistakes on their end. Trip cancelled by OAT due to political unrest. 45 days to get refund. I will never use them again.

Booked a trip in July 2021, scheduled for September 2022, had to cancel for health reasons in August 2022. Rather than forfeit the money already spent, I booked a different less expensive trip for March 2023 and received a refund for a small percentage of original trip cost. March trip was at that point, paid in full. Began receiving invoices for first $1400 and later $1900 in December, with no indication of what the bill was for. After hours on phone hold, then arguing with agents, and many unanswered emails to OAT, I was able to cancel trip and promised a very small refund. Conclusion: In my opinion, OAT is taking advantage of customers and basically stealing from them.

If you have never traveled with OAT do NOT start now. It is NOT the company it used to be. I am trying to get a deserved previous trip credit BEFORE paying the balance of a trip I have booked and put down a deposit on. Agent when booking the trip was to put in a request for the company to follow-up on my deserved credit from a 3 week trip July-August 2022, which was NOT showing up on my account. Was told in order to get a 10% discount off the new 2023 three week trip, payment in full was required within 2 weeks of booking the trip and putting down a deposit (almost $1500). No credit has shown up in my account, the cost of insurance quoted when booking the trip was NOT the correct amount (billing amount is higher). 5 days remain until my payment in full is required for a discount. Was on hold 2 times on a Friday (1st time 45 minutes, second time 1 hour).

Had booked a trip and was calling to ask more questions. Was on hold for 50 minutes. Unacceptable! At the very least, they could have a call back option where you leave your number and they call back when they're available.