From: sdoki@maxine.wpi.edu (Suresh Doki)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: *** MISERY AT THE HANDS OF INDIAN POSTAL DEPT. : ANY SOLUTION? **
Date: 14 Oct 92 22:27:21 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: maxine.wpi.edu

In article no. <sdjfhjds> brama@ncratl.AtlantaGA.NCR.COM (Bhyravabho Rama) said:
>Yes, by registered post.  It will cost a bit more, but it is worth it.  Or the
>best thing you can do is send it through somebody who is going to India.

if you are the kind not to worry too much about money and time you can
just take my advice. i think this is the best thing to do coz it is
very reliable and will give you utmost satisfaction. just buy a ticket
to india and deliver it yourself. you don't have to rely on some
stupid postal department.

i got a list of travel agents from whom you can get good deals for
your tickets.

i picked up this list sometime back from the same group.



CALIFORNIA:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continental Travels    |  0   |  1   |        |            |
San Jose               +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
408-293-2880           |Did not inform about unconfirmed reservations,
                       |canceled flights etc.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-Z Travels            |  1   |  0   |        | Dec, 1990  |
Los Angeles            | [1]  |      |        |            |
310-836-1477           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Very efficient and courteous. Works hard to keep
                       |customers happy. Returns calls and keeps you informed
                       |once they know you will buy tickets from them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hacienda Travels       |  1   |  0   |   N    | ??? 1990   |
Sunnyvale              +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Helpful, payment by check only.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Khajala Travels        |  1   |  0   |        | Oct, 1990  |
Los Angeles (Alhambra) |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Polite service, reasonable prices.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kohinoor Travels       |  4   |  0   |   X    | May, 1991  |
Santa Clara            |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Low price. Inefficient and slow, but not bad.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maazda Travels         |  3   |  0   |   N    | June, 1991 |
213-273-9100           |      |      |        |            |
Beverly Hills, CA      +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Courteous, efficient. Low price. Helpful in a case of
                       |a missed connection. Sent tickets by federal express
                       |($7.00 charge) when faxed a copy of the cheque.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Onkar Travels          |  1   |  1   |        | Oct, 1991  |
San Francisco          |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Rude. Lied about ticket being ready. Helpful, no
                       |complaints.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Om Travels             |  1   |  0   |   X    |            |
Mr. Kishin             |      |      |        |            |
Santa Clara            +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
408-988-2090           |If he is doubtful, says so clearly. Sent faxes to India
                       |of university students. Hunts for the cheapest deal.tive
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parus Travel and Tour  |  7   |  0   |   X    | Dec, 1991  |
Los Angeles            | [1]  |      |        |            |
818-981-6060           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
213-380-6600           |Quick. No problems. Polite, courteous. Suggest ways to
                       |beat the complexities of regulations regarding
                       |stopovers, minimum stay, etc. Helpful with changes
                       |in travel plan. Kept the quoted low price even after
                       |the airlines raised it because of oil prices.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roy Travels            |  1   |  0   |        | Oct, 1990  |
San Jose               |      |      |        |            |
408-578-3598           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
408-365-9809           |Prompt, courteous, competitive price. Helpful with
                       |emergency ticketing and when ticket was lost.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sai Travels            |  1   |  1   |        | Oct, 1991  |
Freemont, CA           |      |      |        |            |
415-790-3434           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
510-657-1724??         |Reliable, courteous. Had to send in partial payment
                       |($400) after which they confirmed ticket and promptly
                       |mailed it. Put on hold for 8 minutes, took down info,
                       |but never called back.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sai Travels            |  3   |  2   |        | May, 1991  |
Newark, CA             |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Not rude. Near-perfect service once.
                       |Raised prices once. Last minute rush.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sai Travels            |  0   |  3   |        | Dec, 1990  |
San Jose               |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Rude. Asked for payment 2 months in advance, and did
                       |not send tickets for a month. Needed to pick up the
                       |tickets in person.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skybird Travel & Tours |  0   |  1   |        | Oct, 1991  |
Freemont               |      |      |        |            |
510-792-0666           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Did not keep track of customer file, and asked for
                       |info from scratch three different times when customer
                       |called. Did not return call.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunnyvale Globe  Travel|  1   |  0   |        |            |
Mahesh Suri            | [1]  |      |        |            |
408-245-5090           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |No problems.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United Tours & Travel  |  3   |  0   |   X    | Oct, 1991  |
Najib, Ruksana         |      |      |        |            |
Newark, CA             +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
415-794-8890??         |Polite, returns calls, no problems with reservations.
510-794-8890           |Competitive rates. Prompt.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONNECTICUT: 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Universal Travels      |  5   |  0   |   Y    | Dec, 1991  |
Connecticut            | [1]  |      |        |            |
800-922-3267           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
203-562-4557           |Reliable. May not be the cheapest. Efficient. Good
                       |deals on Sabena Belgian Airlines. Got confirmed seats
                       |on Air India on the day of travel with less than
                       |5 hours to catch flight.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MICHIGAN:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geetha Pradeep         | 24   |  7   |   Y    | June, 1991 |
Troy, Michigan         |      |      | X AmEx |            |
313-689-5201           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Reliable. Works best if contacted well in advance.
                       |Helpful and prompt.
                       |Has 9:30PM to 11:30PM office hours on Tue, Wed and Thu.
                       |In one case raised prices, and mailed tickets at the
                       |last moment. Seat not booked properly in one case.
                       |In one case, had to call often, and stay on the line
                       |(long distance) while she attended another client.
                       |Issued a wrong ticket for connecting flight, and did
                       |not respond well to correct the mistake.
                       |Puts you on hold for unreasonably long time. Rude.
                       |Just too busy to provide a quality service.
                       |Quoted false higher figure for penalty to change ticket-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travel Network         |  3   |  0   |   X    | Aug, 1991  |
Geetha (not Pradeep)   |      |      |        |            |
800-634-8747           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
Troy, Michigan         |Courteous, efficient. Called back immediately to admit
                       |that she had mistakenly quoted lower price.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United Travels         |  2   |  1   |        | April,1991 |
Dearborn, MI           |      |      |        |            |
800-521-4684/4685      +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
313-565-3736           |Mr. Ganesan was courteous. Reasonable price for one-way
                       |ticket from Delhi to Houston.
                       |Mr. Ganesan misinformed about reservations and then
                       |did not issue tickets. Refused to send invoice for
                       |payment. Did not help in confirming return journey
                       |despite sufficient advance notice. Rude.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FLORIDA:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Asfar Travels          |  1   |  0   |        |            |
Rashida Lokhandawala   |      |      |        |            |
Tampa, Florida         +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
813-626-5522           |Good deal. No problems.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dollarwise Travels     |  1   |  0   |   X    | March, 1991|
Bharat Patel           |      |      |        |            |
Miami, Florida         +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
800-343-0071           |Helpful, reliable.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Orient Express Travel  |  4   |  1   |   X    | April, 1990|
Rashid Rafi            |      |      |        |            |
Tampa, Florida         +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
800-BUY-TRVL           |Helpful, particular. Responsive, polite. Offered a
                       |very competitive price on Air France.
                       |Did not refund $25 deposit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GEORGIA:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everest Travels        |  1   |  0   |        | June, 1990 |
Atlanta                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Reliable, reasonable rates
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M. J. Travels          |  3   |  0   |   N    | Aug, 1990  |
Atlanata, GA           |      |      |        |            |
404-292-3729           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Courteous, particular, fair price. Mohsin Bharmal at
                       |this agency suggested a cheaper travel by BA instead
                       |of PanAm.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Padmini Travels        |  1   |  1   |        | July, 1990 |
Atlanta                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
800-950-9057           |Uncooperative. A bit more costly. Did not inform
                       |about canceled connection. But still reliable.
                       |In jail for fraud (see emails for 08/13/90 survey)
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ILLINOIS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alien Travels          |  0   |  1   |        |            |
Chicago                |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Avoided speaking when called after making a mistake in
                       |booking. Had an 800 number, but did not furnish it
                       |in time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BestWay Travels and    |  0   |  1   |        | Dec, 1991  |
Tours                  |      | [1]  |        |            |
Karamat Sheikh         +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
800-468-4940           |Started out courteous with good deals but later backed
312-465-4949           |out. Bookings were wait listed, but cashed cheque
                       |immediately. Refunded $50 less for cancellation of
                       |the wait listed tickets after some struggle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fly World Travels      |  3   |  1   |        | Dec, 1991  |
Jafar Abbas            |      | [1]  |        |            |
800-628-3222           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
312-728-9495           |Cheapest deal for India to U.S. travel. Sent tickets
                       |to party in India at no charge. Prompt. Reliable.
                       |Lied about confirmation of tickets, never called
                       |back, rude (this was the latest experience)..
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Future Travels         |  3   |  0   |        | Oct, 1991  |
Jagan Reddy            |      |      |        |            |
Chicago.               +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
312-663-5999           |Good Service. Reliable; sent tickets before payment.
                       |Also informed about transit visa requirements for
                       |Canada. Book on routes through Europe so as to cause
                       |minimal waiting at the airports.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mona Travels           |  2   |  0   |        | July, 1990 |
Chicago, IL            +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
312-427-6800           |Helpful and prompt.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Puja Travel, Sam       |  4   |  0   |        | March, 1991|
Chicago                |      |      |        |            |
708-241-4700           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
(fax)708-241-4772      |Nice. Sent tickets within 3-4 days after payment.
                       |Helpful in getting tickets with a short notice.
                       |Courteous, willing to discuss alternative routes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rama World Travels     |  1   |  0   |        | Dec, 1989  |
Chicago                |      |      |        |            |
800-TEL-RAMA           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Reliable. Prompt. Courteous. Competitive rates. Have
                       |been around for many years. Lately not prompt. Delayed
                       |mailing tickets but said on phone that tickets were
                       |mailed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Royal Travels          |  1   |  0   |        | July, 1990 |
Jose Korattiyal        |      |      |        |            |
Chicago, IL            +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
312-509-9600           |Prompt, reliable, goo deal.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Safeway Travels        |  0   |  6   |        | Aug, 1989  |
Chicago                |      |      |        |            |
800-458-9880           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Don't even think of getting tickets from safeway. Rude,
                       |asked for payment 2 months in advance, raised prices.
                       |Returned only $2800 out of $2900 two days before the
                       |flight, bogus bookings. Similar experience even when
                       |bookings were done early (4 months in advance).
                       |Had to approach Better Business Bureau to get refund.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shama Travels          |  2   |  1   |        | July, 1990 |
Chicago                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
312-338-4100           |Pretty efficient. Not very courteous. Not rude either.
                       |Reliable. Sends written confirmation of travel plan
                       |before asking for payment. Misquoted price causing
                       |last minute purchase at a $150 premium.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
St. Charles Travel     |  1   |  1   |        | March, 1991|
Hamid Kazi             |      |      |        |            |
Chicago                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
312-263-6726           |Hamid Kazi also operates under Travel Corner. Refused
312-327-1920           |to book without payment, and then did not refund when
                       |booking was canceled.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trade Wings, Raj       |  0   |  2   |        | May, 1991  |
Chicago                |      |      |        |            |
312-764-2300           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Did not send confirmation and did not charge the fare
                       |after finalizing the deal. Raj is particularly lazy
                       |and inconsiderate. They tell you that a seat is
                       |confirmed, when actually it is wait-listed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travel Center          |  1   |  0   |        | June, 1990 |
Naren Soni             +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
Chicago                |Courteous, helpful. Prices slightly higher.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travel Corner Inc.     |  0   |  1   |        | March, 1991|
Hamid Kazi             |      |      |        |            |
Chicago                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
312-263-6725           |Hamid Kazi also operates under St. Charles Travel.
312-327-1920           |Refused to book without payment, and then did not
                       |refund when the booking was canceled.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOUISIANA
A-1 Travels            |  1   |  0   |   Y    | May, 1991  |
Neel Banerjee          |      |      |        |
Bengal Imports         +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
504-769-1626           |Reliable, efficient & reasonable price.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MARYLAND:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P. Travels           |  1   |  1   |        |            |
Langley Park, Maryland |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |without customer authorization. When asked to releaseing
                       |ticketing back to airlines, canceled reservations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MASSACHUSSETTS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Always Travel          |  1   |  0   |        |            |
Waltham, MA            |      |      |        |            |
617-894-5885           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
Fax: 617-893-3654      |Reasonable price, very good service, explained options
                       |(apex, 14-day excursion etc.), trustworthy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Express Travel         |  1   |  0   |        | June, 1991 |
Rita Gupta             |      |      |        |            |
Milford, MA            +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
508-634-8572           |Went out of her way to help in case of lost tickets in
Fax: 508-634-8596      |India.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regency Travels,       |  3   |  0   |        | July, 1991 |
Hansa Shah             |      |      |        |            |
Waltham, MA            +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
617-891-8422           |Reliable, trustworthy. Somewhat rude. Helpful in last
                       |minute arrangements for emergency travel.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sasta Travels          |  4   |  2   |        | June, 1991 |
Boston                 |      |      |        |            |
508-369-0050           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Never returned call. Took full payment for a canceled
                       |flight. Yet to return the money. Mailed tickets at
                       |the last moment. Mr. Narayanan here seemed prompt
                       |and efficient.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travel Arrangement     |  3   |  1   |        | March, 1990|
Boston                 |      |      |        |            |
Boston                 +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
617-862-8400           |Prompt service. Reliable. The 800-OK-INDIA number
                       |does not exist anymore. Cheap fares with Air Canada.
                       |One of the three staff persons was rude, quoted
                       |different fares at different times in 2-3 weeks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MINNESOTA:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
University Travels     |  0   |  1   |        | Nov. 1987  |
Minneapolis            +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
612-339-9278           |Booked 1 instead of 3 seats Made false promises about
(Kanwaljit Singh)      |alternate airline. Charged extra to cover his mistake.
                       |Was sued - he lost.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISSOURI: 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seema Travels, Jagruti |  1   |  0   |        |            |
St. Louis, Missouri    +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
314-423-9990           |Competitive price.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.P. Tours and Travels |  1   |  0   |        |            |
Sunny                  +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
New York               |No problems.
212-599-4250           |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Travel System |  0   |  1   |        |            |
Imran                  |      |      |        |            |
New York               +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Quoted a very low fare, but then delivered tickets
                       |very late. Also charged $200 extra to credit card.
                       |Lied and gave an invalid FedEx number.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
American Way Travel    |  1   |  0   |   N    | Oct, 1991  |
Dinesh Kumar           |      |      |        |            |
New York               +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
212-686-1155           |Got confirmation to fly to Brasil on PanAm when other
                       |agents could not get seats. Polite, professional.
                       |Does not return calls except for the final confirmation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bengal Travel Service  |  1   |  0   |   X    | May, 1990  |
Khaled Choudhary       |      |      |        |            |
New York               +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
212-807-8255 (off)     |Prompt, polite. Called on April 30 for travel on
718-805-9506 (res)     |May 12. Got tickets on May 2 by fedex (charged for
                       |that). Does not call you back.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Classy Travel and Tours|  0   |  1   |        | June, 1991 |
New York               |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Issued a ticket originally under a different name by
                       |using red ink to emulate red-carbon-copy. The agent
                       |got ticket from Hari World Travels who said that this
                       |was a mistake by a newly-hired staff since they ran
                       |out of PanAm tickets.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Complete Travels, NY   |  5   |  0   |        | June, 1991 |
Hari Darshan           | [1]  |      |        |            |
212-563-3422           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Reliable. Helpful with last minute changes in plans.
                       |Offered to refund without cancellation fee if visa
                       |problems prevented travel. Refunded old tickets in
                       |lieu of new ones without penalty or price hike.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elite Travels          |  0   |  1   |        | April, 1991|
New York               |      |      |        |            |
800-ASK-ABED           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Took $400 down payment for tickets, and did not get
                       |reservations. Then raised price by about $400.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Four Seasons Travels   |  2   |  0   |   N    | Sept, 1990 |
Manhattan, NY          |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Reasonable price. Efficient
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Future Travels         |  2   |  0   |        |            |
New York               |      |      |        |            |
212-532-2180           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |OK, but never sure if the bookings are confirmed till
                       |last minute. But he manages to get them somehow always.
                       |Returned full amount for a canceled IA domestic ticket.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glamor Travel          |  0   |  1   |   N    | Dec, 1987  |
Jackson Heights        +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Raised prices indirectly, return reservations not
                       |confirmed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hari World Travel      |  0   |  1   |        | July, 1987 |
Manhatten, NY          |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Sold unconfirmed tickets. Refused to refund.
                       |Got refund because it was charged to AmEx.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Malik Travels          |  0   |  1   |        | March, 1990|
303 5th Ave, NY 10016  |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Canceled return reservations without notice. Refunded
                       |only $65 out of $160 after threatening them about
                       |publicizing on SCI.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Save On Travel         |  0   |  1   |        |            |
New York               +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
800-???-5659           |Took $100 for reservation and then raised prices.
                       |When asked for refund, got only $75 back.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timetron Travels       |  1   |  0   |        | Dec, 1991  |
Mr. Abbas              | [1]  |      |        |            |
New York               +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
212-633-6616           |Helpful, called back when necessary.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travel Tips            |  1   |  0   |        |            |
New York, NY 10016     |      |      |        |            |
212-983-4415           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Reliable. Good deal considering that the tickets were
                       |booked on a short notice (within a week).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travel Tradition       |  2   |  0   |        | Feb, 1991  |
Ashok Shivalkar        |      |      |        |            |
New York, NY           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
212-972-0756           |Helpful, reasonable prices. Helpful in getting seats
                       |when travel dates were changed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travel World           |  2   |  1   |        | Dec, 1991  |
International, Vivek   |      | [1]  |        |            |
914-778-2772           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Reasonable price. Helpful in changing itinerary.
                       |Helpful especially with PanAM and BA. Charges a bit
                       |more. Latest experience: Never called back, kept
                       |assuring he was working on customer's case, no deal.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Web Tourism and Travel |  1   |  0   |   Y    | Feb, 1988  |
310, 5th ave., New York+------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Courteous, good price. OK to change schedule
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW JERSEY:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dollar Travels         |  0   |  1   |        | Dec, 1988  |
New Jersey             +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
201-686-3868           |Raised price after deal was finalized. Did not inform
                       |about a canceled flight. Probably out of business now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quick Travel           |  1   |  0   |        | Nov, 1989  |
Edison, NJ             |      |      |        |            |

908-634-5250           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |No problems.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NORTH CAROLINA:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everest Travels        |  1   |  0   |        |            |
Charlotte, NC          +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
704-532-1978           |Reliable, follows up on your request. Prompt.
                       |Helped during an emergency
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NORTH DAKOTA:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brekke Travels, Kris   |  4   |  0   |   N    | Jan, 1991  |
Grand Forks, ND        |      |      |        |            |
800-437-5301           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Prompt, courteous, good deal. Returns your call.
                       |Suggested using Amex certificates for domestic part.
                       |Efficient, spends time discussing travel plans and
                       |making suggestions. May get phone busy due to this.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OHIO:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prema Govindarajulu    |  8   |  0   |        | June, 1991 |
Cincinnatti            |      |      |        |            |
513-777-1446 (evenings)+------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Trustworthy. Suggested a cheaper way by IA in India.
                       |Prompt service. Helped with one-way tickets to travel
                       |from India to the U.S. Calls back. If not sure about
                       |something, she tells you up front.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PENNSYLVANIA:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jitu Parekh            |  1   |  0   |        |            |
Mechanicsburg, PA      +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
717-766-9565           |Reliable but expensive by about $25 than best deals.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trans International    |  1   |  1   |   Y    | May, 1991  |
Travels (Tina)         |      |      |        |            |
Philadelphia           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
215-222-5678           |Canceled reservations without informing. Deposit
                       |not refunded. Last minute unpleasant surprizes.
                       |No problems in the latest experience.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World Wide Travel      |  4   |  0   |   N    | Dec, 1991  |
Prachi Seth            | [2]  |      |        |            |
Pittsburgh             +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
412-621-0330           |Good price. Promptly corrected faulty tickets. Prompt.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEXAS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A to Z Travels         |  1   |  0   |        | May, 1989  |
Houston                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Efficient. Sent ticket even before balance payment was
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Atlantic Travels and   |  1   |  0   |   X    | Dec, 1990  |
Tours, Ashu            |      |      |        |            |
Houston                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
713-781-7077           |Helpful, responsive to last minute changes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C & C Travel           |  0   |  1   |        | Dec, 1989  |
Chaudry Fayyaz         |      |      |        |            |
Dallas, TX             +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Disorganized. Did not have confirmation for travel to
                       |Pakistan until a few hours before departure.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capricorn Travels      |  4   |  1   |   Y    | Feb, 1991  |
Nancy Vaz              |      |      |        |            |
Houston                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
713-270-5519           |Reliable and efficient. Told that seat was confirmed,
                       |but later denied saying so. Raised the price by $100.
                       |Prompt confirmation delivery of tickets with a short
                       |notice (1 week). Payment mailed after tickets received.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capricorn Travels      |  2   |  0   |        |            |
Naju                   | [1]  |      |        |            |
Richardson             +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
214-234-0299           |Reliable, polite. Did raise price at the last moment
                       |but explanation was plausible.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Four Way Travels       |  2   |  0   |        | June, 1991 |
Hamid, Pankaj          |      |      |        |            |
Houston, TX            +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
713-789-4919           |5 days of mailing cheque.on PanAm. Mailed tickets within
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Global Travel          |  1   |  0   |        | Dec, 1990  |
Abid Sheikh            |      |      |        |            |
Fort Worth, TX         +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Professional and efficient. Quick with a $30 adjustment
                       |refund. Suggested cheaper routes for travel to Pakistan-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hari Travels           |  0   |  1   |   N    | May, 1989  |
Houston                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Tried to sell a waitlisted ticket. Raised prices.
                       |Refund check bounced.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metro Travels          |  0   |  3   |        | Oct, 1990  |
Arlington, TX          |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Sold tickets and lied about confirmation, although
                       |the bokking was on a waiting list. Had to buy ticket
                       |at a high cost from another agent at the last moment.
                       |Very arrogant. Asking for credit slip after credit card
                       |payment helped get refund through AmEx.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raj/Taj Travels        |  0   |  1   |        |            |
Joseph Rajan           |      |      |        |            |
Irving, TX             +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
214-659-9035           |Refund cheque of $300, difference between credit card
                       |payment and discounted fare, has bounced twice. Does
                       |not reply calls or letters.
                       |Has now changed to Taj Travels.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supersonic Travels     |  1   |  0   |        | June, 1989 |
College Station, TX    |      |      |        |            |
Mr. Adil, Mrs. Hassan  +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
409-846-4477           |Courteous. Reasonable rates. Sent pre-paid tickets to
                       |India. Took 3 months to get refund for unused ticket.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supersonic Travels     |  1   |  0   |        | July, 1990 |
Bissonet St, Houston   |      |      |        |            |
Mr. Adil, Mrs. Hassan  +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
713-777-0333           |Courteous. Reasonable rates. Ticket purchased with a
                       |4 days notice.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taj Travels            |  0   |  1   |        |            |
Joseph Rajan           |      |      |        |            |
Irving, TX             +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
214-659-9035           |Refund cheque of $300, difference between credit card
                       |payment and discounted fare, has bounced twice. Does
                       |not reply calls or letters.
                       |Used to be Raj Travels previously.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trade Winds            |  0   |  1   |        |            |
Houston                |      |      |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Agent of Gulf Air. Nice until you buy ticket, but
                       |rude when requesting changes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travel King            |  0   |  1   |        |            |
Dallas                 |      | [1]  |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Cheap fare but sloppy service. Put callers on hold for
                       |a long time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TENNESSE:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travel Concepts, Yatish|  8   |  1   |   X    | April, 1991|
Knoxville, TN          |      |      |        |            |
800-366-4124           +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
615-584-3909           |Reliable. Prompt, accurate, knowledgeable, helpful.
                       |Mailed tickets within two hours of talking. Mailed
                       |tickets by certified mail.
                       |Put OKs on tickets without really having reservations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Wave Travel        |  1   |  0   |   X    | Sept, 1990 |
4719 University Way NE |      |      |        |            |
Seattle                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
206-527-3579           |Helpful. Takes one week to send ticket after he gets
                       |payment, and tells this to you up front.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Onkar International    |  1   |  0   |   Y    | Dec, 1990  |
Travel Service         |      |      |        |            |
Seattle                +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
206-292-9366           |Good fare including Indian domestic flights.
                       |No major problems.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STATES UNKNOWN:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Moonlight Travels      |  0   |  1   |        |            |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Raised price by $200 at the last moment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suma Travels           |  1   |  0   |   R    | Dec, 1988  |
                       +------+------+--------+------------+------------------
                       |Decent rates. Not helpful for schedule changes.
                       |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

e-mail messages received since the last posting:
------------------------------------------------

>From: Kala Chand Seal <KCSF%LMUACAD.bitnet@VM.USC.EDU>

I was in Dallas before moving to L.A. So I am going to relate my experiences in
 Dallas as well as in L.A.

Dallas:  Capricon Travels.  A rate service if you go through Naju.  She is comp
etent and trustworthy.  However, it is advised that you do the booking through
the Airlines and then ask Naju to handle it fro there.  May quote a price which
 is $30-50 higher than the competitors, but when you buy the ticket finally, yo
u probably would pay the same price quoted by others.  Happened twice with me.
 Only snag is you have to go through NAJU ONLY, others can mess it up royally,
and you have to keep on nagging her about your ticket etc.

Dallas : Travel King:  Cheapest fare, but sloppy service.  You will be put on h
old for ever.  Also if you go there yourself pack a lunch!.  I do not how relia
ble they are in mailing tickets etc.  Worked for couple of friends of mine.  Ad
vantage is that can provide you ticket at the last moment through crazy but wor
kable routing.

L. A.   E-Z Travels service (310) 836 1477.  Very efficient and courteous servi
ce.  Provides you with the cheapest fare and works very hard to keep the custom
ers happy.  Contacts are Gita, Loyla, and Anil.  You have to keep on reminding
them about your reservations etc. else they assume that you have lost interest
and do  not pursue your booking further.  Returns phone calls and keeps you inf
ormed once they are assured that you are going to buy the ticket from them.  La
st experience : December 1990.

>From: ajayb@apollo.com

Due to unavoidable circumstances I had to buy tickets at a very short
notice. My travel dates were December 11th and I started shopping around
Thanksgiving. 

- I bought my ticket from Timetron Travels. Mr. Abbas there was quite
helpful. He called me back whenever it was necessary. The tickets were
however mailed two days after they were supposed to be. The details for
this travel agency follow:

Timetron Travels              Mr. Abbas
1123 Broadway, Room 209       Phone: (212)-633-6616
New York NY 10010

- My cousin was also shopping for his ticket in the same time frame. He
bought his ticket from World Wide Travels, Pittsburg. This agency is already
mentioned in the survey. He was dealing with Ms. Prachi Seth there and recieved
excellent service. The tickets were mailed to him the day his cheque was
recieved. Prachi was able to get flight bookings for me too, but I had
already committed to the other travel agency. I would recommend this Travel
Agency very highly. Prachi is very prompt, courteous and cooperative. I am
posting this on behalf of my cousin, Mr. Rajat Bhatnagar as he doesn't have
access to the USENET. Details of the Travel Agency follow

World Wide Travels           Ms. Prachi Seth 
Pittsburg                    Phone: (412)-621-0330

-Ajay
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ajay Bhatnagar                                       Phone:      (508)-256-0176
Apollo Systems Division                                                ext 5431
Hewlett Packard Co.                                  Email: ajayb@apollo.hp.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>From: kamala@upenn5.hep.upenn.edu (Kamala Anupindi)

Parus Travel:

I went to India recently... ticketed by Parus travel. VERY EFFICIENT and
helpful with changes... no problem at all....... Ask for AHEMD there.

I know of two other friends of mine who used Parus and had no problems.

Kamala Anupindi

>From: Ajeet Singh <asingh@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu>

Hi jayesh,
I am writing for a friend who does not have an account.
He just bought a ticket to India from Fly World Travels, Chicago(Dec'91).
He had a very hard time with this travel agent. The travel agent(Jafar Abbas)
lied about confirmation of the ticket, he never calls back. My friend spent
about $20.00 for making calls. He tried to sell unconfirmed return ticket, rude
and after all this He requested my friend to send a goon experience to
Travel Agents Survey List.

Me and my room mate bought the ticket from Complete Travels, NY in june 91
He is very-very reliable and efficient ,gave good deal on Pan Am, sent
tickets after two days of the payment by Fed-Ex. He even remember my
name and Air line after 6 months of buying a ticket. It seems one of
the Prof.(Indian) in our school is buying tickets from him form last 
18 years. Ask for Mr. Hari Darshan When calling this agent.

ajay singh

>From: Chakra.Srivatsa@Eng.Sun.COM (Chakra Srivatsa)

I want to report that I bought tickets to India for my family of 3
(2 adults + 1 infant) from Sunnyvale Globe Travel, 1220 Town Center Lane,
Sunnyvale  (408)245-5090. The agent's name was Mahesh Suri.  I got his 
name from one of your earlier travel surveys.  I paid $1180 for SF to 
Madras round trip on Singapore Airlines.

I was quite happy with Mahesh's service, though I admit I only used his
services for purchasing the tix.  I did all the bookings myself and only
when they were confirmed did I release the bookings to him.

An interesting note: I had mentioned earlier that I got his name from the
travel agents survey.  He said that the survey was incredible and that he
had gotten a lot of calls from people who read the survey.  We *do* have
a *very* powerful consumer tool here!  Kudos to you for maintaining the
survey!

-Chakra.

>From: Vivek Jaikamal <vjaikama@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>

I am including my experiences with three travel agents with whom I had
encounters before my trip to India in Dec 91. Two of these were already
on the survey, while one is new.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

1)  VERY BAD EXPERIENCE, TOTALLY AVOIDABLE

Name : BestWay Travels and Tours, Inc.
Owner : Mr. Karamat U. Sheikh
6353 North Claremont, Chicago IL 60659,
       Ph: (800) 468-4940, (312) 465-4949

I contacted the agent in July for travel in December. They were courteous
and started to offer good deals on Gulf Air and Alitalia. But later backed
out on Alitalia.

i)  They don't seem to be professional in their approach. I had to confirm
everything with other sources. Was ready to give me ticket on Alitalia
but I found out that the bookings were wait listed. They acknowledged it
later.

ii) Cashed my check immediately, although bookings were not finalized and
tickets were not being issued at that time.

iii) Issued me waitlisted tickets on the assurance that they would get
confirmed , even though I had asked them to wait till the seats were
confirmed by the airline !!

iV) I returned then the waitlisted tickets ten days before the date of
departure to show my indignation. They wanted to deduct $175 + service
charges and give the balance three months later, but have refunded me
the whole amount less $50 for concellation when I threatened to report
them to the BBB.

     I think that they want to get away by misinforming their
customers as often as they can, and acknowledge their "mistake" when
caught !

------------------------------------------------------------------

2) International Travels, NY.  Vivek

Never called me back. Kept assuring me that he was working on my
reservation with Air France. Never got the deal. Not a very good
travel agent.

------------------------------------------------------------------

3) Universal Travels, New Haven, Connecticut.

Very prompt and efective. Got me tickets on Air India when all others
had given up. I had a good trip thanks to them.

Only drawback : sends tickets by ordinary mail. Slightly costly.


hope you found this useful.

suresh