Road ScholarReviews of roadscholar.org

Response from Road ScholarNov 20, 2025

Dear TA, I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar. Making the choice to cancel a program is never easy, and we always exhaust every possibility before reaching that point. We truly regret disappointing participants and sincerely apologize that this has happened to you twice. When programs you're interested in reach capacity, joining the waitlist remains a viable option. This alerts our provider to seek additional space when feasible, and should someone cancel, you'll advance on the list or potentially secure enrollment. We're committed to supporting you and regret that you haven't felt this assistance. Please contact us at 1-877-426-8056 or share your contact details so we can reach out directly. Sincerely, Road Scholar

Response from Road ScholarOct 29, 2025

Dear Ann, I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar. We are sorry to hear the food did not meet your expectations on your recent Greece adventure. We appreciate the time you have taken to share your thoughts on this trip on your program evaluation, as this feedback is essential in allowing us to create enriching experiences for our participants. A member of our Participant Satisfaction team will be contacting you directly to discuss your experience in more detail. Sincerely, Road Scholar

Response from Road ScholarOct 29, 2025

Dear Diane, I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar. When you book your air through Road Scholar, you’re getting more than a ticket — you’re getting built-in flexibility and support designed specifically for educational travel. Our team works directly with airlines up to a year in advance to secure space that allows: • Flexible changes: In most cases, you can adjust flights without penalty until about six weeks before departure. There are some exceptions that apply that are clearly communicated. • Full protection if programs change: If Road Scholar must cancel your program, we refund the airfare (exceptions may apply). • Proactive flight monitoring: We track schedule changes and can rebook you if flights are delayed or canceled. • 24-hour emergency assistance: A dedicated team is available to help with unexpected travel issues. • Included transfers: Airport transfers are covered when you arrive and depart on program dates. Airlines sometimes advertise limited “flash sale” fares that appear lower, but come with strict conditions — they typically require immediate payment, are nonrefundable and offer little or no flexibility. By contrast, Road Scholar air is paid on the same schedule as your program, unless it is buy now airfare, and comes with the flexibility, protection and personalized service that online discount fares rarely provide. If you are not happy with your flight arrangements our travel team is always available to explore possible alternatives. We would like to discuss this further with you. If you haven’t already, please give our Travel Services Department a call at (800) 241-1404. Sincerely, Road Scholar

Response from Road ScholarOct 9, 2025

Dear Nancy, I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar. We recognize the frustration and disappointment that can arise when airlines make changes to schedules or cancel flights unexpectedly. Although we don't have any control over airline schedules or seat availability, those who booked their flights through our Travel Team can receive assistance exploring alternative options to reach their program. Unfortunately, this may sometimes result in a delayed arrival if that's all the airline can provide. At that point, one will need to decide whether proceeding with the program still makes sense for them. This situation illustrates why we recommend our optional trip protection plan, which includes benefits for trip interruption to help cover expenses in these circumstances or provides a cancel for any reason credit if one completely cancels. We are sorry you will no longer be traveling with us and hope that you reconsider. If you would like to discuss this further please feel free to contact us at 1-877-426-8056. Sincerely, Road Scholar

Response from Road ScholarSep 30, 2025

Dear JT, I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar. Here at Road Scholar, we recognize how vital it is to protect our global environment while minimizing the ecological footprint of our educational journeys. We're committed to evolving into a more environmentally responsible organization and are delighted to embed sustainability within our fundamental values. This commitment means that throughout the planning and execution of our educational experiences, we'll be taking steps to minimize waste and bolster local economies whenever feasible. While we've informally implemented some of these practices previously, we're now dedicating ourselves to acknowledging and enhancing these efforts. For instance, we've realized that providing every participant with a new name tag for each program creates unnecessary waste. We're currently developing an enrollment option allowing participants to decline name tags, which will be implemented shortly. To learn more about our sustainable efforts you can go to https://www.roadscholar.org/c/sustainability/. Also, please note, for many of our international programs, including air travel arrangements is an option, and when selected, if your arrival and departure align with the program dates airport transfers will be provided. If your dates don’t align or if you decide to arrange your own air, directions on how to get to the starting location of a program is provided. We would love to speak with you further, so if you haven’t already, please contact us at 1-877-426-8056. Sincerely, Road Scholar

Response from Road ScholarOct 1, 2025

Dear Kathy, I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar. We recognize how challenging it can be to experience flight cancellations or adjustments. While this is beyond our direct control, we do closely track such changes when you book your airfare through our Travel Services team. Given that flight disruptions occur regularly, we prioritize addressing them based on upcoming departure dates. We received notification of your flight cancellation on 9/24/2025 in the afternoon, and you reached out to us the following day on 9/25/2025. Please know we fully intended to contact you, but needed time to explore available options. Regarding reserved seating, our travel team can only assist with certain airlines for seat selection. Unfortunately, ITA is not among them, which means seat assignments cannot be selected in advance through us. In these cases, participants must purchase seats directly with the airline, preventing us from making modifications or reassigning seats since the airline maintains the payment information. We are sorry for any frustration this process may have caused and hope you reconsider using our Travel Services team in the future. Sincerely, Road Scholar

Response from Road ScholarAug 20, 2025

Dear D Mac, I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar. We apologize for any disappointment you've experienced with our Travel Team. There are various factors that impact the itineraries we book, including airline availability and negotiated pricing. Our aim is to provide the most direct and cost-effective flights available, considering your program's parameters. We're not here to pressure you, but to offer flight options and support. Depending on the flights you seek, there may be instances where air costs are added to your order for payment upon the program's final payment or, for destinations requiring payment at the time of booking, we'll contact you via email or phone to finalize arrangements and make payment. If you have concerns about the proposed flight itinerary, our representatives are available to explore alternative options. Additionally, the airfare cost includes benefits: Monitoring of flights, we’ll keep on top of pre-departure schedule changes and cancellations and if necessary proactively rebook your flights to ensure that you arrive at your program on time, 24 hour service available to offer guidance with air travel emergencies, which include unanticipated flight delays or cancellations, Airport transfers if arriving and departing on the program dates and if Road Scholar cancels your program, you’ll receive a full refund for the airfare (exceptions may apply). We would like to discuss your concerns further. If you haven't already, please contact us at 1-877-426-8056 or [email protected]. Sincerely, Road Scholar

Response from Road ScholarAug 5, 2025

Dear Evelyn, I am responding on behalf of Road Scholar. Thank you for your thoughts. We are happy to hear you enjoyed all of your adventures. To ensure participants choose the most suitable program, we are refining our materials to provide clearer expectations on daily activities and requirements. We look forward to seeing where your travels take you next. Sincerely, Road Scholar