Your Financial Protection
When you buy an ATOL protected air package or flight from us you will receive a confirmation invoice from us (or via our authorised agent through which you booked) confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 2910. 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. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.
The price of your holiday includes the amount of £1 per person as part of the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) we pay to the CAA. This charge is included in our advertised prices and will be shown separately on your confirmation invoice.
Terms and Conditions
Astro-Expeditions is a trading name of Sportif International Ltd. and this contract is for the provision of travel arrangements on the Astro-Expeditions programme. Please read these booking conditions carefully together with the General Information section contained in our brochure or on our web site as they form the basis of your contract with Sportif International Ltd. The contract is only for the provision of travel arrangements as indicated in the tour information and does not guarantee the successful observation of any specified natural event.
All references to a "brochure" in the following terms and conditions should be read as including any information published on this website, leaflets or any other publication by Astro-Expeditions or Sportif International Ltd.
1. Booking Your Holiday and Payment
Once you have chosen your holiday arrangements, you may make a provisional reservation. We will usually hold a provisional reservation for seven days. To make confirmed booking, our booking form must be completed and signed by the first named person (who must be at least 18 years of age) on behalf of all party members. The signed booking form should then be sent to us accompanied by the deposit shown on the booking form or full payment if booking twelve weeks or less before departure. Bookings made by telephone, over the Internet, by email or any other electronic medium shall have the same effect as if they had been made as above. In addition, all applicable insurance premiums should be paid at the time of booking if you wish to purchase the insurance we offer (see clause 18 and insurance details). We will confirm your chosen arrangements and acknowledge your payment by sending you a confirmation of your booking. Please check this confirmation together with all other documents sent to you carefully to ensure they fully accord with your instructions. If you have any queries, you must advise us immediately. Fourteen weeks prior to your departure we will send you a final invoice showing the outstanding balance due to us (unless full payment has already been made), this balance must be received by us no later than 84 days (twelve weeks) prior to departure. If for any reason the balance is not received by us in full by the due date, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you so that the fees set out in clause 6 will be payable.
2. Your Contract
A binding contract between us will come into existence when we issue our Confirmation of your booking. These booking conditions form the basis of that contract. They may only be varied by a director of Sportif International Limited in writing. Your contract is governed by English law and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.
3. Prices
We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your holiday is confirmed. We will advise you of any error of which we are aware and of the then applicable price at the time of booking.
4. Price Guarantee & Brochure Accuracy
Please note, the information and prices shown in this brochure may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the brochure and prices at the time of publication, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. The brochure price is based on air fares and fuel costs at the date of costing, however these may change during the currency of the brochure. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen holiday (including the price) with us at the time of booking. We will confirm the price to you when you make your reservation and if you pay this price in full at the time of making your reservation it will be guaranteed against any further changes. If you pay a deposit only at the time of your reservation, the price of your holiday will be subject to any increase incurred by us as a result of currency exchange rate changes, fuel price increase or other factors affecting the direct cost of your holiday. In the event of such increases we will accept the first 2% of the costs and the balance will be charged to your account. If such change results in an increase of more than 10% of the total price of your holiday (including any excursions or extensions), you will have the option of accepting the increase or cancelling the holiday and receiving a full refund. This brochure is our sole responsibility. It not issued on behalf of and does not commit any independent organisation/carriers whose services are featured in it.
5. Amendment by You
Should you wish to make any changes to your booking after it has been confirmed, please advise us as soon as possible in writing. We will endeavour to assist although we cannot guarantee that requests for amendment can always be met. Where an amendment can be made, a fee of £25 per booking per amendment will be charged together with any costs or charges incurred by us or incurred or levied by our suppliers. An amendment constitutes a change to the existing booking. A request to transfer to another holiday or to other arrangements will be treated as a cancellation incurring the cancellation fees set out in clause 6. Where you or a member of your party is prevented from travelling (e.g. as a result of personal illness/injury, the serious illness or injury of a close family relative, jury service or unavoidable work commitments) the person concerned may transfer their booking to another qualified person, providing we are notified of the need to transfer not less than 28 days prior to departure. An amendment fee of £25 will be payable together with any costs or charges incurred by us or incurred or levied by our suppliers to effect the transfer.
6. Cancellation by You
You have an option to cancel your holiday arrangements which must be exercised in writing. The fees for the exercise of this option are shown below. Notice of exercise of your option to cancel should be sent to us by Recorded Delivery. No refunds can be made for any part or parts of any holiday, tour, excursions or other arrangements cancelled on or after your scheduled departure date or not utilised by you. Period before departure within which written notification of cancellation is received by us and the applicable fees:
More than 85 days a sum equal to deposit paid
84 to 45 days 70% of total cost
44 days to 14 days 90% of total cost
13 days or less 100% of total cost
Total cost means the total cost of the cancelled arrangements excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges which are non refundable in the event of your cancellation. Depending on the reason for your cancellation, you may be able to claim a refund of the above fees from your insurance company if you have taken out an appropriate travel insurance policy.
7. Changes by Us
We reserve the right to make changes to your booked arrangements and our brochure at any time both before and after bookings have been confirmed. Most changes will be minor ones. Occasionally, it is necessary to make a significant change. A significant change is one made before departure involving a change of outward or return international flight time by 12 hours or more, a change of UK departure airport to one which is more inconvenient for you (except as between Heathrow and Gatwick and vice versa), a change of accommodation where specific identified accommodation has been booked (except in the case of one or two night stays), a change of accommodation for the whole or a significant part of the holiday to that of a lower standard or which is lacking important advertised features or is located in a different resort in all cases to that which was originally booked, in the case of tours, a significant change or deletion of a major part of the itinerary, where we have arranged your holiday for a specific purpose (e.g. diving), inability to carry out that purpose for an extended period during the holiday, for stays at particular accommodation for five nights or more, the withdrawal of the only or all advertised swimming pool(s) for an extended period. All other changes are treated as minor changes. Where known, minor changes will be shown on your Final Itinerary which will be sent to you with your travel documents about two weeks before departure. In the event of a significant change, we will advise you as soon as possible and give you the choice of:- (a) accepting the changed arrangements as notified to you; or (b) purchasing different arrangements from us, of at least the same standard if available (with you paying or receiving a refund in respect of any price difference); or (c) cancelling your arrangements and receiving a full refund of all monies paid to us. If we have to make a significant change within 56 days of departure, we will in addition pay you compensation in accordance with the scale set out below (providing we have received full payment from you) except where the change is made as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care. Such circumstances may include those amounting to “force majeure” as set out in clause 10 below. Compensation is not payable in the case of minor changes. Minor changes further do not entitle you to cancel or change to another holiday without paying our normal charges. In all cases, our liability is limited to the payments set out in the scale below and we cannot be responsible for any costs or expenses you may incur as a result of any change.
Period before scheduled departure date within which a significant change is notified to you, and compensation per person:
More than 56 days Nil
56 to 43 days £35.00
42 to 29 days £40.00
28 to 15 days £45.00
14 days or less £50.00
8. Changes after Departure
After departure, our Tour Director or local ground agent has the right to make any changes to arrangements which they/we consider to be necessary or appropriate in the interests of the safety of any of our clients, employees or suppliers or to be beneficial to the operation of the arrangements or desirable to overcome weather, transportation or other problems beyond our immediate control or that of our suppliers, or if changes are required at any time by government agencies or organisations or other official bodies. We do not control the day to day management of your accommodation. Particular hotels may only be used infrequently. It is possible that we may be advised that your reserved accommodation is not available after you have departed on holiday. If this occurs, we will endeavour to provide accommodation of at least the same standard in the same area.
9. Cancellation by Us
Occasionally, it may be necessary to cancel previously confirmed arrangements which we reserve the right to do. Where your arrangements are cancelled other than due to your default in payment, we will offer you the choice of either purchasing alternative arrangements from us, of at least the same standard if available (with you paying or receiving a refund in respect of any price difference) or receiving a full and immediate refund of all monies paid to us. Except where you fail to make payment in full and on time, we will not cancel less than eight weeks before departure unless we are forced to do so as a result of “force majeure” as defined in clause 10 below. We regret no compensation will be payable if we cancel eight weeks or more before departure for any reason or less than eight weeks before departure as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even with all due care. Very rarely, we may be forced to curtail your arrangements after the date of departure where circumstances amounting to “force majeure” as defined in clause 10 below occur. In this very unusual situation, we regret we cannot make any refunds (except where these are obtained from the relevant supplier(s)), pay any compensation or be responsible for any costs or expenses you may incur as a result.
10. Force Majeure
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss (as more fully described in clause 11 (1) below) as a result of “force majeure” Force majeure includes any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid such as war or threat of war, civil strife, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire, terrorist activity, governmental action and all similar circumstances beyond our control.
11. Liability
(1)We promise to make sure that all parts of the holiday we have agreed to arrange, perform or provide as part of our contract with you are arranged, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. We will accept responsibility if any death, personal injury, failure or deficiency of your holiday arrangements is caused by any failure by ourselves or our employees (providing they were at the time acting within the course of their employment) or our agents or suppliers (as applicable) to use reasonable skill and care in performing or providing the service in question. Please note it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim. We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (for example loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: - (a) the fault of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or (b) the fault of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday which we could not have predicted or avoided or (c) an event or circumstance which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have predicted or avoided even after taking all reasonable care (see clause 10) (d) the fault of anyone who is not carrying out work for us (generally or in particular) at the time. In addition, we will not be responsible where you do not enjoy your holiday or suffer any problems because of a reason you did not tell us about when you booked your holiday or where any problems you suffer did not result from any breach of our contract or other fault of ourselves or, where we were responsible for them, our suppliers or agents or where any losses, expenses, costs or other sum you have suffered relate to any business. Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised in our brochure and we have not agreed to arrange them and any excursion you purchase in resort.
(2)The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract - and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred - will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence of a safety feature which might lead a reasonable holiday maker to refuse to take the holiday in question.
(3)We limit the maximum amount we may have to pay you for any and all claims or parts of claims which do not involve personal injury, illness or death. Except where loss of and/or damage to luggage or personal possessions is concerned or a lower limitation of liability applies to your claim, the maximum amount we will have to pay you for such non personal injury claims if we are found liable to you on any basis is twice the price (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your holiday. Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is £50 per person affected as you are assumed to have taken out adequate insurance at the time of booking. Please also see clause 11(4) below.
(4)Where any claim or part of a claim concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, rail or road carrier or any stay in a hotel, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier or hotel keeper concerned would have to pay under the international convention or regulation which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question (for example, the Warsaw Convention as amended for international travel by air and/or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country, the EU Regulation on Air Carrier Liability for national and international travel by air, the Athens convention for international travel by sea). When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.
(5) This clause 11 is intended to set out our obligations to you as a tour operator/organiser in the light of the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992. Please note, we regret we cannot make any payment to you or any member of your party if the person concerned is not entitled to one from us under these Regulations. You must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against the supplier or whoever else is responsible for your claim or complaint (if the person concerned is under 18, their parent or guardian must do so). You must also agree to cooperate fully with us and our insurers if we or our insurers want to enforce any rights which are transferred. It is a condition of our acceptance of liability as set out in this clause that you fully comply with our complaints procedure, as set out in clause 12 below.
(6) If you or any member of your party suffers illness, injury or death, through misadventure, as a result of an activity which does not form part of your contracted holiday arrangements, we will provide you with all reasonable assistance. 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.
(7) Higher risk activities - Certain activities (e.g. trekking, diving, rafting etc) are of their very nature dangerous and carry a greater risk of personal injury and death. Such risks are compounded by the fact you may be participating in these activities in remote areas where even limited medical assistance may be some considerable distance and time away. It is your responsibility to ensure you and all members of your party are medically fit to engage in any particular activity. Certain activities (e.g. diving) have particular medical, training or other requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure you are familiar and comply with those requirements. In agreeing to these terms, you acknowledge and accept the risks inevitably associated, both directly and indirectly, with higher risk activities and that we cannot accept responsibility if any such risks materialise and you suffer death, personal injury, loss or damage as a result. If you are in any doubt as to possible risks, you should consult our staff before booking. You must ensure that any insurance policy you take out covers you in relation to higher risk activities.
(8) Special events, visits, observation programmes, exhibitions, excursions and facilities - All special events, visits, observation programmes, exhibitions, excursions and facilities referred to in our literature are shown in good faith and will, to the best of our belief be available. However, we do not control or arrange such matters. Where any special event, visit, observation programme, exhibition or facility which forms a significant part of your confirmed holiday arrangements becomes unavailable, is disrupted by weather or other causes, cannot be provided or is not to take place for any reason, we will advise you before departure if possible. The provisions of clause 7 will then apply. Unfortunately, we may be unaware of such non availability prior to departure or may be unable to inform you of this prior to departure. In this event, the rest of the holiday arrangements will be provided as booked and we will refund the direct cost of the event etc in question (together with the cost of any local transportation where applicable). Our liability in this situation will be limited to such refunds.
12. Complaints/claims
If you are unhappy about any aspect of your arrangements, you must inform our tour escort or ground agents together with the supplier of the service concerned immediately. You must make every effort to bring problems to the attention of ourselves and the supplier so that they can be resolved during your holiday and to mitigate any losses, expenses or costs you incur. Once we and the supplier concerned are aware of the problem, everything reasonably possible will be done to quickly resolve it. If you remain dissatisfied, you must write to us giving full details of your complaint within 29 days of your return to the UK (e mail messages are not acceptable in this context). We regret we cannot accept liability in relation to any complaint which is not notified entirely in accordance with this clause.
13. Air Travel
At the time of publication, we are not in a position to confirm the airlines, aircraft types and/or airports of destination which will be used in connection with your holiday arrangements. Where this information is provided prior to departure (as will usually be the case) a subsequent change at any stage will be treated as a minor change and will not entitle you to cancel without paying the normal cancellation fee. All flight times shown in our brochure or given on booking are subject to change. Please ensure you carefully check all travel documentation and information relating to your arrangements as soon as it is received by you. This brochure is our responsibility. It is not issued on behalf of and does not commit any airlines mentioned in it or an airline whose services are used in the course of any tour or other arrangements.
14. Delays
Unfortunately, delays in transportation (e.g. flights) can sometimes occur. We regret we cannot accept any liability in relation to any delays which are beyond our control or any expenses or losses you incur as a result. Depending upon terms of any insurance policy you have taken out, you may be able to seek reimbursement of any such expenses or losses together with compensation for the delay from the insurance company. We do not accept liability for loss of earnings or consequential business losses resulting from any delay and you should take out an appropriate insurance policy to cover such losses. In the event of your outward or return international flight being delayed, we will endeavour to arrange for the airline to provide appropriate refreshments if possible.
15. Conditions of Suppliers
In respect of all services, the conditions of the supplier concerned (e.g. airline, coach operator, hotelier or other provider) will apply. Such conditions will often limit the supplier’s liability to you usually in accordance with applicable international conventions. Copies of these conditions are available from the suppliers concerned direct.
16. Pre-Departure Contact
It is essential to ensure you provide us with a telephone number or address where you can be reached up to 24 hours prior to your departure in the event of late changes or other problems.
17. Special Requests
If you have any special requests, please ensure you notify us in writing at the time of booking. We will endeavour to pass such requests on to the supplier(s) concerned. We regret however that we cannot guarantee special requests will be met and failure to do so will not be a breach of contract on our part. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met.
18. Insurance
It is a condition of our accepting your booking that you take out adequate travel insurance for the whole period of your holiday. Details of the policy we offer are shown in this brochure. We do not accept liability for any losses suffered by yourself or your party as a result of your being uninsured or under-insured. Insurance cover will only be effective when your premium has been paid. Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. We do not check alternative insurance policies
19. Passport, Visa and Health Requirements
It is the party leader’s responsibility to ensure that all members of your party have all necessary passports, visas and health/vaccination certificates for your holiday prior to departure. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. We cannot accept any responsibility if you are denied entry into any country or on to any flight due to inadequate travel documentation. Any costs or expenses incurred as a result will be your responsibility.
A full British passport currently takes up to six weeks to obtain. Such requirements do change from time to time and you should accordingly check the up to date position in good time before departure. If you or any member of your party is not a British citizen or holds a non-British passport, you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the countries to or through which you are intending to travel. If failure to have the necessary travel or other documents results in fines or other financial penalty being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.
20. Behaviour
We, the tour director and any other person in authority (e.g. airline pilot or accommodation manager) has the right to terminate the holiday arrangements of any person whose behaviour, in our opinion or that of the person in authority, does or is likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to themselves or any of our other clients, employees or any third party or to cause damage to property. In this event, our responsibility for the person concerned (including any continuing/return travel arrangements) will immediately cease and we will not be liable to meet any expenses or costs incurred as a result, make any refund or pay any compensation.