Booking Terms and Conditions

These Booking Conditions, together with any other written information brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, apply to your booking with Once in a Lifetime Holidays Ltd of 2 Taborsfield, Stebbing Road, Bardfield Saling, Essex, CM7 5DY (“we” or “us”). Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. 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. If you have any further questions after reading these Booking Conditions then please contact our customer services team who will be happy to help you.

We act as an agent for third party travel providers. We do not own or control those who actually provide the accommodations, flights, car hire, other transport, event tickets or other services which you book through us. Our obligations to you differ depending on what you book through us.

By making a booking, you agree on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that you have read these Booking Conditions and agree to be bound by them; you consent to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, and you are over 18 years of age. When you make your booking you must pay the relevant deposit as specified at the time of booking. If you believe that any details on the booking summary (or any other document) are wrong you must advise us immediately as it may not be possible to make changes later, you may incur charges to make changes and it may harm your rights if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document immediately. Please check that all names, dates, and timings are correct on receipt of all documents and advise us of any errors immediately. We will not make any charge for changes to documents, but you will have to pay any charges made by suppliers.

You will be required to pay a deposit or make full payment for your booking at the time of booking. Where you only pay a deposit you must pay the full balance by the balance due date notified to you. If full payment is not received by the balance due date, we will notify the supplier who may cancel your booking and charge the cancellation fees set out in their terms and conditions. Except where otherwise advised or stated in the booking conditions of the supplier concerned, all monies you pay to us for arrangements will be held on behalf of the supplier(s) concerned. Our preferred methods of payment are cash, cheque or directly by bank transfer into the trust account held for clients of Once in a Lifetime Holidays Ltd. We do accept all major credit and debit cards but we do not accept American Express or corporate cards unless by prior approval of a director.

When making your booking we will arrange for you to enter into a contract with the supplier(s) (tour operator/airline or other suppliers) named on your booking summary. As an agent, we accept no responsibility for the acts or omissions of the supplier or for the services provided by the supplier. The supplier’s terms and conditions will apply to your booking and we advise you to read these carefully as they contain important information about your booking. Please ask us for copies of these if you do not have access to them. Until all components of the holiday have been confirmed by the individual supplier, no contract has been formed.

Any cancellation or amendment request must be sent to us in writing and will not take effect until received by us. If you cancel or amend your booking the supplier may charge the cancellation or amendment charge shown in their terms and conditions (which may be 100% of the cost of the travel arrangements). We may collect this on their behalf and you also must pay us any applicable administration charges.

In the circumstance that your holiday may be cancelled by the Tour Operator, Airline or due to Foreign Office Advice and any unforeseen circumstances where you are entitled to a full refund we reserve the right to withhold an administration fee to cover our costs relating to the booking.

This fee will be between £100 – £350 per booking dependent on the individual circumstances of the cancellation and the level of administration and time spent.

We will inform you of any changes or cancellations as soon as reasonably possible. If the supplier offers alternative arrangements or a refund, you will need to let us know your choice within the time frame we stipulate. If you fail to do so the supplier is entitled to assume you wish to receive a full refund. We accept no liability for any changes or cancellations made to your arrangements by the supplier under your contract with them.

In certain circumstances we apply service charges which will be shown on your booking confirmation as follows:

- Stand Alone Safe Seat Plan which offers 100% financial protection to your booking

- Administration Fee’s & Service Charge – a charge for the booking agency services we provide to you. Please note that the term Service Charge does not refer to us putting together a holiday package, it is our standard charge for the service of acting as a Travel Agent. As an example this can include if you choose to change your booking at any time we reserve the right to charge an administration fee for our time to make any amendments.

Your contract is with the supplier and its booking conditions apply. As an agent, we accept no responsibility for the actual provision of the arrangements. Our responsibilities are limited to making the booking in accordance with your instructions. We accept no responsibility for any information about the arrangements that we pass on to you in good faith. However, in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis whatsoever, our maximum liability to you is limited to twice the cost of your booking (or the appropriate proportion of this if not everyone on the booking is affected). We do not exclude but do limit any liability for death or personal injury that arises as a result of our negligence or that of any of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.

The contract for your arrangements is between you and the supplier and any queries or concerns should be addressed to them. If you have a problem whilst on holiday, this must be reported to the supplier or their local supplier or agent immediately. If you fail to follow this procedure there will be less opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint. The amount of compensation you may be entitled to may be reduced or you may not receive any at all depending upon the circumstances. If you wish to complain when you return home, write to the supplier as set out in your booking confirmation. We will, of course, assist you with this if you wish – please contact the individual who made the booking for you in the first instance. If the matter cannot be resolved and it involves us then it can be escalated to a Director. If the matter remains unresolved it can be escalated further through The Travel Network Group complaints procedure.

We are an Accredited Member of The Travel Network Group and specifically of The Travel Trust Association known as the ‘TTA’. Our Travel Trust Association membership number is Q7796. The TTA is a trade association of Travel Agents, Tour Operators and Travel Organisers that operate trust accounts, in order to provide financial protection for the consumer. The TTA lays down strict guidelines on how customer funds may be handled and each member must adhere to these guidelines. Every TTA member puts customer funds’ into a designated trust account, which is supervised by an independent trustee. The Trustee is a Banker, Chartered Accountant or Certified Accountant, or solicitor. Your funds are held in this account and may not be released unless you receive your holiday or your funds are released to another company that becomes responsible and provides for your financial protection. We act only as an agent. When you make a booking your contract (or contracts) will always be with the supplier(s) of the travel services you have booked. Our obligations to you may vary depending upon which arrangements you book with us, and we set them out clearly below. Further information about The Travel Network Group can be found by clicking the link below:

http://www.traveltrust.co.uk

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. Please note that ATOL protection is not available for flights with low-cost carriers or where your payment is made direct to airlines. Where necessary, we will add supplier failure insurance to your booking automatically. This protects you by insuring us against the costs of refunding or replacing your booking if a supplier fails. If applicable we will charge an administration fee for supplier failure cover which will be shown on your booking confirmation.

If you have any special requests, for example, dietary requirements, cots or room location, please let us know at the time of booking. We will pass on all such requests to the supplier, but we do not guarantee that they will be met and we will have no liability to you if they are not.

Adequate travel insurance is a condition of your contract with either us or the supplier in question, as applicable. You must take out a policy of insurance in order to cover you and your party against the cost of cancellation by you; the cost of assistance (including repatriation) in the event of accident or illness; loss of baggage and money; and other expenses. If we have issued your policy please check it carefully to ensure that all the details are correct and that all relevant information has been provided by you (e.g. pre-existing medical conditions). Failure to disclose relevant information will affect your insurance. If you fail to travel with adequate insurance cover we will not be liable for any losses in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.

Accommodation ratings are displayed as provided by the supplier. These are intended to give a guide to the services and facilities you should expect from your accommodation. Standards and ratings may vary between countries, as well as between suppliers. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of any ratings given and no warranty is given or implied. Safety standards in some countries may differ from those applicable in the United Kingdom. We strongly advise that all customers seek to minimise their exposure to injury by familiarising themselves with relevant safety information.

After registration, on arrival at your accommodation, you will be allocated a room. It is your responsibility to verify the check-in and check-out times directly with your accommodation supplier. Please note that any local taxes, resort fees, and expenses will be payable to your accommodation supplier in resort on check-out.

From time to time, renovation or refurbishment and its associated noise are unavoidable at a hotel. If we are notified of such works we will inform you before you make your booking or within a reasonable time of us being notified.

We are able to make enquiries of the supplier about the suitability of arrangements for you and provide replies prior to booking. You must make all requests before a booking is confirmed. If you or any member of your party have any disabilities, it is extremely important that we make the necessary arrangements to make your holiday go smoothly. We must, therefore, insist that you notify your booking agent before completing any reservation to ensure compatibility for the holiday that you choose. Any assistance we request with airlines or Tour Companies is provided by the airline / operator / supplier with whom your contract exists and failure by them to supply the relevant assistance is not the responsibility of us as your agent.

All documents (e.g. invoices / tickets / insurance policies) will be sent to you by post or email. Once documents leave our offices we will not be responsible for their loss unless such loss is due to our negligence. You must pay any charges made by suppliers if tickets or other documents need to be reissued.

We can provide general information about the passport and visa requirements for your trip, but this is for guidance only and it remains your responsibility to check the requirements before you travel. Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and / or Consulates. Neither we nor the supplier accepts any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements. Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. Please take special note that for all air travel within the British Isles, airlines require photographic identification of a specific type. Please ask us for full details. You can obtain further information about passport and visa requirements by logging onto https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship/passports. We can provide general information about any health formalities required for your trip but you should check with your own doctor for your specific circumstances. Up-to-date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. If you would like more information about a specific country or resort area log on to https://www.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo.

Please ensure that all your travel, passport, visa and insurance documents are in order and that you arrive in plenty of time for checking in at the airport, in general, this is 3 hours for long haul destinations and 2 hours for short haul. It may be necessary to reconfirm your flight with the airline prior to departure. Please ask us for details at least 72 hours before your outbound flight. You should take note of any reference number or contact name when reconfirming. If you fail to reconfirm you may be refused permission to board the aircraft and you are unlikely to receive any refund.

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 of the service in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. These events can include, but are not limited to war, threat of war, civil strife, terrorist activity and its consequences or the threat of such activity, riot, the act of any government or other national or local authority, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster and all similar events outside our control or the control of the supplier concerned.

Many of the services which make up your holiday are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions. Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from us or the supplier concerned.

Please be aware that the terms and conditions of the supplier will normally state that your stay can be terminated, with no refund, if the behaviour of your party falls below an acceptable standard. Suppliers will also often require you to pay for any damage you cause to the accommodation in resort. We are under no obligation to you if any event such as this occurs. You agree to indemnify us for the full amount of any claim (including all legal costs) made against us by the supplier or any third party as a result of your conduct.

We will process any information you give us in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulations of 2018. Our privacy and security policy (detailed below) explains how we will handle your data and when we will disclose personal information.

We may use the personal information you give us to keep you informed about our products and services. You may opt out of receiving such marketing information by advising a member of our team when making your booking / request or subsequently by contacting us on 0345 646 0332 or alternatively writing to us (at the address shown below). We will however never rent or sell your details to third parties for marketing purposes. Visitors to our website who subscribe to our email service or visitors purchasing products or services on the site who have not opted out from receiving promotional emails, may receive promotional mailings and e-mails from Once in a Lifetime Holidays Ltd.

We may use the personal information you provide for the purposes of financial control and debt recovery through outside agencies.

You are generally entitled to ask us (by letter or e-mail) what details of yours are being held or processed, for what purpose and to whom they may be or have been disclosed. In certain limited circumstances we are entitled to refuse your request. This information will only be sent to the email or postal address on file for the subscriber name associated with it. If you believe that we are storing details relating to you and that these are incorrect or you wish to change or remove them, please contact in writing at the following address:

Once in a Lifetime Holidays, 2 Taborsfield, Stebbing Road, Bardfield Saling, Essex, CM7 5DY.

Tel: 0345 646 0332

These terms of business are governed by English law and the parties agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Our website may contain links to enable you to visit other websites of interest easily. However, once you have used these links to leave our site you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this Privacy Statement. You should exercise caution and look at the Privacy Statement applicable to the website in question.

If you book with Once in a Lifetime Holidays and we are the ATOL provider your Terms and Conditions can be found here.