Terms and Conditions

These conditions apply to all tours operated by or through 'Tours of Distinction'. (hereinafter called 'the Company' or 'we'), a brand name used by Flightline Travel Management PLC, Parkway House, 14 Haddenham Business Park, Haddenham, Bucks HP17 8LJ, UK Registration number 3695976 and are sold subject to the following conditions:

1. To make a booking you must send us a signed, completed Booking Form. The booking is not accepted and no contract exists until the date and details are shown on the confirmation issued by the Company. We will then invoice you for the deposit or full payment of the cost, any balance will be due no later than 10 weeks before departure. If you book less than 10 weeks before departure, full payment must be made on booking. Notification of cancellation must be made to the Company in writing.

2. Bookings made over the telephone by credit card more than 10 weeks before departure will not be deemed accepted until we have received a signed booking form in our office and we have issued a confirmation. If a signed booking form is not received within 10 days of the booking being made over the telephone, the booking will be deemed cancelled, the deposit will be forfeit and the place will be released for resale. Bookings made over the telephone by credit card less than 10 weeks before departure (i.e. when full payment is due) will be subject to the cancellation conditions in clause 3 below regardless of whether a booking form has been received in our office. If you cancel your booking more than 10 weeks before departure we will not refund your deposit. If you do not pay the balance of your holiday cost within 10 weeks of departure your booking will be terminated and you will lose your deposit.

3. If you cancel your booking after you have paid in full the following cancellation charges will be made: between 43 and 56 days before departure: 40% of the holiday cost between 29 and 42 days before departure: 60% of the holiday cost between 15 and 28 days before departure: 80% of the holiday cost 14 days or less before departure (or fail to join the holiday): 100% of the holiday cost These dates refer to our receiving written notification of your cancellation. We strongly advise you to take out insurance against irrecoverable cancellation costs.

4. We will let you know as soon as we can if, through no fault of your own, we are forced to significantly alter or cancel your holiday. In these circumstances you can choose one of the following options. a) cancel your holiday and receive a full refund; b) accept a substitute holiday if we are able to offer you one. If the substituted holiday is of a lesser value, we shall also refund you the difference in price; If appropriate we will also compensate you for the inconvenience unless the alteration or cancellation is because there are insufficient numbers to run the holiday or if the alteration or cancellation has come about because of unavoidable, unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control. If we cancel your holiday, we shall not be liable to you for any incidental expenses incurred by you as a result of any arrangements that you may have made, if you have made those arrangements before we have sent you final confirmation of your itinerary and previously advised you against incurring such expenses.

5. Before booking and not less than 30 days prior to departure (or for whatever period may from time to time be dictated by the Government) the prices featured may change. We reserve the right to impose surcharges once you have booked but no surcharges will be imposed within 30 days of departure (or within whatever period the Government may from time to time deem) and any downward revision in the price will be refunded to you. Surcharges will only be imposed for variations in: a) transport costs, including the cost of fuel. b) dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports; or c) the exchange rates applied to the booking. Price increases and surcharges will be calculated according to the full extra cost compared to the costs and exchange rates. In any event we shall absorb the first 2% of any such surcharge (or whatever percentage the Government may from time to time dictate). Any increase to the price which exceeds 10% of the total holiday cost will entitle you to the options outlined in clause 4.

6. A general indication is provided of the itinerary for each holiday, the type of accommodation used, what is included in the price, passport and visa requirements, and health formalities. Changes in all of these items may be made at any time and we shall endeavour to advise you of these changes. If after reading these changes you feel you have misunderstood what is included in the price, or the nature of the holiday, you may cancel your booking without penalty and we will refund any monies paid to us. Such cancellations will only be allowed during the week following our sending the notification to you, and will not be allowed if your booking is made less than 10 weeks before departure, when you should ensure that you are fully aware of the contents of the changes before booking. The information and conditions relating to your holiday (and extensions/options where applicable) contained in the notification of changes will be deemed to be part of the contract, and you should therefore read them carefully. Should there be a discrepancy between the information in the previously received and the latest notification, the information in the notification supersedes it and will be considered the most up-to-date and accurate.

7. Any information or advice provided by the Company on matters such as permits, visas, vaccinations, climate, clothing, baggage, special equipment, etc. is given in good faith but without responsibility on the part of the Company, and the passenger accepts responsibility for obtaining any necessary visas and travel documents required for the holiday.

8. If any significant changes to the holiday have to be made before departure, we undertake to inform you, and you are entitled to the options detailed above. A 'significant change' is a change of more than 24 hours (12 hours for holidays of 6 days' duration or less) in departure or return timings or other such change to itinerary and services that would reasonably be considered significant.

9. Your booking is accepted on the understanding that you realise the hazards involved in this kind of holiday, including injury, disease, loss or damage to property, inconvenience and discomfort. The whole philosophy of this type of travel is one which allows alternatives and a substantial degree of on-trip flexibility. The outline itineraries given for each holiday must therefore be taken as an indication of what each group should accomplish, and not as a contractual obligation on the part of 'Tours of Distinction'. Changes in itinerary may be caused by local political conditions, flight cancellations, mechanical breakdown, weather, border restrictions, sickness, or other unforeseeable circumstances. No refunds will be given for services not utilised. It is a fundamental condition of joining any of the holidays described that you accept this flexibility, and acknowledge that delays and alterations and their results, such as inconvenience, discomfort, or disappointment, are possible. If a passenger is unable, or does not choose, to complete an itinerary outlined for a holiday, the Company is not liable to supply alternative itineraries, excursions, accommodations, services or staff for the period when the client is not present with the group.

10. On an adventurous holiday it is necessary that you abide by the authority of the leader, who represents the company. Signing our booking form signifies your agreement to this, and if you commit any illegal act when on the holiday or if in the reasonable opinion of the leader your behaviour is causing or likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others we may terminate your travel arrangements without any liability on our part. If you are affected by any condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect your or other people's enjoyment of the holiday, you must advise us of this at the time of booking.

11. Before you come on the holiday you must be covered by insurance, which must include adequate cover for baggage, medical expenses and the cost of repatriation should you become too ill to continue, including helicopter rescue and air ambulance. If you join the holiday without adequate insurance you may not be allowed to continue on the holiday, with no right of refund. Any claims concerning matters for which you are insured must be directed to your insurers.

12. If you are joining the holiday locally (i.e. not starting with the group from the UK) our responsibility does not commence until the appointed time, we shall not be responsible for any additional expenses incurred by you to meet up with the group. All holidays are based on group flights from London. If the group arrival is delayed to the local joining point we will provide you with the same room and board basis as will be provided to the group. If the delay is for more than 24 hours we will provide you with the same services and itinerary that were detailed on your confirmation to enable you to continue with your holiday, although you may, at your discretion, remain at the local joining point for the arrival of the group.

13. If you have any complaint about the holiday, you must make it known at the earliest opportunity to the leader and/or our local representative, who will normally be able to take appropriate action. If you are not satisfied with their response and you feel your enjoyment of the holiday is likely to be significantly affected, you should notify our head office in Haddenham and we will do our best to resolve the problem. If at the end of the holiday, you feel your complaint has not been properly dealt with, we shall try and agree a settlement with you, but you must first notify us of your complaint in writing within 30 days of your scheduled date of return.

14. We are responsible to you for the proper performance of our obligations under the contract irrespective of whether those obligations are provided directly by us, or by third party service providers engaged by us acting within the proper course of their employment. We are liable to you for any damage caused to you by our failure to perform the contract or by our improper performance of the contract, unless that failure is: a) attributable to you; b) attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services and are unforeseeable or unavoidable; c) due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control and could not have been avoided even if all due care had been taken d) due to an event which even with all due care we could not foresee or forestall. In any event, you are strongly advised to insure yourself against any possible risk that may occur and in particular to ensure that you have sufficient insurance in respect of dependent relatives. You are required to carry proof of insurance with you and produce it if reasonably requested by company employees or suppliers. Where the Company is found to be liable for damages in respect of its failure to carry out the contract, the maximum amount of such damages, compensation and loss of enjoyment will normally, but not necessarily, be limited to two times the basic holiday price shown on the invoice. Where the damages relate to the provision of transport by air, sea or rail, or hotel accommodation, any compensation payable will be further limited by the EU Charter of Passengers Rights for air travel, the Warsaw Convention as amended by the Athens Convention 1974 (sea), the Berne Convention 1961 (rail), and the Paris Convention 1962 (hotel accommodation), or any such statute or regulation as may from time to time amend or supercede any of the above. Copies of the conditions of carriage and any conventions which may apply are available on request. Any independent arrangements that you make which are not part of the holiday are entirely at your own risk.

15. Any flights forming part of the holiday arrangements are subject to the conditions of the carrying airline, which in most cases limit the airline's liability to the passenger in accordance with International Law and conventions. Copies of the conditions of carriage and any conventions which may apply are available on request. Flightline Travel Management plc. is a bonded Tour Operator licensed by the CAA, No 5995. 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 advance booking. Please note that ATOL bonding only applies to bookings made within the UK that include international flights from the UK. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.

16. Any likeness or image of you secured or taken on any of our holidays may be used by the company without charge in all media (whether now existing or in the future invented) for bona fide promotional or marketing purposes, including without limitation promotional materials of any kind, such as brochures, slides, video shows and the internet.

17. By completing the booking form you agree that, if necessary, the company may pass your contact details and numbers to any third party connected with the operation of the specific holiday on which you have booked. This information will not be used for any other purpose by the third party, nor will be passed to any other parties.

18. The booking conditions may only be waived or amended by written mutual consent. When you complete the booking form you agree to accept all these conditions, and when we accept your booking we agree to carry out our obligations to you as defined and other information provided to you. Both sides of this agreement are made subject to, and must be interpreted and enforced according to the non-exclusive law and jurisdiction of England and Scotland.

WARNINGS

ADVENTUROUS TRAVEL

On many of our Tours the areas are remote, the lifestyle is very different and events much less predictable than on a conventional holiday. Health, safety and operational standards - particularly of hotels, transport and airlines - are often not up to Western levels. However good our organisation is, we are at the mercy of the unexpected, and this type of trip can never be entirely cut and dried. If you are not prepared for this you should not travel with us. Because these are not ordinary package holidays, the outline itineraries are statements of intent rather than promises. Local weather, politics, airlines, transport or a host of other uncontrollable factors can mean a change in itinerary or means of transport. It is unlikely that the itinerary would be substantially altered, but if changes are necessary the leader will decide the best alternative, after consultation with the group. Where a delay or changes do occur, we will do everything we can to minimise its effects, but we cannot be held responsible for the results of delays or changes outside our control. Finally, crime and other security risks exist in practically all countries, whether it is North America or India. Travelling in a group is a safeguard, but not a guarantee. Though we will take all reasonable care of you, we cannot do this adequately if you do not at all times take sensible precautions yourself.

ACCOMMODATION

Our aim, wherever possible, is to use accommodation that is in keeping with the area that we visit, local in character, and generally locally owned. Inevitably this means that in many places such accommodation does not match up to 'international' standards. Plumbing and hot water can be erratic, facilities are not generally of resort standard, and service, although friendly, may not be polished and professional. If you choose to travel on this type of holiday you must accept that this is all part of the experience.

TRANSPORT

In many countries that we operate in, transport facilities and regulations are not up to the standard of the EU. Where this is the case we attempt to ensure that all our transport complies with local regulations and standards, but we cannot guarantee the same standard as in the EU. If you choose to travel to these destinations, you must be prepared to accept the standard of transport that is available in the area.

GROUP ACTIVITIES

The Tours are usually based on a group with a leader to accompany them. As such all activities included in the price are based on being part of a group. If by choice or necessity you leave the group, we will generally not be able to supply alternative services, leaders and activities, and you should not expect this.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

IMPORTANT

There are many low cost Insurance policies available on the market, but before buying any policy we strongly advise that you check fully what will and won't be covered, just because it is cheaper doesn't mean it is better value. Some of our clients have had problems recently when the Insurance policy they purchased did not cover them for some aspects of the holiday. In particular, the cover provided by credit cards is often very restricted.