Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/20/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We traveled May **** to ***** using Avanti Destinations by way of AAA. We traveled on American Airlines and we had a flight cancellation from ****** to ******* for 2 people and from ****** to ******, ** for 1 person. We booked flights on other carriers and as a result we were due refunds from American Airlines. American Airlines has told us that they issued those refunds on June 1st @2:55 pm by electronic check. Avanti claims they have not received the refunds. I have asked through AAA, a third party that Avanti reach out to the airlines. To date, i have not received my refund or any direct correspondence from Avanti. I am requesting Avanti make an attempt to recover our money since they were acting as our agent when the flights were booked and paid for. I would also like a response from Avant with the status of their contact with American Airlines and/or the status of our refunds.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/27/2023

  Dear Ms. ******************************** provides packages of travel options for retail travel agents, our direct clients, with whom we communicate regarding matters pertaining to their clients bookings.
  
  We have thus contacted your travel agent today to follow-up on this matter, which we are investigating.
  
  Should you need more information in the interim, we must request that you please reach out to her, if she has not already contacted you.
  
  Thank you, Ms. ** We look forward to resolving this matter for you.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Avanti Destinations

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/03/2023

   
  Complaint: 20631630
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  My travel agent and I have been in contact and she has been working to help me resolve this issue.  It has been been four months since we started this process and the issue has not been resolved.  Four months is far too long.  I have spoken with American Airlines on multiple occasions and they have indicated that Avanti Destinations could easily contact the airlines to seek resolution to this issue.  Avanti continues to put the responsibility on me to get answers from the airlines. This is unacceptable.  This complaint involves a refund of over $2300.00 total. We always pay Avanti in a timely manner and would like to receive our refunds in a timely manner.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 10/06/2023

  Dear Ms. ******************************** advised your travel agent of the refund we confirmed was received from the airline, yet it remains pending to process as we have not received a response regarding to which credit card(s) it should be applied.
  
  Additionally, since the refund is significantly less than the amount you expected, Avanti Destinations contacted the airline to re-verify the refund amount and provided your agent with documentation from the airline that confirms the amount originally advised by Avanti Destinations is correct.
  
  Finally, we must request that you please contact your travel agent to follow up with us on your behalf to process the refund and to obtain any further clarification as may be needed.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Avanti Destinations

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/18/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/20/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Booking number: ******* Reference number: ******* The purpose of this message is to outline efforts to apply a credit of $2956.00 to future travel. Goal- apply credit toward flights. Agent who originally booked this pre-Covid trip is now retired.10 business days with agent ******************* of AdTrav to try and get this credit with Avanti applied towards rountrip airfare from ******* to *****. She said Avanti now required additional money to be spent, namely $400.00. per traveler for land travel.Requested a copy of the terms and conditions of the Avanti refund policy. Unfulfilled.I contacted Avanti directly (called back after 2 hour wait). The Avanti agent, *******,clarified I could not book travel/get refund applied directly but an outside agent must complete this. She also clarified that since the trip was booked pre-Covid, the spend for land portion was $250.00 per traveler.******* recommended using site: travelleaders.com to locate another agent (Agent **** was not serving us well). ******* stated she would try and find written refund policy and email it to me. Unfulfilled.On March 17 I contacted the travelleaders.com identified agent ********************* , from *************, **. Her email response was for me to contact Avanti directly to utilize my credit.I next contacted another agent,************************* who called Avanti directly. After a wait of over 2 hours, she was advised of a multi step Avanti process to choose her as agent. She also stated she was advised customer CAN BE CALL ********************** DIRECTLY to book flights/land portion to apply the travel credit.No written copy of refund policy was provided.All efforts all successful to accomplish my goal. I have not been able to email customer service. ********************** has provided verbal information to 3 parties, myself included, that has not resulted in resolution of applying my travel credit.REQUESTING AVANTI DESTINATION AGENT CALL ME/BOOK FLIGHT/APPLY $2956. credit Or AVANTI TRAVEL DASTINATION ISSUE REFUND $2956.THANKS

  Business Response

  Date: 03/22/2023

  Dear BBB Representative:
  
  The following response was sent to the consumer via email today (March 22, 2023) with a copy to the BBB.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Avanti Destinations

   

  RE: BBB ID ******** / ********************** Ref No 1612749
  
  Dear **********:
  
  This is in response to your above-noted Better Business Bureau complaint.
  
  We are delighted you are seeking to use your Future Travel Credit (***) toward a new trip!
  
  To do so, an agent from your original agency need only create a new booking for you and request to have the *** applied to it via our Reservations department.
  
  To apply your *** toward a new trip via an agent from a different agency, that agent simply needs to ensure they are registered with Avanti Destinations (which, if they are not already, can easily be done on our website), then request a form from Customer Relations for you to sign to authorize utilizing your *** with the new agency.
  
  Finally,it is important to understand Avanti Destinations provides packages of travel options for retail agencies, who are our direct clients and to whom our booking policies/terms and conditions are provided (including for their clients), which is why we must advise you to contact your chosen travel agent to follow up with us on your behalf regarding any requests pertaining to your booking.
  
  Thank you, Ms. **** We look forward to resolving this matter for you as soon as possible.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Avanti Destinations

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/27/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. However, the process requires several steps and cooperation of agent with ******. Avanti provided a name and US mail address; I have not been successful in obtaining an email address of this agent to sign transfer of travel credit. I have mailed Avanti form to AdTrav via IS mail per instructions. I am waiting for receipt of this signed form to be returned.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/08/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  4/16/2018. My brother passed away in Aug 2018, ***** law, is you go to court and they see all documents and assign you as executor as the will states, that was January 2019, then you put out in the ************** if this person has a debt with you that was 6 months later before we could work the estate August 2019, 2020 the lawyer for the estate starts working and we start paying bills. We found that my brother had paid $7183.54 to Avantis *************** on 4/16/2018 he could not make the trip as he passed away and I call in *********************************************************************************************************** half of the $7183.54 returned to the estate so we can close the estate. need help in collecting this my brothers name is ******* ***********************, lived in ********** **. Thank you *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 08/11/2022

  RE:Claim ID ********
  
  Dear BBB Representative:
  
  This is the same complainant who submitted claim 17558922.
  
  **************** has now provided her brothers name; however, we are still unable to locate the booking.
  
  To help us find Mr.Millers booking, please ask her to provide as much of the following information as possible:
  
  Name(s) of any other traveling companion(s)
  Name of the travel agent/agency he used
  Destination(s) (country/ies) to which he was traveling
  Billing address for his credit card
  Last 4 digits and type of credit card he used for payment
  Confirm if the funds received were made in a single payment or via several payments
  If payment was made via more than one transaction, provide the amounts/dates of the transactions
  
  Thank you for your assistance in gathering this information, as we cannot respond to the complaint if we cannot locate a booking for ****************.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Avanti Destinations

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/12/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

   

  8/12/2022

  Name of other person traveling/  *************************

  name of travel agent/He passed away and we could not ask him

  Billing address of his credit card/ *************************************************** 78633-1859

  last 4 digits of credit card/  8934  Chase - southwest card

  traveling to: *******

   

  Thank you 

  ********************* executor for his estate

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2022

  Dear BBB Representative:

   

  The following response was sent to the complainant today (August 22, 2022) with a copy to the BBB.

   

  Sincerely,

   

  Avanti Destinations

   

  RE: BBB ID ********
  
  Dear ****************:
  
  Please accept our condolences for the loss of your brother.
  
  We located a booking under the name M. ***********************" that corresponds to the payment you indicated.
  
  However,this booking was for a ******** itinerary, not *******, and the booking included three other passengers but not the traveling companion you noted.
  
  Travel dates for the booking were August 4 12, 2018, and there was no cancellation of this trip and no indication that travel did not commence or that **************** did not participate in the trip, nor any notification received of any issue occurring during travel.
  
  Finally,it may be helpful to understand that Avanti Destinations works exclusively with retail travel agents, our direct clients, for whom we provide packages of travel options.
  
  ***************, we hope this information is helpful and appreciate your understanding that no refund is due for this booking.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Avanti Destinations

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/07/2022

  All is good and appreciate your help in solving this

   

  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/04/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Avanti has had my money since March 20,2022 in the amount if$*******.I had booked a Viking cruise which they retuned all my money and then had a avanti for a 7 day land tour. I had to cancel due to medical and then Covid came. I booked through a travel agency and they told me at the time Avanti would only do credit for two years. At the time we thought ok this might last 6months///Well here we are and so much still happening. They now extended the credit for another year. My husband and I are seniors and we would like to have our money back so we could use it for trips in ***************** should we decide. We do not feel comfortable going to Europe with all that is happening with the heat cancellations of flight. Virus etc. The refund for Avanti of ******* is not that much compared to us. After this length of time we would like our money refunded.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/12/2022

  Dear BBB Representative:

   

  The following response was sent to the consumer today (August 12, 2022) with a copy to the BBB.

   

  Sincerely,

   

  Avanti Destinations

   

  RE:BBB ID ******** / ********************** Ref No 1594880
  
  Dear **********************:
  
  This is regarding your above-referenced complaint to the Better Business Bureau.
  
  We have contacted your travel agent, our direct client, today regarding an option for your booking.
  
  Please contact her for the details, and she will follow up with us on your behalf.
  
  Thank you, **********************. We look forward to resolving this matter for you.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Avanti Destinations

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/12/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************