Going Places Travel

Going Places Travel, located at 1677 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, presents a complex picture for prospective clients. Operating as a traditional brick-and-mortar travel agency, it offers the promise of personalized service and expert knowledge, a stark contrast to the impersonal nature of online booking engines. The agency's performance, as reflected by customer feedback and its own stated specializations, suggests a business with significant strengths in certain areas of travel planning, but also notable weaknesses that have led to severe consequences for some travelers. An examination of its services reveals a dichotomy that potential customers should carefully consider.

Expertise and Problem-Solving in Challenging Situations

One of the most compelling arguments for using a service like Going Places Travel is the support offered when travel plans go awry or involve intricate regulations. Several clients attest to the agency's profound value in this regard. For instance, one traveler planning a trip under the exceptionally difficult circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic found the agency's help to be indispensable. Faced with complex visa requirements, international travel permits, and the constant threat of cancellations, the client turned to Going Places Travel after failing to navigate the system alone. The agent successfully negotiated special visa requirements directly with the airline, secured a place on a flight, and provided critical information throughout the process. This highlights a core competency in managing bureaucratic hurdles, a skill invaluable for anyone planning international travel to destinations with complicated entry rules.

This level of dedicated support extends to more common travel disruptions as well. Another client, who booked a cruise, encountered several issues on the part of the cruise line. Their assigned trip specialist, Tulle, was praised for stepping in and resolving every single problem, effectively acting as a powerful advocate for her client. This kind of intervention is a key reason travelers choose to work with professional travel advisors. Similarly, an agent named Carolyn Sweeney received exceptional praise for her work on a family trip to New Zealand. Her dedication was described as "beyond 5 stars," with every detail handled meticulously. Crucially, when a family member had to cancel due to a health emergency, Carolyn assisted in securing a refund for the ticket, demonstrating a commitment to client welfare that extends beyond simple booking services.

Specialization in Cruises and Potential Perks

The agency appears to have a particular strength in cruise booking. One long-term positive review notes that engaging Going Places Travel for a cruise can lead to unexpected benefits. As the agency is likely a volume booker with established relationships, they may be offered exclusive upgrades by cruise lines looking to fill premium suites on near-departure sailings. This insider access is a tangible financial and experiential benefit for the client, providing a clear advantage over direct booking. This, combined with the previously mentioned problem-solving during a cruise trip, positions the agency as a strong choice for both new and experienced cruise travelers seeking value and a safety net. Their expertise likely covers a wide range of vacation packages, with cruises being a standout offering.

A Critical Failure in Complex Itinerary Planning

Despite the positive feedback, a detailed account from another client reveals a critical flaw in the agency's process for handling complex, multi-stage journeys. This particular case involved a family trip to South Africa and Madagascar, a type of adventure travel that requires flawless logistical coordination. The client reported that the agent constructed the itinerary by purchasing a series of separate, unconnected airline tickets rather than a single, unified booking. While this might not seem like a major issue to a layperson, the consequences were disastrous.

First, when the family needed to change their travel dates due to a passport delay, the separately ticketed nature of the booking resulted in change fees exceeding $1,000—a cost that would have been significantly lower on a connected itinerary. The more severe problem occurred during transit. The itinerary included a flight from Cape Town to Antananarivo via a connection in Johannesburg, with only a 1.5-hour layover. Because the flights were on separate tickets with different airlines (Lift and SA Airlink), the family could not check their luggage through to their final destination. They had to deplane, claim their bags, and run through the airport to the next check-in counter. The 1.5-hour window was physically impossible for this process; the industry-recommended minimum for such a connection is over three hours. As a result, they missed their flight, were forced to stay overnight in Johannesburg at their own expense, and, most critically, missed a once-a-week connecting flight within Madagascar, severely impacting their entire trip. The review notes that even a colleague of the agent expressed disbelief that the flights were ticketed in this manner. This incident points to a significant lack of technical expertise or oversight in the crucial process of flight booking for complex routes. The client's subsequent attempts to seek resolution were reportedly met with a lack of empathy from management, further compounding the negative experience.

Conclusion: A Tale of Two Agencies

Going Places Travel operates as a dual-faceted entity. On one hand, it is home to highly praised travel advisors who excel at planning trips to popular destinations, managing cruise bookings, and acting as powerful client advocates in difficult situations. For travelers planning family vacations, cruises, or trips that fall within the agency's apparent comfort zone, the service can be exceptional, providing peace of mind and tangible benefits. The ability to walk into their Shattuck Avenue office and build a relationship with an agent is a significant advantage.

On the other hand, the agency has demonstrated a capacity for critical failure when it comes to creating custom itineraries for more complex, multi-country journeys. The ticketing error on the Africa trip is not a minor oversight; it is a fundamental mistake that suggests potential gaps in their operational processes or the expertise of certain staff members. For travelers looking to arrange intricate logistical sequences, especially in less-traveled parts of the world, this represents a substantial risk. Prospective clients should therefore approach Going Places Travel with a clear understanding of their own needs. It would be wise to inquire specifically about their experience with the chosen destination and to ask direct questions about how multi-leg flights will be ticketed. The choice to use their service may depend entirely on whether your travel plans align with their proven strengths or venture into areas where they have shown significant weakness.