Definition of Term
The following terms will be used throughout this document :
"VALLEY VACATIONS" is a TRADING NAME OF BRIGHTSUN TRAVEL UK LTD.
"BRIGHTSUN" means Brightsun Travel (UK) Limited having its registered
number 02024271, at address 14 Hanworth Road, Hounslow, Middx, TW3 1UA, UK and where
applicable its subsidiaries.
"Force Majeure" means any circumstances which are unusual and/or
unforeseeable which are beyond the control of Brightsun the consequences of which
could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised including but
not limited to war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, political unrest; hostilities,
government action, industrial dispute, natural or other disaster, nuclear incident,
terrorist activity, drought, rescheduling or cancellation of flights or alteration
of the airline or aircraft type by an airline or technical problems with transportation
that are outside Brightsun's control.
"Major Change" includes without limitation :-
(a) an alteration in the time of your departure or return to your
scheduled time of departure or return of 12 hours or more; and/or
(b) a change in UK departure airport (excluding change of London
airports) ; and/or
(c) a change of hotel or apartment to a materially lower rating; and/or
(d) a significant change of resort area;
(e) a significant increase in the price of your holiday.
Travel Booking Conditions
These Conditions contain some exclusions and limitations on liability. If any of
them are found to be invalid or unenforceable the remaining Conditions are still
valid. Any dispute between us will be governed by the non-exclusive law and jurisdiction
of the English Courts.
Holiday Contract
Brightsun will contract with you when you (or your Travel Agent) confirm your holiday
booking and we accept it only when we send you a confirmation invoice indicating
that we have reserved your holiday. You must check that the holiday shown on the
invoice is the one you wish to take. We are responsible for providing the holiday
that we have confirmed to you. If you cancel or alter your booking later you may
have to pay an additional charge. If you book within seven (7) days of your departure
date or if there is insufficient time to send written confirmation to you a contract
between us will exist upon our (or your Travel Agent) confirming the booking. We
reserve the right to refuse your booking but in that event we will refund any money
that you have paid to us.
Travel Documents
All passport, visa, travel insurance and health certificate requirements are your
responsibility and Brightsun accepts no responsibility for any delay or expense
incurred through any irregularity in your documents. In the event that we are asked
to re-issue tickets that have been lost, destroyed or stolen and we agree to do
so, any charges incurred will be payable by you. For more information on this please
visit the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website on www.fco.gov.uk, and at
www.ukpa.gov.uk
Further information on health requirements can be obtained from the Department of
Health on telephone number 0800 555777 or from MASTA (Medical Advisory Services
for Travellers Abroad) on 020 8994 9874.
Transfers
Transfer times are given as a guide and will be subject to change dependant on road
and weather conditions or the number of stops made en route.
Representation
Our local representatives are available to answer any questions that you may have
about the resort, book excursions and assist with transfers or any problem you may
encounter. A representative may not be based at your hotel and it may be necessary
to liaise with our resort office of which details will be provided.
Weather
The weather charts featured are given only as a general guide. We cannot guarantee
weather conditions. Please bear in mind that severe weather such as heavy rainfall,
or rough seas are to be expected in the tropics at certain times during the year.
Brochure / Website Room Descriptions And Facilities
Photographs and descriptions of hotels and resort facilities are shown in good faith.
Room descriptions are supplied by the hoteliers and in some cases we may sometimes
refer to suites or deluxe accommodation. These are in general, larger rooms with
additional features however this does not necessarily mean that the accommodation
comprises more than one room. It is possible that occasionally facilities may be
unavailable or limited, due to hotel maintenance, adverse weather conditions or
seasonal restrictions etc. We have used all reasonable endeavours to ensure that
nothing in our brochure is false or misleading at the time of going to press but
reserve the right to change any brochure/website particulars before you book. Please
also bear in mind that specific requests made at the time of booking cannot be guaranteed.
Child Safety
Should you be traveling with young children, we recommend that you advise us at
the time of the booking. The safety of your children is of utmost importance to
us, however, we must stress that it is important for you to remain vigilant at all
times during your holiday to ensure their safety.
Pregnancy Note
Airline regulations state that women 28 weeks or more into pregnancy, at the time
of return travel, must have medical certification of fitness to travel. Normally
after 32 weeks permission to travel is refused however, Airlines have different
policies and we would need to check as to whether they will agree to carry you,
prior to confirming your holiday. It is imperative that you notify us of your pregnancy
at the time of booking or as at such time you become aware.
Diving
All passengers intending to scuba dive will be required by the dive centre to complete
a medical questionnaire. If your fitness is in question, you may be asked by the
operator to undergo a medical examination. This may result in considerable additional
cost for which you will be charged locally. No refunds will be given if you are
refused medical clearance to dive. You are strongly advised to undergo a full medical
examination before booking your holiday.
Financial Protection
All holidays offered are ATOL protected since we hold an Air Transport Organiser's
Licence
( ATOL [3853]) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). In the unlikely event
of our insolvency the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will
arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking.
Payment Procedure
We invariably require a deposit which we shall notify to you but shall be not less
than £150 per person (excluding infants) plus any applicable insurance premiums
on confirmation of booking which may be required on the flight portion of the package
as tickets may need to be issued immediately. The balance will in any event be payable
with each booking (within 7 days of departure) and may incur a £20 per person fee.
Price Increases
No price increases will apply once full payment has
been received. Surcharges may be applied in the event of a variation in transportation
costs, exchange rates, government action, fees for certain services or fuel increases
charged by carriers. If the increase is more than [10 ]% you will have an option
to cancel your booking and obtain a refund of all monies paid (excluding insurance,
visa and vaccination costs) provided the cancellation is made in writing within
seven (7) days of receipt of the notice.
Amendments
Whilst we do our utmost to accommodate any changes that you may make after receiving
your contract, such changes are subject to availability and where permitted by the
carrier. These changes attract a £30 administration fee plus any additional costs
these changes may incur. If the travel arrangements have been "issued" on "non-changeable"
special fares, we will not be able to make any modifications to your travel itinerary.
Any amendments made within eight (8) weeks of departure will follow the cancellation
fee schedule (See below).Name changes or departure changes are not always permitted
by the carrier and may be treated by them as cancellations and charged accordingly.
If airline tickets have been issued in this instance, any changes made to the booking
may mean that you will have to pay for the cancelled ticket and purchase a new ticket
at full cost.
Cancellation by Customer
All cancellations by customer must be received in writing by the person who signed
the booking form. Please note that the following cancellation fees apply;
(i) 8 weeks prior to departure : Lose deposit
*
(ii) 42 -56 days prior to departure : Lose 30% *
(iii) 29-42 days prior to departure : Lose 60% *
(iv) 3-27 days prior to departure : Lose 90% *
(v) Within 72 hours : Lose 100%
*If the travel arrangements have been "issued" on "non-refundable" special fares,
we will not be able to refund any monies.Cancellation charges made by our suppliers
may be higher than the cost of the deposit and we reserve the right to pass on such
fees to you. Brightsun will advise of such fees before cancellation. In the case
of cancellation after receipt of documents, no refund will be given unless unused
tickets are returned to Brightsun. Insurance premiums and airport tax charges are
not returnable.
Cancellation by Brightsun
We reserve the right to amend your booking other than where there is a Major Change
at any time. Most of these changes are minor and we will advise you at the earlier
possible date. We will not cancel your booking within eight (8) days of departure
except for reasons of Force Majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance.
If we have to make a Major Change we will inform you at the earliest possible date.
You will have a choice of accepting change of arrangement, therefore accepting a
holiday of equivalent value or accepting a refund if the holiday is of a materially
lower standard. If you cancel completely you will be entitled to a full refund and
reasonable compensation calculated by reference to the holiday price net of insurance
premiums, airport tax and amendment charges as follows :-
(a) more than 56 days before departure : No compensation
(b) between 30 and 55 days before departure : £10 per person
(c) between 15 and 30 days before departure : £15 per person
(d) between 8 and 14 days before departure : £20 per person
(e) between 0 and 7 days before departure : £25 per person.
This cancellation must be received in writing within seven (7) days of receiving
a notice.
Flights and Flight Routings
Flights on our programme are arranged with reputable airlines. Should delays or
cancellations occur, the airline would normally provide refreshments, meals and
if necessary accommodation. We do not provide such services at the point of departure
or at the point of return to the UK. Any claim relating to such events must be made
directly to the airline. A direct flight is a flight where there is no change of
aircraft en route, but stops are possible, as the aircraft may need to refuel or
allow other passengers to join or leave the aircraft. A non-stop flight travels
from the origin to the destination without stopping. Where a flight is shown to
travel via other destinations, at least one change of aircraft is necessary en route.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, airlines may find it necessary to alter the published
routing. This may be a last minute change or can even occur during the flight to/from
your destination.
Flight timings may also change. Should this occur, and if we are able, we will inform
you as soon as we are made aware of any changes to the previously confirmed timings
given to us by the airlines.
Independent Travel Arrangement
We cannot accept responsibility for independent travel arrangement made by the clients,
to reach their airport of departure or indeed their onward journey having arrived
back to the UK.
Complaints Procedure
You should make your complaint known to the local representative of Brightsun at
the earliest opportunity. If they do not resolve the problem to your satisfaction,
you will need to contact our offices no later than 28 days after your return to
the UK. Your complaint should be made in writing to our Customer Services Department,
Brightsun Travel (UK) Limited, 4 New Burlington. Street, London W1 [ ] giving your
booking reference and all other relevant information. You must keep your letter
concise and to the point to assist in identifying your concerns and speed up our
response to you. If you fail to follow this simple procedure we will have been deprived
of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint and this may affect
your rights under this contract.
Behaviour
You will not be entitled to a refund if you are prevented from travelling by any
person in authority who feels that you are unfit to travel or likely to disturb
other passengers. We also reserve the right to end your holiday if your behaviour
causes distress or damage to other passengers, employees or guests at your accommodation
or your accommodation. In these circumstances you will not be refunded or compensated
in any way and we may recover costs incurred as a result of your behaviour.
Insurance
We recommend that you take out travel insurance. Our staff are trained to offer
you the best policy for your travel needs. Please note that you will be required
to pay your insurance premium at the same time as your deposit.
Liability
We take care in providing all holiday arrangements through reputable suppliers.
We will monitor and control the performance of the suppliers and judge their performance
against the standards and customs in the country of service provided. Brightsun
will pay compensation if they fail to provide the services as part of the package
sold to you. We will accept liability for claims for personal injury arising as
a result of our staff and suppliers being negligent in the course of their employment
or contract. Liability is not accepted in the following instances :-
(i) if you or any member of your party is at fault;
(ii) if the fault was due to a third party not associated with
the booking; and
(iii) any unusual or unexpected circumstances beyond our control
that we could not have avoided.
Our liability to you for loss or damage which you may suffer is limited to two and
a half times the price of your holiday but subject to the limitation that any loss
that you suffer because of failures by transport operators or hotel keepers to perform
services involved in your holiday is limited to the amount that you can recover
from them under the law of England, the country in which they operate or under any
applicable convention. Conventions in particular in relation to conditions of carriage
usually limit the liability of the transport operators.
Conditions of Carriage
Brightsun accepts responsibility for the proper provision of elements of your holiday
of which it is the operator. However, Brightsun is recognised as an organiser for
travel and holidays only and, as such does not control or operate any airline, shipping
company or rail company. When you travel by air, sea or rail, your journey may be
subject to certain international Conventions such as the Warsaw Convention and Montreal
Convention (international carriage by air), the Athens Convention (international
carriage by sea) or COTIF (international carriage by rail), assuch conventions are
amended or re-enacted from time to time. You agree that the operating carrier or
transport company's own "Conditions of Carriage" will apply to you on that journey.
When arranging this transportation for you, we rely on the terms and conditions
contained within these international conventions and those "Conditions of Carriage".
You acknowledge that all of the terms and conditions contained in those "Conditions
of Carriage" form part of your contract with us as well as the transport company
and they are deemed to be included by reference into this contract.
Data Protection Policy
To ensure that your holiday runs smoothly we and your Travel Agent (if you use one)
need to use information such as your name and address, special needs, dietary requirement,
etc. We will apply appropriate security measures to protect this data. However,
we must pass it to suppliers of your travel arrangements, including airlines, hotels
and transport companies. We may also supply it to security or credit checking companies
and to public authorities such as customs and immigration. If your holiday is outside
the European Economic Area (EEA) controls on data protection in your destination
may not be as strict as in the UK. We will only pass data including sensitive information
regarding disabilities or dietary and religious requirements to people responsible
for your travel arrangements. If we cannot pass this information to the relevant
suppliers in the EEA or elsewhere, we cannot provide your booking. When you make
this booking you consent to this information being passed to all relevant persons.
Information held by your Travel Agent is subject to that company's own data protection
policy. We can supply a copy of your information held by us; there is a reasonable
charge for providing this. We may use this information to contact you with details
of our other products and services.
Brochure Accuracy
Whilst at the time of receipt of this brochure by you Brightsun believe that the
contents are accurate circumstances can change after publication. For example, all
the facilities in a resort might not be fully functional in early or late season.
Sometimes a hotel may change its meal system from waiter service to buffet service,
or back again. A pool may be closed for maintenance, or air conditioning may only
be available at certain times of the day and/or year. Public holidays and religious
festivals may also affect the availability of resort and hotel facilities. The tourist
office for your chosen destination can provide details of such events and other
information. We will tell you of any material changes that we know about when you
book your holiday.
Aviation Security Charge
We have included in our prices a charge representing the extra aircraft insurance
and security costs which have been imposed on airlines and tour operators to the
basic price of your holiday. At the time of publication our understanding is that
thee costs amount to £[7] per person but you should be aware that this may change
between the date of publication and the time of travel. Since these costs are beyond
our control, we reserve the right to increase the amount of this charge at any time.
We will of course inform you of such any such change should it become necessary.
Other Items
(a) Once you have checked in for your flight your welfare is the
responsibility of the air carrier. We do not accept responsibility for the provision
of refreshments, meals or overnight accommodation in the event of a flight or other
delay at your outward or return point of departure. Normally the airline will arrange
for meals and accommodation in the event of such a delay.
(b) You are responsible for ensuring that you are at the correct
departure point at the correct time and we are not liable for any loss or expense
suffered if you fail to do so.
Methods of Payment
Personal/Company cheques : Payment may be made by cheque. Cheques should be made
out to Brightsun Travel but you must ensure that ten (10) working days are allowed
to elapse for your cheque to clear before your departure. Should thecheque be returned
for any reason we will levy a £15 charge.
Cash : We do accept cash; however we advise customers not to post
cash to us.
Debit Cards : Switch or Visa Delta debit cards are welcomed. Please
note that we cannot accept debit card payments from a third party without a signed
authorisation from the debit cardholder. We reserve the right to refuse a booking
until we have full payment.
[Credit Cards : Surcharges are incurred as to 3% on MasterCard
and Visa, 4% on American Express. Please note we do not accept Diners Club cards.
We cannot accept credit card payments from a third party without a signed authorisation
from the credit card holder. We reserve the right to refuse a booking until we have
full payment.]
I have read and understood the Terms and conditions and accept them on behalf of
all passengers travelling, by each of whom I am authorised to make this booking.
I am over the age of 18.