BEWARE -- PREDATORY COMPANY! Do not do business with this company! They just completely RIPPED OFF an elderly friend, who even had purchased insurance thru OAT for a very expensive trip coming up in May. They are refusing to refund the money per terms of the insurance.
Have requested a catalog 5 times-no response--are they out of business??
Predatory company, canceled trip, no refund, only a $17,000 credit I have to use in a year. BAD BEHAVIOR. Don't book with them, so many other options
I've taken six trips with OAT over the past 4 years. They have all been incredible adventures and a true value compared to other companies. OAT specializes in small groups which is great. I'm a solo traveler and they are one of the few tour companies that doesn't charge a single supplement. I highly recommend them!
I've taken 6-7 trips with OAT. I've enjoyed them until the last trip - to "Ancient Kingdoms." It was was horrendous. I should have been prepared, given the fact that I received a survey to complete BEFORE I took the trip, and subsequently a letter regarding my future trip AFTER I returned! Seems the infrastructure at OAT is deteriorating!!!!
Almost 50% of the time was "free time - on your own." The guide was lazy and solicitous, blatently requesting high ratings regarding facilitation and contributions, when in fact his participation was minimal (although the local guides were excellent). I called OAT after my return to advise them of the significant difference in quality of itinerary and guide, to be dismissed and offered a minimal credit in an attempt to placate me. I pursued it further, to the executive level, again to be dismissed as having a "difference of opinion" from other travelers. I explained that frequent discussions among travelers during the excursion was of the disappointment in all aspects of the trip. Despite being a frequent traveler with OAT, aware of past performance and trips to Africa, Greece, Turkey, Russia, the Adriatic, Japan, I was dismissed as "arbitrary.".
I was so appalled by the response, and so disappointed with the quality of service and responses by OAT that I have vowed NEVER to travel with them again. Loyalty and constructive recommendations regarding recent failures is of no value, or consequence.
Good bye, OAT. Never Again! Buyer beware!!!!
Recently, we recently took an African Safari through OAT and found them to run a dishonest business. We and will never travel with them again. The only reason we booked with them was due to a specific itinerary they were doing in South Africa. The night before going to the region we were most excited to see, they notified us while in camp that we would only be going for 1 hour rather than 3 days as advertised. They have refused to compensate for this in any adequate way.
OAT made my trip to Tanzania the highlight of my life. We did a 14 day guided trip to the remote camps in the national wildlife reserves and it was unforgettable. The tour guides were funny, relate-able and made sure we were safe and well taken care of the whole time. I loved our guides. That said, the coordination was awesome, we got all the info we needed, free duffel bags, easy visa applications and super helpful checklists of what to bring and what not to bring.
My number one piece of advice, spend the money on buying adventure pants/shorts by Columbia, they are worth it when you are cold in the morning and hot in the afternoon. Unzipping the pant legs makes a world of difference when the sun is high in the sky.
The trips & places OAT visits for the most part are fascinating & quite exotic. Knowledgeable & professional travel guides are another plus.
What kills the experience is the length of time for each site & the overall length of the trip. Also, the lack of diversity in the cuisine offered. The clientele of OAT also hinders the enjoyment. You are constantly surrounded by pedantic windbags who continually brag about previous trips with the company. With very little time to explore places on your own, you are forced to interact these individuals.
They are great. I am not a group tour fan, BUT OAT has changed my mind:)
I love the concept of O.A.T. their aim is doing service for aged people not with profit motive but
With service motive. In this modern world accepting this task is not ordinary things.when handling one or two aged people in the home people feeling is difficult. How they handling 10 to 15 people with One guide? They
Have to travel every day all of them should face mentally and
physically many difficulties every day with different situation and
Atmosphere. They have visited
My bronze factory for the past
Four years. I used to Explain our
Activities.Hardly one hour they
Used to be with us .we thought it
Was great opportunity given by
God to us to serve elder people,
Really they loved our place and
Work atmosphere and our nature
And hard work. They praised us
Lot.we treated all these things are
Their blessing. My best wishes for
O.A.T to continue their services
With successful manners.
THANKFULLY
R.V.RAVIYATHAV.
As you will see below, I originally rated OAT one star, however, yesterday, after I wrote the review, the problem I described was resolved to my satisfaction. I am very happy to say that our flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles is now business/first class. I stopped short of 5 stars because the process to resolution was very frustrating. My suggestion to OAT would be to develop an internal procedure that insures that problems that call for more authority and discretion than line associates (the staff who answer the phones) have, get referred swiftly to staff with more authority and discretion and that when a customer is promised a call back, the call is made even if the only to say we haven t forgotten you, haven t solved the problem, but we re still working on the problem. Even a brief message will be appreciated! My advice to OAT customers is to be patient and persistent. I suspect that OAT s success has created some growth issues, however, I also am reassured that OAT has quality people at the helm and OAT cares!
We have not taken our trip yet so this review only relates to OAT air travel service. Given the length of this trip, we planned to book business class flights in both directions. However, an OAT representative persuaded us to book premium economy on the trip out. We have since learned that the representative's description of premium economy seating is not entirely accurate, however, that's not the reason for this one star review. We did follow the plan and book, and pay for, business class return flights. At a later date, after reading about OAT's flexible stopover benefits, we decided to check out a stopover in Honolulu. An OAT representative told us this would be no problem and that a week long stopover itinerary could be easily arranged at no extra cost. We decided to go for it. When we got the new itinerary, we found that the final 6 hour flight was downgraded to economy class. Since then, we have made many, many phone calls, holding for substantial periods on each call, trying to correct this. Understanding that those managing the phones were unlikely to have the authority to correct this problem, we asked for the name and number of someone with such authority. None of the associates would give us this information. However, we were told that a supervisor would call us back promptly. Weeks went by without a call. We called again and again. Several calls later a line representative finally put a supervisory staff member on the phone. He kept explaining that OAT got only so many business class seats for "complimentary" upgrades (we questioned why he used the term "complimentary" since we paid for business class), but he would try to fix this and he promised to call in a week. Today, more than three weeks later, he has not called. Of course, we tried reaching him, but have been told by various telephone representatives (there is no way to call him directly) either that the supervisor was not in or that there's no answer from the airlines about seating. Since our trip begins on January 31st, we're pretty much at the end of the line.
We know friends who have had excellent experiences with OAT and that's why we went with OAT for this trip. Never in a million years did we expect to have the experience we've had so far. We now see that three months ago, Pamela S, wrote a one star review detailing a similarly miserable experience with OAT stateside flight service. Alas, nothing has improved since she wrote her review. Based on the poor quality service so far, we too rate OAT one star.
We've taken eleven trips, and they have all been great. The guides are excellent, and the experiences really let you get to know the people of the country you're visiting. Small size of the groups let us go places large groups can't.
I have been on a total of 16 trips. Not all OAT but since they began OAT that was the trip I took. They all have been awesome. U learn so much and have so much fun with the high rated guides and the people in the area u are visiting and also the people u meet from the US. I wouldn't go with anyone else. You don't worry about a thing just enjoy.
Don't get in difficulty; they offer Zero help and never call you back. Try calling when you need help--no one answers or call you back.
OAT says they provide unbiased, unedited reviews. However, they will delete mixed and poor reviews that offer truly useful and comprehensive trip and tour experience details and constructive feedback and criticism of their OAT tour guides for future travelers. They are very sneaky and clever in this respect. Not a company I can respect and will not travel again with them for this reason. Very misleading as many other travelers have pointed out.
Absolutely disgusting company. My family have email's claiming full refund. Then nothing for months and refused full refund. Attorneys involved. BBB called and AG of Mass. Do not book with this company!!!
I have never been so disappointed as I am w OAT. Last year when I went to Tuscany, they were remarkable -- the tour guides were great and the staff stateside were very helpful. OAT has done a 180 on the stateside assistance. Unbelieveably LONG wait times on the phone for one. It's impossible to get simple questions answered. On this recent trip, I had confirmed seats and the airlines did something and I lost half of the confirmed seat assignments. A month prior to the trip I looked at the itinerary and noticed this. OAT was able to restore 2 of the 3 seat assignments but wanted me to go from seat 18 to 31 on a 6 hr flight in the back of the plane. Good thing I took out insurance because if nothing changes in the next few weeks, I am canceling -- and I don't think the OAT person was really very concerned about this inconvenience. Anyway, OAT's service has declined compared to what it was.
I have had six trips with this company (and sister company) so far, and they have all been incredible. Turkey and Europe multiple times, Eastern Europe, Costa Rica, Africa. . . This company strives to give their clients an amazing experience, so I was very surprised to see two negative reviews. However, I do note that they appeared on the same week, so perhaps they were on a trip together and obviously just weren't happy. I also note that it doesn't seem to be the quality of the trip that was a problem, it was "too much time in one place" and "pedantic" other travelers. For that a great company gets dumped on? If a traveler does their homework, they have every opportunity to think about a trip's itinerary. Personally, I like being in one place for a few days, as you can use the hotel as a base and unpack a bit and relax. Furthermore, the guides we have been fortunate enough to have on these trips have knocked themselves out to make certain that I and my family had the best possible experience, and we have seen some amazing locations in safety and comfort. As well as being extremely knowledgeable, these guides are trained to handle family and medical emergencies with the utmost care and efficiency. On the subject of food, where do I being? The food we enjoyed was exceptional, with as much variation as is possible for several really remote areas. We had a sit down dinner every night with linens and candles, and great food, out in the middle of the Serengeti. We had wonderful buffets every night, bursting with beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables, and delicious entrees, (as well as a specially ordered birthday cake) out in the middle of the rain forest, water world of Tortuguero, Costa Rica. The river cruise we went on with Overseas' sister company, Grand Circle, was amazing, and both the quality of the food and the creativity of the chef were incredible. Unfortunately, the one thing any company can not control is "pedantic" guests. . . However, if you have lived long enough, you come to realize that there may be people in the world you just don't necessarily click with. . . and that is probably going to be the case unless you live in a cave by yourself somewhere. I tried to approach the trips I went on with a positive attitude and a strong spirit of adventure. For me, meeting new people, pedantic or not, is all part of the journey. Many thanks to Fernanda (Italy), Andre (Venice), Victor (Costa Rica), Eleiza and William (Africa), Mustafa and Aykut (Turkey), and Nora and Stefhan on the Great Rivers cruise. I realize you can't always please every single person in every single situation, but you all did an amazing job.
Horrible customer service, lack of follow through, and multiple changes in flight reservations with complete disregard for inconveniences caused by their limited access to airlines. Whether the fault lies with Grand Circle, a totally inadequate organization, or OAT itself, I have lost total confidence in both companies. Travel with Road Scholar! I have never, ever had a problem with either their trips or their airline itineraries.
We've taken 5 trips with OAT and are extremely pleased with all of our trips. The guides have been amazing. So knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful in every way. We've traveled with 2 other tour companies and have been disappointed. OAT sets the mark for excellence! Next month we're going to India and we've already pre-registered for 2 OAT trips in 2019.
I am a professional photographer who has taken 31 trips with OAT/GCT and I only have praise and high marks for their superb staff, tour leaders and office help. My questions are answered immediately and they have been wonderful problem solvers, going out of there way to make sure that their clients are well taken care of.
would give less than one star if possible. OAT cancelled my trip with my daughter (spend was 7K) due to pandemic (totally understandable) and offered me a full 100% refund (great). We spoke on the phone and they followed up with a written confirmation via email. BUT then, they withdrew their offer, said the trip was not "cancelled" but "postponed" and my money was now put toward a trip next year. UNACCEPTABLE (and possibly illegal?) to do a bait and switch after confirming in writing a refund offer. I lost my job and am a single mother of 4. this was a grad gift and I now cannot afford to forgo the refund that was PROMISED. NEVER AGAIN OAT.
Crooks! Refuse to give refunds, in violation of their own contract.
Worst customer service I think I've ever encountered. Being on hold for maybe 30 minutes at a time and getting no response to an email was just the start. After 5 of us spent nearly $10,000 each in 2017 and 4 of us are spending only a bit less in 2019, they refused to extend our Frequent Traveler credit by a few weeks. I guess that $200 pp is more important than retaining customers. They've certainly lost any chance the 5 of us will ever travel with them again.
I couldn't go on a trip to Iceland because of a substantial injury. I filed a claim through the travel insurance (Trip Mate) last September. Although there has been no question as to my eligibility for a refund, I still haven't seen a dime of the $3,900+ that I'm owed. Beware.
My wife and recently returned from the 2 week "Pure New Zealand" adventure with O.A.T. It was our first trip with them. I have nothing but great things to say about the entire experience. The reservation process was easy and their customer service reps were very knowledge and helpful. The pre-trip materials had everything you needed and the trip, as a whole, exceeded our expectations. Our trip leader, Darcy, was amazing and we were fortunate that we had 14 other people that got along pretty well. The itinerary was exactly what was promised and in addition, there several things that we did that were recommended in our free time that added so much (a walk through a glow worm dell, sharing a beer with locals, a visit to Pancake Rocks, a walk through a red wood forest and bonfire on the beach in Hokitika--just to name a few). The hotels were comfortable and in central locations. O.A.T. also came through while we were on the trip. A woman on our trip accidentally fell while walking back to the bus in probably the remotest area we traveled to. Our leader and O.A.T. arranged for a helicopter to airlift her to the nearest hospital. (It pays to buy trip insurance-either theirs or some other). Fortunately she was fine and rejoined our group withing 48 hours. I would definitely recommend O.A.T. for your comprehensive small travel experience . In fact we are booked on their "Voyage to Istria: Italy, Croatia and Slovenia" next March.
This is mostly about NOT going on a trip. I called to find out when dates for 2019 Israel trips would be released and was told that my friend and I could put deposits down in advance of the date release to secure rtwo single spots. We did so immediately during that initial call. We were sent confirmation letters saying that we would receive emails telling us when we could call and finalize our trip. We were also told on the phone, that if would probably be in the next 48 hours. Our credit cards were charged. We both checked our email and texts frequently from that point onward. After business hours last night an OAT rep called my cell and left a message saying the dates had been released . I called the moment they opened this morning and were told they are full for singles during the first 27 days in May. We could go during Passover in April during the a packed Israeli vacation time. My friend was never contacted by phone or email. I never received the promised email. The person I spoke to this morning was polite but had no explanation for how this happened or what the possible purpose of having us reserve in advance as that did not secure us spots during the time frame we'd specified. It didn't even secure us notification the day they opened up.. I went on a trip to India with OAT a few years ago and was impressed by the leader and the intelligent itinerary. It was difficult being a solo traveler as the group was comprised of four friends, couples and a family of three adults traveling in single rooms. I resolved that if I went again with OAT, I'd go with a friend so I'd have companionship. I gave them two stars because the trip I went on had a lot of good things about it. I would give them 0 starts for administration. If you are considering a trip with them, it is good to know that by the time the catalogue actually comes out, many trips will be completely full.
OAT offers authentic experience to travelers -- one sees sights, meets locals, walks the back roads, visits schools, enjoys home meals, and learns about the history, culture, politics, current issues, and much more. Always well organized and led by superb professionals!
My father had to cancel his March 2020 trip to Africa (third with OAT!!) due to C-19, and his FULL refund was handled promptly and properly. Obviously, due to the overwhelming load caused by C-19, it took a little longer to receive the funds, but he did get every penny back, as did his two companions. Bravo, Grand Circle/OAT, we will return!
I am very surprised and saddened by these negative reviews. I have been on 3 OAT traps and have several friends who have gone on more than 10. We all just love the guides and the itineraries and the fellow travelers! My most recent trip was to the Ancient kingdoms of Southeast Asia and it was truly spectacular. I would encourage people to read good and bad reviews because I really think that OAT is the best value for the money. The quality of the guides continues to amaze me. Happy travels!
My husband and I selected a particular OAT trip to Tanzania because I was told on the phone that the itinerary included a visit to the Oldupai Gorge Museum that we very much wanted to see. I paid the $700 deposit for the trip. I asked repeatedly to be emailed the detailed itinerary for the trip, but it never came. I called to ask for it once again and was told that the Oldupai Museum had been dropped from the itinerary. This was within 30 days of making the reservation and over 3 months before the trip departure. I asked and was told that if we canceled our reservation we would be penalized $300 each. I explained to the agent that this trip had been selected because of the inclusion of that museum visit, so the agent submitted a request for an exception to the penalty. I called the next day and was told the exception had been refused.
I canceled our reservation. I accept the right of OAT to re-design their tours. But I do not accept being penalized financially for being caught in the middle of their re-design. We will not be travelling with OAT.
Phoned and was told they use an in house travel agency for flights.
And they changed recommended travel insurance company to Allianz because former insurer was "late in paying coverage". Not good.
Dear Sis just back early from Bhutan and cut 2wks in Nepal because of severe food poisoning without all contract included meals. Sis bed-ridden for months, on several antibiotic series. Feared she might die. OAT said "food choices are customer's responsibility and fault."
Ouch!
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