Blue Ribbon Travel – Levittown

2890 Hempstead Turnpike

Levittown, New York 11756

Tel: 516-500-3600 • Fax: 516-342-6329

Blue Ribbon Travel Levittown was conceived during the Summer of 2013, when Ellen Rutsky and Rakesh Taneja joined forces to bring a new level of service and expertise to Levittown and its neighbors. Ellen’s many years working in Long Island has fostered an appreciation for its people. Her desire to develop an agency that would best serve the needs of the community led her to Rakesh Taneja, owner of a successful agency in Whitestone, Queens, whose insight and business sense would help bring her dream to fruition. The pair each brought their particular talents to the drawing board and by October 2013 Blue Ribbon Travel Levittown had become a reality.

Blue Ribbon Travel’s affiliation with AMERICAN EXPRESS provides a level of stability and security that is the best in the industry. Perhaps even more important is the staff of experienced travel professionals, ‘handpicked’ for their expertise and enthusiasm. Together our agents provide well over 100 years of experience. Ellen, as a manager, as well as each of our agents, is committed to bringing superior value and service to each and every customer. At Blue Ribbon Travel we believe that our agency is not just a local business, but a vital part of the community. As new a agency we look forward to becoming active, participating members in local events; adding to our rich history of community service and volunteerism.

Ellen, Josie, Kristine and Tara hope you will take a few moments to stop in, say “hello” and maybe get to know us a little better. It’s a great, big, beautiful world out there – and we want to help you discover it!

Levittown Travel Agents

Ellen Rutsky was already a success in the travel industry when she accepted the challenge of opening a new store, at a time when many businesses were struggling to survive. Ellen’s 30 plus years of experience, first as a front line agent, and eventually as a manager of a very successful agency, have proven to be a tremendous asset and a major contributing factor in Blue Ribbon Travel Levittown’s early success. Having run a large store, which was always a top producer, she showed her ability to succeed even in a generally inhospitable economy.

As both an agent and a manager, Ellen sought to define her store in terms of its neighborhood. She was, and will be the force behind Blue Ribbon Travel’s commitment to being more than a storefront in the community. A major objective, when planning the store, was to be fully integrated with the people the store would serve. From the vantage point of someone who has served the Levittown community for over 20 years, Ellen saw the opportunity to create a business that would fill a void, and knew that a neighborhood agency offering ‘top shelf’ service along with great value was destined to succeed. From day one, Ellen set out to provide her neighborhood a full complement of travel services as well as exceptional service and unbeatable value… and that focus is the unseen secret of Blue Ribbon Travel Levittown’s success.

Call Ellen at 516-500-3600 or email her at ellen@nulltravelblueribbon.com

Kristine Calzadilla has been a ‘star’ in the travel universe since she started her career nearly 30 years ago. From the outset it was clear that Kristine was destined to succeed given her enthusiasm and many, many clients who have fallen under her spell! Those fortunate enough to have Kristine plan their vacations are amazed by her energy and by her drive to ‘get it right’ – she won’t stop until she knows she’s got what her client wants and needs. A commitment to delivering the best fit to every client has its rewards, and although Kristine has won many”Top Consultant” awards, she admits that the ‘reward’ that means the most is the knowledge that she has given so many people extraordinary experiences; and in doing so has created an extensive following of loyal, and very satisfied customers.

Having planned thousands of vacations, to hundreds of destinations, has given Kristine a knack for discovering a would-be traveler’s needs and then finding the destination that will satisfy those needs. Kristine’s intuition, supported by her past experience and knowledge, is a powerful tool, one she uses everyday to plan the perfect vacation. When possible, Kristine takes the opportunity to travel to those destinations most in demand by her customers, a practice that gives her the first hand experience and information that is critical to making every trip a success. Kristine’s success is built upon her desire to provide a successful travel experience to every customer, every time.

Call Kristine at 516-500-3600 or email her at kristine@nulltravelblueribbon.com

Josie Lazzara has spent most of her adult life providing valued clients with experiences and memories that will be a part of their lives forever. She began her career over 30 years ago, opening her own agency and growing her business one client at a time.  Her advertising was primarily word of mouth, one satisfied client recommending another. A few years later, the opportunity to work for a large, retail agency arose; Josie decided to ‘go for it’ – and was consistently one of the agency’s top performers. Always ready for a challenge, when Blue Ribbon Travel Levittown opened – Josie came aboard!

Josie’s passion for travel is evident in every vacation she plans. Always conscious of her clients’ needs, she has a talent for providing vacations that exceed her clients’ expectations on a regular basis – just one of the reasons a great many of her clients have been with her since the beginning. Josie’s knowledge and years of experience allow her to move from uncomplicated weekend get-aways to complex, custom-made, multi-day, multi-destination vacations with ease. Whether planning a romantic trip for two, a golf outing for twenty or a destination wedding for two hundred – Josie will create the perfect package, designed to fit your needs and priced to fit your budget. Josie’s expertise can turn a vacation into an unforgettable experience.

Call Josie at 516-500-3600 or email her at josie@nulltravelblueribbon.com

Jenny Graystone started her career in the travel industry 16 years ago. Growing up in an airline family she had the privilege to travel the world at a very young age.  “I knew then that this was something I truly loved and as I got older I knew travel was something I wanted to share with others. New adventures, life changing experiences and stories of a lifetime is what I want to share with others and I want them to experience the same. So I began my adventure.”

Jenny started her career working for a major airline where she was able to travel even more, experience different cultures and learn something new every time from every destination. She left the airlines to work for a major travel retailer to do what she is most passionate about – showing people the world and creating lifetime memories for them. From there, she joined the great team at Blue Ribbon Travel Levittown.

“I have been almost everywhere in the Caribbean, many areas of Mexico, Central America, all throughout the US as well as Italy and Spain. I look forward to visiting many more countries in Europe in the near future.” She believes creating memories is one of the most valuable things you can give to yourself and she is excited to help her clients create those memories. Where a quick get-away to the Caribbean, a family trip to Disney, or a destination wedding, Jenny will make your next adventure one that you will remember for a life time.

Call Jenny at 516-500-3600 or email her jenny@nulltravelblueribbon.com

Nicole Castellani left the corporate world more than 20 years ago to fulfill her dreams of working in the travel industry. Her love for people and her passion for travel is what motivated her to make that change. She worked for a large retail company for 20 years and now is happy to announce that she has joined the  Blue Ribbon Travel team!

She prides herself in the personalized service that she provides her customers.  Nicole strongly believes that “customers may forget what you said, but they will never forget  how you made them feel.” She has earned many awards in her career for being a top producer as well as for her exceptional customer service. “I am lucky to have an amazing clientele who consists of repeats and referrals and have become great friends over the years” They appreciate her dedication and honesty and her attention to detail.

Her favorite vacation is travelling with her family and exploring new destinations! Nicole specializes in all vacations from Miami to Thailand, from wedding groups to honeymoons, Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Disney, Europe, Asia, Africa, cruises and much more! Her travel experience and her expertise allows her to create ultimate vacations and memories that last a lifetime!!!

Call Nicole at 516-500-3600 or email her nicole@nulltravelblueribbon.com