Even though i am only 24, I have traveled most of my life. Across the USA. Bermuda, Curaçao,…read moreBahamas etc. However it was always my dream to travel to Asia. After graduating from college, I decided to take my dream vacation and go to Vietnam. However since I have never traveled to Asia before, I decided to play it safe and talk with a travel agent. I went to First Class Travel with high hopes but sadly had a very disappointed experience. I wanted to get an idea of how much a flight cost from Chicago to Da Nang. Hilariously, I was informed that it would cost at least $2,500 for a connected flight from Chicago to Seoul and Da Nang. Having again traveled most of my life, I knew that didn't make much sense. While the travel agent said that was my only option. I looked up an American airline flight from Chicago to Da Nang with a 1 hour stop in Tokyo for $1,500. This travel agency wanted me to spend $1,000 MORE. Not only that, they would not have even booked the flight unless I booked a resort or hotel while I was in Da Nang. They also added that it was my fault that the flight options weren't as open because of the dates that I took off. And that if it was them they would ask their employer to just chance the vacation dates that I requested months in advance to make this trip work. They also had to say "Well Vietnam is an odd place to go to. I don't know why you would want to go there." Not only is this inappropriate but it's none of their business why I want to go there. So I left First class travel and did my own research. Bought my own plane ticket $1,000 cheaper and did airbnb and got a lovely beach villa for $25 a day.I had a wonderful time on my dream vacation. My advice. There is not point going to a travel agency. All the information you need is online. If you need advice on travel, ask people who have traveled there. The best way to describe First Class travel is: If you want something done right do it yourself!

Rita at First Class Travel is the consummate Travel Agent. I use First Class Travel for all my…read moretravel needs, from simple airline tickets to complete cruise packages. Rita brings her over 20 years of experience to find you the best prices and the most options. As a rule, I use Rita and avoid countless tedious hours on the internet doing research, endless clicking and frustrations trying to beat the internet travel website gimmicks and traps. One call to Rita and all my travel needs are taken care of, at the best price, hands down. I highly recommend First Class Travel for impeccable service and all your travel needs.

AVOID AAA INSURANCE. MY EXPERIENCE WITH AAA AUTO INSURANCE…read moreAFTER 20+ YEARS OF BEING INSURED BY THEM. I had never made a claim with AAA yet recently after leaving my car lights on the car would not start. Since I Pay AAA Insurance for Road Side Assistance, I contacted them. Road Side assistance did show up with a van full of batteries to sell. I explained that my car only needed a jump start. The tech proceeded to tell me all the reasons why I should replace my battery. After much to do he brought out his battery booster kit for jump starting cars. It did not start the car and he said it was because my battery had been drained of too much power. Because I was not going to purchase a new battery, HE LEFT. Yes AAA rode side service left me stranded. I called a friend and without a problem we jump started my car. Four months later that same battery continues to start my car every day. Afterwards trying to deal with AAA regarding this situation was always the same "I'm sorry this should not of happened. Please call back and ask for xxxx department for assistance." After hours on the phone with AAA I was told that the tech followed company procedures. AAA was ok that I was left stranded since I didn't want to buy a unnecessary new battery from them. Imagine how AAA would handle a claim if my home had a fire or my car was in an accident. I don't need to find out, I already know how AAA handles claims. There are plenty of other companies that sell reputable insurance.

everyone who is planing to go overseas and will be renting a car must have international driver…read morelicense. do you know how to get it? Best place is AAA in Mount Prospect. Just come in with the picture and they're going to make the driver license for you over the counter. In less than 10 minutes you will walk out with a driver license that allows you to drive being overseas. The price it's only $20 and you are good to go. People are very helpful they will explain you everything.

Really...you're better off to plan your trip yourself, or if you can't do that, better call someone…read moreelse. I really don't know how they stay in business. I had my credit card ready and a trip picked out, but they are totally unresponsive. Even when they promise to get back to you by the end of the day, you NEVER hear from them. I dunno. Don't get it, at all. I TRY to shop local, but I guess I will have to go elsewhere.. how long should you have to wait for ANY response? (It's been weeks).

Ms. Dorothy Kucera is a sweetheart, and is informative in asking you what your destination plans…read moreare and where your interests lie in. She has a good number of pamphlets and catalogs that you can get ideas from as well as being able to customize a personalized trip for you and your sigfig other (or with friends, etc.). She seems to exude with care, concern, and a goal to make sure you have the best trip possible. +travel & cruise services +ask for Ms. Kucera

Patrice & her team are always on top of the details, asking good questions about our needs and…read moreacting like a broker, working on our behalf to get the best travel plan for us. Best Agent we have used in a decade! Seems to have relationships with vetted experts around the world who can be trusted to deliver our dreams when we get to our destination. Thanks Patrice for all the great vacations!!!

Patrice Feltes is the best travel agent you could possibly find. She's efficient and very…read moreresponsive when things are going well. Even better, she is extraordinarily helpful if there is a problem. I just had to rebook a Viking Danube cruise at the last minute due to itinerary changes because of low water levels. Patrice negotiated with Viking to get us the deal that we wanted instead of their original offer. She truly went above and beyond the call of duty and I can't possibly thank her enough.

Vicky made our Alaskan Cruise, flight and hotel effortless, at least for us it was. Vicky spoke…read moredirectly with the airlines, hotel, and the cruise line while we listened. We had flight vouchers that she navigated those for us when a previous travel agent would not. Vicky was very through but also a joy to work with. We have used other travel agents before but she beats them all out. We will be reaching out to Vicky for our next vacation. If I could give more than 5 stars I would.

We just got back from a wonderful trip, courtesy of Victoria Callas of Arcadia Travel & Cruises…read more Many folks these days tend to "skip" using a travel agent, preferring to make their own travel plans. While there are all kinds of websites & apps to use, having a great travel agent is worth its weight in gold! All is fine on a trip until trouble appears. With a travel agent, you have a REAL LIVE PERSON to call if you run into a snag! A great travel agent like Vicky knows all the tricks and shortcuts that can really bump your trip up to the next level. Having her expertise at the tip of your fingers can provide solutions to problems. Covid restrictions change frequently. She's up to date on the requirements, not just for where you're starting your trip, but also for your trip's destination! What if someone in your party falls ill? What if you miss a connecting flight? THOSE are situations when a seasoned travel agent like Vicky can come to your rescue. Vacations can take many twists & turns. It's the situations that you CAN'T predict, that Vicky can assist with. For example, in 2012, I took my 78 year old mother-in-law to Puerto Rico. The first 3 days were great but unfortunately mom came down with a stomach issue requiring hospitalization. Luckily, Vicky was by our side (via phone) every step of the way! She rebooked our return flight which had to be delayed until mom was better. What was a language barrier for me (as I only speak English) was no problem for Vicky who is multi-lingual. She's a godsend. She's been our treasured travel agent for over 30 years! She goes out of her way to make sure everything goes smoothly before, during and after your trip. She's the BEST! Thank you Vicky for all the years of great trips that you've booked for us! We look forward to many more!

This review is a few years late, but I generally had a good experience working with Amy and Kate…read more They helped make sense of a lot of wedding craziness, made a really lovely wedding website and did a lot of helpful booking for family which was fantastic. The downsides I'd say were that the resort wasn't NEARLY as nice as it had been pitched to me. The food was iffy, and my husband and I both got food poisoning (luckily after our wedding). The rooms were musty. And a lot of guests expressed that they could have gotten their hotels booked slightly cheaper than they did through Amy's team. We had our wedding in the Dominican Republic at Dreams Palm Beach FYI. And we loved the wedding coordinator on site (Virgilio) - he was fantastic, and the day itself was BEAUTIFUL and pretty perfect. Overall, the experience was a fun adventure, and my guests had the best time. We don't think we'd go back to this resort or maybe even DR in general, but it was very helpful having Amy's team there to help us along the way.

I used Destinations by Amy to coordinate wedding travel and accommodations for our wedding in…read moreMexico. Amy and Kate were wonderful and easy to work with. They were clear in explanations, had a very quick response time, and always sought out answers from the hotel quickly. They worked up until the very last minute with guests changing requests and really went above and beyond. They were able to get great rates and additional events for our group which we would not have been able to get working with the hotel directly. They helped me enormously during my wedding planning process and it was great peace of mind knowing the travel aspect was in good hands.

The Metra, when on time, is a fantastic way to get around the Chicago metro area. We had unlimited…read moreweekend passes and were leaving each morning from the Mt Prospect station. This station is located in the quaint town of Mt Prospect and is surrounded by a variety of small businesses, restaurants, and bars. We took advantage of a 35-min delay by popping into a corner bar and enjoying a drink. We also had brunch directly across from the station before heading into town. The station is well marked, has a smaller parking lot, and was free of any trash or debris. The tracks seemed well maintained, as we witnessed several crews inspecting the structural integrity as we waited for one of our trains. Would recommend to those in the area.

Nice little Metra station in downtown Mount Prospect. The "veteran" who manned this station for…read moremany many years retired (I assume... I hope he didn't die) and now a younger dude is there. Either case, friendly attendant and ample seating in the station for about 75-100 people. They have a coffee shop adjacent to it that opened a few years ago. Pretty nice stop if you want to get some cheap coffee on the go. BATHROOM REVIEW: There is a private stall for your bladder needs as you wait for the Metra. Its locked at night for what I assume, for safety (sucks to be you if you're coming home drunk and need to pee). Relatively clean, and doesn't have the usual piss aroma like the other public bathrooms you see out there. Sit or squat? I'd still squat, since I'm a germophobe.