Gate1 T'giving packages
 

Recieved an email from Sidestep which directed to Gate1travel, which has T'giving packages to Europe for $449+ for London for 4 nights including hotels and airfare from NYC. I did a search and did not find negative comments, but neither did I find answers:
1. What are the add on charges for other cities?
2. Is there a choice of airline and do you get FF miles. ( I think the site59 pkgs do.)
3. Any recent experieinces with gate1?
Thanks for answers.

I used Gate1travel.com for a Thanksgiving package to Paris last year and was very pleased. I prefer it because it's one of the few "package" places that let you pick your airline and let you see the fare code (so you know if it's upgradeable) before purchasing. Yes, I received miles, and was able to upgrade a United fare by calling UA and using a SWU.

A couple of cautions:

• The first price is the CASH price, meaning you pay by check or money order. The second price is credit card, usually it's a nominal amount higher, but it's an expectation thing.
• You'll see an option to extend your stay by changing the return date. I chose this last year and it extended the date of my flight back, but did not add a night of hotel. In retrospect, it never said that it would (and I think that they've made it clearer since), but it was an unpleasant surprise to find it out after I arrived.
• Yes, the fees are high, but so are everyone's.

Other than that, my experience was very positive - good communication, nice hotel, delivered what they promised at a great price.

YMMV.