TRAVEL ADVICE & GENERAL INFORMATION

TRANSPORTATION

TRAVELLING BY ROAD:

Vehicle Options: A modern saloon car, suitable for 2 people, which offers a comfortable ride, seat belts, good suspension and air-conditioning is ideal for city transfers and shorter journeys and represent great value for money.

For itineraries with longer road journeys the larger Toyota Crysta is thoroughly recommended for up to 3 people max with baggage (plus driver), as having tried various vehicles ourselves, we have found that this is the most comfortable and reliable option. The vehicles are a maximum of 3 years old, are cleaned, well maintained and serviced on a regular basis and breakdowns are extremely rare. (Please note that a vehicle of a similar standard may occasionally be substituted if for logistical reasons your choice of vehicle type is not available.)

For small groups, then a Tempo Traveller minibus is the suggested mode of transport.

Luxury vehicles are also available by request such as Mercedes ML, Mercedes GLS, and Audi Q7.

All the vehicles are air-conditioned, fitted with seat belts and are stocked with bottles of mineral water, tissues, confectionery/biscuits, fruit (only which you can peel) and bacterial hand wipes.

Your personal driver is intrinsic to the enjoyment of your trip and the majority of them are non-smokers and non-drinkers. All the drivers we use are very safe, and are given excellent feedback by our clients. They take great pride in looking after you and ensuring you get the very best out of your trip.

Driving in India: If you are on a holiday with your own allocated private car and driver, the driver is the only person permitted to drive the vehicle. Please DO NOT drive the vehicle yourself at any time. We take no responsibility whatsoever if you do so and you may suffer all kinds of legal, insurance and police problems if you were to be apprehended. The drivers are given strict instructions that they are not permitted to allow anyone else to drive their vehicles, so please do not compromise them in asking them to do otherwise.

(If you choose to drive any other car or motorbike in India, you will need a valid International Driving or motorbike License, and the requisite insurance. Please note that we take no responsibility whatsoever for any driving that you choose to do for any type of vehicle, or for any incidents or accidents that may occur as a result.)

National and state roads infrastructure in India is developing fast and there are some very good expressways which have greatly improved connectivity. However, some rural roads can be more unpredictable and are sometimes narrow, bumpy and potholed. At times you will also see livestock wandering along the roads. Journey times can vary for these reasons and also due to a change in road conditions which can be brought on by the monsoons. All our drivers are, however, trained and experienced.

TRAVELLING BY TRAIN:

Train travel in India is very interesting and a good way to measure the rhythm of the country. Where possible we will always try and reserve seats in first class air-conditioned carriages, but these cannot always be reserved and do not exist on all routes. We would also not recommend overnight journeys.

Travel Insurance: It is a condition of booking that travel insurance is taken out and it is your responsibility to ensure you and all members of your party are adequately covered by such insurance. We will request you to please provide us with the name of the Insurance Company, the policy holder’s name, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number. Please note that your Travel Insurance must be valid from the time of booking to ensure that cancellation cover is in force should you, for whatever reason, need to cancel at any time prior to travel. Do not travel without travel insurance, as the unexpected can always happen. Please read your policy and take it on holiday with you. Cover should include medical expenses and repatriation in the event of accident or illness. In addition, we strongly recommend that you have cover for personal belongings, delay at your outward or homeward point of departure, personal liability, overseas legal expenses and cancellation and including cover for circumstances where the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against “All Travel” of “All but essential travel”. If you are undertaking any sports or adventurous activities, including trekking, motorbike riding, mountain climbing or scuba diving, on your trip you should also make sure that your policy covers these. Please also ensure you read the policy conditions and exclusions.

Health:

Vaccinations: Please be aware that we cannot provide medical advice, you should always seek advice from a medical professional. It is essential that you see your GP or a travel clinic before booking your trip and before travelling to make sure that you have taken all the necessary health precautions and had any necessary vaccinations. Some vaccinations require more than one visit with a period of weeks between injections. You should visit your GP at least six weeks before departure. For up to date medical advice you may wish to use the Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad (MASTA). It is your responsibility to ensure you are properly vaccinated for your trip.

MASTA Traveller’s Health Brief: Before travelling abroad, you may wish to visit www.masta-travel-health.com to obtain a ‘Health Brief’ specifically tailored to your journey. Your brief will give information about immunisations and malaria as well as any Foreign Office advice and the latest health news. Other health information services are available, including www.nathnac.org and www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): The majority of international airlines now issue advice on how to lessen the risk of DVT. However, if you have any concerns, we recommend that you consult your doctor.

Dietary, mobility or disability, medical conditions or allergies. To help ensure you get the best out of your holiday, it is really important that you advise us before booking if you have any special needs re dietary requirements, disability or mobility issues, medical condition, or allergies which may affect your holiday, (including any which affect the booking process) so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and/or making the booking.

Please ensure you confirm such in writing at the time of booking and also promptly advise us if any special requirements which may affect your holiday develop after your booking has been confirmed.

We acknowledge that reduced mobility of course means different things to different individuals as we fully appreciate that individual capabilities, restrictions and requirements are likely to vary considerably. When we refer to reduced mobility, this means any material reduction in mobility whether this is permanent or temporary and whether caused by age or by physical or mental disability or impairment or other cause of disability. Where you provide us with information in respect of any reduced mobility, disability, medical condition or significant allergy, we may also ask you to complete a health questionnaire.

All information relating to your health is treated as sensitive personal data for the purposes of data protection which means we need your explicit consent to enable us to share this with any third party such as suppliers. We will share such information only as required in order to fulfil that objective.

Whilst we do not require information about the extent of any disability the more information we have the better we may be able to meet specific needs.

The nature of some of the locations we travel to means they may be unsuitable for those who are wheelchair-bound or have a lack of mobility. However, we will be delighted to discuss the feasibility of creating a tailor-made itinerary for you that takes into consideration your level of mobility. We may request that you provide a letter from your doctor confirming your fitness to travel.

Special Dietary Requirements or Allergies: Special diets should be advised as early as possible, and requested when accepting the itinerary arrangements. We will advise the hotels and airlines of your request but we cannot guarantee their availability, so please do take care to double check yourselves at the various locations and on flights. If you have an airborne nut allergy you must make us aware at the time of booking as most airlines require this information in advance of travelling. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights, please ensure you advise them accordingly.

High altitude: If your itinerary includes sections where the altitude exceeds 6,000 feet (approx. 2,000 metres) and if you suffer from circulation, heart or respiratory problems we advise that you consult with your doctor before confirming your booking.

Smoking: Airlines do not permit smoking on the aircraft.
For those travelling with a private car and driver, all vehicles are no smoking and we respectfully request that this is honoured. Stops can be made to enable you to smoke. In such instances, please ensure you remove your cigarette butts, and protect the countryside from potential fire hazard.
The private homestays and small hotels house rules also do not permit smoking in the rooms.

Mosquitos Bite Avoidance and Climate: Apart from any malaria medication you choose to or are advised to take, we strongly recommend that you use mosquito repellents on your ankles, neck and arms, especially at dawn or dusk when we advise you not to sit outside for the relevant hour or so, especially near garden foliage or still water, where mosquitos tend to gather.
In many tropical countries, mosquitoes can spread diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, malaria, yellow fever and Zika virus. It is essential that you seek medical advice prior to travel, and especially if you are pregnant or have an underlying medical condition. Whilst travelling there are several simple measures you can take to reduce your risk of infections spread by mosquitoes: wear suitable clothing and cover up at times of day when mosquitoes are active, use insect repellent on exposed skin. It is important to seek prompt medical attention if you have a fever or display any other symptoms. If you become unwell on your return, make sure you tell your doctor about any trips abroad you have taken in the past year.

During the months of November to March, the climate is cooler than other times of the year. April and May tend to get much warmer with the following month of June seeing the start of the monsoons that prevail to October. Obviously, we cannot accept any responsibility for the weather conditions at the time of your visit. (In general, Kerala and Goa tend to have much more humid climates than Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Mumbai or North India).

Health and safety standards: We recommend that you follow a few precautionary health and safety procedures.

• Always check where the nearest fire exit is and how to raise the fire alarm.
• Do not enter a swimming pool before checking the water depth first.

GRATUITIES & TIPPING: This is entirely at your discretion, normally payable in cash, and is always very gratefully received. However, the following guide may be helpful, to inform the amount of rupees you will need. We will provide you with an Estimated Rupees Expenditure document prior to your trip to assist you on what to pay, to whom and where.

• In larger hotels, if service is not included in the restaurant bill, 5% is an acceptable amount.
• Hotel and railway porters will expect about 100 rupees for one piece of luggage and about 500 rupees for a trolley full.
• Driver’s daily subsistence and accommodation allowance is Rs 1,000 per day (approx. £11 per day) – the custom is for this to be given in cash directly and personally at the time, a few days at a
• End of trip “bonus” for your driver (approx. Rs 5,000 (£50) for each week of trip, to be given directly and personally at the end of the trip – at your discretion of course before departing.
• Gratuity to the main ground representative at the end of the trip, entirely at your discretion, say Rs 4,000. If an assistant representative escorts you to the airport, then Rs 2,000 would be sufficient.
• Tipping for local guides – approx. Rs 2,000 for a full day per couple, or Rs 1,000 for half a day.
• Hotel and homestay staff – dependent on your length of stay, and number of staff, but roughly Rs 500 – Rs 1,000 per room per day.
• We will provide you with an Estimated Rupees Expenditure guide on this – how much/who to.

Passport and Visa Information for British Citizens: You must hold a passport which is valid for at least six months following the return date of your trip and which is machine readable. Failure on either of these points will mean you will be denied entry to India. It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct documentation and visas for all sectors of your journey in advance of your travel. Failure or inability to obtain all required visas for whatever reason will result in your trip being cancelled and the cancellation charges applicable as set out in our Terms & Conditions Clause 3

Non-British passport holders should check with their own embassy, as well as the Indian embassy, as visa requirements may be different to those of British passport holders.

VISAS TO INDIA:

All UK visitors to India must obtain a valid visa prior to arrival. The standard tourist visa is valid for 6 months from the date of issue and allows for either single or multiple entry into India. Additional conditions may apply to non-UK passport holders – i.e. those who originate from other countries e.g. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and those of certain professions e.g. journalists, musicians and other performers.

E – TV (e Tourist Visa) As a tourist to India, you can now obtain a visa online for a validity of 30 days from the date of arrival in India. (It is your responsibility to ensure your visa is obtained prior to your departure to India, as you will be unable to travel without it.)

• Website – www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa. Click on the E-TV (E Tourist Visa) tab and the process, documentation required etc is described for you. NB: DO NOT USE ANY OTHER ONLINE AGENCY AS THEY DO NOT BELONG TO THE GOVT OF INDIA, AND CAN BE UNRELIABLE, COSTLY AND UNGENUINE.
• You must make sure the information on your passport or ID matches the information you enter in the application form. On successful completion of your application form online, you will be notified approx. 3 days later by email, whether your ETD has been “GRANTED”. Please print off a copy of this email to take with you. This ETD form will enable you to have your Indian visa stamped into your passport on arrival at immigration in India.
• You must carry a copy of your Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) when travelling, to produce both at check in prior to departure and at immigration on arrival in India.
• Please confirm that your ETA status is also shown as ‘GRANTED’ on the website www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa prior to commencement of your journey by clicking on Visa Status. Print off a couple of hard copies of this document to take with you.
• On production of this ETA document on arrival in India, your Indian visa will be stamped into your passport. The visa validity will run from that date.
• Fees: The most recent notification has set the approximate fees (inclusive of consular surcharge and service charge) at:
  • GBP 116 per person for up to 1 year single or multiple tourist visa
  • GBP 346 per person for more than 1 year and up to 5 years (multiple entry)
• E – tourist Visas issued by this process are valid for:
  • 30 days from the date of arrival in India, allowing for a maximum of double entry during that period.
  • 1 year, or 5 years from the date of arrival in India, allowing for multiple entries during the period.
• You can apply in advance:
  • No more than 30 days, and no less than 4 days, prior to your arrival day, for up to a maximum of 30 days stay/ETV.
  • No more than 120 days, and no less than 4 days, prior to your date of arrival in India, for a 1 year or 5 years ETV.
• DURATION OF STAY:
  • For a stay of 30 days or less, a 30-day E-TV is applicable.
  • For a 1 year visa, and 5 year visa, the maximum duration of any one stay during the validity of the visa is 180 days for UK/US/Canadian Citizens, and 90 days for citizens of Australia, NZ, and specified European countries as shown on the India Govt website.
  • DO NOT leave your application until the last minute in case of any problems with the system, or queries regarding your application.
• Passport validity:
  • 6 months validity from the date you depart from India.
  • Must have at least 2 clear pages – i.e. 2 clear sides – for immigration stamps.

The E-TV is currently limited to passport holders of certain countries, including the United Kingdom, and depending on the purpose of the trip. For details visit the India E visa website on https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa. Then click on the E-TV tab.

Non-British citizens and holders of non-British passports should check with their Embassy regarding Indian Visa Requirements. You must apply for a visa in good time. If a visa is not granted then we cannot accept any liability for the consequences, and reserve the right to pass on to you any charges incurred as a result, including cancellation charges.

Important Note: It cannot under any circumstances be guaranteed that your visa application will be accepted. If your visa is not granted, for whatever reason, the visa fees are non-refundable. However, in our experience refusals are extremely rare.

Failure or inability to obtain all required visas, for whatever reason, will result in your travel having to be cancelled. In this event, we reserve the right to pass on to you any charges incurred as a result, including cancellation charges.

Visa information is given in good faith and is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, visa charges may vary in which case we will advise you accordingly.

Travel Advice: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Travel Advice Unit monitors all overseas destinations and offers safety advice to British travellers. To view the advice, you can visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

Airfares

Flight amendments: Special ‘inclusive tour’ fares are normally used when your air tickets are purchased from the airline consolidators. While these fares are very good value, they are inflexible in terms of changes and offer no refunds once the tickets are issued. Once your flight is confirmed the airlines will charge an amendment fee or insist on the purchase of a completely new ticket if you make changes. However, should you wish us to purchase flexible fares then please let us know prior to their purchase.

Internal flights baggage allowance: The baggage allowance on internal flights in India is less than on international flights, and hence you may be liable for overweight charges if you exceed the local limits. The allowances on internal flights are 10kg – 15 kg in Economy Class (depending on the airline), and 30 kg – 35 kg in Business Class (again depending on the airline), even if you are transferring to or from an international flight. However, for an additional fee one can increase the baggage allowance on domestic flights if required. Cabin bags must weigh no more than 7 KG and this is rigorously enforced at check in.

Accuracy of Information: We thoroughly check all the information that is included within our website and individual tour itineraries. However, changes do occur and errors are occasionally made. Airlines may change their schedules, roads may close and government regulations may alter. Should there be any changes to the travel arrangements you have booked we will do our best to keep you informed of the situation prior to departure.

Travelling in Other Countries: Many destinations in other countries have attitudes, infrastructure, priorities, lifestyles and cultures which are very different from our own. This is often the very reason to visit the destination but certain aspects may be frustrating. We always advise that the first thing you should pack is your sense of humour, together with a ton of patience and an open mind. This can prove invaluable when travelling over rougher roads, waiting for a delayed aircraft and communicating with people whose first language may not be English.

Data Protection Act: We will hold your name, address and any other details you supply us with on our database. This information will be used to make your travel arrangements and to send you information about us. In order to make your travel arrangements we will need to pass your details to companies and individuals outside the EU where less stringent data protection controls may be in place. We will not pass on your details to third parties for any other purposes.

Government travel advice: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Travel Advice Unit monitors all overseas destinations and offers advice to British citizens. In order to be fully informed of entry requirements, safety issues, crime rates, political stability and local customs you can view the advice at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. We monitor FCDO advice carefully and on occasion may be required to cancel trips, re-route itineraries or make other changes to trips based on the warnings given. Any decision will always be taken in the interests of your safety and security and will be communicated fully with you.

Travelling with children: If travelling with a child and only one parent is present, please be aware that you must have the permission of everyone with parental responsibility before that child can be taken abroad. You automatically have parental responsibility if you’re the child’s mother, but you still need the permission of anyone else with parental responsibility before you take the child abroad. A letter from the person with parental responsibility for the child is usually enough to show you’ve got permission to take them abroad. You might be asked for the letter at a UK or foreign border or by an airline. The letter should include the other person’s contact details and details about the trip. If you are travelling with a child who has a surname different to your own, for example you are a single parent, you are advised to travel with evidence of your relationship (eg a birth certificate) and a divorce or marriage certificate if applicable. In other scenarios, for example you are a grandparent taking your grandchild on holiday, or you are taking your friend’s child on holiday, you should be able to provide evidence that you have permission from the child’s parents to do this.

More information on the UK government’s rules can be obtained here: https://www.gov.uk/permission-take-childabroad. You should also check the requirements of the country you are travelling to as they may have additional specific requirements and the age limit up to which a person is considered a child may vary.

Flight routing: The difference between a direct flight and a non-stop flight can cause confusion. To clarify, on a direct flight no change of aircraft is scheduled but touchdowns will be made enroute either to refuel or to board or disembark passengers. On non-stop flights no change of aircraft is required and no stops are made enroute. Exact details of your route will be given in your itinerary.

Internal flights: Smaller local airlines are more likely to change their schedule at short notice. We will endeavour to inform you of any changes in advance of travelling but this may not always be possible.

Seating: Most airlines now operate one of two main seating policies. The majority offer paid-for seating, with a smaller number maintaining a free-of-charge seating policy. The majority of airlines now offer you the opportunity to secure specific seats in advance of travel by paying an additional premium. In order to do this it is a requirement of the airlines that you have fully paid for your flight ticket.

Once a flight ticket is fully paid for amendment charges will apply should you wish to change your arrangements. Please be aware that, even with paid-for seating, some changes can be made by the airline that are outside of our control and which may affect your paid-for seating. If you do not wish to pay a premium to secure a specific seat you can wait until online check-in opens, usually 24 hours in advance of travel, and reserve a seat at this point.

If seating is important to you and you have been unable to check-in online it is always best to arrive for your flight early.

The flexibility of flight arrangements: If fully flexible flight arrangements are important to you, please let us know at the earliest possible time in the quote process so we can include the most appropriate fare for you. We primarily use special ‘inclusive tour’ fares when we purchase your tickets from the airlines and while these fares are very good value they are inflexible in terms of changes and offer no refunds once the tickets are issued. If we use this type of fare then once your flight is confirmed the airlines will charge an amendment fee or insist on the purchase of a completely new ticket should you wish to make changes.

Frequent flyer clubs: If you collect points through any of the airline frequent flyer clubs and wish to accrue points on your trip, please let us know so that we can choose an appropriate airfare where points can be awarded. Please provide your membership details on the booking form and we will ensure that these are recorded against your flight reservation.
If you wish to use your points to purchase flights then you will have to make these arrangements directly with the airline as we are not able to access fares in this way. If you do choose to do this please provide the flight details to us so we can ensure the ground arrangements dovetail with your flights.
Security: Although opportunistic crime such as bag-snatching and pick-pocketing is unfortunately a fact of life in many destinations, our experience in India is that this is not so prevalent. However, please use your common sense when walking around, make use of hotel safes where available, rather than leave money or jewellery lying around, and leave all but essential valuables at home. We suggest carrying a photocopy of your passport and your visa stamp, separately from the original document, purely as a back up, in the event that the details are required to obtain any replacement.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY

 

Please read the following Terms and Conditions carefully. All holidays are sold subject to these terms and conditions and the Travel Advice/General Information above.

Your Holiday Contract: Your contract is with Jarvis Journeys’ tour operator principal Avion Holidays, (the trading name of Luftavion Travels and Tours Limited).

AVION HOLIDAYS (hereafter referred to as ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’) book your flights, accommodation, and activities as outlined on your itinerary and the trading names we use are Avion, and ‘Avion Holidays’. In these Terms & Conditions, ‘you’ and ‘your’ means all persons named on the booking, or any of them as applicable (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date).

Your contract and all matters arising out of it are governed by English law, and the jurisdiction of the English courts.

1. ITINERARY QUOTATION, BOOKING & PAYING FOR YOUR HOLIDAY, BOOKING INVOICE, CONFIRMATION INVOICE.

(i) ITINERARY QUOTATION & BOOKING INVOICE:

The procedure for making a booking is shown in your itinerary Quotation. The person named on the itinerary Quotation is responsible for the total price of the holiday and for accepting our terms and conditions on behalf of all people named on the booking. We will honour the quote for the Ground Arrangements (ie for hotels, surface transport, and activities) provided in your written Quotation until the expiry date stated. However, all flight fares and dates quotations may be liable to change by the time of booking, and we will advise you accordingly.

Please note that if you believe that we have stated orally that a particular facility or service should be available, but is not in the itinerary or in writing from us, please let us know immediately so that we may confirm it to you when accepting your booking.

Once the Quotation has been accepted by the lead person named on the Quotation, we will issue a Booking Invoice confirming the total costs involved, the Deposit amount required and any additional “up front” Advance Payments applicable. (eg air fares etc).

(ii) DEPOSIT & ADVANCE PAYMENT, CONFIRMATION INVOICE:

The Deposit is part payment of the holiday cost. The Deposit required will be shown on the itinerary Quotation, and the Booking Invoice . By paying us the deposit, including any advance payments applicable, the lead person named on the Quotation as responsible, on behalf of all people travelling on the booking, is agreeing to be bound by our full Terms & Conditions that can also be viewed at www.jarvisjourneys.com.

The amount payable at Booking stage will comprise:

• A deposit for the Ground Arrangements
• Full payment for cost of all flights
• If applicable, other full or part “up front” Advance Payment of certain elements of your holiday (eg specific hotel advance payments or services) which may be required at the time of booking.

Additional Advance Payments may be due at some point between booking and balance due date. Also see section 1(ii – a) below for other situations in which an Advance Payment may be required.

(ii – a) Please note that further additional unexpected full or part advance payment of certain elements of your holiday ( eg for hotel costs, activities or services) may also occasionally be required at some point between booking and the Balance Due Date.  Such requests may, for example, be made by suppliers in order to secure accommodation and other services during periods of peak demand, and failure to do so could result in the loss of the booking. Where this situation arises, we reserve the right to ask you to make an Advance Payment within a stipulated period and prior to Balance Due Date. We will of course endeavour to avoid doing so if we can.

NON-REFUNDABLE PAYMENTS: The Deposit, and any Advance Payments due at the time of booking, and all such further early additional Advance Payments made, are non- refundable except as set out in clause 4.

Once we have received the applicable deposit, and any advance payment(s) due at the time of booking as per the Booking Invoice, we will start the process of confirming the holiday. By processing your payment we agree to accept your booking and a contract between us comes into force.

CONFIRMATION INVOICE:  Once all arrangements have been confirmed to us, we will issue your Confirmation Invoice. If we are unable to confirm all the holiday arrangements at the time of booking, we will discuss the alternatives with you and re-quote if necessary.  If the alternatives are materially different, you will be offered an alternative or a full refund without any cancellation charges.

Please carefully check your Confirmation Invoice, details, and all tickets and documents we send to you, as soon as you receive them. Please contact us immediately if you think any details are incorrect. We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracies (for which we are responsible) in any document within ten days of our sending it out (NB: five days for air tickets). We will do our best to rectify any mistake notified to us outside these time limits but you must meet and will be liable for any costs involved in doing so.

(iii) BALANCE DUE DATE:

The balance is payable on or before the “Balance Due Date” specified on the Booking Invoice and the Confirmation Invoice. Please note if we do not receive all payments due in full and on time, we will remind you that payment is due before treating your booking as cancelled by you.  In the event that further time for payment is agreed at your request but payment is still not received, we will cancel your booking, and you will be liable for and must pay the cancellation fees shown in section 3, based on the date we treat your booking as cancelled by you.

NB: Full payment is required at the time of booking for all bookings made 56 days or less, prior to travel.

PAYMENT METHODS: All payments are to be made to Avion Holidays. We accept payment by bank transfer, (the details of which are shown on your QUOTATION, BOOKING INVOICE and BOOKING FORM,) or by bank or credit card.

2. IF YOU CHANGE YOUR BOOKING:

If, after the contract between us and you has come into existence, you wish to change your travel arrangements in any way, (for example your chosen departure date or accommodation), we will pass your request to the relevant supplier but we cannot guarantee that such changes can be made.  Any request for changes to be made must be made in writing to us, from the person who made the booking (named on the Quotation as the Lead member of the party). Where a change can be made, charges payable by you would include:

• any additional costs incurred including any costs imposed or incurred by any of our suppliers, and including for example, any cancellation fee that may be incurred for flights or arrangements cancelled.
• please note for example, that a change of name or other alteration to a flight booking (depending on the relevant airline’s booking terms) will usually incur a 100% cancellation fee and the full applicable cost of rebooking the flight at the time the change is made.
• An administration charge of £65 per booking.

Please be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date you get, so you should contact us as soon as possible.

3. IF YOU CANCEL YOUR HOLIDAY

You may cancel your confirmed booking at any time prior to departure.  Should you wish to do so, written notification by the person who made the booking, must be sent to us by recorded delivery post or by email. If your notification is provided by email, and as proof of receipt, you must ensure you receive and retain written acknowledgement from us.

If you wish to cancel your booking, you will be charged a cancellation fee according to the sliding scale below. The cancellation fee will be calculated from the date your written notification is received by post, or your email notification is acknowledged by us.

The following charges are non-refundable in the event of cancellation:

• the Deposit paid
• any Advance Payment/s paid in addition to the deposit at the time of booking.
• any Advance Payment/s paid up to the cancellation notification date (see clauses 1(ii) and I (ii-a).
• any amendment charges paid up to the cancellation notification date.

CALCULATION OF CANCELLATION FEE:  The cancellation fee is calculated as follows:

Cancellation Notification Date (number of days prior to departure date within which cancellation notification is received and acknowledged by us)	Cancellation Fee *
71 +	The non refundable Deposit, and any non refundable Advance Payments made up to the cancellation date.
57 – 70	40% of the total cost of the holiday, (including the cost of the non-refundable Deposit, and any non-refundable Advance payments made, but excluding any amendment charges made up to the cancellation date)
29 – 56	60% of the total cost of the holiday, (including the cost of the non-refundable Deposit, and any non-refundable Advance payments made, but excluding any amendment charges made up to the cancellation date)
15 – 28	90% of the total cost of the holiday (including the cost of the non-refundable Deposit, and any non-refundable Advance payments made, but excluding any amendment charges made up to the cancellation date)
14 days or less	100% of the total cost of the holiday as above, (including the cost of the non-refundable Deposit, and any non-refundable Advance payments made, but excluding any amendment charges made up to the cancellation date)

*NB: To the extent we may be able to mitigate any Advance Payment on flexible airfares purchased by us (depending on the airline’s terms and conditions of such purchase), the cancellation fee will be adjusted accordingly.

VISAS: Failure or inability to obtain all required visas, for whatever reason, will result in the holiday having to be cancelled. In this event, this does not entitle you to cancel the holiday without paying the applicable cancellation charges and we reserve the right to pass on to you any charges incurred as a result, including cancellation charges as set out above.

If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed on us, you will be responsible for such payment or if applicable, reimbursing us accordingly.

COVID 19 (and all variants and mutations of the SARS 2 CoV-2 VIRUS) If you are unable to travel due to a positive Covid-19 test pre-departure, we will endeavour to assist in postponing or re-arranging your trip but the usual cancellation or amendment charges will be applicable. In the event that you have not been vaccinated against Covid-19, either at all or in compliance with the applicable requirements, you may be unable to enter your destination country(ies) or to access certain services (which may include, for example, cruises and indoor facilities such as restaurants and museums) and may encounter other difficulties. You will not be entitled to cancel (without payment of cancellation charges) or receive any refund and we will not have any responsibility for any costs or expenses you suffer as a result in any such situation.

In certain situations and when arriving from certain countries, you may be required to self-isolate or quarantine for a set period on arrival. There may also be other entry requirements such as completion of an online form pre-departure, proof of travel insurance including Covid-19 cover and downloading a local contact tracing app. Your previous travel history outside your home country may also impact on your ability to gain entry to your destination country.  It is your responsibility to ensure you check and comply with any such requirements. Again, we will endeavour to assist in postponing or re-arranging your trip if you are unable to travel due to the above circumstances, but we will not have any responsibility for any costs or expenses you suffer as a result in any such situations, and the usual cancellation charges as set out above will be applicable in the event of cancellation arising in relation to any such circumstances.

ALTERATIONS OR CANCELLATIONS BY YOU AFTER COMMENCEMENT OF TRAVEL AND UNUSED SERVICES:

We will do our best to implement any changes to your arrangements you request after they have commenced, but we cannot guarantee this will be possible. In the event of such amendments being able to be made, you will be liable for:

• any cancellation fee that may be applied in respect of the services originally booked.
• any Advance Payment which relates to any cancelled part of the holiday. We will endeavour to mitigate these costs to the extent we can reasonably do so.
• the costs involved in booking the revised arrangements.
• the cost of the new arrangements themselves.
• Our administration fees of £65.

 CURTAILMENT OF YOUR HOLIDAY: 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 the circumstances where you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of accommodation and services provided, the company 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 any claim can be made directly with them.

PARTIAL ROOM CANCELLATION: (If applicable) Should one or more member of a party cancel or leave a journey, it may increase the per person price of those still travelling and you will be liable to pay this increase.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE: If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your travel insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim cancellation charges. It is your responsibility to ensure you are properly covered by insurance for all elements of your trip, from the time of booking. Please read your policy and take it on holiday with you.

It is a condition of our acceptance of your booking with us that you have suitable travel insurance for your trip. Depending on the details of your policy, you may be able to recover cancellation fees from your travel insurer (you must pay your cancellation fee to us first in order to claim) less any excess on your travel insurance policy. Never travel without suitable insurance, the unexpected can always happen. Please be aware that advice against non-essential international travel (including as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic) issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (or equivalent authorities outside the UK for citizens of those countries) may have an impact on your travel insurance. You must check the policy terms prior to purchasing your insurance.

We are not insurance providers and cannot offer advice on insurance products. It is essential that you discuss both your itinerary and your specific needs with your chosen policy provider to ensure you are fully protected. Please read your policy details carefully, ensure that you are familiar with the scale of your cover and take the relevant documentation with you on your holiday. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss that you or any member of your travelling party suffers if the individual is not adequately insured. You will be asked, at the point of signing the booking form, to provide evidence of your insurance policy or to follow up with details immediately afterwards where a policy is not already in place at the point of booking. You are independently responsible for the cost of any insurance product you choose to purchase.

4. IF WE CHANGE OR CANCEL YOUR HOLIDAY

a) MINOR CHANGES: Occasionally, insignificant/minor changes to confirmed holiday arrangements have to be made both before and after bookings have been made. Most changes will be insignificant, and we have the right to make these. Where an insignificant change is made before departure, we will notify you in writing as soon as possible. An insignificant /minor change does not entitle you to cancel your holiday and no compensation is payable for insignificant changes. An insignificant/minor change is any change which, taking account of the information you have given us at the time of booking or which we can reasonably be expected to know as a tour operator, we could reasonably expect not to have a significant effect on your confirmed holiday. Examples of minor changes include, but are not limited to, alteration of your outward or return flight by less than 12 hours, changes to aircraft type, change of accommodation to another of a similar standard, or change of the timing or aspects of sightseeing arrangements.

(b) SIGNIFICANT CHANGES: Occasionally, before departure, we may be constrained by circumstances beyond our control to make a significant alteration to any of the main characteristics of the travel services which form part of your confirmed booking or to any special requirements which we have accepted as referred to in section 11. Where we have to do so, section 4(d) will apply. All other alterations will be treated as insignificant changes.

 Significant changes would include the following changes when made before departure:

• a change of accommodation to that of a lower official classification or standard for all or the major part of the trip.
• a change of accommodation area for the whole or a major part of the time you are away
• where we are advised (in advance prior to the day of departure) by the airline of a change of UK departure airport to one which is more inconvenient for you (except as between airports serving London – Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted and London City).
• Where we are advised (in advance and prior to the day of departure) by the airline of a change of your scheduled outward time of departure from the UK by more than 12 hours.

*Please Note: Significant changes are not deemed to be applicable where changes of outward departure times from the UK are caused by technical delays, crew changes, airline rescheduling, bad weather or other matters beyond our control on, or after the scheduled day of outward departure from the UK. Such delays are the responsibility of the airline.

*Please note: A change affecting a stay in a hotel during a tour where the hotel itself is not the focus of the tour, does not constitute a significant change.

(c) Covid-19 and the action taken to manage its effects (including face masks/coverings and health passes / vaccination certificates) may have an impact on holiday arrangements for a considerable period of time. We may, for example, be unable to provide, or you may be unable to access, certain services or facilities as a result. Measures may be re-introduced or changed with little or no prior notice. Greater flexibility may therefore be required for the foreseeable future which we would ask you to bear in mind at all times, both before and after departure. Any impact which such measures have on your holiday will not constitute a significant alteration to your contracted arrangements and will not entitle you to cancel without payment of the applicable cancellation fee or to receive a full or partial refund in respect of services which are not available as a result.

(d) If we have to make a significant change we will tell you as soon as possible and if there is time to do so before departure, we will provide you with three alternatives as follows:

• You may accept the modifications proposed.
• You may change your booking to an available alternative and comparable itinerary (for a start date within a maximum of 3 months from the start date of the original itinerary) which we may be able to offer, (subject to availability). NB: An alternative trip ( if available) might differ in cost from your original trip based on the destination, time of year, and your choices of hotels and route. In such instances any difference in cost will need to be paid by you (if greater) or be refunded by Avion (if less).
• You can cancel your holiday and Avion will commit to refund you all monies related to your holiday which we may be holding and also all related monies which can be recovered from our suppliers, if and where possible.

You must notify us of your choice within seven days of our offer. If we do not hear from you within seven 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 modifications or alternative itinerary arrangements.

(e) UNAVOIDABLE & EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES: in the event that unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances (as described in section 6) occur in the place of destination of your holiday or its immediate vicinity and significantly affect our ability to fulfil the proper performance of the contracted arrangements or the carriage of passengers to the destination, or significantly affect the transport arrangements in that destination, you will be entitled to cancel prior to departure without payment of a cancellation fee.  In such event, Avion commits to refund you all monies which we may be holding relating to your holiday, and also all related monies which can be recovered from our suppliers, if and where possible (except for any previously incurred cancellation or amendment fee).  We will not be liable to pay you any additional compensation. Where applicable, you must notify us of your wish to cancel for this reason in writing. Again, providing we are in agreement that you are entitled to do so in accordance with this clause, we will send you a cancellation invoice to confirm the cancellation. Any refund then due will be paid accordingly. We will notify you as soon as practicable in the event of this situation occurring.

Occasionally it may be necessary to cancel confirmed holiday arrangements and we reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your holiday for reasons (subject to the commitments in Clause 7: Our Responsibility) including but not limited to Unavoidable or Extraordinary Circumstances (as listed in Clause 6); or failure by you to comply with the Booking Terms & Conditions as outlined in this document.

(f ) UNAVOIDABLE & EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES:  (as set out in section 6 below). We have the right to terminate your contract and cancel your holiday in the event that Unavoidable & Extraordinary Circumstances occur in the place of destination of your holiday or its immediate vicinity and significantly affect our ability to fulfil the proper performance of the contracted arrangements or the carriage of passengers to the destination, or significantly affect the transport arrangements in that destination, and we are prevented from performing your confirmed arrangements as a result of such, and we notify you of such as soon as reasonably possible .

Where we have to cancel your holiday in these circumstances Avion commits to refund you all monies related to your holiday which we may be holding and also any related monies which can be recovered from our suppliers if and where possible, but will have no further or other liability to you including, without limitation, in respect of compensation or any costs or expenses you incur or have incurred. We will of course endeavour to offer you comparable alternative arrangements where viable or possible which you may choose to book in place of those cancelled. (for a start date within a maximum of 3 months from the start date of the original itinerary) which we may be able to offer, (subject to availability). NB: An alternative trip ( if available) might differ in cost from your original trip based on the destination, time of year, and your choices of hotels and route.

(g ) Please note, a refund entitlement only arises where we are prevented from performing your contracted holiday arrangements as a result of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances and in accordance with Clause 4 (e) above and where we exercise our right to cancel as a result in accordance with Clause 4 (f ) above. Without limitation, you will not be entitled to a refund and the applicable cancellation fee will apply where such circumstances affect your ability to travel on your holiday rather than our ability to perform or provide the contracted arrangements.

(i) BOOKING CONDITIONS: We have the right to cancel if you fail to comply with or breach any requirement of these Booking Conditions entitling us to cancel (such as but not limited to, your failure to pay the deposit or balance due on time; any conduct issues (see Clause 8); your failure to obtain your necessary and valid visas, passports, travel insurance and other requisite travel documentation.  Where you fail to make payment for your trip in accordance with the terms of your contract as set out in these Terms & Conditions OR you fail to obtain all necessary valid documentation fand information for your trip, we will be obliged to treat your booking as cancelled and levy the cancellation charges set out in Clause 3.

(j) SPECIAL NEEDS: As specified in Section 11 (SPECIAL REQUESTS, AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS, DISABILITY OR MOBILITY ISSUES WHICH MAY AFFECT YOUR HOLIDAY) You must let us know prior to your booking of any medical conditions or disability which may affect the booking process or fulfilment of your holiday.  You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, we reserve the right to decline their reservation or if we are not advised at the time of booking, to cancel when we become aware of these details, if we are unable to properly accommodate the person’s particular needs.  In the event we have to cancel in these circumstances, cancellation terms will apply as set out in Section 3.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: To summarise, we will not pay you compensation in the following circumstances:

(a) where we make a minor change;

(b) where we make a significant change;

(c) where we make a significant change and you accept those changed arrangements or you accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements; or you choose to cancel.

(d) where we cancel your arrangements for any reason or as a result of your failure to make full payment on time, obtain necessary travel documents or travel insurance, or as a result of any other breach by you of the Terms and Conditions in this document.

(e) where the change or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you;

(f) where the cancellation by us arises out of you not providing details to us prior to booking, regarding medical conditions or disability details of any person travelling, which render us unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person /s concerned.

(f) where we are forced to cancel or change your arrangements due to Unavoidable or Extraordinary Circumstances (see Section 6).

5. NAME CHANGES/TRANSFERS:

You may transfer your place on your booking to another person (introduced by you) provided the person to whom the place is to be transferred satisfies all conditions which form part of your contract with us. Requests for a transfer must be made not less than 7 days before departure and must be accompanied by the name and other applicable details of the person(s) who will replace you. Where the transfer can be made, all reasonable costs and charges incurred by us and incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result must be paid by you before the transfer can be effected. Any overdue balance payment must also be received. For flight inclusive bookings, you must pay the charges levied by the airline concerned. As most airlines do not permit name changes after tickets have been issued for any reason, these charges are likely to be the full cost of the flight for the person concerned.

6. UNAVOIDABLE AND EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES

In these booking conditions, unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances means a situation which is beyond our 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, border closures, insurrection, riots, strikes, civil action, decisions or instructions by governments or public authorities (including the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office), technical or maintenance problems with ground transport, changes of schedules or operational decisions of air carriers, chemical or biological disaster, terrorist activity, industrial action, natural or nuclear activity, epidemics/pandemics including Covid 19 (meaning the infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and any variants or mutations of the same and, where applicable, any pandemic or epidemic resulting from the spread of this virus. ), significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination, natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or extreme or adverse weather conditions , fire, and all similar events outside our or the suppliers’ control which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination concerned.

Except as expressly set out in these booking conditions, we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation or other sums where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected, or you otherwise suffer any loss or damage, as a result of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.

7. OUR RESPONSIBILITY

(i) We promise to make sure that all parts of the holiday we have agreed to arrange, perform or provide as part of our contract with you are arranged, performed or provided with all reasonable skill and care.

We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following:-

(a)  the fault of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party, or

(b)  the fault of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday which we could not have predicted or avoided, or

(c) an event or circumstance which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have predicted or avoided even after taking all reasonable care or

(d) the fault of anyone who is not carrying out work for us (generally or in particular) at the time.

In addition, we will not be responsible where you suffer any problems because of a reason you did not tell us about when you booked your holiday or where any problems you suffer did not result from any breach of our contract or other fault of ourselves or, where we were responsible for them, our suppliers or agents or where any losses, expenses, costs or other sum you have suffered relate to any business.

Please note: we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not covered in your itinerary document, and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract and any excursion you purchase during your holiday.

You must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require. You must also tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in our “Complaints” clause below.

8. FLIGHTS, AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Flight details: The flight details shown in your itinerary quotation are for guidance only and are subject to change. Final details will be confirmed on your travel documentation, sent approximately 14 days prior to departure. The times shown on all e-tickets are local times. It is possible that flight times may be changed even after etickets have been sent – we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs. Any change to the operating carrier(s) after your booking has been confirmed will be notified to you as soon as possible. Any change in the identity of the carrier, flight timings and/or aircraft type (if advised) will not entitle you to cancel or change other arrangements without paying our normal fees unless the change is a significant alteration in accordance with section 4.

Check In times, flight documents: We can accept no responsibility if you arrive late for the check in and miss your flight as a result nor can we accept responsibility for any loss or damage by you of your holiday/flight travel tickets, documents, passports, vouchers or coupons. Air travel is subject to operational decisions of carriers and airports which may result in delays and diversions. Please note that minor carriers sometimes change the departure time of short-haul or domestic flights at short notice, and in some instances, schedules shown in the computers of intercontinental carriers differ from those actually flown by smaller local carriers.

We advise you that it is your responsibility to be meticulous in locally reconfirming directly with the carrier operating the flight. We accept no liability for the consequences of flights missed owing to the passenger’s failure to reconfirm or to check e-mails for notification of flight time changes.

Seating: Clients flying in economy class to long-haul destinations should be aware that flights are often full and you may not be able to get seats together. We also recommend that you check in early for a long flight, and in any case not less than 3 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Flight delays and cancellations etc: If your flight is cancelled or delayed, your flight ticket is downgraded or boarding is denied by your airline in circumstances which would entitle you to claim compensation or any other payment from the airline under EC Regulation No 261/2004 – the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004, you must pursue the airline for the compensation or other payment due to you. If your flight is cancelled or delayed, your flight ticket is downgraded or boarding is denied by your airline, depending on the circumstances (including the airport of departure and/or return of the flight and whether you are flying with a UK or EU airline), the airline may be required to pay you compensation, refund the cost of your flight and/or provide you with refreshments, meals and accommodation under reg (EC) No 261/2004 (as amended by The Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment)(EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (‘UK Denied Boarding Regulations’). Similar rights may also arise under reg (EC) No 261/2004 (‘EU Denied Boarding Regulations’). References in this clause to Denied Boarding Regulations are to the UK Denied Boarding Regulations or to the EU Denied Boarding Regulations, if and as applicable to the flight concerned. You must pursue the airline for the compensation and/or other payment due to you where applicable.

All sums you receive or are entitled to receive from the airline concerned by virtue of these Regulations represent the full amount of your entitlement to compensation or any other payment arising from such cancellation, delay, downgrading or denied boarding. This includes any disappointment, distress, inconvenience or effect on any other arrangements.

The fact a delay may entitle you to cancel your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your flight.

We have no liability to make any payment to you in relation to the Denied Boarding Regulations or in respect of any flight cancellation or delay, downgrading of any flight ticket or denial of any boarding as the full amount of your entitlement to any compensation or other payment is covered by the airline’s obligations under the Denied Boarding Regulations. If your airline does not comply with its obligations under the UK Denied Boarding Regulations, where applicable, you may use the CAA Passenger Advice and Complaints Service. See https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Resolving-travelproblems/ for further details.

Your Conduct: You undertake to behave with propriety and in such a manner as in no way causes or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to other clients and/or any third party or damage to property. If, in the view of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers, you are in breach of this clause, we reserve the right to terminate your contract and neither we nor the providers of any of the services in question will have any further contractual obligations to you either in respect of covering any expenses, paying any compensation or refunds, or arranging for your return home.

Accommodation: The accommodation provided is only for the use of those persons named on the Confirmation Invoice and no subletting, sharing or assignment is permitted.

Damage or Loss Caused by You: When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you. If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be paid direct at the time to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier concerned. If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded.

Travel documents: You must ensure that all your travel documents, full passports, visas, vaccination certificates, currency and travellers’ cheques are in order and valid for travel. All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you. We do not accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to obtain or carry the correct documentation. We are able to give general advice on these matters for British citizens holding a British passport. However, non-British citizens and non – British passport holders should check with their embassy or consulate vis-a-vis current requirements. See also our General Information section.

Visas: It is your responsibility to obtain your own visas.  Should your visa not be granted, the visa application fees will not be refunded by the visa authorities as these fees are based on carrying out the process, and not on whether the visa is granted.

Non-British citizens and holders of non-British passports should check with their Embassy regarding Indian Visa Requirements. You must apply for a visa in good time. If a visa is not granted then we cannot accept any liability for the consequences, and reserve the right to pass on to you any charges incurred as a result, including cancellation charges.

Important Note: It cannot under any circumstances be guaranteed that your visa application will be accepted. If your visa is not granted, for whatever reason, the visa fees are non-refundable. However, in our experience refusals are extremely rare.

Failure or inability to obtain all required visas, for whatever reason, will result in your travel having to be cancelled.  In this event, we reserve the right to pass on to you any charges incurred as a result, including cancellation charges.

If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.

Your travel names: The name on your airline tickets must be the name that appears on your full passport.

Travel Insurance: It is your responsibility and a condition of booking with us that you hold adequate travel insurance from the time of booking, and we will require the name of the Insurance Company, the policy holder’s name and the policy number, and the insurer’s 24-hour emergency contact number. Do not travel without travel insurance, as the unexpected can always happen. It is your responsibility to ensure you are adequately covered by insurance. Please read your policy and take it on holiday with you.  Cover should include medical expenses and repatriation in the event of accident or illness. In addition, we strongly recommend that you have cover for personal belongings, delay at your outward or homeward point of departure, personal liability, overseas legal expenses and cancellation, and including cover for circumstances where the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against “All Travel” or “All but essential travel” to your intended destination . If you are undertaking any sports or adventurous activities, including trekking, mountain climbing or scuba diving, on your trip you should also make sure that your policy covers these. Please also ensure you read the policy conditions and exclusions.

9. COMPLAINTS

Should you have any complaints about any aspect of your holiday arrangements, you must inform our local representative and the supplier of the arrangements concerned without delay, and other than a minor complaint, complete and provide a written report whilst you are in situe. If you don’t follow this simple procedure we will have been deprived of the opportunity to look into and rectify your complaint, and it may affect your rights under this contract.

Problems can most easily be dealt with on the spot. Please note, if you do not report a problem or complaint which, if it had been reported at the time it occurred, could have been resolved there and then, we cannot accept any liability in respect of that problem or complaint.

If you choose to travel in the developing world, it is very helpful for you to be reasonably resourceful if things go wrong. You should always pack your sense of humour and tolerance when experiencing different cultures, so you can maximise your enjoyment of the experience.

If you experience difficulties, contact us in the UK on our 24-hour emergency telephone service which will be provided to you. In the unlikely event that an acceptable solution cannot be found, you should then write to us within 28 days of your return with full details of your complaint. If you fail to follow this complaints procedure, your right to claim the compensation you may otherwise have been entitled to may be affected or even lost as a result.

10. SPECIAL REQUESTS, AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS, DISABILITY OR MOBILITY ISSUES WHICH MAY AFFECT YOUR HOLIDAY

If you have any medical condition, or mobility or disability issues which may affect your holiday, please tell us before you make your booking so that we can advise as to the general suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, please ensure you provide us with the details in writing at the time of booking.

If you have any special request, you must advise us in writing at the time of booking. Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we cannot guarantee any request will be met. For your own protection, you should obtain confirmation in writing from us that your request will be complied with (where it is possible for us to give this) if your request is important to you. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met by the relevant supplier. All special requests are subject to availability. We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request. All such bookings will be treated as ‘standard’ bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests.

We acknowledge that reduced mobility of course means different things to different individuals as we fully appreciate that individual capabilities, restrictions and requirements are likely to vary considerably. When we refer to reduced mobility, this means any material reduction in mobility whether this is permanent or temporary and whether caused by age or by physical or mental disability or impairment or other cause of disability. Where you provide us with information in respect of any reduced mobility, disability, medical condition or significant allergy, we may also ask you to complete a health questionnaire.

All information relating to your health is treated as sensitive personal data for the purposes of data protection which means we need your explicit consent to enable us to share this with any third party such as suppliers.

Special dietary requirements, including food and any other allergies, must also be advised to us in writing at the time of booking. You may be asked to complete a short questionnaire to confirm the information. We will advise hotels, airlines (if you book flights through us) and our other suppliers of any significant allergy information you provide us with. If you book your flights directly yourselves it is your responsibility to advise the airline accordingly. It is important to understand, however, that we cannot always guarantee allergy information will be understood and acted on or communicated to all those who should be aware of it by our suppliers. We cannot therefore accept liability in the event that you suffer an allergic reaction. The understanding of allergies and the effect and risks of a severe allergic reaction varies around the world. You should take appropriate precautions whilst travelling. Without limitation, it is your responsibility to ensure that any food you are intending to consume does not include anything to which you are allergic at the time you are ordering or purchasing this.

If you have an airborne nut allergy which may be triggered by airborne exposure, you must make us aware of this at the time of booking as most airlines require this information in advance of travel. Please note that all special meals on for flights must be requested at least 48 hours in advance.

(i) *Note: You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, we reserve the right to decline their reservation or, if full details are not given at the time of booking, to cancel when we become aware of these details, if we are unable to properly accommodate the person’s particular needs.  In the event we have to cancel in these circumstances no refunds or compensation will be payable and cancellation terms will apply as set out in Section 3.

11. YOUR FINANCIAL PROTECTION

The air inclusive holidays or flights we arrange are ATOL protected providing they are made available in the UK. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.  Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold are protected by the ATOL Scheme.

(Avion Holidays previous ATOL NO 3590 issued by the Civil Aviation Authority is in the process of renewal following our decision to allow it to lapse whilst we were not operating during the pandemic.) If you purchase an ATOL protected flight-inclusive holiday, you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists:

• the flight, accommodation, car hire and/or other services that are financially protected, in the unlikely event of any insolvency of the ATOL holder concerned.
• where you can get information on what this means for you
• whom to contact if things go wrong.

We will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate. In some cases, where we would be unable to do so for highly unlikely reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with 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).

The Civil Aviation Authority can be contacted at Aviation House, Beehive Ring Road, Crawley, West Sussex RH6 0YR, UK tel +44 (0)333 103 6350. In the event of insolvency we, or any appointed insolvency practitioner, may disclose your personal information to the CAA so that they can assess the status of your booking and advise you on the appropriate course of action under any scheme of financial protection.

12. EXCURSIONS OR SIGHTSEEING

Please note that we do not provide or arrange excursions or sightseeing trips other than those listed in your itinerary and forming part of the arrangements booked and paid for in the UK. Our local representatives, suppliers or guides may put you in touch with local organisers of excursions or sightseeing if you request but we can have no liability for such excursions or sightseeing, as your contract for such excursions will be with a local company providing the services and not with us, and they are not operated, supervised or controlled or endorsed by us in any way.

Some of our itineraries involve us offering, arranging and assisting clients in booking a range of activities. Some of these involve, by their nature, inherent risks which can result in injury, or damage to property, or even death. Such activities could include, for example, horse-riding, zip-wiring and hiking. It is very important that you consider and take account of these risks before you engage, and whilst participating, in these activities as you are responsible for your own safety and that of any children in your care. This includes ensuring the operator of the activity has full and accurate information on everything relevant to your participation (such as any medical condition or health issue and your level of ability and previous experience), even if this information has already been provided to us. You must also follow all instructions and advice provided, wear and/or use available safety equipment (including requesting this if not offered at the outset), behave cautiously and form your own judgment as to the safety of, and risks involved in, the activity.

13. DATA PROTECTION

You consent to us processing your personal information and the personal information of other members of your party, which includes us sharing this personal information with third parties (including airlines, local accommodation or service providers) where necessary in order to arrange and provide your holiday. All personal information is processed in accordance with our Data Privacy Policy.

14. YOUR CONTRACT WITH US

Your contract with us and all matters arising out of it or your holiday arrangements (including contractual and non-contractual disputes and claims) are governed by English law. We both irrevocably agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises out of it will be exclusively dealt with by the courts of England and Wales only.

15. FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE ADVICE

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office publishes regularly updated travel information on its website https://www.gov.uk/foreign-traveladvice and https://travelaware.campaign.gov.uk  which you are strongly recommended to consult before booking as well as close to and in good time before departure. Up to date UK border control measures are available at www.gov.uk/uk-border-control .

16. ASSISTANCE DURING YOUR HOLIDAY

In the event you end up in difficulty (of any sort) during your holiday, we will provide you with appropriate assistance as soon as reasonably possible including by the provision of appropriate information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance and by assisting you to make distance communications and to find alternative travel arrangements as may be applicable. Where you are in difficulty as a result of your negligence, we may charge you a reasonable fee for this assistance which will not exceed the costs of doing so.

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.  HOWEVER WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANY FINANCIAL LIABILITY FOR SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES OR CONSEQUENCES AS OUTLINED ABOVE.

17. PASSPORT, VISA, HEALTH AND OTHER ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

It is your responsibility to meet all applicable entry and other requirements of your destination country (ies) as well as those applicable on your return home. You must ensure that all your travel documents (physical and electronic), including your passport, visas / visa waivers, evidence of Covid-19 vaccination and/or negative test, evidence of any other health related requirement and currency are in order, meet all applicable requirements and are valid for travel. All costs incurred in meeting all requirements applicable to your holiday must be paid by you.

If you attempt to travel without fully complying with all requirements, you are likely to be refused boarding on your flight or other transport or entry into your destination country. We cannot accept any liability and cancellation charges will apply (as set out in section 3) if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country, or decide not to travel, due to failure (or inability) on your part to otherwise comply with all applicable requirements (including health/Covid-19 related ones).

The passport, visa and health requirements applicable at the time of booking can be viewed on the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website (www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice). General information on the passport and visa requirements applicable to your holiday will also be provided by us prior to booking. We will assume you are a British citizen with a British passport and if this is not the case, you must advise us at the time of booking.

You must check entry and other official requirements for all countries to or through which you are travelling as well as any requirements applicable on your return to your home / departure country, at the time of booking and in good time before and close to departure. Requirements may change and travel restrictions may be imposed (which could be at no or very short notice prior to departure) including as a result of the Covid-19 situation. You must also keep up to date with this information while you are away.

It is a requirement of travel that you have a minimum of 6 months’ validity on your passport on the date of your departure to return home. If you are unable to travel because your passport is not valid (including where it lacks the required minimum validity period on departure) for the destination, the applicable cancellation fee shown in section 3 will apply.

A British citizen’s passport usually takes approximately 3 to 6 weeks to obtain but can take longer. If any member of your party (who is a British citizen) is 16 or over and hasn’t got or previously held a British passport, more time needs to be allowed as the UK Passport Service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport. If any person on the booking is not a British citizen or holds a non-British passport, you must check the applicable passport and visa requirements with the embassy or consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel. Please ensure that you check the latest position on applying for or renewing a passport at the earliest opportunity.

At the time of booking your trip, we will provide you with details of any compulsory health requirements for your holiday which are likely to be applicable when you travel. Please note, where you are booking well in advance of departure or at a time when requirements are changing, or can be expected to change (for example, as a result of the Covid-19 situation), we may not be in a position to provide you with the relevant information at the time of booking.

It is your responsibility to ensure you obtain details of and comply with all recommended and required vaccinations, health precautions and other health related measures (including those introduced to deal with Covid-19) in good time before departure. You must also keep up to date with the latest information in respect of Covid-19. Details are available from your GP surgery, local travel clinic and the National Travel Health Network and Centre http://travelhealthpro.org.uk. Vaccination and other health requirements/recommendations are subject to change at any time for any destination, including at short or no notice. Please therefore check with a doctor or clinic or other reliable source of information not less than 6 weeks prior to departure and also close to departure to ensure that you are aware of and can meet the necessary requirements and have the latest information.

Please be aware that there may be enhanced screening/monitoring at exit and entry points both in the UK and overseas. In order to gain entry to your overseas destination(s) and/or return to the UK, you may be required to provide proof of the required number of Covid-19 vaccinations (which may include any recommended booster(s)) and/or a negative Covid-19 test result prior to being allowed to board your flight or other transport or enter the country. It is your responsibility to ensure that your Covid-19 vaccination status and documentation meets the applicable local requirements of your destination country(ies) including, without limitation, in respect of the number of vaccination doses you have received, the time interval between and since the last of these and the means by which this is proved. Vaccination requirements vary in different parts of the world including in respect of children. Where required, Covid-19 tests must be taken within a short time (which may be within 24 hours) of travel. There are strict requirements in respect of the tests and test providers which can be used and the information which must be provided for these purposes.

If you are unable to travel due to a positive Covid-19 test pre-departure, we will endeavour to assist in postponing or re-arranging your trip but the usual cancellation or amendment charges will be applicable. In the event that you have not been vaccinated against Covid-19, either at all or in compliance with the applicable requirements, you may be unable to enter your destination country(ies) or to access certain services (which may include, for example, cruises and indoor facilities such as restaurants and museums) and may encounter other difficulties. You will not be entitled to cancel (without payment of cancellation charges) or receive any refund and we will not have any responsibility for any costs or expenses you suffer as a result in any such situation. In certain situations and when arriving from certain countries, you may be required to self-isolate or quarantine for a set period on arrival. There may also be other entry requirements such as completion of an online form pre-departure, proof of travel insurance including Covid-19 cover and downloading a local contact tracing app. Your previous travel history outside your home country may also impact on your ability to gain entry to your destination country.

It is the responsibility of the lead person who makes the booking to ensure that all persons travelling are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure. If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges, other financial penalty, costs or expenses being incurred by us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.

 AVION HOLIDAYS

Registered Address: 59 Gloucester Road, New Barnet, Herts, EN5 1NB

Registered in England with Company Reg. No. 0282903

VAT Reg. 629 0057 49

THE AVION ATOL BOND: (previous ATOL NO 3590 issued by the Civil Aviation Authority is in the process of renewal, following our decision to allow it to lapse whilst Avion was not operating during the pandemic. We will advise as soon as the renewal is complete).

 

PRIVACY POLICY

OVERVIEW

 

When you take your holiday to India, we want you to have the experience you’ve been imagining. To help us do this, we will need to ask you for personal information. However, we will keep your personal information safe, and we’ll always be open with you about how we collect and keep it.

We’ll ask you for information such as your name and contact information, your email address, and, if you travel with us, your passport and travel insurance details. We collect your personal data for three main reasons:

• so we can contact you successfully, if you get in touch or ask us for information.
• when we’re planning your trip, to ensure that we make the right arrangements for you.
• so we can plan your trip around any health related or dietary requirements you might have.

How we share your personal information

We won’t share your personal information with third parties for any marketing activities. When we do provide information (eg with hotels, providers etc), it’s always to enable us to provide you with the service you expect when you’re travelling with us.

Safeguarding your personal information

We keep your personal information securely, and we only keep it for limited and appropriate amounts of time.

Your rights to your personal information

You can contact us at any time if you have questions, concerns, comments, requests or complaints regarding our privacy policy or your personal information.

Changes to our privacy policy

From time to time, we might review our privacy policy and make changes to it. If we do this, we will, if applicable, let you know by email.

 

AVION HOLIDAYS PRIVACY POLICY

1. How we work

1.1 Avion Holidays is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, whilst striving to provide the very best user experience. We follow strict security procedures on how personal information is stored and used and who sees it to help stop any unauthorised person getting hold of it. We also recognise that it is important for you to understand how we use your personal information.

1.2 This privacy policy (and any other documents referred to in it) describes the way we will process and use any personal information about our customers, potential customers, and any other individuals whose data we process in the course of our business. Please read this privacy policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your personal information and how we will treat it.

1.3 We have a legal duty to protect personal information that we collect under the Data Protection Act 1998 (and any law which replaces it, including the new UK Data Protection Bill) (the “DPA”) and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, (the “GDPR”). For the purpose of the DPA and GDPR, we (Avion Holidays) are the data controller (in other words, the organisation that determines how your personal information is used) and our contact details are set out in part 10 below.

2. Personal information we collect, how we use it and our lawful basis for processing

2.1 We may collect and use various types of personal information about you, as set out below:

Enquiries and bookings

1. a) We will collect personal information from you when you make an enquiry. This includes your name and contact information, details about the locations and activities in which you are most interested, and any additional details of your travel plans which you voluntarily give to us. We may also collect details about the best time to contact you and any in-person appointments that you request as well as what prompted you to contact us and any other requests or comments that you may make.

We will use this information so that we can provide you with information that you have requested or contact you if you have requested to hear from us.

We use your information in this way to make sure that we are able to start to plan the best holiday for you.

1. b) If you book a trip with us, we will ask you to provide certain details about your travel arrangements. This is likely to include details of your passports, emergency contacts, travel insurance arrangements, preferences and special requirements, frequent flier club membership, visa requirements, and flights (if you arrange your own flights). This will also include details of any other friends or family who are accompanying you as part of your booking.

We will use this information to help us organise your trip, make bookings on your behalf and ensure that you (and any other friends or family accompanying you) receive the products and services set out in your itinerary.

We collect this information so we can fulfil our contract with you and provide you with the quality of service we strive to provide.

Where you are a regular customer we may retain some of this personal information so that we can use it when you next book with us, to improve our customer journey and ensure we look after our regular customers.

Administrative or other business purposes

2.2 We may also collect and use certain personal information about you, namely specific details of any relevant health conditions, disabilities, access requirements and special dietary requirements that you may have. We collect this information directly from you to try to ensure that your trip is appropriate for your needs and to try and keep you safe during any trip that you plan through us. We may need to ask for your explicit consent in order to process this information.

2.3 To the extent you provide us with information about third parties (such as other travellers or guests on your trips) we ask you to confirm that you have obtained consent from the relevant third parties to do this. Please also tell them about this privacy policy and give them our contact details if they have any queries. Please make sure you let us know if any of these third parties would like to speak to us directly, either about the trip or about our use of their data.

3. How we share personal information

3.1 In order to make sure that we run our business efficiently, and to make sure that you get the service that you expect, we will need to share your personal information, from time to time, as necessary, with the following third parties:

(a) Members of our group, which means our administrative staff.

(b) Selected trusted third party business partners (such as the local businesses we partner with in the locations our customers travel to) and service providers, to perform services related to the contracts we enter into with you.

(c) If ever applicable, any prospective buyer of our business or assets, which may include your personal information.

(d) Any other third parties if necessary to comply with legal obligations or enforce agreements, for example, we are required to provide airlines with a passenger mobile phone number and email contact details under IATA Resolution 830d for the airline to inform the passenger of any operational difficulties.

(e) Any other third parties if this is necessary to protect our or your rights, property, or safety and/or those of others.

3.2 We do not share your personal information with third parties for them to use for the purposes of sending you marketing information or for those third parties to use your information for their own purposes.

4. Where we transfer and store personal information:

From time to time we may process (or ask or permit a third party to process) your personal information outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) where local laws may not provide legal protection for your information in the same way as is applicable in the EEA.

For example, when you book a trip, we will need to provide your information to local accommodation or service providers. In other cases, we may need to share your information with an overseas service provider such as our local partners who host you during your travel experience, or the provider of a train journey.

Whenever we send (or permit a third party to send) your personal data outside of the EEA, we will make sure that we take steps necessary to protect your data as required by applicable laws. For example, we may require the overseas recipient to enter into particular contract terms, or we will make sure that the information that we give to them will be limited to what is needed to perform our contract with you.

The personal data that we collect from you will also be processed by staff operating outside the EEA who work for us or for one of our suppliers. This includes staff involved in, among other things, providing support services.

5. Security of your personal information:

We take the security of your information very seriously and have put measures in place to help protect your personal information from unauthorised access, use or disclosure as required by law. We will always keep these under review to make sure that the measures we have implemented remain appropriate.

6. Retention of personal information:

We will keep your personal information for limited and appropriate periods of time only and the applicable retention periods will always be linked to our purposes for processing your personal information. This means that the retention periods will vary according to the type of personal information. For example, some transaction information will be kept for a number of years in order to comply with various Inland Revenue related obligations.

7. Your rights in your personal information

7.1 You have certain rights in respect of the personal information that we hold about you. Details of these rights are set out below. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us (see the “Contact and Complaints” section of this privacy policy below).

7.2 Your rights:

(a) Access: We will confirm to you whether or not we are processing and using personal information about you, at your request and, if so, provide you with access to and a copy of such personal information.

(b) Rectification: We will correct any inaccurate personal data and complete any incomplete personal data that we hold about you.

(c) Prevention of processing likely to cause damage or distress: We will respect your rights to require us to cease or not to begin processing your personal information for a specific purpose, or in a specific way, that is likely to cause you or any third parties unwarranted damage or distress.

(d) Erasure: We will erase your personal information at your request without undue delay where there is no good reason for us to continue to use it.

(e) Restriction: We will restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, if you ask us to do so.

(f) Data portability: We will provide you with a copy of any personal information that we hold about you which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format.

8. Changes to our policy:

We reserve the right to modify this privacy policy from time to time – for example, if we need to reflect changes to the way that we use your personal information. Any changes we make in the future will be posted on the following website: www.jarvisjourneys.com and, where appropriate, notified to you by e-mail. You should check back frequently to see any updates or changes to our privacy policy.

9. Contact and complaints:

Should you have any questions, concerns, comments, requests or complaints regarding this privacy policy, our website and/or our use of your personal information, please contact us on info@avionholidays.co.uk.