Gil Travel Group

Fantastic experience: I highly recommend Gina Bianchini from Gil Travel, based in Philadelphia, for her exceptional services in planning a dream trip to Jamaica for my 60th Birthday. Her prompt responses, unbeatable deals, and timely updates,particularly after a hurricane hit our destination, have been invaluable. Gina's expertise, knowledge, and friendly demeanor have made the entire planning process seamless. I strongly advise utilizing her services; you will be delighted with the results.

Negative experience: Be cautious Hire a lawyer to read the terms and conditions before giving them any credit card info Or It might come back to bite you

Fantastic experience: Birthright changed our group three times and I had to keep getting a new extension. Stephen took care of it all and kept refunding and rebooking me. Not typical in today’s AI customer service world. Really appreciate it!

Fantastic experience: Gil Travel’s experience was absolutely life-changing. The organization, the staff, the energy—everything exceeded expectations. I always felt cared for, safe, and inspired. Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: Quick and easy getting my Birthright extension

Positive experience: Gil Travel was great! We had a little hiccup with changing our tickets and They were so helpful in making everything work out !

Fantastic experience: I know some people had alot of issues with their trip because of the dam war. but crystal and alex got me my extension and at least my trip was awesome. Thank you!

Negative experience: DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. Impossible to work with. Extremely unresponsive and unprofessional. Gave me someone else’s flight itinerary instead of my own and would not respond with any actual information for my own trip after dozens of attempts to reach them over weeks via email, phone, contact forms, third parties. Given the conflict in Israel, the airline I was booked on by Gil only offered WhatsApp support through an automated system that requires a booking number to get through and because Gil travel gave me the wrong booking information I had no way to contact the airline to make necessary flight changes. Gil remained unresponsive the entire time until I missed my flight. And then Gil had the nerve to offer only a partial refund and keep the rest of my money after their own incompetency. —— Responding to Gil Travel’s reply — If Gil Travel had any care for its customers, they would offer to remedy the situation with a full refund knowing they made a critical error providing me someone else's booking information and that it caused unnecessary stress in an already tumultuous time. Any attempt by Gil to infer that I was contacting the wrong department is ridiculous. I can offer proof of using at least 6 different methods of communication to try to reach them that all went unanswered, including several emails directly to the agent who was responsible for completing my booking. I could not reach a person who could actually help rectify Gil's mistake. The one time I managed to reach someone from Gil on the phone, they hung up on me saying they could not handle my request to provide me my actual booking confirmation number for my flight that was within 48 hours because it was affiliated with a group booking. I received no call back. The process to get the flight extension confirmed initially -- for which they then shared the wrong information -- was also painful and required an extraordinary amount of follow up with Gil Travel. Many in my group shared the same stressful experience of not knowing whether we should take our original flights because Gil Travel was unresponsive and did not end up confirming extensions until the last minute. The airlines are not to blame for Gil's poor customer service going dark on its customers. International travel can be tough enough -- do yourself a favor and avoid this travel agency that will only make it harder!

Fantastic experience: Leslye and her team went ABOVE and BEYOND for us and were an abolsute pleasure to deal with. Very grateful for Leslye's care and attention!

Negative experience: horrible service they take forever to reply and are not accommodating to customer needs

Fantastic experience: We are so elated we chose Gil Travel’s Japan Pesach Program. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Gill, his family, the chefs along with his A+ team led by Moshe Braun made this trip and holiday just spectacular. The group of people were diverse and warm, the food and presentations were top notch and there was so much to do and see. I cannot recommend this program enough!

Fantastic experience: Perfect program

Fantastic experience: Just came back from Japan with gill travel In one word amazing!!!!! The service the location the way he give you to fell Thank you for an amazing passover

Fantastic experience: They responded to my extension request so fast, and the matter was taken care of that day! Highly recommend for they're costumer service! Thanks to the Gil travel team.

Fantastic experience: Japan? Yeah, everyone was baffled when we mentioned we were considering Japan for Pesach. Is it kosher? How can you trust a program so far away? What are you going to do there? Not only was everything above and beyond the classic standards of kashrut, but the food was delicious. Any concerns were immediately addressed—and always with a smile! As they say, leadership starts at the top. Gil, his family, and his team were all stars from start to finish. The hotel staff followed suit. As Mel mentioned, the entertainment was spot on—extremely well planned and captivating. Before I booked, I asked my cousin to research the program and the Chabad there. We got good reviews and decided to go for it. Boy, were our expectations shattered in the best way possible! The best part of it all was the sense of community. People of all ages and backgrounds came together with one goal in common: to make Pesach in the most beautiful way we could. Mission accomplished! Enjoy!

Fantastic experience: Without a doubt this was the most well put together program in an exotic location that one could imagine. My wife, Shirit and I were lucky to be participants in this spectacular event, with extremely unique food beyond belief with Michelin type cuisine made by a group of chefs extraordinaire. The program was extremely well run by Gil Hami and his family, masterfully handled by Moshe Brown and master of ceremonies Chaim Kiss. But last but not least was the company. People from France, Israel, South Africa, Australia and from all over North America including Toronto, Houston, Los Angeles, Bar Harbour, Miami, Teaneck, Ft. Lee and the whole New York metropolitan area were chilled, laid back and super friendly. By the end of the trip it felt more as if we were family rather than mere acquaintances. I would highly recommend Gil Travel Group for any other trip and if you get the chance to go with Gil to Japan for Pesach, run as quickly as you can to make that reservation. Gil Travel Group rocks!

Fantastic experience: 5.0/ 5 We had an amazing time with Gil Travel in Japan for Pesach! Every detail was thought out and feedback was encouraged making this program in this unique location one the best we’ve been on! The food, the touring, the activities from cultural shows and hands on experiences, interesting speakers and kids club we can’t say enough about our time with Gil and Japan!

Positive experience: Ayant déjà eu l'occasion de partir avec d'autres agences mais sans pour autant lui faire de la publicité mais les responsables de cette agence sont des professionnels et sans oublier leur guide, Très respectueux et toujours présent pour aider et résoudre le moindre problème.Un grand bravo pour cette agence.

Fantastic experience: Respond fast, extremely helpful, and very professional.

Fantastic experience: Great team to work with. Always go above and beyond to assist! Despite extreme difficulties with current situation of cancelled flights, the dedicated Gil Travel team, did everything to ensure that my son and his Five friends are booked on the same flight home! Thank you Gil Travel team!!!!

Fantastic experience: These guys are great - they were able to get me a flight change to extend my trip in Israel last minute when there were barely any options available and prices were sky high. It seems like lots of people are upset when they can't get what they want, but I can assure that Gil will always do whatever they can for their clients.

Fantastic experience: I had an incredible experience with Agent Swati from Gil Travel, who went above and beyond to make our Birthright trip truly unforgettable! Despite the challenges and restrictions, Swati's expertise, patience, and dedication ensured a seamless and enjoyable journey. Her attention to detail, prompt communication, and warm demeanor made all the difference. The Gil Travel team worked tirelessly to accommodate our requests, and their hard work didn't go unnoticed. I highly recommend Gil Travel and Swati for any travel needs - they truly deserve a 5-star rating! Thank you, Swati and Gil Travel, for an unforgettable adventure!

Fantastic experience: Great service! Extremely helpful and accommodating! Made my travel experience so much smoother and easier

Fantastic experience: Great great customer service and help. They were amazing to work with and would definitely do so again!

Fantastic experience: The team at GIL Travel Group were absolutely sensational. They were incredibly accommodating and responded in a timely manner. Even though I had to speak to several people at the organization, Each one treated me with the utmost respect. I’d recommend this service to anyone who needs help with their travel plans.

Negative experience: They are crooks don’t do any business with them. I went on birthright and wanted to see options to extend my flight they ended up scamming me two times with a charge of $300. Didn’t confirm with me before booking a flight and charged me a $150 fee to get back onto my original flight. Terrible service and communication with staff!!

Fantastic experience: After Brussels Airlines canceled my seat on my flight unexpectedly and without warning, Gil Travel spent hours on the phone with me and with Brussels in order to get me on a flight home. My contact at Gil Travel fought for me to get on a direct flight home and for Brussels to rectify their mistake. When he realized I would even be stuck in Israel over Shabbat, he offered to personally set me up with people so that I would not spend Shabbat alone. I am really grateful for the hard work and effort that Gil Travel put in to get me on a flight home.

Fantastic experience: Gil travel group was helpful and attentive and helped me to navigate issues with my flight. They used their resources to go above and beyond to help me out and it is much appreciated. Thank you Stephen and Lana for your time, it’s much appreciated!

Fantastic experience: Food excellent as well as service

Fantastic experience: Amazing experience! I’ve very happy with how quickly they were able to extend my trip!

Fantastic experience: The agents at Gil Travel were great in helping us coordinate our daughter's Birthright extension flight. We were aware that we would probably need to pay a difference in the fare. They offered us several flight options at different price points. Once we made our selection, they emailed us the confirmation and actually managed to get us a lower fare than the one originally quoted.

Negative experience: I am writing to express my disappointment with the services provided by Gil Travel Group in relation to my recent travel experience. I regret to inform you that my experience with your company has been extremely unsatisfactory due to poor communication, misinformation about my travel, and extra charges that were unjustified. To begin with, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of communication from your company regarding my travel arrangements. I found it extremely difficult to get hold of your representatives, and when I did, they were unable to provide me with accurate information about my travel plans. This left me feeling confused and frustrated, as I was unable to make the necessary arrangements for my trip. Furthermore, I was shocked to discover that your company had added extra charges to my itinerary, claiming that they were imposed by the airlines. However, upon contacting the airline, I was informed that no such charges existed. This left me feeling cheated and misled by your company, as I was under the impression that I had to pay extra fees that were not actually required. Additionally, I was disappointed by the lack of effort made by your company to rectify the situation. Despite my attempts to seek clarification and resolve the issue, your representatives were unresponsive and unhelpful. This lack of customer service is unacceptable and reflects poorly on your company's reputation. It is also worth noting that I felt your company was constantly trying to charge me extra for anything that they could, without any justifiable reason. This is extremely disappointing and has left me feeling frustrated and disappointed in the services provided by Gil Travel Group. In light of these experiences, I regret to inform you that I will not be recommending Gil Travel Group to anyone in the future. I urge you to take this feedback seriously and make the necessary changes to improve the services provided by your company.

Fantastic experience: I am always recoment GoL travels to visit lakshadweep bcos they provide complete information and make us travel friendly to the unknown and unexpected places gol is really great the natural beauty of lakshadweep is amazing you must visit and choose gol to visit.

Negative experience: I am normally not one to leave reviews, but Gil Travel is just such a terribly run company, I felt the need to spare others of their horrible customer service as much as I possibly could. I am being forced to use Gil Travel as part of a group trip, but if you are not being forced, I advise you to avoid them at all costs. There is no customer service, no phone number that is ever reachable, no email that ever responds, and nothing about the company is honest and transparent. I ended up having to pay roughly $1000 for a flight because of their inefficiency and deeply rooted disorganization. If I could give this company 0 stars, I would. Please do not use Gil Travel.

Fantastic experience: Impossible dealing with the airline for my extension. Gil Travel took care of it. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: Having Gil Travel helping us through the current post-pandemic craziness and uncertainty was amazing. Will definitely use again!

Negative experience: They seem to forget what their role is. There is no way to contact them. They don't answer phone calls, emails, or voice mails. I am forced to use them as part of a group trip but if you have any choice AVOID AT ALL COST!

Negative experience: Worse experience.

Negative experience: Had to jump through several hoops to get our flight changed. Their “phone number” is just an automated message that tells you to email them and hangs up. When we needed another change, we were sent a sassy email with a list of reasons why they cannot help us. A travel agency that doesn’t even do the bare minimum, change a flight for you. Horrible service, unkind, and overpriced.

Fantastic experience: שרות 100%! חברה' שממש יודעים לטפל בלקוחות שלהם. תודה!

Fantastic experience: Gil travel showed me what service is all about in the travel world. They were very professional and incredibly attentive to all our needs. I highly recommend them and can’t wait to book my next trip through them.

Fantastic experience: Great choice. Highly recommended . Will book again

Fantastic experience: Great service. Very personable.

Fantastic experience: Very personal and helpful.

Fantastic experience: I've had the pleasure of using Gil Travel for my trip to Israel and they beyond exceeded my expectations from a travel company!! From the super friendly and attentive customer service to the detailed planning and professionalism, I hands down highly recommend using Gil Travel for your next trip!!

Fantastic experience: A wonderfully informed travel agency, 20 years I will never go any where without them.

Fantastic experience: Gil Travel was so helpful with our trip last year. They found us great tickets for a great price, responded to our emails quickly, and had great customer service. I highly recommend them to others!

Fantastic experience: They arranged my trip to Seminary and all the changes and requests I kept making and took care of it all. I got the seats I wanted even after changing my flight last minute. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: This is such a wonderful service with team of people who really care to make your trip as meaningful as possible!

Fantastic experience: I had my wedding in Israel and had the pleasure of using Gil Travel to plan travel and accommodations for all of our guests. Every single guest was thrilled with their experience and gave the Gil Travel team rave reviews. From the hands on customer service (which is rare these days!), to the wonderful attention to detail in planning each bespoke trip and daily outing, our experience was nothing short of extraordinary. I would give them 10 stars if I could! Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: Gil Travel planned an amazing trip with VFI! I got to volunteer in Israel, see the country, and not worry about a thing. We stayed in really nice hotels, had a fabulous guide, and they handled any problems that came up. I'll definitely be traveling with them again!

Fantastic experience: I couldn’t be happier with the service I got from Gil Travel

Fantastic experience: I had the pleasure of using Gil Travel for my family's trip to Israel. Susan planned every detail perfectly. She gave wonderful service, tailored an itinerary to our needs and our budget and most importantly knew exactly what to include to make everyone in my family satisfied! They're really Israel experts and I couldn't be more pleased with their service. Thank you!!

Negative experience: Birthright experience is outstanding! The only portion that left a bitter taste is an experience with Gil travel agency, in charge of travel extension. בושה וחרפה שרות לא מקצועי ולא עומדים בזמנים ! אל תתעסקו איתם !

Negative experience: I am very disappointed with this travel agency, specifically their handling of birthright extension process. My child processed all the paperwork as instructed to obtain the extension of travel after completion of birthright trip, and staying for an internship in Tel Aviv. There were confirmation emails from the Gil travel representative that the extension would be confirmed within 5 business days, yet no response followed for 3 weeks; at which point, there was no way to extend the travel and required cancellation and booking of a separate ticket, accruing significant expense.

Negative experience: A BUNCH OF SCAMMERS! They want to charge me $165 to extend my flight and have informed me that I was not "allowed" to call the airline to request such a change. Little did they know I had already extended the trip directly with the airline for $65. No phone skills and poor service, but don't say that or they will go off on you. Don't take my word for it tho, do your own research. You've been warned.

Fantastic experience: Tier 1 professionals

Negative experience: This review pertains only to Birthright Group Travel Experiences, facilitated by Gil Travel: My trip participants and I found that this agency has strict rules and works with thousands of traveler for Birthright Israel. You should be sure to pay close attention to fine print from your Birthright trip provider and from Gil so as not to be surprised with what you can or cannot change for your flights. We found airline changes more expensive when booked through Gil than through the airline's Tel Aviv office. Gil does not offer customer service around the clock, which in my opinion, is unacceptable given the sheer number of travel participants they handle. Gil has confirmed that this is their accepted practice. Gil Travel has read this review and responded to my concerns, confirming that the level of service my trip participants experienced were indeed within their policies of doing business.

Negative experience: DO NOT USE FOR BIRTHRIGHT EXTENSION. They up charge you up to $110 more than it would cost to call the airline and do not allow you to check in early so you must go through the arduous process of airport check-ins. They are also closed during normal hours of operation in Israel so communication is impossible. Absolutely worthless service.

Negative experience: They make a living ripping off people extending their trip after Birthright. What would cost $50 through the airline costs $165+ through Gil Travel.

Fantastic experience: We have been to Israel and to Spain with Gil Travel and have had fabulous experiences. they always answered our emails in a timely manner, worked with us to schedule extra nights in hotels when we wanted them, and sent us a long list of things to do after the tour is over. Their tour guides are extremely knowledgeable and personable as are the scholars that accompany their tours.

Negative experience: I Will never work with them. They never get anything done in a timely manner. I hope Birthright used a different agency.

Negative experience: Very rude customer service.

Negative experience: Very difficult to communicate with this company whether over the phone or email. Had no communication with them after purchasing their service, called after 3 weeks to confirm and learned that the service was no longer available. Gil blamed this on long holidays in Israel...

Fantastic experience: I've been travelling to Israel for years and thought that I know it and out, but Gil Travel tours showed me stuff I've never seen. Looking forward to now experiencing their Jewish European tours.