1. Your Contract with Us
These Booking Conditions, together with our privacy policy and any other written information we brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, apply to your contract with Sport Links Travel Limited a company registered in England & Wales under company number 06555592.
Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations and you will be bound by them. In these Booking Conditions references to “you” and “your” include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred. Our acceptance of your deposit or payment, and the issuing of an invoice, forms a contract between us and the party leader (first named passenger) acting on behalf of all passengers in the party
2. Payment
The deposit required will depend on the components you choose. Some Airlines, transport providers or hotels will require full payment at the time of booking and where possible we will advise this at the point of booking. Airlines have contracts in which they have the right to demand full payment at the time of booking or at any other times before your departure, without notice. Airlines may also cancel seats. In this instance, you may be required to pay a further deposit at short notice to secure flights. Although a provisional reservation for a scheduled flight may be made on payment of a deposit, a confirmed booking cannot exist, neither can the price be guaranteed, until final payment for the ticket has been received and the ticket issued.
This payment is deemed to be confirmation that the client has read and accepts the Sport Links Travel booking conditions. Clients booking through a travel agent or by telephone, fax, email or online will be deemed to have read the booking conditions and accepted them.
Your balance must be paid before the date specified on the travel confirmation which is normally no later than 90 days before your departure date. If we do not receive final payment by the due date then we / the provider of the services in question reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you and cancellation charges will be applicable as detailed in section 8 below.
Full payment will be required for all bookings made within 12 weeks of departure.
3. The Price of Your Holiday
Unless otherwise stated, all prices are in sterling. Exact prices can only be confirmed once a deposit is made and confirmed back to you in writing.
4. Insurance
Adequate travel insurance is a condition of your contract with us. You must take out a policy of insurance in order to cover you and your party against the cost of cancellation by you; the cost of assistance (including repatriation) in the event of accident or illness; loss of baggage and money; and other expenses. We also advise you to ensure you are covered for COVID 19 related matters. If you fail to travel with adequate insurance cover we will not be liable for any losses in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.. Please note that we cannot advise you on this. It is your responsibility to ensure you have appropriate and adequate travel insurance.
5. If You Change You’re Booking
If, after our confirmation invoice has been issued, you wish to change your travel arrangements in any way, for example your chosen departure date or accommodation, we will do our utmost to make these changes but it may not always be possible. Any request for changes to be made must be in writing from the person who made the booking or your travel agent. You will not be asked to pay an administration charge; however for any further costs we incur in making this alteration you will be asked to pay any further costs involved. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and you should contact us as soon as possible. Note: Certain travel arrangements may not be changeable after a reservation has been made and any alteration request could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.
6. Changes by Us
It is unlikely that we will make changes to your travel arrangements. However, it is a term of your booking that we are able to make changes to any aspect of your booking. If the change is insignificant, we will ensure that you are notified about it. Examples of insignificant changes include alteration of your outward/return flights by less than 12 hours, change of accommodation to another of the same or higher standard, changes of carriers. Most of these changes will be minor and we will advise you at the earliest possible date. No compensation is payable for minor changes. We do not control the day to day management of your accommodation, and in exceptional cases it is possible that we may be advised that the reserved accommodation has been overbooked or your accommodation may have to be changed for other reasons. If this happens before your departure or on arrival in resort we will endeavour to provide accommodation of at least the same standard in the same city or resort.
We reserve the right to cancel your travel arrangements in any circumstance. We will not cancel your travel arrangements less than 90 before your departure date except for reasons of Force Majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance. If we cancel your holiday you can either have a refund of monies paid or accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us.
Should a sport event be cancelled due to Force Majeure; for example this could be for reasons of security or one of the teams contracting COVID-19 and it is still deemed safe to travel by the relevant authorities and airlines then the holiday will go ahead as planned minus the sporting event. The costs of tickets and any stadium transfer arrangements will be refunded.
We can change your holiday price after you’ve booked, only in certain circumstances:
Changes in [the price of the carriage of passengers resulting from changes to the cost of fuel or other power sources] [the level of taxes or fees imposed by third parties including tourist taxes, landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports] or [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. You will be charged for the amount over and above that. If this results in an increase equivalent to more than 8% 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 (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value), or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all monies paid, except for any amendment charges.
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.
7.Cancellation by You
You, or any member of your party, may cancel your travel arrangements at any time. Written notification from the person who made the booking or your travel agent must be received at our offices. Since we incur costs in cancelling your travel arrangements, you will have to pay cancellation charges as follows:
Period before departure date
More than 90 days deposit only
89 days to 0 days – 100% of total holiday cost.
You will be advised in writing of these.
Note: If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges.
8. Cancellations by Us
We reserve the right to cancel your booking. We will not cancel less than 90 days before your departure date, except for unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, or failure by you to pay the final balance, or because the minimum number required for the package to go ahead hasn’t been reached. An unavoidable and extraordinary circumstance means a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.
If your holiday is cancelled you can either have a refund of all monies paid or accept an alternative holiday of comparable standard from us if we offer one (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value).
9. Our Liability
We do not accept responsibility for death, illness or injury which you may suffer on holiday unless it is deemed by a court of law to be as a result of the negligence of our agents, suppliers or their sub-contractors (excluding any domestic, internal or international carriers). , If any customer should suffer death, injury or illness arising out of an activity which does not form part of the arrangements provided by us, we shall, at our discretion, offer advice, guidance and assistance. Any dispute, claim or other matter which arises out of or in connection with your contract or holiday will be dealt with by the courts of England and Wales.
10. Protecting your money – Your Financial Protection
a) Holiday package that includes international flights. We only purchase international and domestic flights from providers that are financially protected by the Civil Aviation Authority, Gatwick Airport South, West Sussex, RH6 0YR, UK, telephone 0333 103 6350, email claims@caa.co.uk. When you buy ATOL protected flights or flight inclusive package 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. Our ATOL number is 9837.
We will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where we aren’t 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 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.
b) Non-flight-based holiday packages. When booking arrangements that does not include international flights please note these items are not financially protected under ATOL. We provide financial protection for our package holidays by way of a bond held by ABTA – The Travel Association, 30 Park Street, London, SE1 9EQ, www.abta.com. You agree to accept that in the event of our insolvency ABTA may arrange for the services you have bought to continue, or for a suitable alternative to be provided at the same cost as your original booking. You also agree to accept that in circumstances where the travel service supplier provides the services you have bought, you agree to pay any outstanding sum under your contract with us to that alternative travel service provider. However, you also agree that in some cases the services will not be provided, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under ABTA’s Scheme of Protection (or your payment card issuer where applicable) for a refund of the monies you have paid.
ABTA
We are a Member of ABTA, membership number Y5295. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you ABTA’s scheme for the resolution of disputes which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. If we can’t resolve your complaint, go to www.abta.com to use ABTA’s simple procedure. Further information on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com.
11. Force Majeure
We regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where your package holiday is cancelled, curtailed, delayed or in any way changed or where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected in whole or part as a result of circumstances amounting to ‘Force Majeure’. Such circumstances include, but are not limited to, war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, epidemics or health risks, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire or adverse weather conditions, technical problems with transport, closure or congestion of airports, cancellations or changes of schedules by scheduled airlines, government action or advice and all similar circumstances outside our control.
12. Complaints Procedure
We sincerely hope you will not experience any problems with our services. If you have a complaint about any of the services included in your holiday, you must inform our resort representative, UK tour manager or hotel manager immediately so that it can be acted on quickly without undue delay who will endeavour to put things right.
If it is not resolved locally, please follow this up as soon as possible after your return home, ideally within 28 days by email giving all relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. If you fail to follow the requirement to report your complaint in resort we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify it and this will affect your rights under this booking.
13. Additional assistance
If you’re in difficulty whilst on holiday and ask us to help we will provide appropriate assistance, in particular by providing information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance; and helping you to find alternative arrangements and any necessary phone calls/emails. You must pay any costs we incur, if the difficulty is your fault.
14. Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements
Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.
15. Excursions
Excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on holiday are not part of your package holiday provided by us. For any excursion or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.
16. Flights and other Services
All transport in our tour by aircraft, rail, coach or boat is subject to the conditions of carriage of those operators and those conditions apply. These conditions may limit or exclude the carrier’s liability. Flights are subject to air traffic control restrictions, weather conditions and local conditions. There is no guarantee that departures will take place at the times shown in your documentations or tickets. We do not accept any liability for any delay that may arise. Before you book we will give you information concerning the airline on which you will fly, your airport of destination, but if any of these details change subsequently, and you choose to cancel as a result, our normal cancellation charges will apply.
17. Group Travel
It is understood when booking an escorted group tour that you will be travelling with other passengers. If tour numbers are low at the time of your booking we will advise this at the time of the booking and make no guarantee that the numbers will rise. If this is the case then you will continue to have your own guide/s as agreed and there will be no changes to your itinerary. In this event we will endeavour to let you know prior to departure date.
18. Your Responsibility
It is your responsibility to observe the following. Sport Links Travel will not be liable for any loss, damage, illness, discomfort or cost of whatever kind you might sustain from failing to discharge the following responsibilities.
a) You are responsible to check the confirmation invoice and inform us of any error immediately.
b) You should take out travel insurance at the time of booking. If you do not purchase insurance through us it is your responsibility to ensure that the cover is equivalent to that which we provide. We cannot be held responsible if you purchase inadequate cover or fail to inform us of relevant factors that could affect your cover, e.g. disabilities or certain medical condition.
c) You are responsible to ensure that you have a valid passport and obtain an entry visa prior to travel. We cannot be held responsible for delay or cost as a result. You are also responsible to observe the laws and regulations of the country you are visiting.
d) You are responsible to arrive in good time to board transportation. We will try to assist you in arranging alternative if you miss a flight or other transport, but reserve the right to recover any costs incurred from you.
e) You are responsible to meet the health requirements of any country you are visiting. Nor can we be held responsible for any circumstance arising out of your failure to disclose a disability or certain medical condition if this were likely to affect your holiday.
19. Your specific passport and visa requirements
These other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. Whilst we will endeavour to advise you; we do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.
20. Accommodation – Triple/Quad Rooms
A third or fourth person sharing a room either shares existing beds or has an extra bed (which may be of camp-bed / foldaway style) placed in a double/twin room. As conditions may be cramped you may wish to consider booking two rooms.
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The above mentioned Terms and Conditions is our responsibility, as your tour operator. It is not issued on behalf of, and does not commit the airlines mentioned herein or any airline whose services are used in the course of your travel arrangements.
Your booking and these booking conditions are governed by English Law, and the jurisdiction of the English Courts. You may however choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you live there and wish to do so.
If you wish to discuss the above terms and conditions please do not hesitate to contact us either by telephone or email, we will be happy to help.