Booking Terms and Conditions
We accept your booking on the basis of the terms and Conditions below, which are
designed to clarify the contractual obligation between us. It is important that
you read these conditions together with the holiday and insurance information pages,
as they not only define our obligation to you but also impose some important commitments
upon you. Your contract is with Sona Tours Ltd. In these booking conditions, “you”
and “your” means all persons named on the booking (including anyone who is added
or substituted at a later date). “We”, “us” and “our” means Sona Tours Ltd.
Your contract with us
1. Your Booking:
When making a booking you must complete and sign the booking form enclosed with
this brochure or on our website. Once accepted, a contract will exist as soon as
we issue our confirmation invoice. Once you have received your confirmation invoice,
it is your responsibility to check that the information and booking details, including
the spelling of all passenger names, as stated on your invoice are correct.
We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any errors (by
us) in any document within five days of our sending it out. We will do our best
to rectify any mistake notified to us outside these time limits but you must meet
any costs involved in doing so. The only exception to this requirement to meet costs
is where the mistake in question was made by us and there is good reason why you
did not tell us about it within these time limits. We reserve the right to refuse
to accept and/or not proceed with any booking at any time at our sole discretion.
The contract is based on the information given on our website and in our brochure,
and the terms laid out in the following Booking Conditions.
a) When you purchase a package that includes a flight, all monies you pay to the
travel agent are held by him on behalf and for the benefit of the Trustees of the
Air Travel Trust at all times. This is subject to the agent’s obligation to pay
it to us for so long as we do not fail. If we fail, any money held at that time
by the agent, or subsequently accepted from you by him, is and continues to be held
on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without
any obligation to pay that money to us. However, when you purchase a package that
does not include flights all monies you pay to the travel agent are held by him
on our behalf at all times.
b) All contracts between Sona Tours Limited and its clients are made on the terms
of these booking conditions which are governed by English Law and both parties shall
submit to the jurisdiction of English Courts at all times unless the holiday was
booked in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
N.B: We can only accept a booking if the lead name is a minimum of 18 years on or
before the date of departure. If under 18 years at the time of the booking, the
written consent of a parent or guardian is required.
2. Your Payment
Your Confirmation of Reservation includes an invoice showing the deposit paid and
the balance due (including any surcharges referred to in ‘our contract with you’
clause 10). The outstanding amount must be paid by the due date. Should we not receive
payment by this date we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled, in
which case you could be liable to pay cancellation charges according to the scale
set out in Clause 4 below. Please note transaction charge varies for different credit
and debit cards and this will be advised to you at time of payment. The following
Forex Cards/Pre-Paid and UK Corporate/Business cards incurs a surcharge of 3% for
total amount. International (Non UK or EU) Credit/Debit cards 7%. For all UK & EU
cards the maximum transaction permitted is £1500 per booking. There after the balance
will be payable by bank transfer / cheque or cash.
Holiday Types
|
% Deposit payable of holiday cost
|
Balance due for deposit prior to departure
|
% final payment of holiday cost
|
Balance due for final payment prior to departure
|
Coach Tours
|
30% of holiday cost
|
42 days / 6 weeks
|
100%
|
28 days / 4 weeks
|
Europe Flight Tours
|
30% of holiday cost
|
56 days / 8 weeks
|
100%
|
42 days / 6 weeks
|
International Flight Tours
|
50% of holiday cost
|
84 days / 12 weeks
|
100%
|
56 days / 8 weeks
|
Cruise Tours
|
50% of holiday cost
|
119 days / 17 weeks
|
100%
|
91 days / 13 weeks
|
If you make a booking after the date on which the final balance of the holiday is
due, full payment will be required at time of booking.
If the deposit and/or balance are not paid in time, we reserve the right to cancel
your travel arrangements. If the balance is not paid in time, we shall retain your
deposit. All monies you pay to the travel agent are held by them on your behalf
until we issue our confirmation invoice. After this the travel agent holds the monies
on our behalf. In line with most major operators we make a charge for balances paid
by credit/debit cards as this reflects the charges levied on us by card companies
Clause 2 above.
It is your responsibility to remember to pay the balance; if you do not pay the
balance by due date then we may cancel your holiday and apply the cancellation charges
as set out in Clause 4 below.
N.B. (i)The person making the on-line booking does so on behalf of all persons named
on it, and he/she becomes directly responsible to the Company for the payment of
the total holiday price and if applicable, and where appropriate, for the cancellation
charges and disbursements of any funds.
(ii) If any cheque payment from a client is dishonoured, we reserve the right to
treat your booking as cancellation by the client and if such booking is reinstated
at our discretion, any bank charges incurred to be added to the holiday.
Low deposit scheme
On selected Coach tours, Europe by Flight tours, International Tours or Cruise tours,
you may be offered the option to pay a Low or Reduced Deposit (referred to in these
conditions as a “Low Deposit”).
Where you choose this option, the following terms and conditions apply. Making a
Low Deposit payment shall mean you (the Lead Name on the booking) have accepted
these conditions for yourself and each member of your party. The Low Deposit is
an amount lower than the full deposit of the tour cost. The full deposit is the
tour operator’s standard deposit amount and is the minimum amount you must pay if
you cancel your booking. If you cancel your holiday booking before your departure
date, you agree to pay a cancellation charge as shown on clause 4 – Your cancellation.
Even if you cancel your booking prior to the date on which the remainder of the
Full Deposit must be paid, you will still be liable to pay the remainder of the
Full Deposit (because a cancellation charge equal to the Full Deposit amount is
the minimum cancellation fee that will apply), and payment of that sum will become
due immediately when you instruct us to cancel your booking. If you fail to pay
the remainder of the Full Deposit by the due date, we will be entitled to cancel
your booking and you will then be liable to pay the remainder of the Full Deposit
to us.
You agree to pay, the difference between the Low Deposit and the Full Deposit (shown
below), followed by the remaining balance of your holiday.
The current Low Deposit and Full Deposit amounts payable are shown below. (These
amounts can change so if you’ve previously booked please check your documentation
for the amounts payable or with the office).
Europe by Coach : Low Deposit: of £50 per person (Full Deposit
of 30% before 42 days / 6 weeks and remaining balance by 28th day / 4 weeks before
tour departs)
Europe by Flight: Low Deposit: of £100 per person (Full Deposit
of 50% before 56 days / 8 weeks and remaining balance by 42nd day / 6 weeks before
tour departs)
International Tours Low Deposit: of £500 per person (Full Deposit
of 50% before 84 days / 12 weeks and remaining balance by 56th day / 8 weeks before
tour departs)
Cruise Tours: Low Deposit: of £500 per person (Full Deposit of
50% before 119 days / 17 weeks and remaining balance by 91st day / 13 weeks before
tour departs)
3. Your Alterations
Once a contract exists between us, you may wish to change your travel arrangements.
For example, your chosen dates of travel, accommodation etc. and we will do our
utmost to make these changes but it may not always be possible. Any request for
changes to be made must be from the person who made the booking or your travel agent.
You will be asked to pay an administration charge of £30 per booking and any further
cost we may incur in making this alteration. You should be aware that these costs
could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and you should
therefore contact us as soon as possible. All amendments must be notified to us
in writing, or by e-mail to
[email protected],
by the person who made the original booking. (We can only allow a maximum of two
amendments to an individual booking).
4. Your Cancellation
You or any member of your party may cancel your booking or part of it once it has
been confirmed but the cancellation will only be valid if made in writing direct
to the Company. If the cancellation results in a person travelling alone, a single
room supplement is payable. The amount payable on cancellation depends upon when
we receive your written instructions the more notice you give, the less we will
charge. The different periods before departure date within which written instructions
are received by Sona Tours Ltd. and amounts of cancellation charged in each period
(shown as a percentage of the total holiday price excluding insurance premium which
is not refundable) are as follows:
NOTICE OF
DAYS FOR CANCELLATION
|
FOR COACH TOURS - YOUR COST
|
More than 28 days
|
30% of total holiday cost
|
27 – 14 days
|
75% of total holiday cost
|
13 - 0 days
|
100% of total holiday cost
|
NOTICE OF
DAYS FOR CANCELLATION
|
FOR EUROPE FLIGHT TOURS - YOUR COST
|
More than 42 days
|
50% of total holiday cost
|
41 – 28 days
|
75% of total holiday cost
|
27 - 0 days
|
100% of total holiday cost
|
NOTICE OF
DAYS FOR CANCELLATION
|
FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT TOURS - YOUR COST
|
More than 56 days
|
50% of total holiday cost
|
55 – 42 days
|
75% of total holiday cost
|
41 - 0 days
|
100% of total holiday cost
|
NOTICE OF
DAYS FOR CANCELLATION
|
FOR CRUISE TOURS - YOUR COST
|
More than 91 days
|
50% of total holiday cost
|
90 – 70 days
|
75% of total holiday cost
|
69 - 0 days
|
100% of total holiday cost
|
Depending on the type of holiday you have chosen or the season that you are travelling
there may be a variation to these cancellation charges. These will be advised to
you at the time you book your holiday and detailed on your confirmation.
N.B.(i) If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, the person(s)
concerned may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing
we are notified not less than 14 days before departure. Where a transfer to a person
of your choice can be made or is possible, then all costs and charges incurred by
us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result together with
an amendment fee as shown in the table above (per person) and the balance of the
holiday cost if due but not paid, must be paid before the transfer can be effected.
(ii) If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance
policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges.
(iii) If one person sharing a twin/double or triple room should cancel, the remaining
participants would then be required to pay the relevant single supplement or forfeit
the triple reduction.
(iv)Cancellation policy also apply if a) tour participant cannot adhere to the tour
payment schedule set out above, b) in the event that his/her visas for any country(ies)
are not granted or c) In the event that any tour participant is unable to travel
for any reason whatsoever, including medical grounds.
(v) All Special Offers including Early birds will have different booking, payment
and cancellation procedures, our office will inform you of this at time of booking
or you will be able to fi nd it on our website.
5. Your Special Request
If you have any special request, you must advise us at the time of booking. Although
we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we
regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met. Failure to meet any special
request will not be a breach of contract on our part. Confirmation that a special
request has been noted or passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of the special
request on your confirmation or invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation
that the request will be met. Unless and until specifically confirmed in writing,
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.
N.B (i) there are of course only a limited number of front seats on coaches, low
floor rooms in hotels etc. We cannot guarantee to meet all requests but will do
our best to oblige.
(ii) Requests for a twin or double bed should be made clearly; otherwise it will
be assumed that either type is suitable. Three or four bedded rooms are normally
twin or double rooms plus an extra bed/folding beds, which may not be suitable for
an adult and space will be inevitably be restricted.
6. Your Fitness to Travel
We strive to give all our customers full care and attention, but we do need to know
at the time of booking if there are any special needs or requirements. Should any
member of your party suffer from any disability or medical condition that may affect
their holiday, you must provide full details before booking so that we can advise
as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. Full details must also be confirmed
in writing at the time of booking and in the event of any change in the disability
or medical condition. At the same time, you must also provide written confirmation
that any assistance the person concerned requires will be provided by other members
of the same party, as outside assistance will not be provided. If we reasonably
feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned,
we will not confirm the booking in writing. If you have suffered from a serious
medical condition recently, then you should consult with your Doctor about your
fitness to travel.
7. Your Complaints
In the unlikely event that you have problems whilst on holiday; you MUST report
the matter to the hotel or our representative IMMEDIATELY during your holiday. If
the matter is not then satisfactorily resolved, you must then follow up any complaint
in writing within 28 days of your return, including a copy of any original report
given to the hotel or the representative. We operate a strict code of conduct which
also conforms to European regulations on package travel and take any complaints
received seriously. However, to be fair to all concerned, failure to follow above
procedure may affect your claim.
8.Your Travelling Conditions
Where as part of the holiday you have booked your travel by air, land or sea, such
travel will be subject to the terms and conditions of carriage of the airline, shipping,
rail or coach company providing the transport. In most cases, the conditions will
limit the carrier’s liability to you in accordance with international law. Should
anyone be refused admission to the coach, ferry or flight or to the destination
country by the transport or government authority, then we are powerless to assist
and cannot be held responsible. This includes any passenger who fails to advise
us of any medical condition or disability. If you are prevented from travelling
as a result, our responsibility for your holiday thereupon ceases. Full cancellation
charges will apply and we will be under no obligation whatsoever for any refund,
compensation or loss you may incur.
Our contract with you
9. Our Confirmation of Reservation
When we have received your booking and deposit we will send you a Confirmation of
Reservation which details exactly what is booked for you. From this moment Sona
Tours Ltd has accepted your booking on the terms set out in this Contract.
10. Our Price of Your Holiday
Changes in transportation costs, including the cost of fuel, duties, taxes or fees
chargeable for services and exchange rates, mean that the price of your travel arrangements
may change after you have booked. However, there will be no change within 30 days
of your departure. We will absorb this and you will not be charged for any increase
equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance
premiums and any amendment charges. You will only be charged if the amount is over
2%. If the increase goes over 10% of your travel arrangements, you will have the
option of accepting a change to another holiday, if we are able to offer one (if
this is of equivalent or higher quality you will not have to pay more but if it
is of lower quality you will be refunded the difference in price), or cancelling
and receiving a full refund of all monies paid for the holiday, except for any amendment
charges that you may have made or personal expenses incurred.
Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, by
more than 2% of your holiday cost, then any refund due will be paid to you. However,
please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency
and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual
and other protection in place. Information provided within this brochure is factually
accurate at the time of print. We have tried our best to provide an accurate description
of all the services, amenities, exchange rates and places of interest within this
brochure. However, circumstances can change which are beyond our control and thus
we cannot take responsibility for the same.
N.B: Booking made less than 30 days may be higher than brochure price, this is because
we have to renegotiate hotels rooms, all tours and travel and the price for each
element may have increased .We will advise you at time of booking of any increased
cost.
11. Our System Errors
In the event of your Confirmation of Reservation showing an incorrect price for
your holiday, the price that will prevail is the price shown in our reservation
system. Accordingly, you may not seek to rely on system errors with a view to obtaining
a holiday at less than the correct price, and any contract entered into upon a mistake,
such as a wrong costing due to system errors, is not valid or binding.
12. Our Alterations or Cancellations
On occasion, it may be necessary to change the arrangements you have selected and
we reserve the right to do so at any time. Your tour holiday is planned many months
in advance and it is possible that we may need to change parts of your holiday or
correct errors.
(a) If we make a minor change to your holiday e.g. (except as set out below) a change
to travel time, a change to your seat number, a change to departure and return point
within London Airports (Heathrow/Gatwick/ City/Luton/Stansted), change in accommodation
or a change of advertised tour itinerary where the change is not a significant change,
we will try to notify you of this before departure but you will not be entitled
to any compensation as a result of such a minor change.
(b) If we make a significant change to your holiday before departure e.g. change
to UK airport unless we change from one recognised London airport Gatwick, Heathrow,
Luton, City or Stansted to another, time of departure or return of more than 12
hours or a change to lower quality accommodation or a significant change to the
itinerary or cancel before departure then you will be offered the following options:
(i) accepting the changed arrangement as notified to you;
(ii) or purchasing another available holiday from The Company. If it is more expensive
you will have to pay the difference, but if it is cheaper then we will refund you
the difference;
(iii) or cancelling your holiday and receiving a full refund of all money that you
have paid us.
(c) In order for us to run each holiday, there must be a minimum number of passengers
who wish to travel. If the minimum number of passengers is not achieved on the holiday,
then we may cancel it provided that we send you or your Travel Agent notice of the
cancellation no later than the days of final payment is due prior to departure (minimum
of 28 days for Coach Tours, 42 days for Europe Flight Tours, 56 days for International
Flight Tours and 91 days for Cruise tours before departure). In that case, we shall
refund all the monies that you have paid us in respect of the holiday. In this situation,
if possible, we will endeavour to offer you the same holidays on an alternate day
or offer a similar alternative holiday.
(d) Force Majeure: This means that we will not pay you compensation if we have to
cancel or change your travel arrangements in any way because unforeseeable circumstances
beyond our control. These can include, e.g. war, riot, industrial dispute, terrorist
activity and its consequences, natural or nuclear disaster, fi re, adverse weather
conditions, airport closure, political unrest or similar events beyond our control.
13. Our Right of Refusal
We may refuse to accept a booking or terminate your holiday in the following circumstances:
(a) if you fail to advise us in writing at, (or promptly after) the time of booking
of any relevant medical condition or disability from which you suffer and for which
you seek special assistance or attention from us or our suppliers;
(b) If, during the course of the holiday, we reasonably consider that you are unable
to cope with the demands of the holiday;
(c) If you act unreasonably and we reasonably consider that your actions or behaviour
are likely to cause distress, damage, danger or annoyance to our customers, employees
or third parties or to the property of any person. If you are prevented from travelling
or from completing your holiday in the circumstances set out in clause 13 our responsibility
to you for your holiday will cease when we terminate the holiday.
You will not be entitled to any refund where we terminate your holiday in the circumstances
set out in this clause and we will not be liable to pay any compensation to you
as a result of terminating your holiday.
14. Our Complaints and Dispute Procedures
a) We do our best to give passengers travelling on our holidays an enjoyable; trouble
free holiday, but occasionally plans do go wrong. If you have any complaint, please
share it with your tour manager as soon as possible who will endeavour to resolve
the matter. You must also report it to the supplier of the service(s) in question
immediately, who will endeavour to put things right. If the situation is not resolved
to your satisfaction, then you must notify the company within 28 days of the end
of your holiday in writing. It is strongly recommended that you communicate any
complaint to the supplier of the services in question as well as to our representative
without delay and complete a report form whilst in resort. If you fail to follow
this simple procedure, we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate
and rectify your complaint whilst you were in resort and this may affect your rights
under this contract. Please also see clause 16 on ABTA.
b) We both agree that English Law (and no other) will apply to your contract and
to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us
(except as set out below). We both also agree that any dispute, claim or other matter
of any description (and whether or not involving any personal injury) which arises
between us must be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only unless, in
the case of Court proceedings, you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In this
case, proceedings must either be brought in the Courts of your home country or those
of England and Wales. If proceedings are brought in Scotland or Northern Ireland,
you may choose to have your contract and any dispute, claim or other matter of any
description which arises between us governed by the law of Scotland/Northern Ireland
as applicable (but if you do not so choose, English law will apply).
15. Our Responsibility
a) We promise to make sure that the holiday arrangements we have agreed to make,
perform or provide as applicable as part of our contract with you are made, performed
or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that, subject to these booking
conditions, we will only accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death
or personal injury or your contracted holiday arrangements are not provided as promised
or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents
or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing,
as applicable, your contracted holiday arrangements. Please note it is your responsibility
to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim
against us. In addition, we will only be responsible for what our employees, agents
and suppliers do or do not do if they were at the time acting within the course
of their employment (for employees) or carrying out work we had asked them to do
(for agents and suppliers).
b) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (for example
loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description
whatsoever which results from any of the following: -
i. the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their
party or
ii. the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision
of your holiday and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable or ‘force majeure’ as
defined in clause 12d above.
c) 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 advertised in our brochure and we have not agreed to arrange
them and any excursion you purchase in resort. During your holiday your driver tour
leader, guide, hotel or other service providers may offer services or excursions
which are not included in the price of your holiday or listed in our brochure. Since
they do not form part of your contract with us, we do not accept any responsibility
for their cancellation or curtailment or for any loss damage injury or death that
you may suffer. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website,
in any of our brochures or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and
care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.
d) The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange
as part of our contract - and the laws and regulations of the country in which your
claim or complaint occurred - will be used as the basis for deciding whether the
services in question had been properly provided. If the particular services which
gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable
to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly
provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws
and regulations of the UK which would have applied had those services been provided
in the UK. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence
of a safety feature which might lead a reasonable holiday maker to refuse to take
the holiday in question.
e) As set out in these booking conditions we limit the maximum amount we may have
to pay you for any claims you may make against us. Where we are found liable for
loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money),
the maximum amount we will have to pay you is £50 per person affected unless a lower
limitation applies to your claim under this clause or clause 15(f) below. For all
other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, if we are found liable
to you on any basis the maximum amount we will have to pay you is refund of your
holiday cost, the limit must be no more than 2 times the value of the original cost
of travel arrangements (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges) paid
by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total unless a lower limitation applies
to your claim under clause 15(f) below. This maximum amount will only be payable
where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from
your holiday.
f) Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal
injury) concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of
getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, rail or
road carrier or any stay in a hotel, the maximum amount of compensation we will
have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim
or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the
carrier or hotel keeper concerned would have to pay under the international convention
or regulation which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question
(for example, the Warsaw Convention as amended or non-amended and the Montreal Convention
for international travel by air and/ or for airlines with an operating licence granted
by an EU country, the EC Regulation on Air Carrier Liability No 889/2002 for national
and international travel by air], the Athens convention for international travel
by sea). Please note: Where a carrier or hotel would not be obliged to make any
payment to you under the applicable International Convention or Regulation in respect
of a claim or part of a claim, we similarly are not obliged to make a payment to
you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled
to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the
transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question. Copies of
the applicable International Conventions and Regulations are available from us on
request.
g) We cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s)
of any description
(i) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking
prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur
if we breached our contract with you or
(ii) which did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by ourselves
or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally,
we cannot accept liability for any business losses.
16. Financial Security
We provide full financial protection for our package holidays. When you buy an ATOL
protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from Sona Tours Ltd you will receive
an ATOL Certificate (or via our authorised agent through which you booked). This
lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this
means for you and who to contact if things go wrong.
We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with
the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some
cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency,
an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or
a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those
circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you
agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that
alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not
be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled
to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable).
If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide
the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder
or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may
make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree
that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees
any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision
of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit
card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned
to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL
scheme."
For further information, visit the ATOL website at
www.atol.org.uk. When you buy a package holiday that doesn't
include a flight, protection is provided by way of a bond held by ABTA.
ABTA: We are a Member of ABTA, membership number Y3020. We are obliged to maintain
a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you
ABTA’s scheme for the resolution of disputes which is approved by the Chartered
Trading Standards Institute. If we can’t resolve your complaint, go to
www.abta.com to use ABTA’s simple procedure. Further information
on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on
www.abta.com.
Important Information
17. The Booking Form
Providing clear, correct information when making your booking is essential, for
it is from this information that we make your reservation and our contract with
you. The person, to whom all correspondence, invoices and joining instructions are
to be sent, should be entered as the fi rst name on the Personal Details booking
page. It is also their address and telephone number(s) that should be shown and
it must be they who accept these Terms and Conditions before completing an on-line
booking. Other names are required by airlines, insurance companies, hoteliers etc.,
so please be accurate. For foreign holidays, it is essential that these names match
those on the passports. If any member of your party, e.g. newlyweds, changes their
name between booking this holiday and travelling, it is important to enter the details
for the date of travel on the Personal Details booking page so that we can issue
the tickets in the new name. If there is not time to amend the passport the marriage
certificate should be carried in the passport. We also need to know the number of
infants under 2 for advising the hotel and airline.
18. Brochure and Website Information
We have made every effort to ensure that all of the information and prices contained
on our website and within this brochure is as accurate as possible at the time of
printing. But in view of the fact that the brochure is prepared in advance, advertised
facilities may be changed. All the details contained within this brochure are thoroughly
and carefully checked before printing. However, despite the accuracy we strive to
maintain, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure you
check the price and all other details of your chosen arrangements with us or travel
agent at the time of the booking. This brochure is our solely responsibility. It
is not issued on behalf of and does not commit any independent organization/carriers
whose services are featured in it. We reserve the right to change any website or
other information before your booking is confirmed and the amended information will
then form part of your contract with us.
19. Your Travel Insurance
Because of the importance of having adequate insurance cover we make it a condition
when booking on all our holidays that you are covered by an insurance policy. If
you elect not to take out insurance, you agree to indemnify Sona Tours Ltd. for
any costs that arise which would otherwise have been met had you had your own travel
insurance.
20. Health Requirements
Health facilities, hygiene and disease risks vary worldwide, you should obtain health
advice on your specific needs as early as possible. It is your responsibility to
ensure that you have fully complied with all health and immunisation requirements
of the countries you may be visiting. You can contact your GP for further information.
21. Passport and Visas
a) You should ensure that you allow sufficient time (currently 8 weeks from posting
a correctly completed application form) to apply for a passport.
UK CITIZENS – Travelling on holiday outside the EC, you must have a passport, valid
for at least 6 months from date of departure. At present, British passport holders
do not require visas for countries within Europe, only a valid passport. For all
other countries, it is advisable that you check with relevant embassies or consulates.
NON-EC CITIZENS - Holders of Non-EC passports are most likely to require a visa
for certain countries visited within our brochure. At Sonatours, we provide a visa
service at an extra cost for certain cases, which is separate to your holiday cost.
You must submit all documents required together. Applications with documents pending
will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to submit all documents to us at
the correct time. Though we try our best to obtain the visa on your behalf, it is
solely the discretion of the relevant consulate to accept this application; we can
therefore not take any responsibility if the visa has been refused for whatever
reason. We will try to process your visas as early as possible; however, we reserve
the right to choose that date of submission of the application. It is responsibility
of the passenger to ensure they have the correct visa in place before travel. In
the event passengers are not able to travel due to not having the correct visas,
the cancellation policy set in clause 4. will apply.
22. Visas through Sona Tours
Sona Tours offer a Visa service for UK Citizens & Residents. If for any reason the
visa is rejected the visa fee and service charge is non-refundable. At time of your
booking we will advise what the process will be for each visa requirements. Flights
will not be confirmed until such times the visa has been granted. Prices quoted
may therefore vary to the time you actually book your holiday.
23. Customs & Immigrations Delays
Sona Tours will not be held responsible, if you are stopped or held by any government
department, e.g. Police, Customs, Immigrations or any other authorities of the destination
country. The tour will continue and no financial or any other kind responsibility
will be accepted by Sona Tours.
24. Delays
Occasionally trains, ferries and coaches may be delayed due to circumstances beyond
our control. In such cases we will do our utmost to help you and keep you fully
informed. In the event of extended overnight delays, depending upon circumstances,
we will endeavour to provide accommodation. In the case of a major delay to your
homeward journey, we shall endeavour to delay the departure from your hotel.
25. Your Itinerary
You will receive your final Itinerary and Journey Instructions five to seven days
prior to departure, provided all payments have been made.
26. Your Journey
The coach companies we use have been selected to be relied upon to provide modern,
comfortable coaches and careful, considerate drivers. On some holidays, it may be
that your journey commences on a feeder coach, before you join the main coach, and
feeder coaches are often not of the same standard size. Whilst the coaches on UK
holidays will be of a high standard, they may not have all the facilities of a continental
coach. We plan the seating arrangements close to departure date to ensure that families,
friends and groups are seated as close as possible. You retain these seats throughout
the tour. Smoking and alcohol consumption is prohibited on all our coaches. Regular
comfort stops are made. Where the brochure indicates that your Channel crossing
will be by ferry, we reserve the right to substitute a crossing via the Eurotunnel
and vice versa.
27. Your Flights
In accordance with EU Regulations we are required to advise you of the carrier(s)
(or, if the carrier(s) is not known, the likely carrier(s)) that will operate your
flight(s) at the time of booking. Where we are only able to inform you of the likely
carrier(s) at the time of booking, we shall inform you of the identity of the actual
carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of this. Any change to the operating carrier(s)
after your booking has been confirmed will be notified to you as soon as possible
and in all cases at check in or at the boarding gate. Where we substitute the airline
or aircraft we had originally intended to use in connection with your holiday, it
may as a result not be possible to provide any in- flight catering which had been
informed/advertised. Any such change will be a minor change not entitling you to
any compensation payment.
We are not always in a position at the time of booking to confirm the flight timings
which will be used in connection with your flight. The flight timings shown in this
brochure and detailed on your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and are
subject to alteration and confirmation. The latest timings will be shown on your
tickets which will be despatched to you approximately two weeks before departure.
You must accordingly check your tickets very carefully immediately on receipt to
ensure you have the correct flight times. It is possible that flight times may be
changed even after tickets have been despatched - we will contact you as soon as
possible if this occurs. Any change in the identity of the carrier, flight timings,
and/or aircraft type will not entitle you to cancel or change to other arrangements
without paying our normal charges except where specified in these conditions.
28. Taxes
Sona Tours will include all mandatory pre-paid taxes. Countries may also charge
departure taxes that can only be paid locally. It is therefore recommended that
clients retain sufficient local currency to meet such charges
29. Holiday Extras Not Booked With Sona Tours
We cannot be held responsible for compensation in respect of any extras which are
booked (e.g. travel insurance, currency, taxis etc.) with a third party, if we subsequently
cancel your holiday for whatever reason.
30. Data Protection Policy
For the purpose of the Data Protection Act 1998, we are a data controller. To ensure
that your holiday runs smoothly, we (and your Travel Agent, if you use one) need
to use information such as name and address, special needs, passport details, birth
dates etc. We will apply appropriate security measures to protect this data; however,
we must pass it to suppliers of your travel arrangements, including airlines, insurers,
hotels and transport companies. We may also supply it to security or credit checking
companies and to the public authorities such as customs and immigration.
If your holiday is outside European Economic Area (EEA), controls on data protection
in your destination may not be as strict as in UK. We will only pass data, including
sensitive information regarding disabilities or dietary and religious requirements,
to people responsible for travel arrangements. If we cannot pass this information
to the relevant suppliers in the EEA or elsewhere, we cannot provide the booking.
When you make this booking, request a brochure or sign up for our email updates
then we will securely store your contact details in order to contact you with details
of products and services we think you might be interested in. Please note that we
shall not pass your details to other non-related companies.
31. Photo, Video or Recoding of You
When you are travelling with us, we may take video and images of you that may be
use in any of the media advertising that we use and on our website. All participants
on Sona Tours trips authorise Sona Tours to use his/her image (such as photograph,
videotape, film or pictorial representation or recorded voice). If you do not wish
for this to happen please notify Sona Tour in writing at email address or to Marketing,
[email protected].