Terms and Conditions

BOOKING CONDITIONS for CLUB & SCHOOL GROUPS

FINANCIAL SECURITY

Your contract will be with TTSS Ltd trading as Gullivers Sports Travel of registered office TUI Travel House, Crawley Business Quarter, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9QL (registered number: 06695822). TTSS Ltd trading as Gullivers Sports Travel is a member of the TUI Travel PLC Group of Companies.   When you buy an ATOL protected air package or flight from us you will receive a confirmation invoice from us (or via our authorised agent through which you booked) confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser’s License number 9992. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. The price of your holiday includes the amount of £2.50 per person as part of the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) we pay to the CAA. This charge is included in our advertised prices. For package holidays which do not include travel by air we have arranged a bond with ABTA Limited, membership number Y2475.  If you buy arrangements other than a package holiday, this financial protection does not apply.

We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes arising out of, or in connection with this contract. Further information on the Code and arbitration can be found at www.abta.com.

YOUR TOUR CONTRACT                                                                                                                                    

Bookings must be made in writing on our Booking Request Form and accompanied by the appropriate deposit as per our quotation letter, and the contract between us will be created when we send written confirmation in the form of our tour confirmation and invoice. For all bookings made within 8 weeks of departure, the holiday contract is confirmed as soon as either verbal or electronic confirmation of the booking is provided.

WARRANTY

When making this booking, you warrant that you have the authority to enter into this contract on behalf of all other members of your party and that you are also responsible for ensuring due payment of all monies payable in respect of this booking, in the event of default by any member of the party.

MINIMUM NUMBERS

All tours have been based upon a minimum number of passengers travelling together, as shown in our quotation. In the event of any cancellations, we reserve the right to provide a new quotation based on the new numbers as well as retain the deposits of those who have cancelled. 10 is the minimum ‘group’ size. Should numbers fall below this your booking is at risk and may have to be cancelled. If up to 8 weeks prior to departure tour numbers drop below 10 and you are unable to cover any additional costs incurred as a result, the booking will be treated as a cancellation.

PRICES

The price of your tour is subject to surcharges if increases occur in transportation costs (including fuel), dues, taxes (such as increases in or imposition of VAT or other Government imposed taxes) or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes, embarkation/ disembarkation fees at ports and at airports and currency fluctuation.

In the case of all surcharges we will endeavour to advise you as soon as possible and we will absorb an amount equivalent to 2% of the tour price which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. Only amounts in excess of 2% will be surcharged and we will forward an amendment invoice reflecting any changes made. However if the surcharge means paying more than 10% extra on the tour price you will be entitled to cancel your tour with a full refund of all monies paid with the exception of any monies paid to us in respect of insurance premiums and amendment charges. If you do decide to cancel because of this you must do so within 14 days of the date of issue of the amendment invoice. No surcharges will be applied within 30 days of your departure.  Should the price of your tour go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your tour 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.

Prices are in pounds sterling and have been calculated on the date of your quotation at the exchange rate issued by Barclays Bank Plc on that day.

The UK government has announced their intention to replace Air Passenger Duty, which is payable by all passengers on flights departing from UK airports, with a new Emissions Tax, known as Aviation Duty.  At this time we are not aware of the final details of the New Duty, and prices have therefore been calculated as if Air Passenger Duty continues to be in effect.  In the event that our costs increase as a result of the change, we reserve the right to adjust the prices shown to reflect those changes in costs.

PAYMENT

Deposit payments and structure are as follows: 

European Coach Tours: £75 deposit per person (pp)

European Air Tours: £150 deposit pp (where flight costs have to be paid in full on booking, then a further interim payment may be necessary).

Midhaul Tours: £200 pp initial deposit followed by a £200 pp interim deposit.

Longhaul Tours: £250 pp initial deposit followed by a £250 pp interim deposit.

The interim deposit due date will be made known to you at the time of booking and is generally 2 to 4 months after the first deposit has been received depending upon how close to departure you pay your first deposit.  There are occasions when an additional payment may be recommended in order to avoid fuel surcharges on flight bookings. This will be communicated to you as, when and if applicable.

Final balance is due 12 weeks prior to departure.

If you are booking within 12 weeks of departure, you must pay the full amount at the time of booking. If you book earlier and send a deposit, then we must receive full payment at least 12 weeks before your departure date. If you do not pay within 12 weeks then we reserve the right to charge £25 per booking and your tour may be cancelled and cancellation charges will be due. Payment may be in the form of cash, cheque, bankers draft or by suitable credit card recognised by Gullivers Sports Travel. A supplement of 2.5% is levied on all payments made by Visa and Mastercard and 3% is levied on other credit cards. American Express and Diners Club cards will not be accepted. No charge is made if you wish to pay by Debit card. Bounced cheques will incur a charge of £25 per cheque.

HEALTH AND TRAVEL ADVICE

It is your responsibility to check with your doctor at least 2 months prior to departure for the latest requirements, recommendations and any associated costs.  A copy of the 'Health Advice for Travellers’ issued by the Department of Health can be provided upon request.

It is your responsibility to check any country related travel advice before embarking on your trip. Specifically any advice issued by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office: www.fco.gov.uk.

PASSPORTS AND VISAS

It is your responsibility to be in possession of a valid passport and any necessary visas, or health documents, as required, for the entire duration of your holiday, and to ensure that you meet the entry requirements of the countries that you are travelling to. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time prior to departure. The name in the passport must match the name on your ticket where provided. We cannot accept liability, or consider refunds if you cannot travel, because of incomplete, or incorrect documentation. 

Passenger information is required in advance by a number of countries and airlines.  It is your responsibility to provide this information to us or the airline as instructed.  Failure to do so may result in you being denied boarding or refused entry to your destination.  Emergency Contact Details may also be required.  It is your responsibility to provide this information and you will be liable for any costs incurred should you fail to do so.

BEHAVIOUR

If, in the opinion of the Gullivers Sports Travel representative/escort in resort, your behaviour or the behaviour of anyone in your touring party is such that it impairs the enjoyment or upsets other clients, disrupts the tour party or upsets any of our local suppliers, in the first instance you will be given a warning but if the unacceptable behaviour persists, we reserve the right to terminate all tour arrangements immediately without refund. Any charges incurred as a result of unacceptable behaviour are the responsibility of the group or individual and must be paid for prior to your departure from the resort or hotel.

FLIGHT TIMINGS

The flight timings in your confirmation, although correct at time of issue, can be subject to alteration by the various foreign and UK Airport Scheduling Committees or for operational reasons. Clients are advised that they must adhere to the timings as set down in the final documentation.

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM OR COMPLAINT

In the unlikely event of a complaint whilst on tour, you must tell our local representative or agent who will try and solve the problem on the spot. If the complaint cannot be resolved there and then, you must send a written complaint to reach us within 35

days of the end of your tour in order that we may investigate fully.  Disputes arising out of, or in connection with, this contract which cannot be amicably settled, may if you do so wish be referred to arbitration under a special scheme administered by IDRS part of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Details and application forms are available from ABTA limited, 30 Park Road, London, SE1 9EQ, www.abta.com.

The scheme (details of which will be supplied on request) provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on the client in respect of costs.

The scheme does not apply to claims for an amount greater than £5,000 per person. There is also a limit of £25,000 per Booking Request Form. Where a claim includes, in part, a claim for personal injury or illness, a limit of £1,000 per person applies to that part of the claim. The rules of the scheme provide that the application for the arbitration must be made within nine months of the date of return from the tour but in special circumstances it may still be offered outside this period. Information regarding complaints may be shared with other tour operators.

CHANGES BY YOU

If you wish to make a change to your booking in any way, you must make your request in writing as soon as possible. If the amendment is possible there will be a minimum charge of £50.00 per person plus any additional costs incurred. Changing dates, names or numbers travelling are major changes which will either incur an amendment fee by the airline plus our fee or in some cases will have to be treated as cancellations and subsequent re-bookings. For flight inclusive bookings, any changes may be treated as cancellation and cancellation charges will apply in accordance with individual airline policy. Similarly a change of tour made within 8 weeks of departure may be treated as a cancellation and charges may be levied as set out below. If you wish to make any changes while on tour, any additional costs incurred must be paid for by you or the organisation you are representing. Gullivers Sports Travel is not liable for these changes unless otherwise agreed in writing.

CANCELLATION BY YOU

Cancellations must be made in writing by the person who completed/signed the Booking Request Form and sent by recorded delivery post. A cancellation is not effective until the Company receives the letter. You will receive a cancellation invoice from us within two weeks of receipt of your cancellation.                                                                                                                       

Period before departure date                   Cancellation charge

(From the date letter received)                 expressed as % total tour cost

Before 84 days      ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..               Deposit(s) plus any non-refundable flight costs

83-56 days            ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..         50% plus any non-refundable flight costs

55-29 days            ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..         75% plus any non-refundable flight costs

28-0 days              ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..        100%

CHANGES BY US

Your tour arrangements cannot be confirmed by us until your flights are in range and availability and costs have been confirmed to us by the airline, usually 10 to 11 months prior to departure. After this point, it is unlikely that we will have to make changes to your tour, but due to the uncertainty surrounding availability of fixtures (and billets if applicable) sometimes we may need to make changes which we reserve the right to do at any time. Most are very minor but where they are major (eg change of airport (but not change of London airport), resort area, or time of departure or return by more than 12 hours, or offering accommodation of a lower rating) we will inform you as soon as possible.

If a MAJOR change becomes necessary you have the following options:

1.      Accept the alternative offered, together with compensation which may apply (at least as shown on the scale shown below) if full payment has been received by us.

2.      Cancel your tour in which case a full refund of all monies paid to us will be made and compensation where appropriate.

Period before scheduled departure within which a major change is notified to you/your travel agent             Compensation per person                              

More than 84 days before departure   ..   ..   ..   ..  ..    ..   ..                     Nil                                                                       

83 - 56 days              ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..         £10                                                  

55 - 28 days               ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..        £20                                                                      

27 - 0 days                 ..   ..  ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..   ..         £30                                                                 

The above payments of compensation are not payable should minimum numbers not have been attained nor where any change to or cancellation of the tour has been caused by unforeseeable or unusual and unforeseeable circumstances outwith our control and which were unavoidable even if we had exercised all due care (Force Majeure).  These circumstances of Force Majeure include (without limit to this definition) war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions and cancellation or postponement of sports tournaments and/or individual matches.

In February 2005 a new Europe-wide law relating to denied boarding, delays and cancellation of flights came into force.  This law granted rights to passengers including in certain circumstances the right to cancel their flight and receive reimbursement of the cost of the flight from their airline.  Full details of these rights are publicised at EU airports and are also available from affected airlines.  However, you should note that reimbursement of the cost of a flight that forms part of your tour is the responsibility of the relevant airline and will not automatically entitle you to reimbursement of the cost of your tour from us.

LIMITATIONS ON OUR LIABILITY

Our liability to you for any loss or damage which you may suffer is limited to three times the price of your tour, except where you have suffered personal injury resulting from the non-performance or improper performance of the services involved in the tour. 

Any compensation payable by us shall be limited in accordance with the lowest limit allowed under applicable International Conventions governing the services; such as the Warsaw Convention 1929 (as amended) and the Montreal Convention 1999 which cover

travel by air and the Athens Convention 1974 which covers transport by boat.  Transport operators have their own conditions of carriage and when arranging this transportation for you, we rely on the terms and conditions contained within these international conventions and those conditions of carriage.  You acknowledge that all of these terms and conditions form part of your contract with us as well as with the transport company.  These provisions and conditions may limit or exclude liability for death or personal injury, or loss or damage to luggage, and may make special provision for valuables.  A copy of the International Convention or the conditions of carriage applicable to your tour can be supplied upon request.

OUR LIABILITY TO YOU

We accept responsibility for the proper performance of our obligations under this contract, subject always to the limitations set out above.  We will perform such obligations with reasonable skill and care.  We are not responsible for any failure that is:

·          Attributable to you or a member of your party;

·          Attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services to you, and is unforeseeable and unavoidable;

·          Attributable to an event which either ourselves or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have foreseen or forestalled even with all due care.

Although we cannot accept responsibility for clients who by misadventure suffer illness, personal injury or death during the period of their tour arising out of an activity which does not form part of the inclusive tour or excursions booked through the company, general assistance may, at our absolute discretion, be afforded to clients to a maximum of £5,000 per booking.  In the event either of there being a successful claim against a third party or there being suitable insurance policy/ies in force, the Company is entitled to recoup from you the costs incurred by us in giving this assistance.

Cancellation or curtailment of a major sporting fixture is an extremely unusual occurrence and totally beyond our control and we accept no responsibility to refund or compensate for changes to a tour for reasons beyond our control.  Every effort will be made to offer alternative arrangements and in the unlikely event of a cancellation any refund obtained for any of the services will of course be refunded to the client.

FIXTURES AND BILLETS

We undertake to provide you with the fixtures and billets as described.  Once written confirmation of these has been obtained by us/our local agent neither we nor our local agent can be financially responsible for any withdrawal or alteration of this offer.  Should this occur, we undertake to provide the most suitable alternative at the time, at the least possible expense to you, with any hotel accommodation required in place of billets to be on a bed and breakfast basis only.  An indication of possible additional costs can be provided on request at any time. An exception to the above applies to one-fixture tours, where we would consider cancellation of the only fixture for reasons other than force majeure a MAJOR change.

PRESENTATION OF INFORMATION

All information provided has been compiled from up-to-date details and we have taken the utmost care to ensure its accuracy. There may be occasions when an advertised facility is either modified or not available. Such situations may be dictated by local circumstances necessary for maintenance (swimming pools for example), unsuitable weather, fuel shortages, accidental damage to accommodation or other circumstances totally beyond our control. If we are advised of this, we will inform you as soon as possible. We do our best to meet any special requests made by you and to pass these on to the appropriate persons provided they are clearly noted on the Booking Request Form. However, we can only guarantee those special requests confirmed by us in writing.

YOUR TOUR INSURANCE

Under the terms of this contract you are required to have suitable travel insurance. You can either purchase our tour insurance or arrange a policy yourself providing comparable or greater cover under all sections as that provided by our special tour insurance. We can confirm that the travel insurance we offer provides adequate cover for normal requirements, but it is your responsibility to arrange additional cover if required for activities classified as ‘high risk’ such as white water rafting, ski-ing, quad biking etc. We may be able to assist with additional cover for certain ‘high risk’ activities, but not for all. Insurance policies will only be issued on the receipt of premiums and a name list with dates of birth for under 18’s.  If you decide to decline our insurance cover we will require a signed insurance indemnity form which will be sent to you at the time of confirmation.

If you booked your holiday in any jurisdiction other than in Scotland or Northern Ireland (including any booking via the Internet), this contract, and any other claim or dispute arising from or related to this contract, will be governed by English law and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising out of it.  If you booked your tour in Scotland, this contract, and any claim or dispute arising from or related to this contract, will be governed by Scottish law and the courts of Scotland shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising out of it.  If you booked your tour in Northern Ireland, this Agreement, and any claim or dispute arising from or related to this contract, will be governed by Northern Irish law and the courts of Northern Ireland shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising out of it.

NOTICE

This is a notice required by European Community Regulation (EC) No.889/2002.This notice cannot be used as a basis for a claim for compensation, nor to interpret the provisions of the Regulation or the Montréal Convention, and it does not form part of the

contract between us and you nor the carrier(s) and you, nor part of a claim. No representation is made by us or the carrier(s) as to the accuracy of the contents of this notice.

Air carrier liability for passengers and their baggage. This information notice summarises the liability rules applied by Community air carriers as required by Community legislation and the Montreal Convention. 

Compensation in the case of death or injury. There are no financial limits to the liability for passenger injury or death. For damages up to 100,000 SDRs (approximately £80,000 / €120,000) the air carrier cannot contest claims for compensation. Above that amount, the air carrier can defend itself against a claim by proving that it was not negligent or otherwise at fault.

Advance payments. If a passenger is killed or injured, the air carrier must make an advance payment, to cover immediate economic needs, within 15 days from the identification of the person entitled to compensation. In the event of death, this advance payment shall not be less than16000 SDRs (approximately £13,000 /€19,300). Passenger delays. In case of passenger delay, the air carrier is liable for damage unless it took all reasonable measures to avoid the damage or it was impossible to take such measures. The liability for passenger delay is limited to 4150 SDRs (approximately £3,300 / €5,000).

Baggage delays. In case of baggage delay, the air carrier is liable for damage unless it took all reasonable measures to avoid the damage or it was impossible to take such measures. The liability for baggage delay is limited to 1000 SDRs (approximately £800/ €1,200).

Destruction, loss or damage to baggage. The air carrier is liable for destruction, loss or damage to baggage up to 1000 SDRs (approximately £800). In the case of checked baggage, it is liable even if not at fault, unless the baggage was defective. In the case of unchecked baggage, the carrier is liable only if at fault.

Higher limits for baggage. A passenger can benefit from a higher liability limit by making a special declaration at the latest at check-in and by paying a supplementary fee.

Complaints on baggage. If the baggage is damaged, delayed, lost or destroyed, the passenger must write and complain to the air carrier as soon as possible. In the case of damage to checked baggage, the passenger must write and complain within seven days, and in the case of delay within 21 days, in both cases from the date on which the baggage was placed at the passenger's disposal. 

Liability of contracting and actual carriers. If the air carrier actually performing the flight is not the same as the contracting air carrier, the passenger has the right to address a complaint or to make a claim for damages against either. If the name or code of an air carrier is indicated on the ticket, that air carrier is the contracting air carrier.

Time limit for action. Any action in court to claim damages must be brought within two years from the date of arrival of the aircraft, or from the date on which the aircraft ought to have arrived.

Basis for the information. The basis for the rules described above is the Montréal Convention of 28 May 1999, which is implemented in the Community by Regulation (EC) No 2027/97 (as amended by Regulation (EC) No 889/2002) and national legislation of the Member States.”

 

Please check with your airline for details of your luggage allowance and the recommended check-in time.  If you have a medical condition that could impact your ability to travel by air please contact the airline in adequate time prior to departure. 

 

EU Airline Blacklist: In accordance with EU directive (EC) no. 2111/2005, Article 9, we are required to bring to your attention the existence of a 'Community list' which contains details of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban within the EU Community. The Community list is available at http://air-ban.europa.eu/

The flights shown are operated by UK, European and international scheduled and charter airlines, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, South African Airways, Qantas Airways, Air Transat, Air Canada, Iberia, Air New Zealand, British Midland, Easy Jet, Qatar Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Air Brunei, Etihad Airways.  We may change airlines or aircraft types at any time; this does not count as a Major Change. Some flights may need to stop en route. If we know about this in advance we will tell you. Flight times shown in the brochure, on the website and on your booking confirmation are not guaranteed. Actual flight times are shown on your tickets. Flight times are local times based on the 24-hr system.