1. Your Contract - Please Read This Carefully Before You Book
The following conditions should be read carefully as they will bind you. All travel arrangements made on your behalf are handled by PCM TRAVELS UK LTD ("the Company", "Us" or "We"), registered in the United Kingdom with Co. No., and business office at 24 Market Square, Hemel Hempstead, UK HP11ER, and are made pursuant to these conditions.
1.1 No contract will come into existence between us until you acknowledge the acceptance by us of a non-refundable deposit of a minimum of £100 per person (subject to change) and adherence to the fare rules as per the booking. The reservations are accepted/confirmed when a credit/debit card has been debited with the deposit to, or full payment of, the reservation in cleared funds (as per the agreement). Please note that deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable.
1.2 All services offered are subject to availability.
1.3 Prices quoted are based on ground and transportation costs prevailing at the date of booking. The Company reserves the right to change prices at any time prior to the booking being confirmed. The Company cannot accept responsibility for verbal price quotes or descriptions. We reserve the right to refuse, at our sole discretion, any booking.
1.4 When you make a booking, you confirm that you have the authority to accept and do accept these conditions for yourself 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.
1.5 It is your responsibility to ensure that any information which you provide us is accurate and that information which is given to you by us or by any of our suppliers is passed on to all members of your party.
2. Payments
E-Tickets
We will endeavour to send out travel documents 14 days prior to departure. If you have not received your tickets 3 days prior to departure, please contact us immediately.
Flight Programme Changes
All prices, dates, times, routes, and choice of airline are subject to alteration or cancellation should we find it necessary to effect any such alteration or cancellation. We will use our best endeavour to provide passengers with suitable alternatives. All arrangements for transportation are made by us upon the express understanding that we act as booking agents only.
Validity of Tickets, Flight Timings, and Scheduled Carriers
Return tickets are valid for the dates and routing specified therein. No refunds will be made in respect of unused tickets other than as provided for herein. Flights, timings, and schedules are subject to changes at the insistence of National Aviation Authorities or the carriers for operational or other reasons. Neither the company nor the carrier concerned will accept liability for flight cancellations, delays, or diversions outside the company's or the carrier's control. Timings in itineraries or elsewhere are not guaranteed and do not form part of the contract. Air Carriers may substitute alternative aircraft and carriers, include or omit stops, and neither the company nor the carrier accepts responsibility for making connections and/or delays. Refunds on cancellations due to schedule changes are subject to an administration fee.
All fares and schedules are subject to change without prior notification.
Deposits do not guarantee the fare.
Tickets are Non-Changeable, Non-Transferable, Non-Refundable.
3. Booking Confirmation and Travel Documents
Travel documents are requested from airlines and travel suppliers once you have paid in full. In most cases, airline tickets are issued within 24 - 48 hours. For scheduled flight bookings, tickets are issued as soon as we have verified your card details and taken payment. This is usually within 3 working days of the booking being made unless otherwise requested; other travel documents are released 14 days prior to travel. For charter flight bookings, tickets normally reach you 10-14 days before your departure date.
The traveller is responsible for the following: 3.1 Reading and approving the terms and conditions of travel prior to purchase. 3.2 Checking before making the purchase that the spelling of the name of the traveller matches exactly the spelling in their passport. 3.3 Contacting PCM Travels UK Ltd immediately if you do not receive a confirmation by email within a few minutes of booking. As soon as you receive this confirmation by email, you must check that the details are correct. Please notify PCM Travels UK Ltd immediately if anything is unclear. 3.4 Checking regularly your email address that you gave us, as all correspondence from us is sent by email. 3.5 Consulting the relevant airline to check which airport terminal you will be departing from. 3.6 Checking visa regulations, travel documents, and documents for the final destination and for any intermediate stops. This is done through the respective country's embassy or high commission, and the airlines that execute the journey. 3.7 Checking what vaccinations you will need before you travel. 3.8 Checking passport rules and how long your passport will be valid for. Some countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after you return home. 3.9 Checking current check-in times for the entire trip. We recommend that you check in at the airport at least 2 hours before departure for domestic flights, or 3 hours for international flights. 3.10 Checking flight times and any timetable changes for both your outbound and return flights.
4. Tickets
4.1 The e-ticket which Thetravelmakers sends by email to the traveller on completion of the booking is the travel document, and this must be carried on the entire trip. This confirmation contains all the important information, such as the booking reference, flight number, and flight times. 4.2 Airline tickets must always be used in sequence, and travellers must complete all legs of their journey. If the traveller does not complete any leg of the journey, the rest of the trip will be cancelled by the airline, and no refund will be issued. 4.3 Tickets with separate booking numbers are always handled as individual trips independent of one another. Thetravelmakers accepts no liability for missed connections or failure to issue refunds for separate tickets in the event of timetable changes, delays, or cancelled flights.
5. Flight Times
All flight times specified are local. Next-day arrivals are indicated with "+1" on the timetable. The stated flight times are preliminary and subject to change with short notice. The traveller must therefore stay in line with any updates of the flight schedule themselves. Please note that a flight described in your flight as "direct" will not necessarily be non-stop. All departure/arrival times on your flight ticket are provided by the airlines concerned and are estimates only. They may change due to air traffic control restrictions, weather conditions, operational/maintenance requirements, and the requirement for passengers to check in on time. We are unable to make any special arrangements for you if you are delayed; these matters are at the sole discretion of the airline concerned.
6. Special Requests & Medical Problems
If you have any special requests, please advise us at the time of booking. Although we will endeavour to pass any such requests on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee that any request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part. If you have any medical problem or disability which may affect your arrangements, you must advise us in writing before the booking, giving full details. If we feel unable to properly accommodate your particular needs, we reserve the right to decline/cancel your booking.
7. Booking of Flight Tickets
7.1 Price Alterations/Technical Errors
Thetravelmakers reserve the right to make changes due to technical errors and price alterations beyond our control. We reserve the right to contact the traveller within 24 hours to make any amendments to bookings made. Thetravelmakers also reserves the right to cancel the reservation in the event of technical problems and price errors which are beyond our control. The traveller will be notified by email in this instance.
7.2 Combination of Single Tickets (One-way Combination)
In order to obtain special fares when creating certain bookings, we either combine two or more one-way fares on different airlines or on the same airline. Even if the stages are booked together, they are treated individually. This means that each stage of your journey is handled separately in the event of cancellations, alterations, traffic disruption such as strikes, and timetable changes. Each airline's own regulations will apply.
7.3 Force Majeure
Please note that Thetravelmakers is not responsible for any trips cancelled due to civil strife, industrial dispute including air traffic control disputes, environmental disasters, acts of war, strikes, or other unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control or the airline’s control. Any amendments provide no entitlement to price reductions, substitute trips, damages, or other compensation from Thetravelmakers. We do not reimburse any supplementary arrangements for the trip, such as rail tickets, hotel accommodation, car rental, or visas. If the change to the timetable results in late arrival at the hotel or car rental company, the traveller must contact the hotel or car rental company personally to let them know.
7.4 Passports, Entry Visas, and Transit Visas
7.4.1 The traveller is responsible for ensuring that his/her passport is valid at the time of booking. The traveller is also responsible for ensuring that he/she holds a visa for the final destination and any visas required for countries you may just be transiting through. The traveller is personally responsible for any costs arising due to problems with these formalities. It is important for the traveller to check that his/her passport, entry visas, and transit visas meet the requirements of both the countries in question and the airlines. Special provisions relating to booking of return tickets are applicable for travel to certain countries. The traveller is responsible for checking this with the embassy or high commission of the country in question, and with any airlines involved.
7.4.2 An approved entry Permit (ESTA) and machine-readable passport are required for your travel.
7.4.3 Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements, are your responsibility. You should confirm these with the consulates at the relevant embassies or High Commissions. Neither the suppliers with which your contract, nor we, accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa, or immigration requirements. Please note that all names on any booking must be exactly as set out on your passports. It is your responsibility to have valid travel documents.
7.5 Vaccinations
The traveller is responsible for ensuring that he/she has had full vaccinations, and that other necessary formalities required for travel to the country which the traveller plans to visit have been completed. Any costs in connection with vaccinations will be met by the traveller.
8. Frequent Flyers
You can add your frequent flyer number at the time of booking. We register the details in the booking but accept no responsibility for points or bonuses with the applicable airline. Not all flights are eligible for points or bonuses, and such information is always to be requested from the airline.
9. Infants
Children between the ages of 0 and 2 will travel as infants and will not be allocated a seat of their own. A child ticket must be booked for the entire trip if the infant reaches the age of 2 before the end of the trip. Infant tickets cannot be booked before birth, as the correct name and date of birth must match those stated in the passport. Thetravelmakers will not reimburse any expenses arising if the wrong type of ticket has been booked.
10. Taxes
The ticket price shown is inclusive of airport taxes. A departure tax must be paid in cash on departure from some airports. It is the responsibility of the traveller to check this information.
11. Transport and Hotel When an Airport or Date is Amended
Ground transport and overnight accommodation during your trip are not included in the ticket price. The traveller is responsible for checking timetables and prices. This is also applicable in the event of any changes to the airlines' timetables, which are beyond our control.
11.1 Connection Time on Stopovers
The times required for connections during stopovers are calculated by the airlines. If a flight segment is delayed in the event of a transit booking, the airlines are obliged to assist the traveller to reach the final destination. When separate tickets are booked, the airlines bear no responsibility for delays leading to missed connections. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the traveller to check that the connection time is sufficient according to the airlines and the airports. Thetravelmakers will not reimburse any additional costs incurred on account of this.
11.2 Lost/Damaged Luggage
Thetravelmakers accepts no liability for lost or damaged luggage. Any problems must be reported immediately to the airline representative at the airport.
11.3 Premium Economy, Business, First Class
This service may only be purchased at the time of booking. Depending on the airline, the service may sometimes only be offered on certain sections of the journey.
The on-board service available will differ between airlines. For specific information, please refer to each airline's own website. Thetravelmakers.co.uk cannot be held responsible if an airline changes the type of aircraft or overbooks a cabin class, which may then entail changes to the range of available services or a downgrade. Any complaints must therefore be made directly to the relevant airline.
12. Changing the Timetable
Airlines may alter their timetables and cancel flights at short notice. Such alterations are beyond the control of Thetravelmakers. The traveller is personally responsible for checking the times of the departing and return flights directly via the airlines. Should your flight be cancelled, your rights and remedies will be governed by the airline's conditions of carriage. As a result, you may be entitled to: 12.1 Carriage on another flight with the same airline without additional cost, and/or 12.2 Receiving a full refund with the exception of Administration Charges. If a schedule change occurs to your itinerary prior to our receipt from you of the full price, or prior to the issue of your tickets (on either the outbound or return flight), we will do our best to notify you on behalf of the carrier. Under no circumstances will the Company pay compensation for any alterations, which are as a direct result of circumstances outlined in condition "Force Majeure".
13. Cancellation and Rebooking
13.1 Cancellation
Your tickets will be issued immediately upon receipt of payment. Restricted tickets cannot subsequently be refunded or amended. Thetravelmakers operates in compliance with the airlines' booking rules, which are normally very restrictive. Flight cancellation should be notified at least 24 to 48 hrs. prior to departure. Any notification of cancellation by telephone must also be confirmed in writing or by email within 24 hours by the person who made the original booking. Cancellation will take effect from the day we are notified, provided that written confirmation is received by us within 24 hours of the original notification.
13.2 Refunds
13.2.1 There is no automatic right to a refund and, when you return an air ticket to us, we will arrange for it to be presented to the respective airline or consolidator to assess eligibility for a possible refund in accordance with the relevant airline's or consolidator's terms and conditions.
13.2.2 Air tickets returned to us for a refund are subject to an administration charge of £75 per ticket, irrespective of the number of tickets returned. You will be required to pay per ticket cancellation charge, imposed by the airline or the consolidator pursuant to their terms and conditions.
13.2.3 An administration fee of £75 per ticket will be levied on any non-refundable ticket where a tax refund application is made by us at your request and on your behalf. If the recoverable tax components for your ticket are less than the administration charge, the ticket will be deemed to be fully non-refundable. Refunds will not be paid to you until they have been received by us from the relevant airline or consolidator. In the case of airline ticket refunds, this is normally 10-12 weeks from the point the tickets are submitted for consideration to the airline.
13.3 Rebooking
If you wish to modify your arrangements after your booking has been made, we will do our best to arrange this provided we can accommodate the change. Any request for changes must be made in writing by the person who made the booking. Thetravelmakers operates in compliance with airline ticket regulations which are usually very restrictive. If Thetravelmakers is to assist the traveller with a rebooking, the traveller is liable for costs arising from rebooking. We will charge an amendment fee of £50.00 per person plus Airline penalties, Tax differences, and any other cost we incur in making the alteration. Please note that your rebooking is not valid until you have received written confirmation from Thetravelmakers.
13.4 Scheduled airlines normally treat name changes as a cancellation. Rebooking may incur a 100% cancellation charge in respect of the airfare.
14. Expectant Mothers
It is not possible to arrange flights for expectant mothers who will be in excess of 28 weeks of pregnancy on their date of return flight. Regardless of this, women should consult with their doctor to establish whether it is safe for them to fly.
15. Behaviour
15.1 You accept responsibility to ensure that you and the members of your party do not behave in a way which causes offence to others or risks any loss or damage to property belonging to others. Payments for any such damage or loss must be made at the time directly to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier. You indemnify us against any claims (including legal costs) subsequently made against us as a result of your actions. We expect all clients to have consideration for other people.
15.2 If, in our reasonable opinion or in the opinion of any other persons in authority, you are behaving in such a way to cause or to be likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any third party or damage to property, we reserve the right to terminate your arrangements without notice. In this situation your total booking with us, including your return transportation arrangements, will immediately cease and we will not be responsible for paying any costs, expenses, refunds, or compensation.
16. Booking Conditions for Package Holidays
16.1 The Contract
Bookings are made with the Company subject to these booking conditions. No person may alter these conditions on the Company's behalf.
16.2 Your Financial Protection
We are a fully bonded member of ATOL under license number 11424 issued by the Civil Aviation Authority. When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us, you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you, and who to contact if things go wrong.
“We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable).”
“If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit, you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.”
16.3 Acceptance of Booking
We reserve the right to increase or decrease brochure-listed prices and to change any information in our brochures or on our website before a booking is made. On acceptance of the deposit and the satisfactorily completed booking form, the Company will issue a confirmation invoice and at this stage, the contract between us comes into existence. Payment of the balance due must be made not less than 12 weeks prior to departure. If the balance is not received by the due date, the Company reserves the right to cancel the booking and retain the deposit. If the booking is made within eight weeks of departure, full payment must be sent at the time of booking.
16.4 Your Holiday Price
The price of your holiday is based on known costs of and exchange rates at the time of booking. The price of your travel arrangements is subject to surcharges and increases in transportation costs, scheduled airfares, and any other airline surcharges that are part of the contract between airlines and. It is also subject to any Government action such as an increase in VAT or any other Government imposed increase and currency changes in relation to an adverse currency exchange variation. Certain cities impose a city tax and this should be paid directly to the hotel. This will not be included in the total price. It is the responsibility of the traveller to check this information.
16.5 Alterations by Us
It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your travel arrangements but we reserve the right to do so at any time. We plan arrangements a long time in advance of your holiday using independent suppliers such as airlines and hotels, over whom we have no direct control. Most of these changes are minor and we will advise you or your travel agent as soon as we are able. If we make a major change we will also endeavour to advise you or your travel agent as soon as reasonably possible. A major change includes a change of accommodation to that of a lower category and/or price, a change of flight time of more than 12 hours, a change of departure airport or a significant change of resort area. We will not be liable to pay any compensation if we are forced to cancel or in any way change your holiday as a result of unusual or unforeseeable situations outside our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even with all due care. These include unavoidable technical problems with transport, changes imposed by rescheduling or cancellation of flights by an airline or main charterer, the alteration of the airline or aircraft type, war or threat of war, civil strife, industrial disputes, natural disaster, bad weather, epidemic or terrorist activity. Hotels described as First Class or Luxury are deemed so by us and not necessarily by any official grading. The assessment is based on our knowledge of the establishment, our general opinion and the standard of what is available locally. The terms used, i.e. deluxe, luxury suites, etc., are the same as those by the hotel in question. The Company does not own, manage, or control the accommodation that it uses. Sometimes it is possible that the accommodation reserved is not available. In this event, the Company and/or its agent will endeavour to provide accommodation of equal standard.
16.6 Cancellation by the Client
If you or anyone on your holiday booking decides to cancel the holiday you must notify us of the decision as soon as possible. Any notification by telephone must also be confirmed in writing or by email within 24 hours by the person who made the original booking. Cancellation will take effect from the day we are notified provided that written confirmation is received by us within 24 hours of the original notification. A cancellation invoice will be sent to you within seven days. If you do not receive this please contact us immediately in order to prevent an increase in charges. Should you already be in receipt of your airline tickets please return these to us with your cancellation request. Certain travel arrangements cannot be changed or cancelled without incurring a 100% cancellation charge. If this is the case, we will tell you before you cancel. We strongly recommend that you take out full insurance which will, in most cases, include cover against loss of deposit or cancellation fees. If, some, but not all-party members, cancel the holiday or part of it, additional charges may be payable by the remaining members
16.7 Cancellation Charges
Charges are as below (Period before departure within which we receive the notice) (a)-More than 56 days: Deposit only (b)-Between 28 and 56 days: 30 % of total holiday cost or full cost of deposit, whichever is higher (c)-Between 27 and 7 days: 60 % of total holiday cost (d)-Less than 7 days: 80 % of total holiday cost
16.8 Cancellation by Us
We reserve the right to cancel your holiday for any reason. However we will not cancel your holiday less than 8 weeks prior to departure unless it is for a reason outside our control. If we have to cancel your holiday we will offer you: - alternative travel arrangements of equivalent or of very closely similar standard. If the Foreign Office specifically advises against travel to a particular destination, the Company will act on that advice and cancel holidays. The amount paid by you for the holiday will be refunded but no additional compensation will be paid. No compensation is payable if the holiday is cancelled because the number of persons who agreed to take it is less than the minimum number required and you are informed of the cancellation in writing within the period indicated in the description of the package. Whilst every effort is made to operate a tour as advertised, on occasion it may be necessary to make changes to the accommodation, the routing or order of an itinerary.
17. Insurance
It is strongly recommended that you have adequate travel insurance for the holiday. You may take the holiday insurance offered by us, or arrange it independently. The insurance cover must include cancellation charges, unexpected curtailment of your holiday, medical and repatriation expenses (including air ambulance), personal accident, delay loss or damage to your personal effects. When arranging insurance from a source other than offered by us, you must provide us with written details of the policy and sign an indemnity form on behalf of yourself and all members of your party absolving us and our overseas agents /representatives, of any liability for any costs that may arise which otherwise would have been met by the insurance claim.
18. Data Protection Policy
We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass the information on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements such as airlines, hotels, transport companies, etc. The information may also be provided to security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs and immigration if required by them, or as required by law.
19. Complaints and Dispute
In spite of detailed planning, it is recognized that occasionally problems do occur. If you incur any problems during your trip, it is essential that you bring them to the attention of the supplier and our agent or staff as soon as it occurs to give us a chance to investigate and rectify. In most instances, any necessary remedial action may be taken immediately and your holiday should continue unspoilt. If the problem cannot be rectified, you must contact us, in writing, within seven days of your return. If you do not raise the matter during your trip, this will affect any later claim you may make.
In any case, in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis whatsoever, our maximum liability to you shall be limited to the cost of your booking (or the appropriate proportion of the total amount if everyone on the booking is not affected).
20. Disabled Passengers
Regretfully, we must point out that some travel destinations are not suitable for the disabled. If you are disabled we suggest you check that the destination you are travelling to will be suitable for your needs.
21. Telephone Calls
In spite of detailed planning, it is recognized that occasionally problems do occur. If you incur any problems during your trip, it is essential that you bring them to the attention of the supplier and our agent or staff as soon as it occurs to give us a chance to investigate and rectify. In most instances, any necessary remedial action may be taken immediately and your holiday should continue unspoilt. If the problem cannot be rectified, you must contact us, in writing, within seven days of your return. If you do not raise the matter during your trip, this will affect any later claim you may make.
22. Law
Thetravelmakers makes no sign of content or materials in the Website are appropriate or available for use in jurisdictions outside the country. Access to the Website from jurisdictions where such access is illegal is prohibited. If you choose to scroll the Website from other jurisdictions, you do soon your own initiative and are liable for compliance with applicable local laws. Thetravelmakers is not responsible for any violation of law. You may not use or export the Content or materials in the Website in violation of country’s export laws and regulations. You further agree to comply with all applicable laws regarding the transmission of technical data exported from the United Kingdom and the country in which you reside.(If different from the United Kingdom )
Please address any queries in writing to:
PCM TRAVELS UK LTD.
24 Market Square, Hemel Hempstead, UK HP11ER
[email protected]