Upon A Star Travel & Concierge -

Jennifer Kochis

We had the pleasure of working with Michelle Shaffer as our travel agent during a recent travel experience, and we cannot speak highly enough of her exceptional service. As they say, two things you should have when traveling are a good travel agent and trip insurance, and Michelle proved to be the best travel agent we could have asked for.

During the recent CrowdStrike IT global issue, which caused significant disruptions to our travel plans, Michelle was there for us every step of the way. Throughout the July 20th weekend, she remained dedicated and committed to helping us navigate through the challenges that arose due to flight cancellations and delays by Delta Airlines. Her prompt responses and unwavering support were truly remarkable.

Michelle's expertise and professionalism were evident as she provided us with quality alternatives and solutions in real-time. Whether we were at the airport, driving to another airport to catch a flight, or even when we reached Germany and had questions about hotel accommodations, Michelle was always just a phone call away. Her ability to handle unexpected situations with grace and efficiency was truly impressive.

Thanks to Michelle's invaluable assistance, we were able to overcome the obstacles and make it to our destination, saving our much-anticipated family vacation from being canceled. Her dedication, knowledge, and exceptional customer service made all the difference in ensuring a smooth and enjoyable travel experience for us.

We wholeheartedly recommend Michelle Shaffer as a travel agent. Her commitment to her clients, prompt communication, and ability to provide effective solutions in challenging situations make her an invaluable asset. We are grateful for her outstanding support and would not hesitate to work with her again in the future.

- David and Jennifer Kochis

Jennifer Chessmore

Good morning everyone! I would like to tell you about a trip my best friends and I took to Playa del Carmen earlier this month. David Dollar was instrumental in putting our trip together and I can't say enough about how wonderful it is to work with him. He has helped me with my Disney trips for several years, but using him for our out-of-country trip was just fantastic!
We were picked up in a very nice SUV from the Cancun airport and driven to our resort by a charming young man. We stayed at The Fives Beach Hotel & Residences Playa del Carmen and it was AMAZING!! We had a pool-side room with a full kitchen and dining table (which we used for our breakfast room service). We ate at each of the restaurants on property and the food was unbelievable! Steak, salmon, the risotto balls at the Italian spot, even the burgers at the beach; everything was phenomenal. We also had multiple desserts at dinner, because....why not The drinks were also fabulous and in plentiful supply! At David's recommendation, I took a cooking class at La Casa de Rosa and it was SO FUN!! I'm not going to tell you all of the details, because I don't want to spoil it, but it was an absolute blast and I would definitely do it again!
I also loved the wildlife at the resort. I may or may not have fallen in love with Peppa, the resort pig who lives near the boardwalk. Every morning I smuggled some fruit out for him and I looked forward to seeing him every time we went near the plaza. There are also spider monkeys everywhere (many with the cutest little babies!) and we saw an iguana sunbathing on a rock by the beach. It's so fun to walk the boardwalk through the jungle to the beach or the plaza and see what animals are out and about!
Although we were there just after a hurricane and could not use the kayaks or paddle boards due to the waves, they were both available right on the beach. Speaking of the beach, it is beautiful! Bright blue water, white sand and you can even see Cozumel in the distance! We thought about leaving the resort to explore the town, but the pools and the beach were so wonderful we just couldn't bring ourselves to leave. We got 2 massages on the beach and they were fantastic!
All in all, I would say, if you are thinking about a beach vacation, hit David up right now! We never felt unsafe: everyone wore masks, you sanitize your shoes before going into the resort or into the restaurants, your luggage and your person are sanitized upon entering the resort and the staff has you use sanitizer before entering any restaurant. There were disinfecting wipes and multiple bottles of sanitizer in our room. I will say it again: we NEVER felt unsafe!
The world is nuts right now, but if you need a slice of serenity, let David hook you up with a phenomenal vacation in Mexico. They are running some great deals right now!!! BTW: David can take care of EVERYTHING! Flights, shuttles, rooms....you don't have to worry about a thing!

Nicole Michelle Wyse

My husband and I recently took our 4 kids (ages 3-9) to Disney World for spring break. Our trip was truly magical and unforgettable!! I am so grateful for the memories we were able to make together as a family. All of this was made possible by Jamie at Upon a Star Travel!!! She essentially held my had through the entire process, took care of all reservations, and met all of my (probably hundreds) of questions with kindness, patience, and professionalism. She took away so much stress and worry about the trip and I was able to enjoy it so much more. Jamie is extremely experienced and knowledgeable. It’s an absolute no brainer to book any future vacation through Jamie!!! The best part - there’s no fee for you!

Maria Mullen

I just started working with Michelle S, planning a trip for Paris, and I am absolutely BLOWN AWAY. I was shopping around for travel agents, and two well known Pgh companies kept telling me, call back later, it’s too early to plan anything. I really felt blown off… Michelle was the complete opposite! She happily planned everything now so I could see realistic options and when flights become available, we can see that then. She is so responsive, so patient and kind, I just can’t get over her wonderful service and expertise. The other companies also wanted to charge $200 just to start talking. Not UAST. I will be telling everyone and anyone about Michelle! ?

Sara Sunderlin

Lori did an AMAZING job helping me plan our Disney vacation!! Not only was she able to book us at Cinderella's Royal Table, and other amazing reservations, but she was there when I needed her at any time! It was my daughter's birthday while we are away, and Lori had a cake, complete with plates, napkins and forks delivered to our hotel room! I definitely would recommend Lori to ANYONE planning a Disney trip- or any other trip! I can't thank her enough for helping my family create such magical memories!!

Jen Fay

This is the second time we have used Lori to arrange travel for our family. She is prompt and fully transparent with communication. She has been helpful in selecting a destination to fit our needs and also kept our set budget in mind. She made additional phone calls to our resort to ensure the 2 rooms we requested were next to each other. She provided an itinerary and promotional material via mail (travel toiletry bags, pens, beach bags, luggage tags) for both trips. Follow up was done after both trips to ensure everything went as planned. We plan on using once upon a travel for future arrangements.

Nadia Conte

Lori was great and so easy to work with!! We have planned several trips, all including multiple people and families, everything worked out as smooth as possible. Every time I had a question, she would answer them so quickly!! Having her assist us with everything for our first Disney Cruise was so helpful!! I can’t wait to book more trips!! Loved working with her!

Rita Sajewski

Lori went above and beyond to make sure we found the perfect place and deal for our honeymoon. She took all the stress away from making decisions, and she handled all of the ever evolving changes to our trip due to the pandemic (changes in flights/better deals if we moved dates). She kept us up-to-date every step of the way, and was fast to respond to any questions we had. She even created an itinerary with all of our flight/transportation/hotel/vacation info. Truly a great experience and we look forward to working with her again!