Bagpackers Booking Terms & Conditions

Our Details

We are Bagpackers Travel Company Ltd, a limited company incorporated in England, trading as Bagpackers 15804245. Our trading address is located at 2 Sanders Parade, Greyhound Lane, London, England, SW16 5NL with our registered address at 2 Sanders Parade, Greyhound Lane, London, England, SW16 5NL United Kingdom. We specialize in travel organization and operate primarily from the United Kingdom (UK). Our services are as advertised. We operate under the Bright sun Travel Company and hold an Air Travel Organizer’s License (ATOL) number 3853, granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Application of These Booking Terms & Conditions

Your contract with us is subject to these booking terms and conditions. A contract will exist between us once you have paid your deposit (or such other fee as may be appropriate, for example, when making a ‘late booking’) and we have issued you with our booking confirmation. If any part of our contract with you is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of it will not be affected and will remain valid and enforceable.

When you make a booking, you guarantee that you have the authority to accept and do accept, on behalf of your party, the terms of these booking conditions and agree that everyone traveling in your party will be bound by them. All bookings must be made by a person aged eighteen years or over. Where your booking is for more than one person, the first-named person in your party aged eighteen years or over will be treated by us as the ‘lead name’ for your booking. The lead name will be responsible for making all payments due to us in accordance with our contract.

Completion and submission of our Booking Form or Booking Process by you will be treated by us as confirmation that you have read, understood, and accepted these booking conditions.

Law and Jurisdiction

This contract is governed by English law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

Booking Procedures and Payment Terms

Please contact one of our Travel Designers who will collaborate with you to curate an experience tailored to your specific needs. Upon your request, we will provide you with a written quote detailing the prices of the Travel Products you have selected. It is essential that the names used for reservations match exactly as they appear in your passports. Any changes to names, initials, or spellings after booking confirmation may result in supplier fees and could potentially prevent you from traveling.

Once we receive your instruction to acquire the Travel Products, we will promptly arrange the quoted services, subject to availability, and confirm their pricing. Your instructions will serve as confirmation that you have thoroughly reviewed the Travel Products being booked and that you have comprehended and accepted these booking terms and conditions, along with any specific terms stated on your personalized itinerary

For air-inclusive bookings, an additional non-refundable deposit or full payment may be required at the time of booking. We may occasionally offer promotional deposits at reduced rates, which are governed by distinct terms and conditions specified by us. In the event of any inconsistency between these promotional deposit terms and our standard booking conditions, the terms of the promotional offer will prevail.

The remaining balance for your booking is due as per the schedule outlined in your custom itinerary upon confirmation of availability, and no later than 60 days before your departure date or earlier, as necessary, to secure your Travel Products.

Bagpackers reserves the right to cancel reservations and impose cancellation charges if any payments are not received in accordance with the terms specified herein. Please note that Bagpackers cannot be held liable for any lost land and/or air reservations.

Data Protection

The protection of your personal information or data is extremely important to us. In order to respond to an enquiry, process and fulfil your booking, or send you a brochure or other promotional material, we need to collect personal data from you. We will only process your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy for the purpose for which you have provided it (for example, arranging your holiday), or as you have consented to our using it (for example, to send you marketing material), or as permitted by data protection laws. Our Privacy Policy can be found here. Please read our Privacy Policy for full details. You and your personal data will be protected by the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We refer to this legislation as data protection laws.

Bagpackers is a data controller of your personal data. We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data, appropriate to the harm that might result. Your personal data will be retained by us for the period referred to in our Privacy Policy.

You may ask us what personal data of yours is being held or processed, for what purpose, and to whom it may be or has been disclosed. You may also withdraw your consent to receiving marketing material or other communications from us at any time by unsubscribing from our emails or otherwise contacting us. Please also let us know if you believe the personal data we are holding is inaccurate, out of date, or incomplete. You may contact us by email at info@bagpackers.co.uk , by telephone at +44 208 144 0009, or by post to Data Controller, Bagpackers, 2 Sanders Parade, Greyhound Lane, London, United Kingdom.

If you have any complaints about the way in which your personal data has been dealt with, please let us know by email at info@bagpackers.co.uk. We will investigate and respond to you as soon as reasonably possible. If you remain dissatisfied, you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. For further details, visit www.ico.org.uk.

The Price of Your Holiday and Payment

You will be notified of the price of your holiday at the time of booking. The details of what this price includes will be confirmed to you by us at the time of booking and outlined in our booking confirmation.

At the time of booking, you will be required to pay us a non-refundable deposit, typically 5% to 20% of the quoted holiday price. The full holiday price must be paid at least 60 days prior to departure. Depending on the nature of the booking, there may be circumstances where we require a non-refundable deposit exceeding the usual 5% to 20%. Sometimes, our suppliers require additional payments in advance, such as for Christmas bookings, in which case we will require this additional payment from you.

Unless it is a late booking, the remaining balance must be paid to us no later than 60 days before your departure date. Failure to submit the balance by this deadline will result in the booking being treated as cancelled by you, and you will be liable for our cancellation charges.

We accept payment via bank transfers, credit cards, or debit cards. There are no fees for any payment method.

If your booking is made so close to the departure date that it necessitates issuing your departure documents via special delivery or otherwise expediting the process, an administration charge of £25 per booking will apply.

We reserve the right to pass on any charges imposed on us from time to time by our suppliers regarding any other holiday arrangements made by us or a concierge on your behalf.

Your holiday price typically excludes:

• Visa fees, overseas airport departure charges payable locally, porterage, personal expenditures, gratuities, hotel extras, fuel, and additional costs for car hire.
• Taxes or compulsory charges introduced by governments, regulatory bodies, or airlines after your booking.
• Security charges introduced or increased after your booking in relation to transportation costs.
• Holiday insurance.

Changes made by you

(a) Transfers

You may transfer your booking to another person, provided that person meets all the requirements related to your holiday. You must notify us of the transfer in writing at least thirty days before your scheduled departure date. Both you and the new traveler are responsible for covering all costs we incur in facilitating the transfer.

We will charge an administration fee for arranging the transfer, as outlined in (c) below. Additionally, there may be other costs or fees that arise, which you must agree to pay before the transfer can be completed. For instance, many of our suppliers, especially airlines, cruise companies, and safari operators, do not allow us to change names or travel dates and may impose full cancellation charges of up to 100%.

 (b) Other changes

If you wish to make any other changes to your booking after we have issued our booking confirmation, we will endeavor to accommodate your request, but we cannot guarantee it. We require your written authorization before proceeding with any change. For group bookings, we need written authorization from the lead name before making any changes. You will be responsible for covering any charges incurred due to the change.

(c) Administration fee

In each of the above circumstances, an administration charge of £30 per person will be payable if your request is received by us 60 days or more prior to your date of departure, and £50 per person if the request is received less than 60 days prior to your date of departure. This charge is non-refundable.

Cancellations

If you wish to cancel your booking or any part of it following our issuance of the booking confirmation, we will require your authority in writing. For group bookings, the cancellation authority must come from the lead name in writing. Our cancellation charges, detailed in the table ‘cancellation charges’ below, will apply. These charges are calculated based on the date we receive your written cancellation authority. We do not refund any deposits, administration charges, insurance premiums, or other fees paid by you relating to your holiday in case of cancellation.

We start incurring costs from the moment you make your booking, and you agree to compensate us for our losses and expenses as outlined in the table below. Our cancellation charges increase the closer the cancellation occurs to your departure date, as reselling your holiday may require significant price reductions or may not be possible at all.

We strongly advise you to obtain adequate insurance cover for cancellation that covers the value of your holiday. If your insurance policy covers the reason for your cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these charges.

Cancellation charges

Number of days left before your due date of departure when we receive your written authority. Cancellation charge (expressed as a percentage of the total holiday price):

120 days or more: Deposit only (Deposit assumed at 20% of total holiday price)

• 119 – 91 days: 30%
• 90 – 75 days: 40%
• 74 – 41 days: 60%
• 40 – 7 days: 90%
• 6 days or less: 100%

Cancellation by Us

We reserve the right to cancel your booking. We will not cancel less than 8 weeks 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. Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances mean a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. The minimum number required will be provided to you with the holiday description, along with the time limit for us to notify you if the package has to be cancelled.

If your holiday is cancelled, you can either receive a refund of all monies paid or accept an alternative holiday of comparable standard from us if one is offered (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of lower value).

In the event of a refund, we will:

• Provide a full refund of your travel insurance premiums if paid to us and you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.
• Pay compensation as detailed below, except where the cancellation is due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances (see definition above).

Period before departure in which we notify you: Amount you will receive from us

• 59 – 43 days: £10
• 42 – 29 days: £25
• 28 – 15 days: £45
• 14 – 8 days: £60
• 7 – 0 days: £75

Changes to the Price

We can change your holiday price after you’ve booked, but only in certain circumstances:

Changes in the price of passenger transportation resulting from fluctuations in the cost of fuel or other power sources, adjustments in taxes or fees imposed by third parties (including tourist taxes, landing taxes, embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports), or fluctuations in exchange rates may cause the price of your travel arrangements to change after booking. However, no changes will be made within 20 days of your departure.

We will absorb any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges), and you will not be charged for this portion. Any amount exceeding this 2% increase will be charged to you. 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 an alternative holiday if we can offer one (with any price difference refunded if the alternative is cheaper), or cancelling your booking and receiving a full refund of all monies paid, except for any amendment charges.

If you decide to cancel:

• You must do so within the time period indicated on your final invoice.
• We will refund any insurance premiums paid to us if you demonstrate that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.

If the price of your holiday decreases due to the aforementioned cost changes, any refund owed to you will be paid. We will deduct our administrative expenses from this refund. Please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency, and some apparent changes may have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protections in place.

Changes other than the price

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, changes to aircraft type, change of accommodation to another of the same or higher standard, and changes of carriers.

If we are constrained by circumstances beyond our control to significantly alter any of the main characteristics of the travel services that make up your package, you will have the rights set out below.

We will contact you, and you will have the choice of accepting the change or receiving a refund of all monies paid. You can also accept an alternative holiday, where we offer one (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value). We will provide you with the procedure for making your choice. Please read any notification of changes carefully and respond promptly; if you do not respond within the timescale given, your booking may be cancelled.

If you choose to accept a refund:

• We will provide a full refund of your travel insurance premiums if you paid them to us and can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.
• We will pay compensation as detailed below except where the significant change is due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, which means a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

Period before departure in which we notify you | Amount you will receive from us

• 59 – 43 days: £10
• 42 – 29 days: £25
• 28 – 15 days: £45
• 14 – 8 days: £60
• 7 – 0 days: £75

Our Liability to You

You must inform us without undue delay of any failure to perform or improper performance of the travel services included in this package. If any of the travel services included in your package are not performed in accordance with the contract, or are improperly performed, by us or the travel service suppliers, and this has affected the enjoyment of your travel arrangements, you may be entitled to an appropriate price reduction or compensation or both. We will not be liable where any failure to perform or improper performance of the travel services is due to: (i) you or another member of your party; or (ii) a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel services in the package and is unforeseeable or unavoidable; or (iii) unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, which means a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

Your Responsibility

·         It is your responsibility to ensure that you and everyone traveling with you have valid passports, appropriate visas, and vaccinations. Your specific passport and visa requirements, as well as 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. Some countries (particularly in Southern Africa) require your passport to have two blank pages for a visa stamp. Therefore, if you are traveling to multiple countries that require this, such as South Africa and Namibia, both requiring two free pages, and re-entering South Africa for your return flight, you would need six blank pages. If you have any doubts about the number of pages required, we advise erring on the side of caution, even if this means applying for a new passport.

·         You are responsible for ensuring that any existing medical conditions or disabilities that may require assistance are declared to us before you book your holiday or, if newly diagnosed, before your due date of departure so that we can pass these details on to our suppliers in good time. We are not liable under any circumstances if any carrier refuses you or any member of your party as a passenger due to any medical condition or disability. Women who are 28 weeks or more into pregnancy at the time of return travel must have a doctor’s certificate confirming that they are fit to travel (note airlines normally require certification at 32 weeks). We are not liable for any costs, delays, or illness resulting from your failure to meet any requirements.

• You are responsible for your behavior and that of your party. We and our suppliers reserve the right to refuse your booking, the right to board, or the right to travel and to remove you and/or any member of your party from any transport, accommodation, or any part of your holiday if you or any member of your party is drunk or under the influence of alcohol or drugs; if you are, or we reasonably believe that you are, in unlawful possession of drugs; or are behaving violently, disruptively, dangerously, or irresponsibly, or in any manner that presents a risk to you or others, or is causing a nuisance or annoyance to others. No refund will be given, nor compensation paid, and no costs or expenses for which you become liable or which are incurred by you will be made by us or recoverable by you from us in such circumstances. You may also become the subject of a police inquiry, security measures, or investigation and be liable in the event that any offense is committed to criminal prosecution and penalties, whether in the UK or in any other country having jurisdiction over the alleged activity. You must fully cooperate with and follow any safety procedures and instructions given by any organization that is running the activities which you participate in while on holiday. It is possible that such organizations will require you to sign a waiver form regarding the activity being carried out.

Critical sickness or death during holiday

We do not take responsibility for any sickness or death during the holiday. However, if a customer requires the company’s assistance, we may choose to help out of goodwill. In cases of sickness, the company can only provide information about hospitals in the locality. In the event of death, the company can guide the deceased’s family on repatriation procedures:

• Contact the British Embassy/Consulate: Inform them about the situation. They can provide guidance and assistance in repatriating the deceased.
• Notify the Local Authorities: Report the death to the local authorities in the country where it occurred. They will issue a death certificate, which is necessary for repatriation.
• Contact a Local Funeral Director: Engage the services of a local funeral director who can assist with embalming and preparing the body for transportation.
• Arrange Transportation: Coordinate with airlines or repatriation services to arrange transportation of the deceased back to the UK. Airlines often have specific procedures and requirements for transporting human remains.
• Complete Documentation: Ensure all necessary paperwork, including death certificates, embalming certificates, and any permits required for transportation, are obtained and in order.
• Notify Next of Kin: Keep the family of the deceased informed throughout the process. They may need to provide consent and make decisions regarding funeral arrangements in the UK.
• Consider Insurance: If the deceased had travel insurance, check if it covers repatriation of remains. This can help cover the costs associated with the process.
• Follow Legal and Cultural Protocols: Be mindful of any legal requirements or cultural considerations in both the country where the death occurred and the UK.
• Provide Support: Offer support and assistance to the family of the deceased during this difficult time. They may need help with practical arrangements and emotional support.

Complaints

If you encounter a problem during your holiday, you must inform the relevant supplier whose service is involved (e.g., your hotelier) and our local representative promptly. If the local representative cannot be reached, please contact us on our 24-hour emergency number (+44 208 144 0009). We will make every effort to resolve the issue. If the problem cannot be resolved locally and you wish to file a complaint, you must provide full details in writing to us within 28 days of your return. Please include your booking reference and all relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and focused.

Failure to report your complaint while on holiday deprives us of the opportunity to investigate and address it promptly, which may affect your rights under this booking.

Many of our trips occur in destinations with varying local conditions, where the people we interact with may have different time management or planning standards than ourselves. While we strive to ensure the holiday proceeds as planned, we ask our travelers to approach their journey with a spirit of adventure, positivity, and good humor.

Additional assistance

If you encounter difficulties while on holiday and request our assistance, we will provide appropriate support. This includes offering information on health services, local authorities, and consular assistance. We will also assist in finding alternative arrangements and making necessary phone calls or emails. You are responsible for covering any costs we incur if the difficulty arises due to your actions.

 Insurance

You must ensure that you are fully insured for your holiday and that all activities you will undertake are covered by this insurance. Your insurance should include adequate cancellation coverage matching the value of your holiday, emergency evacuation, and repatriation costs for all your activities. Please note that travel insurance provided by some credit card providers often offers minimal coverage, and regardless of your insurer, you should always check for any exclusions related to your planned activities. In response to public concern, some insurers now offer specific insurance against cancellation, delay, and abandonment due to volcanic ash disruption. This can be obtained as an add-on to some travel insurance policies or as standalone cover.

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.

Payment Plans

Bagpackers offers flexible payment plans to ensure easy and affordable payments. Typically, we offer two types of plans: Monthly Installments and Two Chunks Plan. However, we can arrange special payment plans under certain circumstances.

The Monthly Installment plan is available when there is at least an 11-month gap between the booking date and the departure date. The Two Chunks Plan can be used when the gap is under 11 months. The deposit amount may vary depending on the chosen payment plan.

For the Monthly Payment Plan:

• If there is no response from the customer from the day the deposit is paid until the 45th day of being unresponsive, the booking will be cancelled, and the deposit will be retained.
• If a customer fails to make monthly installment payments for three consecutive months, the amount already paid will be retained, and any bookings will be cancelled. If the customer resumes payments the following month, a 5% surcharge will apply for each unpaid month.

For the Two Chunks Plan:

• If a customer fails to pay the first chunk within 15 days after the due date, a 3.5% surcharge will be added. If the payment is still not made after 30 days, the booking will be cancelled.
• The second chunk must be paid eight weeks before departure. Non-payment details are subject to the cancellation policy.

Airlines outside the European Union

The EU maintains a list of airlines that are banned from operating in the EU due to safety concerns. It is available online at ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban/index_en.htm. The UK will continue to adhere to these EU recommendations for the foreseeable future.

These airlines don’t fly within the EU, but they do fly outside it e.g. internal flights in Nepal. If we offer you a holiday that includes a flight provided by one of these airlines we will tell you in advance so that you can decide whether to proceed with your booking. If you decide to proceed with your booking in the knowledge that the airline is on the list, our usual cancellation charges will apply if you later change your mind about travelling with that airline.