Booking Conditions

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Travel Answers Group, Down Under Answers, Africa Answers, Asia Answers, Travel2 and Islands in the Sun (collectively, “Travel Answers Group”) facilitates the purchase by customers (“Customers”) of certain travel related services, such as accommodations, transportation, entertainment, recreation and travel packages (collectively, “Travel Related Services”), which are provided by third party providers (“Service Providers”) unrelated to and having no connection to Travel Answers Group.  .

You, the Customer, agree to be bound by these terms and conditions (“Terms & Conditions”) when booking or utilizing the services of Travel Answers Group.

AGREEMENT

Acceptance: A deposit for a booking constitutes Customer’s acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.

Land Deposit*:

Australia/New Zealand/Islands:     $500/person

Africa/Asia:                                         30% of booking

Group:                                                   $1,000/group

Bookings require a land deposit as noted above as well as full payment on air (if applicable) to hold reservations for land services. At the time of quoting, *the Customer will be notified if a larger deposit is required by a Service Provider. Deposits are disbursed to suppliers upon receipt, cannot be recovered from Travel Answers Group and are 100% non-refundable. Travel Protection Insurance will cover deposits in most instances, and Travel Answers Group recommends Customers purchase Travel Protection.

For group bookings, a second deposit of $500/person non-refundable deposit is required within 30 days of confirmation.

Group Reservations: Groups are defined as reservations for 10 or more guests.

Air Payment: In addition to the land services deposit, airline reservations (where requested) must be paid for in full and ticketed to confirm space and guarantee airfare rate. Airfare payment due dates and ticketing due dates are separate, and in addition to the initial deposit and final payment for land services. Airline regulations require the full name, date of birth and gender for all passengers as it appears on their passports. Customers must provide a copy of each passenger’s passport photo page.

A US$250 per ticket change fee, plus any applicable airline fees, will apply for incorrect information should the Customer fail to provide a copy of the passport photo page. Airfares are not guaranteed until full payment has been received and processed by Travel Answers Group. Airfares have different terms and conditions, and you will be advised of these at time of booking.

Airline Seats & Ancillary Requests: Seats will be assigned at airport check-in at no charge. Check-in for international flights starts approximately 3 hours prior to departure, for domestic flights about 2 hours prior to departure. Most airlines charge an additional fee for seat requests ranging from $10 & up per flight. Travel Answers Group can help with pre-assigned chargeable seats or Customers may book direct via Airline’s website once tickets are issued. Seats, and other ancillary airline requests including meals, internet, or additional baggage charges can also be made directly with the airline. Airline ancillaries, pricing and schedules are in control of the carrier and subject change. We recommend you always check with the airline for the latest information.

Itinerary Changes: Once a deposit has been received, a US$150 per booking change fee will apply. Other fees are at the discretion of the hotels, tour operators, rental car agencies and other Service Providers. Additional fees will be advised at the time of booking as applicable.

Payment: Before final payment, you will receive a final invoice that has been updated to reflect any currency fluctuations, as well as additions or changes to the booking. Prices are not guaranteed until full payment has been made. In some cases, prices may be adjusted as described elsewhere in these Terms and Conditions.

Final Payment: Final payment for all destinations, including individual and group bookings, is due 90 days prior to departure unless early booking discounts or advance purchase rules apply. For reservations made within 90 days of departure, full and final payment is due at the time of booking. Failure to make final payment when due will result in the booking being automatically cancelled and the Customer will be responsible for the cancellation fees.

Cancellations: Cancellation fees may vary depending on the products booked. Cancellation fees are as follows:

Individual Reservation Cancellations:

• Prior to final payment: loss of deposit
• After final payment: 100% of total booking cost

Group Cancellations:

• 180 days or more prior to departure: loss of deposit
• 91-179 days prior to departure: 50%
• From 90 days prior to group departure: 100%

All cancellation fees are the sole responsibility of the Customer. Prior to final payment, there may be additional fees imposed by suppliers that will be indicated to the customer.

Final payments are disbursed to Service Providers upon receipt and cannot be recovered from Travel Answers Group. Final payment is non-refundable under any circumstance and travel protection is recommended to cover cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances.

Air Cancellation/Change Penalties: Airline tickets are non-refundable once issued. Changes may be made depending on the fare purchased and fees will apply. Any fees will be advised when the changes are requested and can vary by Airline. It is the passenger’s responsibility to provide Travel Answers Group with the correct passport name for airline tickets. Some fares may permit changes yet levy change fees, penalties, and possible additional fare collection. In addition to these fees, Travel Answers Group reserves the right to assess a US$250 ticket re-issue for changes such as, but not limited to, name change, date or flight change and cancellation.

Cruise Cancellations: Cancellation policies for cruises vary by cruise line and fees may be in addition to those charged by Travel Answers Group. You will be notified of the cancellation fees at the time of booking. Note that most cruises are non-refundable.

Rail: Rail pricing is subject to change until ticketed and all rail is non-refundable once the ticket is issued. Cancellation policies vary by company and may have fees in addition to those charged by Travel Answers Group.

Hotels/Accommodations: Hotel rates may not include local taxes in some cities and resorts and shall be paid locally by the Customer. Travel Answers Group does not guarantee specific bed types, air conditioning standards or availability, the absence of unexpected hotel repair or construction activity, or assignment of rooms which are the choice of the hotel management.

Mobility Requirements: Requests for special accommodations and services to meet specific physical requirements must be made at the time of booking specifying the limits of mobility and description of mobility assistance equipment. Such accommodations are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed.

Car Rental: Car rental rules apply, including the requirement that drivers are at least 25 years of age (which may vary from country to country).  In addition, most rental rates are exclusive of tolls, gas, overtime, or VAT.

Travel Protection: We recommend that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Unforeseen events such as flight delays, baggage loss or even a sudden sickness or injury could impact your travel plans. For your convenience, we offer a Travel Protection Plan provided by United States Fire Insurance Company and administered by Trip Mate, Inc; in UT and CA DBA Trip Mate Insurance. To review full plan details online, go to: https://www.tripmate.com/wpUF3530G

There are certain restrictions, exclusions and limitations that apply to all insurance coverages. Plan benefits, limits and provisions may vary by state/jurisdiction and not all coverage is available in all states/jurisdictions. The cost charged is for the Travel Protection Plan, which includes insurance benefits underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, as well as non-insurance assistance services provided by Generali Global Assistance and FootprintID®.

If you purchased the Travelex travel protection plan prior to April 1, 2022, click here for your state specific policy.

Late Bookings: Any bookings made within 30 days of departure, regardless of value, will incur a $100 Late Booking Fee. This fee is to cover the cost of expediting the confirmation of your booking and processing final edocuments.

Documents: Provided booking is paid in full 90 days prior to departure, documents will be sent electronically and will be sent electronically via email within 3 weeks of departure. Customer is responsible to ensure that all arrangements are booked as requested and that the itinerary contains no errors.

Prices: Travel Answers Group quotes prices in US currency based on the exchange rates for the respective foreign currency as of the date of the quote. Customer’s exchange rate is only guaranteed when full payment is made, unless otherwise noted on Customer’s itinerary. Any price that Travel Answers Group quotes is subject to change without notice until full payment is made.

Children: Please note that some travel products do not allow children below a certain age. If Customer plans to travel with children, Customer must notify Travel Answers Group when booking and provide a clear copy of the passport photo page for each traveling child so Travel Answers Group can verify ages.

Passports/Visas:  It is the Customer’s sole responsibility to obtain and have available when necessary the appropriate valid travel documents. All Customers are advised to check with the appropriate government authority to determine the necessary documents required for their travel. A valid passport is required for U.S. and Canadian citizens travelling to all international destinations. Passports must be valid for six (6) months after completion of travel and should also have sufficient blank visa pages for entry and exit stamps. Many destinations also require a visa for U.S. and Canadian citizens and customers should contact the appropriate consular office for entry requirements pertaining to their destination in the itinerary. You may be refused boarding or disembarked from a plane, vessel or train without liability for refund, payment, compensation, or credit of any kind if you do not have proper documentation, and you will be subject to any fine or other costs incurred by Travel Answers Group that result from improper documentation or noncompliance with applicable regulations. Travel Answers Group shall not be responsible should any customer be denied entry to a country due to noncompliance with these requirements. Travel Answers Group is not responsible for lost or stolen documents, and reissuance of documents may be assessed at their full-face value with a possible increase in cost.

Limitation of Liability: Travel Answers Group does not own or operate any entity which is to or does provide goods or services for your trip including, for example, ownership or control over hotels or other lodging facilities, airline, vessel, bus, van or other transportation companies, destination management companies, inbound tour operators, local ground operators, providers or organizers of optional or included excursions or equipment used thereon, food service or entertainment providers, etc.  All such persons and entities are independent contractors.  As a result, Travel Answers Group is not liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such person or entity, or of any other third party.  Without limitation, Travel Answers Group is not responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to person or property, death, delay, or inconvenience in connection with the provision of any goods or services occasioned by or resulting from, but not limited to, acts of God, acts of government, force majeure, acts of war or civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, or the threat thereof, financial failure or defaults by suppliers, overbooking or downgrading of accommodations, structural or other defective conditions in hotels or other lodging facilities, mechanical or other failure of airplanes or other means of transportation or for any failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart timely or safely, dangers associated with or bites from animals, pests or insects, marine life or vegetation, sanitation problems, food poisoning, lack of access to or quality of medical care, difficulty in evacuation in case of a medical or other emergency, illness, epidemics or the threat thereof or for any other cause beyond the direct control of Travel Answers Group.  In addition, you release Travel Answers Group from its own negligence and assume all risk thereof.

Relationship of the Parties: Travel Answers Group is an independent contractor. Travel Answers Group acts solely to facilitate the reservation and purchase of Travel Related Services and is not acting in any other capacity with either the Customers or the Service Providers, including, but not limited to, any partnership, joint venture, co-ownership, travel service provider or agency relationship of any kind with any Customer or Service Provider. Travel Answers Group does not have any control over the quality, timing, safety, or legality of any Travel Related Service reserved or purchased by or for a Customer. Travel Answers Group does not and cannot control whether a Service Provider represents its products accurately or fulfills any agreement or obligation with any Customer.

Disputes and Indemnity:  Any and all disputes between a Customer and Service Provider are solely between that Customer and Service Provider, and the Customer and Service Provider should handle all such disputes directly. If the Service Provider or Customer contacts Travel Answers Group relating to any dispute between the Customer or Service Provider, Travel Answers Group may, in its sole discretion, facilitate dispute resolution and reserves the right to take any action that Travel Answers Group deems appropriate under the circumstances. Customer agrees to release Travel Answers Group and its agents and employees from claims, demands and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes. Furthermore, Customer agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Travel Answers Group from any liability, loss, claim and expense arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes including on any appeal.

Forum and Binding Arbitration:  Any dispute concerning, relating, or referring to this contract, the brochure, or any other literature concerning the trip shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration in King County, Washington, pursuant to the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules & Procedures of JAMS.  Such proceedings will be governed by substantive (but not procedural) Washington law. The arbitrator and not any federal, state, or local court or agency shall have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, conscionability, or formation of this contract, including but not limited to any claim that all or any part of this contract is void or voidable.  Any arbitration commenced against Travel Answers Group must be on behalf of only the signatory to this Agreement and his or her immediate family members who travelled with signatory, such as a spouse or child.  Under no circumstances can participant be part of a class or other joint action.

USTOA: Travel Answers Group is an Active Member of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). Complete details of the USTOA Travelers Assistance Program may be obtained by visiting www.USTOA.com.

Validity: These Terms & Conditions may be changed at any time by Travel Answers Group.         September 1, 2023

Travel Answers Group

2265 116th Ave NE, Suite 10

Bellevue WA 98004

CST#: 2076233-40