Wandering Tribe Booking Conditions
Please take the time to read and understand the conditions of booking set out below prior to booking a trip with us. We strongly recommend that you also read the Trip Notes relating to your trip prior to booking to ensure that you understand the itinerary, style and physical demands of the trip you are undertaking. Some of our holidays also have specific terms relating to cancellation charges, which supersede those charges listed here. These will be listed on your individual trip quotation.
1. Your Holiday Contract
The following Booking Terms and Conditions form the basis of your contract with Wandering Tribe Ltd (company registration number 10489828) (“Wandering Tribe”/”we”/”us”/”our”). Wandering Tribe is a member of The Travel Network Group (Travel Trust Association (“TTA”)), under number Q5201. By booking a trip with us you are deemed to have agreed to these Booking Conditions (which constitutes the entire agreement between you and us) and your booking will be accepted by us on this basis. The services to be provided are those referred to in your booking confirmation invoice. English Law and the jurisdiction of the English Courts govern these Booking Terms and Conditions. You may, however, choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you wish to do so.
2. Your Financial Protection
The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 (“PTRs”) require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package holidays booked from us and for your repatriation in the event of our insolvency. We provide this security by way of bonds held by the Civil Aviation Authority under ATOL number 12432.
When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong.
We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable).
If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.
Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL Scheme. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If your holiday does not include a flight, then you will still be given financial protection for monies that you pay to us, under our TTA membership.
3. Your Holiday Price
We reserve the right to alter the prices of any of the package holidays detailed to you. You will be advised of the current price of the package holiday that you wish to book before your contract is confirmed. In order to confirm your chosen holiday, a minimum deposit will be required which will vary depending on the holiday you are booking. The deposit payment will be detailed in your holiday quotation and must be paid at the time of booking.
Depending on the type of air fares or tickets being purchased it may be required for us to take the full payment for your flight costs (non-refundable) or other tickets at the time of booking. We must receive the balance of the price of your travel arrangements at least fourteen (14) weeks before your departure date. The due date will be shown on the confirmation invoice. We do not send reminders. If we do not receive all payments due in full and on time, we are entitled to assume that you wish to cancel your booking. In this case, we will be entitled to keep all deposits paid or due at that date. Such a cancellation will be subject to our normal cancellation charges as set out in Clause 5.
We only accept payment by debit card, Visa, Mastercard and Barclaycard (see further below). We will ask you to provide your credit card or debit card billing address and cardholder details when you book. Please ensure that the details you give match those on your credit card billing statement. We reserve the right to cancel tickets after issue if payment is declined or incorrect cardholder details and billing information have been supplied to us. To help combat fraudulent activity, we reserve the right to carry out random checks, including checks of the electoral roll, and may request you to either fax or post to us proof of your address and a copy of the credit card and recent statement before issuing any tickets.
The price of your travel arrangements are calculated using exchange rates quoted as notified to you at the time of booking. Your travel arrangements featured in our list of holidays on our website are planned months in advance and changes may be necessary. We reserve the right to alter any of the services offered on our website at any time prior to the booking being confirmed to you in accordance with Clause 1. Any such changes will be advised at the time that you make your booking.
Once the booking has been confirmed to you by us issuing our Confirmation Invoice, any increase in your holiday price will be as a result of changes in our costs of providing your holiday resulting from:
a) Transportation charges such as fuel, airport charges, scheduled airfares and other transport charges which form part of our contract with the transport provider;
b) Government action such as increases in VAT or any other Government imposed increases;
c) Currency fluctuations.
We will absorb and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. You will be charged for the amount over and above that, plus an administration fee of £1.00 per person. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your travel arrangements, you will have the option of accepting a change to another holiday if we are able to offer one (if this is equivalent or higher quality you will not have to pay more but if it is of lower quality you will be refunded the difference in price), or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all monies paid, except for any amendment charges. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice.
Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your holiday cost, then any refund due will be paid to you. However, please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place. If any member of your party celebrates a birthday during your proposed holiday period they will be charged the rate based on their age on the return date of travel for the whole duration of the holiday.
Please note that no surcharge will be made inside thirty (30) days of departure. No refunds will be payable within this period either. We reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices. We will do so as soon as we become aware of the error.
4. If You Change Your Booking
If, after the booking has been confirmed to you by us issuing our Confirmation Invoice, you wish to change your travel arrangements in any way, we will do our utmost to make these changes but it may not always be possible. Any request for changes to be made must be in writing from the person who made the booking. You will be asked to pay an administration fee as set out below and any further costs we may incur in making this alteration.
Certain travel arrangements may not be changeable after a reservation has been made and in particular scheduled airlines normally regard name changes as a cancellation and rebooking, therefore any alteration may incur a 100% cancellation charge in respect of that part of the arrangements. You will be responsible for this total cost. It will not be possible to make changes to your departure date or chosen holiday within 60 days of your departure.
If you are prevented from travelling on the holiday you booked by genuine circumstances (e.g. insurable risks or other circumstances beyond your control), you may transfer your booking to another person provided they meet all the requirements relating to that holiday, that the holiday arrangements remain the same and subject always to all suppliers relating to the holiday booked (e.g. accommodation providers, etc.) agreeing to accept the name change. If the suppliers relating to the holiday booking do not accept a transfer of the name to another person, then such request to transfer will be deemed to be a cancellation of the holiday and be subject to the cancellation provisions at Clause 5. You must provide proof of why you are unable to travel at the time you request to transfer your booking. The booking cannot be transferred within 60 days of the date of departure. If the transfer is allowed, then an administration fee of £100 (plus any extra charges levied by suppliers) will apply. Bookings may not be transferred to another person in any other circumstance. In the event of you transferring your booking to another person, you are jointly and severally liable for payment of the holiday price and other associated expenses. The person to whom the booking is transferred must agree to be bound by these Booking Terms and Conditions.
5. If You Cancel Your Holiday
If you wish to cancel your booking for any reason other than for there being additional charges (see Clause 3 above) or alterations to the arrangements (see Clause 6 below) you may do so providing that you give us written notice of cancellation which must be signed by the person who made the booking. Cancellation is effective from the date upon which we receive your written notice at our offices. You will be liable for the following cancellation charges based on the time we receive your written notice at our offices (cancellation charge per person cancelling);
- More than 42 days prior to departure - Loss of deposit
- 42 to 29 days prior to departure - 70% or loss of deposit whichever is greater
- 28 to 15 days prior to departure - 90% or loss of deposit whichever is greater
- 14 or less days - 100%
Please note that the above cancellation charges do not apply if you are travelling by boat, in which case you must make any cancellation no later than 90 days before departure date or you will incur a cancellation fee of 100% of the total holiday cost.
If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges. You are advised to ensure that your policy has sufficient financial protection to cover you in the event of cancellation. Please note cancellation costs may vary from the above if your booking includes low cost/budget or scheduled airlines or various accommodation only suppliers. We will always confirm the cancellation costs.
6. If We Change or Cancel Your Holiday
It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your travel arrangements, but we do plan the arrangements many months in advance. Occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor (for example change of accommodation to another of the same standard) and we will advise you of them at the earliest possible date. We also reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your travel arrangements. If we have to cancel a departure you will be offered an alternative holiday or a full refund of the cost of your travel arrangements. However, we will not cancel your travel arrangements after the date when the balance of the price becomes due, except for reasons of force majeure (please see below) or failure by you to pay the final balance. If we are unable to provide the booked travel arrangements, you can either have a refund of all monies paid or accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us, if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value). If it is necessary to cancel your travel arrangements, we will pay compensation as set out in this Clause.
If we make a major change to your holiday, we will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before your departure. You will have the choice of either accepting the change of arrangements, accepting an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value), or cancelling your booked holiday and receiving a full refund of all monies paid. In all cases, except where the major change arises due to reasons of force majeure, we will pay compensation to each full fare paying passenger as detailed below. No compensation is payable for minor changes.
Period before departure when a major change or cancellation is notified to you (compensation per person):
- More than 60 days prior to departure - Nil
- 60 to 29 days prior to departure - £20
- 28 to 15 days prior to departure - £30
- 14 or less days - £50
The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so. Compensation payments relating to a child place for which you have paid a child price are half the amounts shown (up to half the child price paid). There are no compensation payments payable to those travelling on 'free child places', 'free group places' or infants.
Very rarely, we may be forced by ‘force majeure’ (see below) to change or terminate your holiday. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to offer any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.
We are required to advise you of the actual carrier operating your flight/connecting flight/transfer. We do this by listing carriers to be used or likely to be used as set out on our Website or confirmed to you by us. You will be advised of the specific airline operating your flight and aircraft type with your flight confirmation and flight schedules. Any changes to the actual airline after you have received your flights confirmation will be notified to you as soon as possible and in all cases at check-in or at the boarding gate. A change of airline, aircraft type or alteration of your outward/return flights by less than 12 hours is deemed to be a minor change. In the event that you choose to cancel your holiday as a result of such change, our normal scale of cancellation charges set out in Clause 5 will apply. Flight timings are provided by the airlines and are subject to weather conditions, air traffic control and all passengers checking in on time. We can give no guarantee that the flight will depart at the time shown on your flight confirmation. Where an airline is unable to operate your confirmed domestic flights, travel by road or railway may be an alternative.
Force Majeure:
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss as a result of ‘force majeure’. In these booking conditions ‘force majeure’ means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid.
These events can include (but are not limited to), war, riot, industrial dispute, terrorist activity and its consequences, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, epidemics and pandemics, unavoidable technical problems with transport.
7. If You Have a Complaint
If you have a problem during your holiday, please inform the relevant supplier (e.g. your hotelier) and the Wandering Tribe Head Office who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please follow this up within 28 days of your return home by writing to us at Wandering Tribe Ltd, Springwell Cottage, Bilton, Alnwick, NE66 2SU, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. It is strongly recommended that you communicate any complaint to the supplier of the services as well as to our Head Office without delay and give written notice detailing your complaint whilst in resort. If you fail to follow this simple procedure we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint whilst you were on tour and this may affect your rights under this contract.
8. Our Liability to You
In addition to the other provisions in these Booking Terms and Conditions, if the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed by our suppliers or us, we will pay you appropriate compensation if this has affected the enjoyment of your travel arrangements. However, we will not be liable where any failure in the performance of the contract is due to:
a) You, or a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel arrangements, and where the failure is unforeseeable or unavoidable; or
b) Unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised; or
c) An event, which we or our suppliers, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall.
d) Political disputes, border closures, refusal of visas, industrial action, climate or other matters of a similar nature and any other force majeure.
Our liability, except in cases involving death, injury or illness, shall be limited to a maximum of two times the cost of your travel arrangement (excluding amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your holiday. Our liability will also be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to:
I. The contractual terms of the companies that provide the transportation for your travel arrangements. These terms are incorporated into this contract; and
II. Any relevant international convention, for example the Montreal Convention in respect of travel by air, the Athens Convention in respect of travel by sea, the Berne Convention in respect of travel by rail and the Paris Convention in respect of the provision of accommodation, which limit the amount of compensation that you can claim for death, injury, delay to passengers and loss, damage and delay to luggage. We are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitation of compensation contained in these or any conventions, as detailed further below.
Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any description (1) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you or (2) which did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by ourselves or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally we cannot accept liability for any business losses.
You must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require. You must also tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in clause 12 below. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against the supplier or whoever else is responsible for your claim or complaint (if the person concerned is under 18, their parent or guardian must do so). You must also agree to cooperate fully with us and our insurers if we or our insurers want to enforce any rights which are transferred.
If your flight is cancelled or delayed, your flight ticket is downgraded or boarding is denied by your airline in circumstances which would entitle you to claim compensation against the airline under EC Regulation No 261/2004 - the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004, you must pursue the airline for the compensation due to you. All sums you receive or are entitled to receive from the airline concerned by virtue of these Regulations represent the full amount of your entitlement to compensation or any other payment arising from such cancellation, delay, downgrading or denied boarding. This includes any disappointment, distress, inconvenience or effect on any other arrangements. The fact a delay may entitle you to cancel your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your flight.
We have no liability to make any payment to you in relation to the Denied Boarding Regulations or in respect of any flight cancellation or delay, downgrading of any flight ticket or denial of any boarding as the full amount of your entitlement to any compensation or other payment (as dealt with above) is covered by the airline's obligations under the Denied Boarding Regulations. If your airline does not comply with these rules you may complain to the Civil Aviation Authority on 020 7453 6888 or by e-mail to [email protected] or see www.caa.co.uk – Referring Your Complaint to the CAA.
9. Additional Assistance for Packages
If the contract we have with you for your package holiday is not performed or is improperly performed as a result of failures attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services that make up the package, or as a result of failures due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, or an event which we or our suppliers, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall, and you suffer an injury or other material loss, We will offer you such assistance as is reasonable in the circumstances, but shall not be liable to you.
10. Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of a valid passport and all necessary travel and health documents required for the entirety of your journey before departure, including any relevant visas or documentation required for you to travel to and access areas to where you are travelling. Any information supplied by us on these or related matters (such as climate, when to travel, clothing, baggage, personal items etc.) in our Trip Notes is given as general guidance and in good faith but we do not accept liability for any decisions made on the basis of the information supplied.
The passport, visa and health requirements at the time of booking can be viewed on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website ( www.fco.gov.uk). It is your responsibility to ensure that you and all members of your party are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents, and in compliance with any other immigration requirements, before you travel. If you or any member of your party is not a British Citizen or holds a non-British Passport, you must check passport and visa requirements on with the embassy or consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (www.fco.gov.uk) issues Travel Advisory Notices giving advice regarding travel, which you should consult. If the FCO advises against all travel to your destination we will have to cancel your holiday. If the FCO advises against non-essential travel to your destination you may decide to cancel your holiday, in which case our normal cancellation conditions will apply.
You are recommended to obtain a copy of the leaflet “Health Advice for Travellers” published by the Department of Health which is available from most post offices or by telephoning: 0800 555 777, prior to travel.
11. Conditions of Carriage
Details on our website are our responsibility, as your tour operator. It is not published on behalf of, and does not commit, the airlines mentioned on it or any airline whose services are used in the course of your travel arrangements. Please note that in accordance with Air Navigation Orders in order to qualify for infant status, a child must be under 2 years of age on the date of its return flight.
Many of the services which make up your holiday are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier's liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions (see clause 8).
12. Adequate Insurance Protection
Travel insurance is your entire responsibility and an essential pre-requisite to booking a holiday with us. You must ensure that you (and all members of your party) have sufficient travel insurance in place to cover you, together with your personal property, at all times and for all potential risks. You must ensure that your insurance covers you for the full duration of your holiday including, but not limited to, medical expenses, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment, and in respect of any sports or activities that you may wish to do whilst on your holiday. You must also ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities included in your holiday. Evidence of sufficient cover will need to be provided at time of booking. If you do not have holiday insurance cover at the time of booking, you may personally be liable for cancellation charges.
Details of our preferred travel insurance provider are shown on our website. For all clients arranging their own insurance, we must receive full details of the insurance company, policy number and 24-hour emergency contact number. It is imperative that you familiarise yourself with the details and conditions of your policy and that you notify your insurance company of any pre-existing medical condition. Failure to do so can invalidate the insurance cover.
Wandering Tribe Ltd is a referral agent of Holiday Extras who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
13. Time Schedules
Some destinations featured on our website are to less developed countries. Whilst everything possible is done to ensure the smooth running of your holiday, unavoidable delays do occasionally occur, especially in respect of domestic airlines, security clearance at airports, and unforeseeable action on the part of government offices.
14. Data protection
We treat the handling of personal data seriously. The data protection and privacy statement set out below in this Clause 14 details how we will treat your personal data after it has been collected by us (or on our behalf by our travel agents). Wandering Tribe Ltd assures you that it will only use your data as specified here and for its legitimate business reasons. Unless otherwise provided in these Booking Terms and Conditions, we will not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes without your express written consent. We will only pass your data to other third parties in accordance with these Booking Terms and Conditions, or if required to do so by law. We may disclose your data to certain permitted third parties, such as third party service providers, our own professional advisers who are bound by confidentiality codes and when we are legally obliged to disclose your data.
We need your name, address and/or email address so that we can send out information to you and advise you of special offers and promotions we think may be of interest to you. We also require this information about you, and others included in your group, in order to complete bookings made with us for your holiday, (e.g., to relevant hotels, activities providers, public authorities such as customs or immigration if required, etc.). This applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as information relating to disabilities, dietary requirements and/or religious beliefs. This may involve the transfer of information outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”) and by providing Wandering Tribe Ltd with this information you provide your consent (and the consent of those included in your group) to transfer such information out of the EEA. If you are travelling to the United States, the US Customers and Border Protection will receive this information for the purposes of preventing and combating terrorism and other transnational serious crimes. You have the right to ask us not to process your personal data for marketing purposes. You also have the right to access information held about you by us. Your right to access can be exercised in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, as amended from time to time, and any access request may be subject to a fee of £10 to meet our costs in providing you with details on the personal data we hold about you. We operate in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, and any amendments thereto.
By disclosing your personal information to us, you consent to the collection, storage and processing of your personal information by us in the manner set out in these Booking Terms and Conditions.
15. Flight Reconfirmation
It is your responsibility to ensure that you reconfirm the departure date and times of all your flights at least 72 hours prior to departure. This is particularly important in respect of subsequent journeys after you have left the UK.
16. Ticketing
Your tickets and any other documents relating to your booking will be sent to your home address, or may be delivered by e-mail in the form of an e-ticket if you supplied an e-mail address at the time of booking. Provided you have paid the total cost of the travel arrangements, we will endeavour to dispatch your tickets to you at least 2 weeks prior to departure. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU CHECK ALL DETAILS OF YOUR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS BEFORE LEAVING THE UK. IF THERE ARE ANY INACCURACIES OR YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUERY PLEASE CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL AGENT IMMEDIATELY.
For bookings made within 7 days of departure, it is necessary for us to use a courier company which guarantees next day delivery and any charges will be passed on to you at the time of booking. In such cases, tickets will either be sent to you or to the departure airport, and this will be advised at the time of booking. Please note that the delivery charge is non-refundable.
17. Lost/Stolen Flight Tickets
If you lose your flight ticket or it is stolen before you leave the UK, certain airlines will not authorise us to issue a replacement. You would then be required to purchase a new ticket and there may be a delay of up to 12 months before we receive authority from the airline to make any refund to you. If the airline concerned does allow us to issue a replacement ticket, we will require payment of an administration fee from you. It is most important that you contact us as soon as you realise that your ticket is missing. If your ticket is lost or stolen after you have left the UK, certain airlines will not issue a duplicate. You will need to purchase a new ticket locally, at the local fare. When you return to the UK you can apply to us for a refund on your lost ticket, but any refund will be entirely at the discretion of the airline and it can take up to 12 months before we receive authority from the airline to make any refund.
18. Airline Collapse
We provide financial protection to you in accordance with Clause 2 above. Therefore, in the unlikely event that the airline with which you are travelling ceases to trade whilst you are abroad, you must contact us at the earliest opportunity to allow us to seek to find you an alternative return flight. If you have provided us with your contact details for when you are abroad, this may further assist us in contacting you. We shall not be liable for any costs you incur in making your own return flight arrangements if you have not given us the opportunity to arrange an alternative flight home for you.
In making alternative return flight arrangements for you we will take the approach of 'like for like'. What this means is that if your flight is an economy seat we will arrange an economy return alternative and if this is not available immediately, you will be responsible for the cost of remaining abroad until it is or if you wish to upgrade to an immediately available business or first class seat, you will have to pay the difference between the economy seat and the upgraded seat. If your flight seat is business or first class, we will endeavour to find an immediately available business or first class alternative. Our priority, however, will be to book your return flight as soon as possible and, therefore, if the earliest return flight is in a lower class than that which you booked, that return flight is what we will arrange for you and that will be the extent of our obligation to you.
19. Flight and Other Travel Timings
As mentioned in these Booking Terms and Conditions above, flight timings are provided by airlines and are subject to Air Traffic Control restrictions. All means of transportation are subject to weather conditions and the need for constant maintenance and the ability of passengers to check in on time. There is no guarantee that transport will depart at the times stated on any itinerary or tickets, which you receive. All timings are estimates only, and we do not have any liability to you for any delay, which may arise, or for any schedule alterations.
At the Airport – Check-in
If you fail to check in on time, the airline is entitled to refuse to allow you to board the flight. We cannot accept responsibility if such a situation arises and, whilst we endeavour to assist in making alternative travel arrangements to your resort, any cost or loss incurred as a result will be your responsibility.
If you fail to check in at all for your flight from the UK, we retain the right to cancel any other arrangements you have booked with us and you will be unable to use your return flight to the UK. No refund can be made for any unused arrangements.
Important notice: you must check-in at least 1 hour prior to departure, failure to do so could result in you being denied travel. Remember no calls will be made for your flight so please make sure that you are at the departure gate no later than 45 minutes before your departure time. Passengers that are refused travel will be responsible for arranging alternative transportation at their own expense.
20. Denied Boarding
As detailed in Clause 8 above, where a flight ticket is downgraded or a flight cancelled, delayed, or boarding is denied by any carrier in circumstances which would entitle you to compensation under the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004, then you are obliged to claim the appropriate sums pursuant to those Regulations from the carrier. Any sums received by you in this respect constitute the full amount of your entitlement to compensation for all matters flowing from the carrier's actions and which fall within the scope of the Denied Boarding Regulations. If, for any reason, you do not claim against the carrier and make a claim for compensation from us, you must, at the time of payment of any compensation to you, make a complete assignment to us of the rights you have against the carrier in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment.
21. Special requests
If you have a special request for anything that is not automatically part of the travel arrangements you book through us, please advise us when you book and we will pass this information on to the companies we work with. Our note of your request on your invoice/receipt confirms we have received it and does not guarantee that we, or the relevant supplier, can meet with your request. Where possible they will try to help you, but we cannot guarantee any request unless it is noted on your invoice/receipt and we also confirm the request separately in writing. We must emphasise that verbal confirmations of special requests cannot be taken as a guarantee that they will be met
e.g. special meal types on flights, or hotel room number requests. We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request.
All such bookings will be treated as “standard” bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests. We will not pay compensation for failing to meet a special request that we have not confirmed separately in writing.
22. Disabled Travellers and Passengers with Reduced Mobility
We cannot be held responsible if you fail to tell us about special needs/requirements that will affect your holiday experience and this means we will not compensate you. For customers who require support or advice prior to booking, please note carefully the information below regarding different travel arrangements. If you have a medical / mobility problem / condition or disability which may affect your holiday, please tell us before you confirm your booking. We and our suppliers may require a doctor's certificate or other documentation, information or waiver relating to such disability, medical / mobility problem or condition or fitness to travel as we or our suppliers consider necessary. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed.
Overseas accommodation and services.
The majority of overseas accommodation, overseas transport (including transfers) and other holiday services provided overseas are not equipped to cater for the needs of many disabled holidaymakers. If you have any disability, you must make appropriate enquiries about the suitability of particular accommodation, resorts, transport and services, and that you are fully satisfied you have made the correct choice before you book and confirm your holiday. Please note: if special arrangements need to be made for you an extra charge may have to be levied.
Flights
If you or a member of your party are a wheelchair user or have reduced mobility we strongly advise that you contact us directly before making your reservation. This will enable you to confirm with us or the airline and airport the availability of any assistance requirements prior to booking, as any changes made after booking will be subject to our standard change fees.
23. Optional Activities
Optional Activities include, but are not restricted to, any sightseeing trips, events or other tours either attended in resort or land based 'shore' excursions for which additional payment is required (“Overseas Booked Excursions”). Overseas Booked Excursions do not form part of your package holiday that you book through us. We do not have any responsibility or liability whatsoever for anything which may go wrong on an Overseas Booked Excursion. The contract for any Overseas Booked Excursion is between you and the Overseas Booked Excursion provider. It is your responsibility to note carefully any conditions of contract contained in any Overseas Booked Excursion, literature, ticket or receipt you are given. For Overseas Booked Excursions you may be subject to the laws of the country in which you take your excursion and may be required to bring any disputes or claims before the Courts of that country also.
24. Information Accuracy
Descriptions of accommodation, facilities, services and itineraries we provide are based on information obtained from our suppliers. Sometimes the facilities described will be withdrawn for reasons such as maintenance, bad weather or lack of demand from guests. Where our suppliers advise us about significant changes to descriptions or about the withdrawal of any significant facility, we will tell you as soon as possible in accordance with these Booking Terms and Conditions. Some activities or facilities, water-sports for example, may not be available all year round. There may be a charge for some facilities, for example, TVs, safety deposit boxes, sun-loungers, parasols, tennis courts, pool tables and air-conditioning. In some places during high season (and even at other times) there is a possibility you will be disturbed by noise from less considerate groups, so please bear this in mind when choosing your destination and accommodation. Any transfer times we quote for travel between airport and resort are approximate and, depending on circumstances, the journey time to your own chosen property may be longer.
25. Your Responsibility
We want all our customers to have an enjoyable and carefree trip. But you must remember that you are responsible for your actions and the effect they may have on others. If we (or another person in authority) believe your actions could upset other customers, our suppliers or our own staff, or put them in danger, your holiday / travel arrangements may be ended and this could mean we or our suppliers may either ask you to leave your booked accommodation, or prevent you from boarding the aircraft. Our suppliers will deny boarding or impose additional conditions of carriage on any passenger who, for example, is intoxicated and/or disruptive or found to be smoking on board the aircraft. If this happens, we will not pay compensation, make refunds, or cover any expenses you suffer as a result. If your behaviour or the behaviour of any members of your travelling party causes any aircraft to be diverted we and/or the carrier will hold you and those members jointly and individually liable for all costs incurred as a result of that diversion. If you commit an illegal act (including, for example, causing any damage) you may be excluded from the trip and we shall cease to have responsibility to/for you as above. No refund will be given for any unused services. We cannot accept liability for the behaviour of others in your accommodation, or flight, or for any facilities/services withdrawn as a result of their action.
26. Single Components
Where single components are booked by you and not sold to you as a package holiday the following terms shall apply:
Price Changes
Price increases may occur any time prior to full payment being received from you, and you will be liable to pay any such increases in full.
Transfer of Bookings
In the case of a scheduled flight only booking, transfer to another person will involve cancelling the original booking, thereby incurring any relevant cancellation charges and then making a new booking, which will be subject to availability and any additional price increase. Transfer of any other type of booking is subject to the supplier's own terms and conditions and the applicable amendment or cancellation charges.
Cancellation/Amendments of bookings by you
Bookings may be amended or cancelled in accordance with the relevant supplier's terms and conditions and subject to the supplier’s amendment and cancellation charges. In many cases our flight suppliers may impose charges of up to 100% of the cost of the travel arrangements and these will be passed onto you.
Changes Made to Your Booking
Where a supplier makes a change to a non-Package booking for a single component, you do not have the same legal rights as with a Package booking. If we are aware of any change which we believe will materially affect your booking we will tell you as soon as reasonably practicable but you must appreciate that we will only have an obligation to tell you if we have been told in the first place by the supplier. It is the responsibility of the supplier to make alternative arrangements; it is not our responsibility. Where, however, we believe a change has a significant effect on your booking, we will endeavour to arrange with the supplier(s) to provide you with suitable alternative arrangements. If suppliers impose additional costs for any alternative arrangements you will be obliged to pay those.
Our Liability to You for Sales of Single Components
Our responsibility is to make arrangements for the provision by the relevant suppliers (including air carrier of air transport, accommodation owner/supplier, car hire provider) of the components you book, but we do not have any responsibility for the operation of the component itself. This is because we are acting as an agent of the supplier in those circumstances and are not liable to you as the principal supplier of the single component.
We have no liability to you for any dissatisfaction, loss of enjoyment, loss, injury or damage, which results from your use of the single component unless we have negligently failed to select a normally competent provider of the relevant component. Further, we have no liability to you in any event for any consequential loss, which you may suffer in relation to any arrangements, which you book to coincide with the single component you have booked with us. Any liability to you for such losses will be the responsibility of the principal supplier of the single component.
Flight only bookings will be financially protected under Our ATOL License (number 10300), therefore in the unlikely event of our collapse/insolvency, any money you have paid us for the flight will be refunded to you, or you will be repatriated if you are already abroad. Where you have booked a single component through us, any money you have paid to us for any other components is protected through our membership with the TTA (under number U9784), giving you full financial protection.
27. International Conventions
If any other International Convention applies to or governs any of the services or facilities arranged or provided by us, or provided by any of our suppliers, and you make a claim against us of any nature arising out of death, injury, loss or damage suffered during or as a result of the provision of those services or facilities, our liability to pay you compensation and/or the amount (if any) of compensation payable to you by us will be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to that provided for by the International Convention concerned (in each case including in respect of the conditions of liability, the time for bringing any claim and the type and amount of any damages that can be awarded). International Conventions which may apply include: in respect of international air travel, the Warsaw Convention 1929 (including as amended by the Hague Protocol 1955 and by any additional Montreal Protocols of 1975 and 1999 or otherwise) or the Montreal Convention 1999 (for international travel by air and/ or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country, which the EC Regulation on Air Carrier Liability No 889/ 2002 for national and international travel by air has given effect to); in respect of carriage by sea, the Athens Convention 1974 (as amended); in respect of carriage by road, the Geneva Convention 1973; and, in respect of hotels, the Paris Convention 1962. Any applicable Protocols or amendments shall apply to all such International Conventions. You can get copies of the relevant Conventions if you ask us. For the avoidance of doubt, this means that we are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitations of compensation contained in any of these Conventions or any other International Conventions applicable to your travel arrangement.
28. Brexit
On 29 March 2017, the United Kingdom submitted notification of its intention to withdraw from the European Union pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union ("Brexit"). There is great uncertainty about how this will affect the UK's future relationship with the EU. In particular, Brexit may have a substantial adverse impact on our or our suppliers' ability to perform your booking ("Brexit Event"). For instance, it may be that the airline operating the flight element of your booking will not be able to operate the flight because of the loss or restriction of air traffic or transit rights or the right of the airline to enter any airspace. For customers who have yet to depart, our obligations to you under your booking are conditional upon there not being a Brexit Event. If, in our reasonable opinion, a Brexit Event has occurred, we will inform you as soon as possible in writing, upon which we will both be relieved of any further obligations in relation to the booking. If this happens, we will return to you any payments you have made in respect of your booking, which shall be the full extent of our obligations to you. We will not compensate you for a Brexit Event.
