Booking Conditions

Last updated – 1st October 2022.

For all holidays your contract is with Humboldt Travel Limited. All travel sourced, booked or promoted are provided by Humboldt Travel, 40 Oak Lane, Norwich, NR6 7DD, registered in England under no.13708803.

These booking conditions together with and any other written information brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, form the basis of your contract with Humboldt Travel Ltd. Please read these booking conditions carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. In these Booking Conditions references to “you” and “your” include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred.

A binding contract is formed after we have received a deposit in accordance with the Payment clause below and we have issued a written confirmation invoice. By making the booking you confirm you have authority to bind all members of your party to those terms and conditions. You and your party consents to our use of personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and is authorised to disclose their personal details to us, including where applicable special categories of data; you are over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services and financially responsible for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking.

If your confirmed arrangements include a flight, we will also issue you with an ATOL Certificate. It is essential that you check the travel details outlined on the confirmation invoice and ATOL Certificate and inform us immediately of any errors, failure to do so within 7 days from date of issue may harm your rights.

PAYMENT

A 30% deposit for your holiday will be required to confirm your trip. The deposit amount is subject to change based on the cost of flights included, any specific supplier requirements and/or peak season travel dates and these will be confirmed at time of booking. The balance is due not less than 70 days prior to departure, or immediately if you book within 70 days of departure. However, to guarantee a price, we may have to ask you to pay in full for all or part of your holiday at an earlier date.  If any balance remains unpaid, travel documentation will not be issued and we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled and we shall retain your deposit. Payment must be pounds sterling and you will be responsible for any bank charges which will be communicated to you at the time of booking.

Where we are aware that an increase in flight cost is imminent we will advise clients that immediate payment will enable us to issue tickets so as to avoid passing any additional flight cost, tax or other surcharge on to the client.

Payment may be made by bank transfer, debit or credit card.

FINANCIAL PROTECTION

The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package holidays booked from this brochure and for your repatriation in the event of our insolvency. We have total financial protection for all of our clients. All trips including international flights from the UK are protected by way of a bond held by the Civil Aviation Authority of CAA House, 45-59 Kingsway, London WC2B 6TE under ATOL number 12237.

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. For more information, please visit www.caa.co.uk/atol-protection.

All the flights on this are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate.

We provide further financial security for packages which don’t include flights under our membership of the Travel Trust Association (TTA) of 2 Crown Square, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6HR. Membership number – Q9876. As a member of the TTA, we deposit your money into a Trust Account held by the TTA. A Trust Account is a bank account designated to hold your money. For more information, please visit www.traveltrust.co.uk.

Your money remains in the Trust Account and is supervised by an appointed Trustee who is either a banker, chartered or certified accountant or a solicitor. Both Humboldt Travel Ltd AND the Trustee are required to authorise payments from the Trust Account.  In addition to being held in trust, you also have a financial guarantee from the Travel Trust Association.

The Trust Account plus the guarantee will ensure that all the money which you have paid is safely protected and available to reimburse the money paid. When you make a booking, you will be supplied with a guarantee certificate – you can see the terms of the TTA guarantee on their website www.traveltrust.co.uk/guarantee.

In the unlikely event of our insolvency, in most instances your money will still be held within the TTA member’s Trust Account by the designated Trustee, and available to pay for your holiday. If it is not in the Trust Account then the guarantee is available to reimburse your loss. In some cases your holiday may continue as the providers or suppliers have already been paid. Where you have only paid a deposit and still have an outstanding balance, your holiday may be unaffected and by paying the balance your holiday will continue as planned. Where possible, attempts will be made to ensure that you can carry on with your original holiday arrangements.

Where you book accommodation only with us, your monies will not be financially protected. Please ask us for more details.

INSURANCE

Travel insurance is vital and it is your responsibility to ensure that you take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy to cover you for all your personal requirements including pre-existing medical conditions, cancellation charges, medical expenses and repatriation in the event of accident or illness. We reserve the right to request details of your policy before you travel. It is always advisable to take out travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday in case you have to cancel for unforeseen reasons.

Your policy should include specific cover for Covid-19 related issues and incidents which may affect your travel arrangements [and travelling to a destination subject to a FCDO advisory against travel], It remains your responsibility to read and understand the insurance policy and ensure that it is suitable and adequate for your particular needs. Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses suffered by you in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available

If you lose any personal items whilst on holiday we advise you to obtain a written police report and/or from a local representative to assist with any insurance claim upon your return.

We know it’s not the most exciting part of arranging your holiday but it’s just as important so please make sure you have sufficient cover to protect you whilst you are away.

CUTTING YOUR HOLIDAY SHORT

If you are forced to return home early, we cannot refund the cost of any travel arrangements you have not used. If you cut short your holiday and return home early in circumstances where you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of accommodation and services provided, we will not offer you any refund for that part of your holiday not completed, or be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.

PASSPORTS AND VISAS

It is your responsibility to fulfil the passport, visa and other immigration requirements applicable to your trip. We can provide general information about the passport and visa requirements for your trip. Your specific passport and visa requirements and other immigration requirements for you and your party are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to indemnify us in relation to any costs which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.

Most countries require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of that country prior to departure. It is your responsibility to check visa requirements and up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, visit http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/. The FCO also provide up to date information on safety issues. Non British Citizens, including other EU nationals, should contact the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination, for up to date advice on passport requirements.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

We can provide general information about any health formalities required for your trip but you should check with your own doctor for your own specific circumstances relating to the area you are travelling to. The FCO can also provide advice on your health requirements as http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/

We are not a specialist disabled holiday company, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have. If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your booking, please provide us with full details before you make your booking so that we can try to advise you as to the suitability of your chosen arrangements. We may require you to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that you are fit to participate. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not confirm your booking or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel it and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details.

INFORMATION

Whilst we try to ensure that the information on our website is as accurate and not misleading, it is published many months before your holiday takes place and may be subject to change. Any material changes take place to your booking we shall inform you however we reserve the right to make changes to the website and any information it contains at any time.

PRICING

Our prices are calculated using exchange rates quoted in the website www.oanda.com in relation to the following currencies: US Dollars.

We reserve the right to amend the price of unsold holidays at any time and correct errors in the prices of confirmed holidays solely to allow for increases which are a direct consequences of particular changes, which are detailed below.

With ever changing oil prices, airlines are applying fuel surcharges, as well as taxes, to their normal fares. The level of surcharge is constantly changing and can range between £100 and £250 per person on international flights. This levy is included in the fare we quote to you but is subject to change until you have paid in full and the ticket has been issued. This and all other taxes are included in the airfare we quote. The price of your confirmed holiday is subject at all times to changes in:

  • the price of transportation resulting from the cost of fuel or other power sources;
  • the level of taxes or fees applicable to the holiday imposed by third parties not directly involved in the performance of your holiday, including tourist taxes, landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports; or
  • the exchange rates relevant to your package.

You will be charged for the amount of any increase in accordance with this clause. However, if this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 8% of the total price of your confirmed holiday (excluding any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements), you will have the option of accepting a change to another holiday if we are able to offer one (if this is of 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 to us, except for any insurance premiums and any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements.

Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above then any refund due will be paid to you less an administration fee of £50. 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.

There will be no change made to the price of your confirmed holiday within 20 days of your departure nor will refunds be paid during this period. We will consider an appropriate refund of insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.

CHILDREN

Children over the age of 12 are treated as adults as far as pricing is concerned. The majority of our tailor-made itineraries are suitable for families and we suggest that you contact us to discuss the best options before booking. There are sometimes reductions for one child (and sometimes two children) sharing the room of two accompanying adults, but these vary from hotel to hotel. These arrangements usually involve placing an extra foldaway bed in a normal double room.

AMENDMENT AND CANCELLATION BY YOU

(A) – Amendment and Transfer of Booking

Once your booking has been made, if you need to alter your arrangements we will do our best to assist you however cannot guarantee that this is possible.  You will be responsible for any charges and costs as a result of such amendment and we reserve the right to charge an additional GBP75 administration fee plus any applicable charges levied by our suppliers.

If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you and satisfying all the conditions applicable to the arrangements) providing we are notified not less than 7 days  before departure and you pay an amendment fee of £50 per person transferring, meet all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers and the transferee agrees to these Booking Conditions and all other terms of the contract between us.  If you are unable to find a replacement, cancellation charges as set out in clause 8 will apply. Otherwise, no refunds will be given for passengers not travelling or for unused services.

Important Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended or transferred after they have been confirmed and any alteration could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.

(B) – Cancellation

You, or any member of your party, may cancel your travel arrangements at any time.

The cancellation will take effect from the date that written notification from the person who made the booking is received at our office by email or post and we recommend that you use recorded delivery. Any cancellation will incur a charge to reflect the reasonable costs incurred by us in arranging and cancelling your booking. Charges for cancellation after the balance due date will vary due to the complex nature of our travel itineraries.

Please note, the costs of many international flights are non-refundable. This will be advised to you at the time of booking.

Full cancellation costs will be communicated to you at the time of cancellation. .
(The cancellation charge detailed will be calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling excluding amendment charges which are not refundable in the event of the person(s) to whom they apply cancelling.):-

Days prior to departure                                        Cancellation Charge

when cancellation is made

91 days or more                                   –               Loss of Deposit paid at time of confirmation

90 – 61 days                                          –               50% of total holiday cost

60 – 46 days                                          –               75% of total holiday cost

45-0 days                                               –               100% of total holiday cost

Please note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration or cancellation could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements in addition to the charge above.

It is important for you to check if the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy as you may be able to reclaim these charges. We will deduct the cancellation charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us.

You have the right to cancel your confirmed holiday before departure without paying a cancellation charge in the event of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances (a force majeure event) occurring at your holiday destination or its immediate vicinity and significantly affecting the performance of the holiday or which significantly affects transport arrangements to the destination. In these circumstances, we shall provide you with a full refund of the monies you have paid but we will not be liable to pay you any compensation. Please note that your right to cancel in these circumstance will only apply where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to your destination or its immediate vicinity. Please see sub-section (4) of Amendment and Cancellation by Us for more information on Force Majeure.

The wording above outlines the rights you have if you wish to cancel your booking. Please note that there is no automatic statutory right of cancellation under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (Directive 2011/83/EU).

All communications relating to this contract (in particular any requests to cancel or amend your holiday arrangements) must be from the Lead Name on the booking in writing and in English and sent by email or by recorded delivery post to Humboldt Travel is 40 Oak Lane, Norwich, NR6 7DD.

AMENDMENT AND CANCELLATION BY US

(1) – Amendment

It is occasionally necessary for us to make changes to advertised products and services. In exceptional circumstances we may have to modify your holiday after booking. If the change is minor we will do our best to notify you in advance no compensation is payable in relation to a minor change. Examples of “minor changes” include the following when made before departure: any change in the advertised identity of the carrier(s), flight timings, and/or aircraft type; a change of outward departure time or overall length of your holiday of twelve hours or less, or a change of accommodation to another of the same standard or classification.

If the change is material “significant change” (for example, a change of flight time by more than 12 hours, change of destination, or to a lower standard of accommodation), we will notify you as soon as practically possible and offer you the choice of (i) accepting alternative arrangements; (ii) arranging an alternative holiday with us; or (iii) cancelling your holiday with full refund. Regardless of the option you choose we will pay you compensation, as detailed in table 1.1 below.

(2) – Changes to your holiday

If we are unable to provide a significant proportion of your holiday whilst you are away, suitable alternative arrangements will be made for you at no extra cost or, alternatively, you will be returned to your point of departure and given a pro-rata refund for any part of the holiday not received. You may also be entitled to compensation as detailed in table 1.1.  This does not apply to minor changes in your accommodation, itinerary or transportation as detailed above.

(3) – Cancellation

We hope we will never have to cancel your holiday, this however does very occasionally happen and we reserve the right to do so. We will strive to offer alternative arrangements of a comparable or better standard together with a price refund if appropriate, or we will give you a full and prompt refund.

Please note that we may cancel for reasons of force majeure or if you fail to pay the final balance and we will not be liable for such cancellation. We may also cancel your holiday if, e.g., the minimum number of clients required for a particular travel arrangement is not reached. In these circumstances we will not pay you compensation but you will be entitled to a refund or arrangements or the same or higher standard.

If we have to make a major change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible and if there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of:

i                (for significant changes) accepting the changed arrangements;

ii               having a refund of all monies paid; or

iii              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).

You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our offer. If we do not hear from you within 7 days, we will contact you again to request notification of your choice.  If you fail to respond again, we will assume that you have chosen to accept the change or alternative booking arrangements.

Travelling during the Covid-19 pandemic

FCDO advice

Please note that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) may advise against all but essential travel to certain overseas destinations, including popular holiday destinations in which we operate. However, many of these destinations remain open and welcoming to UK tourists and flights to and from these destinations continue to operate. Whilst holiday destinations remain open to UK tourists, flights continue to operate and holiday services can be performed, we will continue to offer holidays to our customers who wish to travel.

If you book a holiday with us during the Covid-19 pandemic, you confirm that you have checked, understand and accept the FCDO travel advice relating to your chosen destination, including where there may be a requirement on you to quarantine upon your return to the UK (or in destination), and understand and accept that there is a heightened risk of travelling during the Covid-19 pandemic, beyond that associated with travel during ordinary times. You are also required to purchase a specialist travel insurance which includes certain cover for Covid-19.

Travel advice

For up-to-date travel advice from the UK government, visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and https://travelaware.campaign.gov.uk. We recommend that you consult these websites before booking in order to make an informed decision about your chosen destination, and again before departure.

Insurance

You must purchase specialist travel insurance policy available which includes specific cover for Covid-19 related issues and incidents which may affect your travel arrangements [and travelling to a destination subject to a FCDO advisory against travel], You can choose to purchase the travel insurance offered by us on our website or a comparable alternative. It remains your responsibility to read and understand the insurance policy and ensure that it is suitable and adequate for your particular needs. Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses suffered by you in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.

Cancellation – the following clauses are in addition to our standard cancellation terms and charges:

Where you are choosing to travel to a destination subject to the FCDO advisory against non-essential travel, you accept that once your booking has been confirmed, if you decide not to travel due to the FCDO advisory, you will have to pay our standard cancellation charges as shown in clause xx of these booking conditions – you are not entitled to cancel and receive a full refund in these circumstances, as it is assumed and you confirm that you have made your booking with full knowledge of the FCDO advisory against non-essential travel.

Where your chosen destination is exempt from the FCDO advisory against non-essential travel at the time of booking but is subsequently removed from the FCDO exemption list and at that point becomes subject to the FCDO advisory against non-essential travel, you accept that you will not have the right to cancel your booking and receive a full refund. If you choose to no longer travel in these circumstances, you will have to pay our standard cancellation charges as shown in clause xx of these booking conditions, as you made your booking with full knowledge of the risks of travelling during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Please note that we will have no liability for any refunds, compensation, costs, expenses or other losses of any kind incurred by you (including, where applicable, the cost of medical treatment), in the following circumstances:

(a)            If you, or anyone in your booking party, test positive for Covid-19, or are notified or otherwise become aware that you have, or suspect you may have, come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 (or where they otherwise suspect they may have Covid-19) and have to self-isolate for a period of time.

If this happens within 14 days of your departure date, you must contact us immediately as you may no longer be able to travel. We will offer you the following options where possible and subject to availability:

  1. Postponing your holiday to a later date. We will notify you of any impact on the price the postponement may have (please note that you may have to pay full cancellation charges on some elements of your holiday, such as the flight, as well any increase in cost imposed by suppliers);
  2. If not everyone on the booking is affected, you will have the right to transfer your place on the holiday to another person nominated by you, subject always to compliance with the requirements within our booking conditions;
  3. Cancelling your booking, in which case we will impose our standard cancellation charges as at the date of cancellation by you. You may be able to claim these costs back from your travel insurance – please check your policy wording.

If this happens whilst you are on your holiday, please notify us immediately and we will provide such reasonable assistance as we can in the circumstances. However, we will not be responsible for covering the cost of any curtailment of your holiday, missed transport arrangements, additional accommodation required, or other associated costs incurred by you. Your travel insurance may cover some of these costs for you – please check the policy wording.

(b)            You fail any tests, checks or other measures imposed by a supplier, airline, port or airport, border control authority or other government body or local authority or fail to submit for testing or assessment when requested to do so, and as such you are denied boarding, entry to the destination, access to the travel services or you are otherwise unable to proceed with your holiday, or any part of the holiday, or you are required to self-isolate within the destination. Your travel insurance may cover some of these costs for you – please check the policy wording.

Your holiday experience

You acknowledge that the suppliers providing your holiday will need to comply with national and/or local guidance and requirements relating to Covid-19 and have implemented certain measures as a result. This will likely include specific requirements regarding personal protective equipment, such as use of face-masks by staff (and you may be required to wear a face-mask as well), social distancing, maximum number restrictions on the use of certain facilities, designated alternative entrance and exit routes, mandatory hand sanitisation, limited entertainment options and limited food/drink availability and temperature testing. We do not expect these measures to have a significant impact on your enjoyment of your holiday and all measures will be taken with the purpose of securing your safety and those around you.

Events Beyond Our Control

In these booking conditions, “Events Beyond Our Control” means a situation which is beyond our or the supplier’s control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Such situations are likely to include, whether actual or threatened, war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, flood, epidemics and pandemics, fire, airport, port or airspace closures, restrictions or congestion, flight or entry restrictions imposed by any regulatory authority or other third party, an FCDO advisory against travel to a particular destination and any other government restrictions on travel. Except where otherwise stated in these booking conditions, we have no liability including for compensation, costs and expenses in such situations.

Compensation

If we cancel or make a significant change to your holiday less than 60 days before departure and you do not accept the changed arrangement and cancel your booking or if we cancel your booking and no alternatives arrangements are available and/or we do not offer one, we will pay you compensation as detailed below. The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so.

Table 1.1

Period before departure in which we notify you Amount you will receive from us
More than 60 days £0
More than 45 days £10
More than 30 days £20
Less than 30 days £30

IMPORTANT NOTE: We will not pay you compensation in the following circumstances:

  • where we make a minor change;
  • where we make a significant change or cancel your arrangements more than [60 days] before departure;
  • where we have to cancel your arrangements as a result of your failure to make full payment on time;
  • where the change or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you;
  • where we are forced to cancel or change your arrangements due to Force Majeure, detailed below.

(4) – Force Majeure

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions we will not be liable or pay you compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by any event which we or the supplier(s) 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 acts of God, war, threat of or preparation of war, civil strife, terrorist activity and its consequences or the threat of such activity, riot, armed conflict, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute or labour strikes (other than our own employees or any companies in the same group), lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster and adverse weather, epidemic, pandemic or significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination (including but not limited to Covid-19 and any disease caused by a new strain of the coronavirus), any law or any action taken or guidance issued by a government (nation or local) or public authority, or natural disasters such as floods, drought, earthquakes, sea and river conditions and all similar events outside our or the supplier(s) control. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure.

(5) – Travel Delays

We have based our holiday itineraries on the services of major international airline carriers and whilst these airlines are rarely subject to lengthy delays, there are occasions regrettably when delays do occur. Unfortunately we cannot accept responsibility for such events and do not provide for any costs which result from such delays, this includes arrangements for meals and overnight accommodation.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO YOU

We will accept responsibility for the arrangements we agree to provide or arrange for you as an “organiser” under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 as set out below and as such, as we are responsible for the proper provision of all travel services included in your package, as set out in your confirmation invoice. Subject to these Booking Conditions, if the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed by us or our suppliers and we don’t remedy or resolve your complain within a reasonable period of time, a you may be entitled to an appropriate price reduction or compensation or both if this has affected the enjoyment of your travel arrangements. You must inform us without undue delay of any failure to perform or improper performance of the travel services included in this package. The level of any such price reduction or compensation will be calculated taking into consideration all relevant factors such as but not limited to: following the complaints procedure as set out in these Booking Conditions and the extent to which ours or our employees’ or suppliers’ negligence affected the overall enjoyment of your holiday. Please note that it is your responsibility to show that we or our supplier(s) have been negligent if you wish to make a claim against us.

However, we will not be liable or pay you compensation for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, expense, cost or other claim of any description if it is due to:

  • the acts or omissions of the person affected; or
  • the acts or omissions of a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel arrangements contracted for and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; or
  • Force Majeure.

. Our liability will also be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to:

  • The contractual terms of the companies that provide the transportation for your travel arrangements; and
  • loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions and money: the maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is an amount equivalent to the excess on your insurance policy which applies to this type of loss per person in total because you are assumed to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind.
  • Claims not falling under (a) above and which don’t involve injury, illness or death: the maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is three times the price 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 or your party has not received any benefit at all from your booking.
  • Claims in respect of international travel by air, sea and rail, or any stay in a hotel:
  1. The extent of our liability will in all cases be limited as if we were carriers under the appropriate Conventions, which include The Warsaw/Montreal Convention (international travel by air); The Athens Convention (with respect to sea travel); The Berne/Cotif Convention (with respect to rail travel) and The Paris Convention (with respect to hotel arrangements). You can ask for copies of these Conventions from our offices. Please contact us. In addition, you agree that the operating carrier or transport company’s own ‘Conditions of Carriage’ will apply to you on that journey. When arranging 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 the terms and conditions contained in those ‘Conditions of Carriage’ form part of your contract with us, as well as with the transport company and that those ‘Conditions of Carriage’ shall be deemed to be included by reference into this contract.
  2. In any circumstances in which a carrier is liable to you by virtue of EC 261/2004 (denied boarding and flight disruption), any liability we may have to you under our contract with you, arising out of the same facts, is limited to the remedies provided under the Regulation as if (for this purpose only) we were a carrier.
  • When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.

It is a condition of our acceptance of liability under this clause that you notify any claim to ourselves and our supplier(s) strictly in accordance with the complaints procedure set out in these conditions.

Where any payment is made, the person(s) receiving it (and their parent or guardian if under 18 years) must also assign to ourselves or our insurers any rights they may have to pursue any third party and must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require.

Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss or expense or other sum(s) of any description: (a) 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;  (b) relate to any business; or (c) indirect or consequential loss such as loss of anticipated savings and loss of profits.

We will not accept responsibility for services or facilities which do not form part of our agreement or where they are not advertised in our brochure. For example any excursion you book whilst away, or any service or facility which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you.

You can ask for copies of the transport companies’ contractual terms, or the international conventions, from our offices: Humboldt Travel, 40 Oak Lane, Norwich, NR6 7DD

Where it is impossible for you to return to your departure point as per the agreed return date of your package, due to “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances”, we shall provide you with any necessary accommodation (where possible, of a comparable standard) for a period not exceeding three nights per person. Please note that the 3 night cap does not apply to persons with reduced mobility, pregnant women or unaccompanied minors, nor to persons needed specific medical assistance, provided we have been notified of these particular needs at least 48 hours before the start of your holiday. For the purpose of this clause “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” mean warfare, acts of terrorism, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely back to your departure point.

Under EU law you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from your airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to fights. Full details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from airlines. However reimbursement in such cases will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday cost from us. Your right to a refund and/or compensation from us is set out in these booking conditions. If any payments to you are due from us, any payment made to you by the airline will be deducted from this amount. If your airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Civil Aviation Authority on 020 7379 7311 or at www.caa.co.uk

ACCOMMODATION ONLY BOOKINGS

Very rarely we will sell accommodation only bookings. In these cases, we have a duty to select the suppliers of the services making up your booking with us with reasonable skill and care. We have no liability to you for the actual provision of the services, except in cases where it is proved that we have breached that duty and damage to you has been caused. Therefore, providing we have selected the suppliers/subcontractors with reasonable skill and care, we will have no liability to you for anything that happens during the service in question or any acts or omissions of the supplier, its employees or agents.

SPECIAL REQUESTS

Any special requests must be advised to us at the time of booking e.g. diet, room location, a particular facility at a hotel etc. You should then confirm your requests in writing. Whilst every effort will be made by us to try and arrange your reasonable special requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be fulfilled.  The fact that a special request has been noted on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation or that it has been passed on to the supplier is not confirmation that the request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part unless the request has been specifically confirmed by us.  We do not accept bookings that are conditional upon any special request being met.

DISABILITIES AND MEDICAL PROBLEMS

We are not a specialist disabled holiday company, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have. If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your booking, please provide us with full details before you make your booking so that we can try to advise you as to the suitability of your chosen arrangements. We may require you to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that you are fit to participate. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not confirm your booking or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel it and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details.

COMPLAINTS

We make every effort to ensure that your holiday arrangements run smoothly but if you do have a problem during your holiday, please inform the relevant supplier (e.g. your hotelier) immediately who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please contact us by telephone. Failure to do so will affect ours and the applicable supplier’s ability to investigate your complaint, and will affect your rights under this contract. If the problem cannot be resolved and you wish to complain further, you must send formal written notice of your complaint to us within 28 days of the end of your stay, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you.

EXCURSIONS

Excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on holiday are not part of your package holiday provided by us. For any excursion or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator

DOCUMENTATION

Any flight confirmations and other information regarding your holiday will be sent to you approximately 4 weeks prior to departure.  Most flight tickets are issued electronically, but traditional paper tickets may be necessary on some routes. Our financial summary or itinerary is not a travel document. If you do not have a valid ticket or e-ticket, the airline will ask you to pay again. A 24-hour emergency UK number, printed in your final itinerary letter, will enable you to contact us quickly if something goes wrong.

LAW

Your Contract is with Humboldt Travel Limited, a company registered in England under no.13708803, whose registered office is 40 Oak Lane, Norwich, NR6 7DD. These Booking Conditions and any agreement to which they apply will be governed in all respects by English law. We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises between us out of or in connection with your contract or bookings will be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales. You may however, choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you live in those places and if you wish to do so.

PROMPT ASSISTANCE IN RESORT

If the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed as a result of failures attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services, 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 prompt assistance as is reasonable in the circumstances.  In particular, we will provide you with appropriate information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance, and assistance with distance communications and finding alternative travel arrangements. Where you require assistance which is not owing to any failure by us, our employees or sub-contractors, we will not be liable for the costs of any alternative travel arrangements or other such assistance you require.  Any airline or other transport supplier may however pay for or provide refreshments and/or appropriate accommodation and you should make a claim directly to them. Subject to the other terms of these conditions, we will not be liable for any costs, fees or charges you incur in the above circumstances, if you fail to obtain our prior authorisation before making your own travel arrangements. Furthermore, we reserve the right to charge you a fee for our assistance in the event that the difficulty is caused intentionally by you or a member of your party, or otherwise through your or your party’s negligence.

DELAYS, MISSED TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS AND OTHER TRAVEL INFORMATION

If you or any member of your party misses your flight or other transport arrangement, it is cancelled or you are subject to a delay of over 3 hours for any reason, you must contact us and the airline or other transport supplier concerned immediately.

Under EU Law, you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from the airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Full details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from airlines. If the airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Civil Aviation Authority at www.caa.co.uk/passengers. Reimbursement in such cases is the responsibility of the airline and will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday price from us. If, for any reason, you do not claim against the airline 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 airline in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment. A delay or cancellation to 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 cannot accept liability for any delay which is due to any of the reasons set out in clause 10 of these Booking Conditions (which includes the behaviour of any passenger(s) on any flight who, for example, fails to check in or board on time).

The carrier(s), flight timings and types of aircraft shown in this brochure or on our website and detailed on your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and are subject to alteration and confirmation. We shall inform you of the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of it.  The latest flight timings will be shown on your tickets which will be despatched to you approximately two weeks before departure.  You should check your tickets very carefully immediately on receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times.  If flight times change after tickets have been dispatched we will contact you as soon as we can to let you know.

Please note the existence of a “Community list” (available for inspection at https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban_en) detailing air carriers that are subject to an operating ban with the EU Community.

Our website and brochures we produce are our responsibility, as your tour operator. It is not issued on behalf of, and does not commit the airlines mentioned herein or any airline whose services are used in the course of your travel arrangements.

YOUR BEHAVIOUR

All our customers are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and acceptable manner and not to disrupt the enjoyment of others. If in our opinion or in the opinion of any hotel manager or any other person in authority, your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any other customers or any third party, or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion to transportation, we reserve the right to terminate your booking with us immediately. In the event of such termination our liability to you and/or your party will cease and you and/or your party will be required to leave your accommodation or other arrangements immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and/or your party. No refunds for lost accommodation or any other arrangements will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of termination. You and/or your party may also be required to pay for loss and/or damage caused by your actions and we will hold you and each member of your party jointly and individually liable for any damage or losses caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or losses must be paid directly to the hotel manager or other supplier prior to departure. If you fail to make payment, you will be responsible for meeting any claims (including legal costs) subsequently made against us as a result of your actions together with all costs we incur in pursuing any claim against you. We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.

ADVANCE PASSENGER INFORMATION

A number of Governments are introducing new requirements for air carriers to provide personal information about all travellers on their aircraft to the Authorities before the aircraft leaves the UK. The data will be collected either at the airport when you check in or in some circumstances when, or after you make your booking. Accordingly, you are advised to allow extra time to check in for your flight. Where we collect this data, we will treat it in accordance with our privacy policy.

FOREIGN OFFICE ADVICE

You are responsible for making yourself aware of Foreign Office advice in regard to the safety of the countries and areas in which you will be travelling and to make your decisions accordingly. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure.

CONDITIONS OF SUPPLIERS

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 which will form part of your contract with us.  Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions.  Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from us or the supplier concerned.

SEVERANCE

If any provision or part-provision of this agreement is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it shall be deemed deleted, but that shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the rest of this agreement.

Standard Information Form on Traveller’s Rights when booking a Package Holiday

Part 1: General    

The combination of travel services offered to you is a package within the meaning of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. Therefore you will benefit from all EU rights applying to the packages. We, Humboldt Travel limited (company registered number 10024186) with registered office The Union Building, 51-59 Rose Lane, Norwich, NR1 1BY, will be fully responsible for the proper performance of the package as a whole. Additionally, as required by law, we have protection in place to refund your payments and, where transport is included in the package, to ensure your repatriation in the event that we become insolvent.

PART 2: Key rights under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018

  • Travellers will receive all essential information about the package before concluding the package travel contract.
  • There is always at least one trader who is liable for the proper performance of all the travel services included in the contract.
  • Travellers are given an emergency telephone number or details of a contact point where they can get in touch with the organiser or the travel agent.
  • Travellers may transfer the package to another person, on reasonable notice and possibly subject to additional costs.
  • The price of the package may only be increased if specific costs rise (for instance fuel prices), and if expressly provided for in the contract, and in any event not later than 20 days before the start of the package. If the price increase exceeds 8% of the price of the package, the traveller may terminate the contract. If the organiser reserves the right to a price increase, the traveller has a right to a price reduction if there is a decrease in the relevant costs.
  • Travellers may terminate the contract without paying any termination fee and get a full refund of any payments if any of the essential elements of the package, other than the price, has changed significantly. If before the start of the package the trader responsible for the package cancels the package, travellers are entitled to a refund and compensation where appropriate.
  • Travellers may terminate the contract without paying any termination fee before the start of the package in the event of exceptional circumstances, for instance if there are serious security problems at the destination which are likely to affect the package.
  • Additionally, travellers may at any time before the start of the package terminate the contract in return for an appropriate and justifiable termination fee.
  • If, after the start of the package, significant elements of the package cannot be provided as agreed, suitable alternative arrangements will have to be offered to the traveller at no extra cost. Travellers may terminate the contract without paying any termination fee, where services are not performed in accordance with the contract and this substantially affects the performance of the package and the organiser fails to remedy the problem.
  • Travellers are also entitled to a price reduction or compensation for damages or both where the travel services are not performed or are improperly performed.
  • The organiser has to provide assistance if the traveller is in difficulty.

Part 3: The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 can be found here:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/contents/made