Terms & Conditions
Please read the following booking conditions carefully, as they set out the terms and conditions of the contract between you and Aspen Travel ("we, us and our"). The contract may be one in which we act as an agent or a principal. That will depend upon, and our obligations to you will vary depending upon, whether what you book with us is a "Package" (as defined below), "Single Components" (as defined below), or Flights (as defined below). The differing obligations are set out below, in four separate sections. Section A applies where you book a "Package", and Section B details those which will apply only where you book Single Components. Section C contains the conditions which will apply to bookings for Flights (as defined below). Section D contains the conditions which will apply for all bookings.
A "Package" exists if you book at the same time a combination of two or more holiday components (excluding insurance) which are offered for sale, or sold at, an inclusive price by us. Please note that a transfer, when combined with a flight or accommodation, does not create a package.
Single Components are individual items provided by our suppliers, such as accommodation or car hire. If you buy one Single Component, we will have no liability to you and your contract will be with the supplier. You may buy more than one Single Component at the same time. Where you book more than one Single Component, we accept that booking is a package and we are the organiser of that package. Sections A and D below will apply to your booking.
All Flights are sold to you by us as a principal and are protected by our ATOL. Our ATOL number is 5592. Your booking is subject to Sections C and D below.
We can arrange theme park tickets, attraction tickets, event tickets. Where you buy tickets in addition to a Package, we will accept we are liable for that sale. You may buy tickets with a Single Component. We act only as booking agent between you and the theme park, attraction, event for the sale of tickets where they are sold to you with a Single Component. Such a sale does not create a Package nor is it governed by the Package Travel, Package Holiday and Package Tours Regulations 1992. We do not have any responsibility or liability whatsoever for anything which may go wrong when you buy a ticket with a Single Component. We, our servants, employees or agents are acting, either as agents for the relevant supplier or as agent for you.
A. Terms and Conditions relating exclusively to Packages
1. Your Contract/Financial Protection
A contract will exist between you and us when we issue a confirmation invoice/receipt. The financial bonding requirements of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have been observed by us in relation to the provision of all our Packages. Our CAA ATOL number is 5592 [and our ABTA membership number is 89264].
These arrangements ensure that payments made by you for your Package would be refunded and/or you would be repatriated in the unlikely event of our insolvency. Our registered office for service is Aspen Travel, 1 Higher Road, Urmston, manchester, M41 9AB.
2. Price Changes
Changes in transportation costs, including the cost of fuel, dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports 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 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 be charged for the amount over and above that, plus an administration charge of £1.00 per person together with an amount to cover agents' commission. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price 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, except for any amendment charges.
We will consider an appropriate refund of insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so no later than 30 days before departure.
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.
3. Changes you make before travel (excluding name changes)
If you want to change any of your Package booking please contact your travel agent, or one of our reservations staff, immediately and we will do all we can to help you. Our normal cancellation charges (see below) will apply if you need to make any changes to your arrangements. The minimum cancellation fee is the booking deposit paid.
We will charge for any additional services, facilities, or other items changed, at the price which applies on the day the change is made. In addition, we will also charge an administration fee as shown in the table below. Any booking discount you may have received at the time the original booking was made, may be altered or reduced whenever changes are made. Note that any change to dates of travel cannot be made less than 56 days before departure without incurring cancellation charges. Scheduled and No Frills airline carriers do not always allow changes to be made to dates of travel once confirmed. Where the carrier imposes charges, which may be as high as 100%, these will be passed on. If the changed arrangements are more expensive than those originally booked, you must also pay the price difference. The costs shown are per change per person. If you cancel any 'optional extras' for which there is a charge, you will either lose any deposit you have paid for the item, or pay a fee of £25 for each 'cancelled extra'. For certain optional extras, such as transfers, you will also have to pay cancellation charges. If you cancel any holiday insurance you booked through us your premium will not be refunded, as cover under the policy will already have been obtained.
| Notice given 56 days or more | Notice given less than 56 days | |
| Accommodation | £30 a change | £40 a change |
| Flight (except scheduled/no frills airlines) | £30 a change | £40 a change |
| Date of travel (except scheduled/no frills) | £30 a change | £Cancellation charges |
| Flights Scheduled/no frills (including changes to date of travel) | Up to 100% | Up to 100% |
4. Name Changes before Travel
Except for a Package including scheduled and no frills flights, if we receive notification of a change within 8 weeks of your departure the charge will be £40 per name change.
For a Package including scheduled and no frills flights, please note that the scheduled and no frills airlines we use do not permit name changes for any reason. Such changes are likely to result in you being charged the full cost of the flight and may be subject to space being available for a new reservation. In addition, you will also have to pay any extra costs that the airline passes onto us, as well as the £30 or £40 per change below:
| Notice given 56 days or more | Notice given less than 56 days | |
| Name | £30 a change | £40 a change |
5. Cancellation By You
In order to cover our expected losses for the transport and accommodation services we pay for in advance, there is a set scale of charges, which applies if you or anyone travelling with you cancels. You must give notice to cancel in writing and the charges shown below apply from the date we receive the notice at our offices. For scheduled and no frills flights, 100% cancellation charges may apply, regardless of the notification period.
| Date of cancellation | Cancellation Charge |
| More than 56 days | Loss of Deposit |
| 56 - 29 Days | 50% Cost Of Holiday |
| 28 - 22 Days | 70% Cost Of Holiday |
| 21 - 8 Days | 90% Cost Of Holiday |
| 7 Days or less | 100% Cost Of Holiday |
If any member of the booking cancels and you cannot fill that person's place, you may have to pay additional supplements for your accommodation. For example, you may have to pay single or under-occupancy supplements. If you do cancel, you must still pay any insurance premiums and amendment charges, which arose before the cancellation, and any deposits paid for any pre-booked items or services.
For certain arrangements suppliers will impose more stringent cancellation charges. These will be notified to you when you book.
6. Changes Made By Us Before Travel
From time to time we may have to change details of the Package you have booked. If any change will have a significant effect on your holiday, we will tell you, or your travel agent, about it before your departure, if there is time. Changes we will tell you about include;
- Change of your UK departure airport,
- Significant change of your destination,
- A change of more than 12 hours to the time you leave the UK or your Package destination,
- If we downgrade your accommodation to one of a lower official standard,
- If the swimming pool will not be available for an extended period during the Package and no alternative pool is available either at the property or nearby.
If you do not want to accept a significant change, which we will tell you about before your Package holiday, we will, if we are able to do so, offer you an alternative Package of equivalent or superior quality at no extra cost, or a less expensive Package, in which case we will refund the difference in price. If you do not wish to take the alternative we offer you, you can choose another Package from us and pay, or receive a refund of, any price difference. Or, if you prefer, you can cancel your Package and receive a full refund of any money you have paid to us, except for any amendment charges. We will consider an appropriate refund of insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.
If we have to tell you about a significant change before you travel, unless the change is as a result of circumstances listed in the paragraph below headed 'Circumstances beyond our control', we will pay you compensation as shown in the table below. The amounts in the table are the minimum compensation payments you will receive in this event.
| Time before departure we will tell you or your travel agent about the change | Compensation if you accept the change or book another Package | Compensation if you cancel your Package and take a full refund |
| 57+ days | 0% | 0 |
| 56-43 days | 2.5% | 5 |
| 42-29 days | 5% | 5 |
| 28-15 days | 7.5% | 10 |
| 14-8 days | 10% | 20 |
| 7-0 days | 10% | 20 |
The percentages set out above are percentages of the basic price of the Package. The basic price of the Package does not include any extras such as, for example, insurance premiums, accommodation supplements or flight supplements. Compensation, where we are liable to pay it, will be calculated solely with reference to the basic price of the Package.
7. Minor Changes By Us Before Travel
Any change which is not deemed to be significant, as outlined in the section entitled 'Changes made by us before travel', will be classed as a minor change. We will endeavour to tell you about a minor change before you travel however, we will not pay compensation as a result of this change.
8. Circumstances Beyond Our Control
Except where we say differently elsewhere in these conditions, we cannot pay any compensation, reimburse expenses, or cover losses for any amount or otherwise accept responsibility if, as a result of circumstances beyond our control, we have to change your Package after departure, or we, or our suppliers, cannot supply your Package, as we, or they, had agreed, or you suffer any loss or damage of any description. When we refer to circumstances beyond our control, we mean any event that we, or the supplier in question, could not foresee or avoid, even after taking all reasonable care. Such circumstances will usually include, but are not limited to, war, terrorist activity, civil unrest, industrial dispute, bad weather (actual or threatened) and significant building work ongoing outside of your accommodation, which is not known to us in advance of your departure date and building work from a third party (such as resort development).
9. Changes Made After Travel
If, after your departure, a significant part of your Package cannot be provided, you will be offered a suitable alternative if possible. If it is not possible to offer you a suitable alternative or, for good reasons, you do not accept the alternative arrangements, we will return you to the place of your departure. If appropriate, we will also pay you compensation, unless your return has been due to circumstances beyond our control. The amount of compensation will be reasonable, taking account of all the circumstances.
10. Flight Delays
Delays sometimes occur. We work closely with the airlines and overseas offices to make sure any delay is as short as possible. When a delay occurs we will try to make sure refreshments or meals are provided when appropriate. We will not do this ourselves as such arrangements will normally be the responsibility of the airline. If you have taken out our recommended holiday insurance or a comparable policy you should have cover against delays.
11. Our Liability to You
(i) Our obligations, and those of our suppliers providing any service or facility involved in any of your Package, are to take reasonable skill and care to arrange for the provision of such services and facilities and, where we or our supplier is actually providing the service or facility, to provide them with reasonable skill and care. Compliance with any applicable regulatory requirements (such as, for example, those of the Civil Aviation Authority) will be proper performance of our, and our suppliers', obligations. You must show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make any claim.
(ii) For claims which do not involve death or personal injury, we accept liability, subject to paragraph (i) above and (v) below, should any part of your Package not be as described in this Guide or elsewhere by us before you leave the U.K. If we have liability, we will, subject to paragraphs (iii) and (vi) and clause D9 below, pay you reasonable compensation. However, the maximum we will pay you in any circumstances is twice the price of the Package. This maximum will only be payable when every aspect of your Package has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit from your Package. Any sums received by you from suppliers, will be deducted from any sum paid to you as compensation by us.
(iii) Where a flight ticket is downgraded or a flight cancelled, delayed, or boarding is denied by any carrier in circumstances which would entitle you to compensation under the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004, then you are obliged to claim the appropriate sums pursuant to those Regulations from the carrier. Any sums received by you in this respect constitute the full amount of your entitlement to compensation for all matters flowing from the carrier's actions and which fall within the scope of the Denied Boarding Regulations. If, for any reason, you do not claim against the carrier and make a claim for compensation from us, you must, at the time of payment of any compensation to you , make a complete assignment to us of the rights you have against the carrier in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment.
(iv) For claims which involve death or personal injury as a result of an activity forming part of your Package, we have liability subject to paragraph (i) above and (v) below. If we accept liability, we will, subject to paragraphs (vi) and (vii) and clause D9 below, pay you reasonable compensation.
(v) We accept liability in accordance with paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iv) above and subject to paragraphs (vi) and (vii) and clause D9 below except where the cause of the failure in your Package or any death or personal injury you may suffer is not due to any fault on our part or that of our servants, agents or suppliers, and is either attributable to you, or attributable to someone unconnected with the Package and is unforeseeable or unavoidable, or due to unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, or an event which neither we, nor our servants, agents or suppliers could have foreseen or forestalled.
(vi) You are obliged to assist us in recovering from any third party any sum which may compensate us for any sums we pay you. In particular, you are obliged to assign to us any rights that you may have against any other person whose acts or omissions have caused or contributed to our legal liability to pay you compensation. You must also provide us with all assistance we may reasonably require. Finally, you must follow the procedures for the notification of complaints set out in the clause below entitled "If you have a complaint".
(vii) Should you become ill while on your Package, you must, in addition to reporting your illness to your accommodation provider, consult a local doctor and also consult your GP upon your return to the UK. Should you then wish to make a claim against us as a result of that illness, you must provide us with details of both the local doctor whom you saw and your GP, together with written authority for us to obtain a medical report from both those doctors.
(viii) If you or any member of your party suffers illness, injury or death, through misadventure, as a result of any activity which does not form part of your contracted Package arrangements, we will provide you with all reasonable assistance. This assistance may include our making a contribution towards your initial legal costs in taking action against the person(s) responsible providing you request this within 90 days of the incident in question. All assistance (financial or otherwise) is subject to our reasonable discretion and a maximum total cost to ourselves of £5,000 per booking form. If you are entitled to have any costs and expenses arising from such an incident met by or from any insurance policy or if you obtain a costs order against anyone in relation to the incident, you must repay to us the costs and expenses we spend in assisting you.
(ix) Other than as set out above, and as is detailed elsewhere in these booking conditions, we shall have no legal liability whatsoever to you for any loss, damage, personal injury or death which you suffer arising directly or indirectly from any aspect of your Package.
12. Airline Collapse
In the unlikely event that the airline with which you are travelling ceases to trade whilst you are abroad, you must contact us at the earliest opportunity to allow us to seek to find you an alternative return flight. We shall not be liable for any costs you incur in making your own return flight arrangements if you have not given us the opportunity to arrange an alternative flight home for you.
B. Single Components
1. Price Changes
Price increases may occur any time prior to full payment being received from you, and you will be liable to pay any such increases in full.
2. Transfer of Bookings
Transfer of any type of booking is subject to the supplier's own terms and conditions and the applicable amendment or cancellation charges.
3. Cancellation/Amendment
Bookings for Single Components may be amended or cancelled in accordance with the relevant supplier's terms and conditions and subject to the supplier's amendment and cancellation charges. In respect of accommodation only bookings, changes can be made subject to the following conditions:
Changes to your accommodation only booking made by you
Changes to booking details will be accepted subject to the following charges:
| Name changes: | More than 56 days notice = £15 for each name change. Less than 56 days notice = £25 per name change. |
| Changes of accommodation: | Changes of accommodation will be permitted at a charge of £15 per accommodation change, per booking (subject to availability). |
| Changes to departure date: | Changes of departure date will be permitted at a charge of £15 per accommodation change, per booking (subject to availability). |
| Reduction in number of persons in party: | If the number of persons in your party is reduced, an amendment charge of £15 per person will be payable for each person who has been taken off the booking. The accommodation charges will be re-calculated. Please note that reductions in the number of persons in a booking party may result in accommodation under-occupancy supplements and higher per person price. |
In addition to these charges, the accommodation proprietor may make additional charges. These will be notified at the time we are instructed to make the change to your booking. Also, if the changed arrangements are more expensive than those on the original booking you must pay the price difference.
If you wish to make any further changes, other than those listed above, if the changed arrangements are more expensive than those on the original booking you must pay the price difference, plus a £15 administration fee per change, per booking.
Any of the above changes made within 48 hours may incur full cancellation charges
4.
Please check your booking arrangements carefully to ensure that your flight timings and/or date of travel/accommodation check-in coincide with the dates of any other components you have booked. We will not be liable for any costs incurred as a result of your failure to do so.
5. Our Liability to You
We act solely as a booking agent for the relevant supplier, and as such, have no liability whatsoever to you for any death, personal injury or loss of whatever nature you may suffer unless caused by our own negligence.
C. Flights
1. Price Changes
Price increases may occur any time prior to full payment being received from you, and you will be liable to pay any such increases in full.
2. Transfer of Bookings
Transfer to another person will be subject to availability, the airline's own terms and conditions and any applicable amendment or cancellation charges. Please note that scheduled airlines do not allow changes and full cancellation charges may apply.
3. Cancellation/Amendment
Bookings for Flights may be amended or cancelled in accordance with the relevant supplier's terms and conditions and subject to the supplier's amendment and cancellation charges. Please note that scheduled airlines do not allow changes and full cancellation charges may apply.
4. Flight and Other Travel Timings
Flight timings are provided by airlines and are subject to Air Traffic Control restrictions. All means of transportation are subject to weather conditions and the need for constant maintenance and the ability of passengers to check in on time. There is no guarantee that flights will depart at the times stated on any itinerary or tickets which you receive. All timings are estimates only, and we do not have any liability to you for any delay, which may arise, or for any schedule alterations.
5. Our Liability to You
Our responsibility is to make arrangements for the provision by the air carrier of air transport but we do not have any responsibility for the operation of the air transport itself. Our liability to you is restricted only to events arising from our own negligence.
6. Denied Boarding
Where a flight ticket is downgraded or a flight cancelled, delayed, or boarding is denied by any carrier in circumstances which would entitle you to compensation under the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004, then you are obliged to claim the appropriate sums pursuant to those Regulations from the carrier. Any sums received by you in this respect constitute the full amount of your entitlement to compensation for all matters flowing from the carrier's actions and which fall within the scope of the Denied Boarding Regulations. If, for any reason, you do not claim against the carrier and make a claim for compensation from us, you must, at the time of payment of any compensation to you , make a complete assignment to us of the rights you have against the carrier in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment.
D. All Bookings
1. Payment terms
If your booking is made more than 12 weeks before the intended departure date, you must pay either:-
(i) Packages £ a deposit of £125 is required. Where a package includes a scheduled flight (including no frills), the full cost of the flight plus a £25 deposit for the accommodation will be required on booking or
(ii) Flights - the full fare (depending on the carrier's conditions for the travel arrangements in question ), or
(ii) For accommodation only a deposit of £25 or the full payment whichever is less or
(iii) other components £ if booked with accommodation these will be included within your accommodation deposit, if any component is booked without accommodation then the deposit will be £25 or full payment, whichever is less. or
(iv) such other deposit as may be required by the supplier of the services for the arrangements in question.
You will be advised at the time of booking what payment is required for your particular arrangements. The balance of the cost of your travel arrangements must be paid within 12 weeks before the departure date. If your booking is made within 12 weeks of your intended departure date, the total cost of your travel arrangements must be paid at the time of booking.
PLEASE NOTE FAILURE TO PAY ON TIME WILL RESULT IN CANCELLATION If you are purchasing Aspen Travel travel insurance, the premium for this will also be payable at time of booking.
2. Method of Payment
Credit Cards:
We accept Barclaycard/Visa, Access/MasterCard and American Express. Customers choosing to use this method of payment will be subject to a credit card handling fee of which will be advised at the time of booking.
Debit Cards:
We welcome payment by Maestro, Delta or Connect debit cards, Cheques, Bank and Building Society Drafts. The initial deposit for any telephonic or electronic booking must be paid by a credit or debit card. We will accept final payment of the balance by cheque. Cheques should be made payable to Aspen Travel . Please note that we require 7 working days to clear cheques before tickets can be issued.
Cash:
Please note we do not accept payment by cash for telephonic or electronic bookings.
3. Insurance
It is a condition of our contract with you that you have suitable insurance cover for the journey. Even where we do not make insurance a condition of our contract with you, we strongly recommend that you arrange appropriate cover. Where insurance is obligatory, you must provide us with the name and address of the insurance company from which you have purchased suitable alternative cover. If you purchase Aspen Travel insurance and decide that the cover provided does not meet your specific requirements, you may return the certificate to us within 14 days of purchase and a full refund of the premium will be made to you provided you have not travelled and have not made or are intending to make an insurance claim. If you cancel your Aspen Travel insurance, you must immediately arrange for alternative cover.
4. Flight Reconfirmation
It is your responsibility to ensure that you reconfirm the departure date and times of all your flights at least 72 hours prior to departure. This is particularly important in respect of subsequent journeys after you have left the UK. Please refer to your invoice for airline contact details.
5. Ticketing
Your tickets and any other documents relating to your booking will be sent to the address which you give us at the time of booking. Provided you have paid the total cost of the travel arrangements, we will dispatch your tickets to you at least 2 weeks prior to departure. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU CHECK ALL DETAILS OF YOUR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS BEFORE LEAVING THE UK. IF THERE ANY INACCURACIES OR YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUERY PLEASES CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY.
For bookings made within 5 days of departure, it is necessary for us to use a courier company which guarantees next day delivery and you will be charged a £10 delivery charge. In such cases, tickets will either be sent to you or to the departure airport, and this will be advised at the time of booking, Please note that the delivery charge is non-refundable.
6. Lost/Stolen Flight Tickets
If you lose your flight tickets or it is stolen before you leave the UK, certain airlines will not authorise us to issue a replacement. You would then be required to purchase a new ticket and there may be a delay of up to 12 months before we receive authority from the airline to make any refund to you. If the airline concerned does allow us to issue a replacement ticket, we will require payment from you of £35 per ticket administration fee. It is most important that you contact us as soon as you realise that your ticket is missing. If your ticket is lost or stolen after you have left the UK, certain airlines will not issue a duplicate. You will need to purchase a new ticket locally, at the local fare. When you return to the UK you can apply to us for a refund on your lost ticket, but any refund will be entirely at the discretion of the airline and it can take up to 12 months before we receive authority from the airline to make any refund.
7. Airline Refund Procedures
The refund policies operated by airlines vary greatly. If you return your unused ticket to us we will present it to the relevant airline for assessment. If the airline agrees to issue a refund, we will forward such refund to you less cancellation or administration charge. If you paid us by credit card, we will refund the amount due to you on your credit card, otherwise the refund will be made by cheque. Please note that any refund for part used/return halves of tickets is always less than pro-rata rate. Refunds usually take 10-12 weeks to process, but in some cases may take longer. Tickets returned more than one year from their date of issue are classed as expired by the airline and generally have no refund value at all. We recommend that tickets being sent to us for a refund are sent by recorded delivery post.
8. Suppliers' conditions
Our third party suppliers have their own booking conditions and conditions of carriage, and you will be bound by these, so far as the relevant supplier is concerned. Our suppliers' conditions will also apply to your contract with us, and in the event of any conflict between the suppliers' conditions and our conditions, the suppliers' conditions will prevail, save to the extent that any term in the suppliers' conditions is deemed to be invalid or unenforceable, in which event our conditions will prevail. Some of our Suppliers' conditions may limit or exclude liability on the part of the relevant supplier, and, by virtue of their application to your contract with us, may also limit or exclude our liability to you, and they are often subject to international conventions. Where relevant, copies of such conditions may be available for inspection at the office of the relevant supplier.
9. International Conventions
If any international convention applies to or governs any of the services or facilities arranged or provided by us, or provided by any of our suppliers, and you make a claim against us of any nature arising out of death, injury, loss or damage suffered during or as a result of the provision of those services or facilities, our liability to pay you compensation and/or the amount (if any) of compensation payable to you by us will be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to that provided for by the international convention concerned (in each case including in respect of the conditions of liability, the time for bringing any claim and the type and amount of any damages that can be awarded). International Conventions which may apply include: in respect of international air travel, the Warsaw Convention 1929 (including as amended by the Hague Protocol of 1955 and by any of the additional Montreal Protocol of 1975) or the Montreal Convention 1999; in respect of rail travel, the Berne Convention 1961; in respect of carriage by sea, the Athens Convention 1974; in respect of carriage by road, the Geneva Convention 1973; and, in respect of hotels, the Paris Convention 1962. You can get copies of the relevant conventions if you ask us. For the avoidance of doubt, this means that we are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitations of compensation contained in any of these conventions or any other international conventions applicable to your travel arrangements.
10. Complaints
If you are not satisfied with any aspect of your travel arrangements please complain as soon as possible to the relevant person (for example, the hotel management). If they cannot help you must contact us on the telephone number supplied to you on your invoice/receipt and we will do everything reasonably possible to sort the problem out. If you are still not satisfied please write to our offices in the UK within 28 days of returning home. If you have special needs, which prevent you from writing to us then, where possible, we will accept details of your complaint over the telephone [text 'phone].
The address to send complaints to is:
Customer Relations Department
lowcostdeals.co.uk
Aspen Travel
1 Higher Road
Urmston
Manchester
M41 9AB.
E-mail: customerservice@lowcostdeals.co.uk
We would point out that failure to follow the above procedures and/or failure to complain within 28 days of your return, may reduce or extinguish any rights you have to claim compensation from us, or from any relevant supplier. Any such rights will be reduced or extinguished if, had you followed the above procedures, you or we could have taken steps to reduce any loss or damage suffered or entirely prevented it from being suffered.
It is difficult and sometimes impossible properly to investigate a complaint if we are not told about it reasonably quickly once your trip is over. Your right to claim compensation may also be reduced or extinguished, should any delay in your complaint being notified during or after your trip, prevent us from carrying out a proper investigation.
We aim to resolve all complaints ourselves, but if this is not possible your complaint can be considered under a scheme devised by the Association of British Travel Agents and administered by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. We will give you details of this scheme if you ask. The scheme does not apply to claims over £25,000 in total or more than £5,000 a person, or to claims mainly about illness or injury. To take advantage of the scheme you must contact the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators within 9 months of returning from your trip.
For complaints arising from Single Components or Flights, we will act as a liaison between you and the supplier, to try to assist in resolving the problem. If we cannot help and you wish to take matters further, you must contact the supplier directly.
11. Passports & Visas (British Citizens) and Health Requirements
It is your responsibility to ensure that you and all those travelling with you have a valid passport and any necessary visa and that you have obtained any necessary vaccinations to gain entry to any country you are visiting. It can often take some time to obtain a passport or visa therefore you should apply well in advance. In peak periods it is advisable to allow at least 4 weeks. General information on passport and visa requirements for British Citizens is available through our website or within the details sent to you. However, passport and visa regulations and health requirements can change at any time, therefore, we recommend that you check passport/visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country you intend to visit and that you consult your GP or the Foreign Office regarding health requirements. We will have no liability to you if you or any member of your party travel without the correct passport and visa or without the necessary vaccinations, and you will have to pay to us any costs which we incur through helping you because of any such failure on your part.
12. General Information
Joint Services:
Please note that two airlines may share the same services, therefore a flight may not be operated by the airline whose designated code is shown on your itinerary and ticket.
Smoking:
Many flights are now non-smoking or are in the process of implementing a no-smoking policy. We can request smoking seats at the time of booking, but such requests cannot be guaranteed and seat allocation is entirely at the discretion of the airline. We cannot accept liability, if your specific seat request is denied by the airline or if the airline introduces a no-smoking policy after you have confirmed your booking.
Taxes:
We will advise you of all mandatory taxes, which you must pay before departure. However, many countries charge departure taxes that can only be paid locally. It is therefore recommended that you retain sufficient local currency to meet such charges. Details of departure taxes can be obtained from the relevant airline when you reconfirm your flight details.
13. Special requests:
If you have a special request for anything that is not automatically part of your Holiday, please check when you book your Holiday and we will pass this information on to the companies we work with. Our note of your request on your invoice/receipt confirms we have received it and does not guarantee that we, or the relevant supplier, can meet with your request. Where possible they will try to help you, but we cannot guarantee any request unless it is noted on your invoice/receipt and we also confirm the request separately in writing. We must emphasise that, verbal confirmations of special requests cannot be taken as a guarantee that they will be met e.g. special meal types on flights
14. Flight Detail:
It is possible, at the time of booking, to provide details of the type of aircraft, which will be used. However, it is not possible to guarantee that this is the type of aircraft which will be used because this may change.
15. Information Accuracy
Sometimes facilities we describe will be withdrawn for reasons such as maintenance, bad weather or lack of demand from guests. If possible, we will tell you about the withdrawal of any significant facility as soon as possible. Some activities or facilities, water-sports for example, may not be available in low season. Beach activities such as water-skiing and paragliding are normally managed by independent local operators and we have no control over their availability or prices. There may be a charge for some facilities, for example, TVs, safety deposit boxes, sun-loungers, parasols, tennis courts, pool tables and air-conditioning. In some places during high season (and even at other times) there is a possibility you will be disturbed by noise from less considerate groups, so please bear this in mind when choosing your resort and accommodation. Any transfer times we quote for travel between airport and resort are approximate and, depending on circumstances, the journey time to your own chosen property may be longer.
16. Personal Information
We will provide your personal information, as well as any personal information you provide in relation to those other persons who form your booking party, to suppliers and carriers who might be located outside the UK and/or EU, to enable the operation of the services requested by you. If you make special requests, which include, but are not limited to, special dietary, religious or disability-related requirements, which constitute sensitive information, the relevant data will also be passed to the relevant suppliers and carriers to enable provision of the services to you.
If you are 16 or 17 when a booking is made you will only allow you to travel without an adult if your parent/legal guardian has signed the booking form in front of the travel agent when you booked the Holiday. A contract will exist between your parent or guardian and us. If you book your Package on the telephone or on the Internet we will require a covering letter authorising you to travel, signed by your parent/legal guardian. This must be faxed to our reservations department on 0161 755 3081, along with a photocopy of the signature page of the passport of the parent/legal guardian who signed the letter. If you are aged under 16 on your departure date you must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.
17. Your Responsibility
We want all our customers to have an enjoyable and carefree trip. But you must remember that you are responsible for your actions and the affect they may have on others. If we (or another person in authority) believe your actions could upset other customers, our suppliers or our own staff, or put them in danger, we may end your holiday arrangements and this could mean we may either ask you to leave your booked accommodation, or prevent you from boarding the aircraft. We will deny boarding or impose additional conditions of carriage on any passenger who, for example, is intoxicated and/or disruptive or found to be smoking on board the aircraft. If this happens, we will not pay compensation, make refunds, or cover any expenses you suffer as a result.
18. Law and Jurisdiction
Your contract will be governed by English law and any disputes will be dealt with in the courts of England and Wales. If you live in Northern Ireland or Scotland, the courts of Northern Ireland or Scotland (as appropriate), can deal with any disputes.
We reserve the right to alter these booking conditions and you should check our website at the time of booking.
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