Booking Conditions

Section A - Terms & Conditions for Agency Booking Services

Garstang Travel operates www.garstangtravel.com (“The website”). For further information please see website privacy page. All bookings and enquiries are fulfilled by Garstang Travel, company registration number 4141585, ABTA Number 30966. Garstang Travel has its registered office at Garstang Travel, Market Place, Garstang, Preston, PR3 1ZA. The booking conditions of Garstang Travel shall apply to bookings made in-store or via the telephone. Your contract is with Garstang Travel. The following information forms the basis of such contract so please read through them carefully before booking your travel arrangements with us. These terms of use apply to your use of this site and is a legal document which sets out your rights and obligations in relation to the holiday services offered through this site (the “Holiday services”). Garstang Travel acts as agents on behalf of leading tour operators.

These Booking Conditions, together with any other written information we brought to your attention before your booking was confirmed, form the basis

of your contract for agency booking services with Garstang Travel (‘we’, ‘us’ or ‘our’).

Special Note: We, Garstand Travel act as a retail booking agent in respect of all bookings we take and/or make on your behalf. For all arrangements, your contract for the supply of the service(s) in question will be the disclosed supplier of the service(s) in question or Garstang Travel. When making your booking, we will arrange for you to enter into a contract with that supplier via Garstang Travel. Your booking will be subject to these terms and conditions for our booking services, and also any booking conditions of the disclosed supplier of your travel arrangements. Garstang Travel own booking conditions are detailed below in section B. You are advised to read all applicable conditions carefully prior to booking. We do not accept liability in relation to any contract you enter into or for any arrangements you purchase or for the acts or omissions of any supplier(s) or other person(s) or party(ies) connected with any arrangements. 

These booking conditions and any agreement to which they apply are governed in all respects by English law. We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises between us out of or in connection with your contract or booking will be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only. You may however, choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you live in those places and if you wish to do so.

Any money paid to us in respect of a booking including licensable flights is held by us on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust at all times, but subject to our obligation to pay it to the supplier of your arrangements for so long as that supplier does not fail financially. If that supplier does fail financially, any money we hold at that time or subsequently accept from you is and continues to be held by us on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation to pay that money to the applicable supplier.

Booking & Payment

When you make a booking, you guarantee that you are over 18 and have the authority to accept, and do accept these conditions on your behalf and on behalf of all members of your party and, further, if you are making a booking for more than one person, that you are responsible for all payments due from each and every party member for whom you are making a booking. When you make a booking you will need to provide us with credit or debit card details in order to cover the full cost of your trip. You authorise us or an authorised third party to take full payment for the total amount of your purchase. Please note that you may be required to present a credit card at the time of check-in, rental or pick-up to provide confirmation of authorised card use or to secure any additional charges.

Where we are acting as booking agent, your booking is confirmed and a contract between you and the supplier will exist when we send you a confirmation invoice. Please check your confirmation invoice carefully and report any incorrect or incomplete information to us immediately. If you have paid a deposit, you must pay the full balance by the balance due date notified to you. If full payment is not received by the balance due date, we will notify the supplier who may cancel your booking and charge the cancellation fees set out in their booking conditions.

If your confirmed arrangements include a flight, we (or if you booked via an authorised agent of ours, that agent) will issue you with a confirmation. Upon receipt, if you believe that any details on the confirmation or any other or any other document are wrong you must advise us immediately. Please ensure that names are exactly as stated in the relevant passport. As we act only as booking agent, we have no responsibility for any errors in any documentation except where an error is made by us.

It is your responsibility to ensure that any information which is given to you by us or any of our employees or suppliers is passed on to all members of your party. Any information which we give to you shall be deemed as given to each and every party member for whom you are making or have made a booking. We can only liaise with the lead passenger on the booking.

We reserve the right to return your deposit and decline to issue a confirmation at our absolute discretion.

Pricing

The price of your flight may include taxes, fees and charges which are imposed on air transportation by government authorities. They may represent a significant portion of the cost of air travel and are either included in the fare or shown separately on your ticket. You may also be required to pay taxes or fees or other charges not already collected, for example, it is not always possible to include all departure taxes on your ticket(s). In some cases departure taxes must be paid by you locally to the Government of the country you are departing from and are therefore non-refundable by us.

Credit card and debit card companies make a charge to process payments on their products. We will pass on this charge and this will be added to the final price of your travel arrangements. Typically this amounts to 2% of the total for credit cards. We do not charge for debit card transactions. In the event of a cancellation, credit card charges are non-refundable.

The price of each product or service is regularly reviewed and is subject to change. Promotional or discounted offers on this site are provided at our discretion. All offers are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. We will charge you for any additional handling fees incurred by us in respect of payment through a debit or credit card and in addition to the price of your trip. 

Telephone charges. – Calls to 0871 numbers are charged at 10 pence per minute from a BT landline, calls from other networks and mobile operators may vary. Calls to 0800 numbers are free from a BT landline, but other networks and mobile operators may charge. We reserve the right to record telephone calls for training and quality purposes. 

Changes or Cancellations by You 

If you wish to change any part of your confirmed arrangements or cancel them, you must inform us in writing as soon as possible and we will liaise with any applicable supplier on your behalf. This should be done by the first named person on the booking. Whilst we will do our best to assist, we cannot guarantee that any supplier will be able to meet your requested change as amendments can only be accepted in accordance with their terms and conditions.                       

If Your Supplier Changes or Cancels 

We will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if any supplier needs to make a significant change to your confirmed arrangements or to cancel them. We will also liaise between you and any applicable supplier in relation to any alternative arrangements offered but we will have no further liability to you. (See also the section dealing with ‘Flight Plus’ bookings below). 

Accuracy

We endeavour to ensure that the details of all products, including prices, displayed on our websites are accurate. However, given the high volume of flights, hotels and other products offered it is inevitable that, in exceptional cases, mistakes will arise. We cannot accept liability for these errors. You must ensure you check the price and all other details of your chosen arrangements with us at the time of booking. 

Passport, Visa & Health Requirements

It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We can only provide general information about this. You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates and your own doctor as applicable. Requirements do change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.

Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. For further information contact the Passport Office on 0870 5210410 or visit www.passport.gov.uk 

Special conditions apply for travel to the USA, and all passengers must have individual machine readable passports. Please check www.usembassy.org.uk 

For European holidays you should obtain a completed and issued form EHIC prior to departure. 

Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, visit www.fco.gov.uk 

Non British passport holders, including other EU nationals, should obtain up to date advice on passport and visa requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling,

We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

Pre-Travel Advice: The Foreign and Commonwealth Travel Advice Unit may have issued information about your holiday destination. You are advised to check whether or not such information has been issued on the Internet under the address www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo prior to travelling. Alternatively, you can contact the ABTA Information Department on 0901 201 5050 (calls charged at 50p/minute). It is your responsibility to check any advice issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Travel Advice Unit and we accept no responsibility for this.

Complaints

We make every effort to ensure that your holiday arrangements run smoothly but if you do have a problem during your holiday, please inform the relevant supplier (e.g. your hotelier) immediately who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please contact your tour guide or in the case of a tailor-made tour our local agent or our offices at Garstang Travel, Market Place, Garstang, Preston, PR3 1ZA as soon as possible. Failure to do so will affect ours and the applicable supplier’s ability to investigate your complaint, and will affect your rights under this contract. If the problem cannot be resolved and you wish to complain further, you must send formal written notice of your complaint to us at our office at Garstang Travel, Market Place, Garstang, Preston, PR3 1ZA, within 28 days of the end of your stay, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you.

Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend that you do not travel without adequate travel Insurance for your own protection and peace of mind, please be aware that some airlines may not allow you to travel without insurance. It is your responsibility to ensure that you purchase adequate travel insurance for your needs.

Proof of Purchase

You should ensure that you travel with your booking confirmations, e-tickets and any other travel documentation (including your passport) at all times. We will not be liable for any supplier not providing you with the booked product or service if you do not produce such documentation.

No Show

If you have a booking for any of our products or services, including flights, car hire, accommodation and packages, but you do not show up to check-in, collect the car or otherwise do not avail yourself of such product or service, you will not be entitled to any refund from us. Certain airlines may also cancel the return portion of your ticket if you fail to take the outbound journey. Please contact us if you fail to take the outbound journey but intend to use the inbound portion of a return ticket.

Your Behaviour

It is your responsibility to ensure that you and the members of your group do not behave in a way which is inappropriate or causes danger, distress, offence or damage to others or which risks damage to property belonging to others (including but not limited to drunkenness and air rage) whilst on your trip.

If, in our reasonable opinion or that of our suppliers, your behaviour is inappropriate and causes danger, distress, offence, or damage to others, or risks damage to property belonging to others, we and/or our suppliers (e.g. hotel managers, airline pilots) may take appropriate action in order to ensure the safety and comfort of our customers and their property and that of our suppliers, including terminating your trip, in which case our and our supplier's responsibility to you will cease immediately and you will not be eligible for any refunds, payments of compensation and/or any reimbursement of any cost or expenses you may incur as a result of such termination. Further, you will be liable to reimburse us for any expenses we incur necessarily as a result of such termination.

Passenger Ages

When travelling on an arrangement including hotel accommodation, no person under the age of 18 years will be allowed to travel independently. The exception is for Las Vegas where visitors are required to be 21 years old if unaccompanied. The passenger's age relates to the whole of the period when they are away including the day of return. When travelling on a flight-only basis, passengers can travel alone if they are aged 14 years or over subject to airline approval, providing they can travel unassisted. Please note if they are aged 14 - 15, a parent or legal guardian must accompany them to check-in, and a valid photo-ID in addition to the country specific documentation must be presented. We strongly recommend that parents or guardians of unaccompanied young person’s remain in the airport until the flight has departed. Airlines reserve the right not to accept unaccompanied minors less than 14 years of age for carriage. If an under 14 year old needs to travel unaccompanied, please contact us by email via our support request system to request assistance before making a booking.

INFANT FARES: Infants must be under 2 years old on the return date of travel. If your child celebrates his or her 2nd birthday while on holiday, you must book and pay the appropriate child fare. Charges for infants vary depending on the route and length of flight and will be advised in the booking process. Infants are not entitled to their own seat and must travel on an adult's lap. If you require a seat for your infant to sit separately you will need to purchase a child's ticket at the appropriate fare. Infants do not always receive a personal baggage allowance as this varies from carrier to carrier.

CHILD FARES: Children must be 2 - 11 years old on the return date of travel to qualify for any applicable child fare reduction. Children aged 12 years and older pay the full fare and have their own seat and also have a full baggage allowance.

BABIES: An infant must be more than 7 days old to travel on an aircraft, for health and safety reasons.

Communications

The email address that you provide with your booking will be used for all future communication with you, including any changes and additional information on your flights and/or hotel bookings. It is therefore your responsibility to ensure that you check your email on a regular basis, and also notify us should your email address change.

For after sales service we can be contacted between the hours of 9am – 5.30pm Mon/Tues/Thur/Fri, and 9am-5pm Wed/Sat on 01995 606494.

Special Requests & Disabilities

Please advise us of any special requests and we will pass these on to the relevant supplier. However, we cannot guarantee your special request as we do not have any direct control over the manner in which the services are provided.

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

Changes to Terms & Conditions

We may amend these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice. If we do amend these terms and conditions, the amended terms will be effective when posted on this website and you are deemed to have accepted the relevant changes.

Additional Terms

Additional terms and conditions may apply to reservations, purchases of goods and services and other uses of portions of this site, and you agree to abide by such other terms and conditions.

Weather

We cannot be held responsible for any disruption to your trip due to bad or unusual weather conditions. 

ACCOMMODATION 

Room Types: A "Double room" does not guarantee a double bed; a Double room means a room for 2 persons, furthermore, please note a room sold as "Twin Room" does not guarantee twin beds. 

A "Triple room" means a room for 3 persons. 

A "Quad room" means a room for 4 persons.

If you require either (1) Double bed in the room, or (2) single beds in a room, please REQUEST them at the time of booking.

Security Deposits: Many of the self-catering / apartments & villas, require you to make a payment of a security deposit in cash in local currency or credit card upon arrival at your accommodation. These amounts may vary and will be collected upon your arrival.

Map/Distance Disclaimer: Please note that the information as to the distance from the city centre and the location of the hotel on the maps provided are for indicative purposes only. If a customer requires the hotel to be within a certain distance from the city centre or near a particular location, the customer should contact the hotel in question prior to booking.

Unavailability: Where we are unable to confirm the initial requested accommodation, we will call you to inform you of the details of alternative accommodation or lack of availability. At that time you will have the option to accept the alternative accommodation or get a refund of the total monies paid to us by you for your original booking.

Star Ratings: Star ratings are used to symbolise the overall quality, level of service, food standard and range of facilities available in any given hotel property. The criteria applied within each country will vary depending on the specific requirements established by the relevant issuing body and are provided to you for information purposes only. They are not a guarantee or warranty of any kind.

Hotel Facilities: Please read the description of the hotel for other hotel policies applicable to your stay. You must be at least 21 years of age to check in to Las Vegas hotels. Please note that the hotels booked by us for you are not exclusive to us. We are not responsible for any limitation in facilities because of other hotel guests or their activities. We do not take responsibility for hotel content (including images, facility listings, etc.) displayed on our website. Hotels may change facilities and property features without prior notice to us and it is the customers' responsibility to confirm facilities directly with the hotel at the time of travel.

Local Taxes: Please note that there may be taxes levied abroad which were not included in the hotel cost at the time of purchase that are payable in relation to your hotel booking e.g. local taxes, sales tax etc. Any local taxes will be payable by you directly to the hotel at the time of check in / checkout.

Descriptions & Photographs: All pictures and descriptions are displayed in good faith. However in certain circumstances beyond our control accommodation descriptions may be affected, such as sea views, which may be obscured by greenery, such as trees. We try to maintain up to date information on any changes and therefore all details printed should be regarded for general information only. Accommodation categories and star ratings shown on the website are provided by the accommodation, however standards can vary between accommodations of the same class in different countries, it is therefore important that the accommodation details are read in full.

Accommodation: All accommodation is reserved exclusively for use by the person named as the lead passenger plus the total number of passengers, whether adults or children, as shown on the Invoice / Accommodation Voucher. Unauthorised occupancy may result in the accommodation refusing occupation with immediate cancellation and loss of all monies paid. Most accommodation is sold on a twin/double room basis, however most properties have more twin rooms than doubles. If a double bed is requested please be aware that this may be two single beds pushed together. Additional beds for triple/quad rooms could either be a pull out sofa bed, foldable bed, rollaway beds, or bunk beds. Self-Catering properties usually do not offer a choice of bed type. Some properties impose a minimum number of nights per stay and bookings may incur a surcharge if less than the minimum period allowed.

Group Bookings: Parties of 10 persons or more are classed as a group booking and must not be split into multiple smaller bookings.

Check-in/Check Out: Times are normally around 15.00 – 16.00 on the day of arrival and between 10.00 am and 12.00 hours on the day of departure depending upon property type.

Delays: On occasions there may be delays or missed departures, due to the failure of transportation or other circumstances. We cannot be held liable if the accommodation is not available on arrival. It is your responsibility to notify the hotel directly using the telephone number provided on the voucher. Refunds will not be given for any no shows.

Building Work: Due to continuous re-development throughout the world there is always going to be some building work going on somewhere. Provided that we are made aware by the Property that any such work is liable to interfere with the enjoyment of your holiday, then we will advise you accordingly. However please be aware that the accommodation has no liability to inform us of any building work in the surrounding area outside their property.

Over Bookings: In the very unlikely event that on arrival the property cannot provide the accommodation booked, it is the responsibility of the property to find an alternative property of a similar standard. We have taken every precaution to ensure that all properties are professionally managed so that any such occurrences are extremely rare. [Travel Agent Name] accepts no responsibility in respect of any costs, losses or damages that may be incurred in connection with relocation of accommodation since such relocation is outside our control.

CAR HIRE 

Minimum Age: All car suppliers have a minimum age to be able to rent without incurring any extra charges, this is normally 25 and above. Drivers between the ages of 21-24 will always incur an extra surcharge which is payable locally, is subject to tax and is non-refundable. These fees can range from 10.00 Euros a day in Europe and from US$25.00 to US$50.00 US in the United States. Once you have selected your car please read the car rental rules where you will be able to find the amount payable.

Maximum Age: There are very few locations which have an upper age limit. These can vary from the age of 60 upwards. If you are over the age of 60 it is your responsibility to check with the rental supplier for eligibility. If you fail to check and you are over the age limit you may not be given the car.

Rental Deposit: Rental agencies only accept credit cards for securing your deposit at the rental location. You must use a credit card and it must be the driver's credit card. We will not be liable for any compensation or otherwise if you do not have a credit card at the time of collecting your car and are refused rental by the supplier.

Driving Licence: A valid driving licence is required for all drivers. The licence must be valid at the time of rental and remain valid throughout the rental period. We will not be liable for any compensation or otherwise if you fail to show a valid driver’s licence to the supplier and are refused rental.

British Licence Holders: If you have the new photo id licence you must take the paper counterpart as well. If you do not present both the card and the counterpart you will not get the vehicle. If your licence is written in Chinese, Russian or any ‘picture' script then you will need to obtain an international driver's permit before you travel from your country of residence. This cannot be obtained in the United Kingdom.

Excess Waiver: Although our rates are fully inclusive there is always an excess to pay. This means in the event of accident/damage or theft, the driver will be expected to pay the first part of the claim. This can vary depending on the car you hire and the destination you are travelling to.

Late Return of Your Vehicle: The rental rate is calculated based on the return time agreed when picking up the vehicle. If the vehicle is kept longer than originally planned, you may be liable for an overcharge.

Rental Agreement: The rental agreement is given to you to sign when you pick up your vehicle. This has all the information about your rental. It is your responsibility to check this document carefully before you sign it and keep a copy. [Travel Agent Name] will not be liable in relation to any breach of this agreement.

Child Safety Seats: Children from their third birthday up to their 12th birthday or up to 135cm in height (whichever is attained sooner) must be restrained in a suitable seat in the rear of the vehicle. The law states that it is the responsibility of the driver of the vehicle to comply.

Your car hire is supplied by third party agencies. These third party agencies will have additional cancellation policies that may be applicable and in addition your chosen car hire company will typically have its own cancellation policy. We will pass on any such policies or charges that the car hire company or third party agency has imposed in relation to cancellation to the customer. 

Refunds inevitably take some time to process and you should allow 2 - 4 weeks for the payment to be received back and refunded to the original credit card.