Booking Terms & Conditions

1. THE CONTRACT

Payment of your deposit represents your acceptance of the following terms & conditions, as well as all general information provided by us.

Please check your confirmation carefully and report any incorrect or incomplete information to us immediately. Please ensure that the names are exactly as printed on the relevant passport and/or other identification required for travel.

You must be at least 18 years of age to make a booking.

2. TRAVEL AGENT

We act as a travel agent only. We sell various travel related products or services on behalf of numerous providers, including, but not limited to airlines, coach, rail, cruise line operators, tour operators and hotels. We exercise care in the selection of reputable travel service providers, but we do not own, operate, manage or control these travel service providers and are not liable for their acts or omissions. Our obligation to you is to book travel on your behalf and to arrange relevant contracts between you and the travel service providers. We have no responsibility for these products or services, nor do we have the authority to make any warranty or representation regarding their standard. All bookings are subject to the terms & conditions and limitations of liability imposed by these travel service providers. You understand that your legal recourse is against the specific provider, not us.

3. QUOTES

All prices quoted are in United States Dollars ($) and are per person, unless otherwise stated. All prices are based on rates at the time the quote is sent.  Please note that prices quoted are limited and subject to change.

Price changes may occur for events beyond our control including, but not limited to, adverse currency fluctuations, fuel costs, taxes and embarkation or disembarkation fees. The price is only guaranteed once paid for in full by you.

In case of human or computer error, we reserve the right to re-quote for the correct price.

From time-to-time we may offer reduced pricing on certain products or services. Reduced pricing applies only to new bookings. Bookings where payment of at least a deposit has been received by us are not entitled to the reduced pricing.

4. BOOKING FORM

The person signing the booking form (which incorporates these Terms & Conditions) warrants that he or she has full authority to do so on behalf of all persons whose names appear on the booking form and confirms that all such persons are fully aware of and accept these Term & Conditions.

By booking travel related products or services on behalf of another person or persons, you are deemed to be the designated contact person for every person included on the booking form. This means that you are responsible for making all payments due in connection with your booking, notifying us if any changes or cancellations are required and keeping your party informed.

You are responsible for verifying that any information you provide is complete and accurate. We will under no circumstances be liable for any fees you incur as a result of errors, omissions, inaccuracies, late, misplaced or otherwise incomplete information you have provided.

Any errors in names, dates and timings may result in an inability to use that booking and the booking being cancelled.

5. DEPOSITS

A NON REFUNDABLE per person deposit is due at the time of booking. If booking is made 60 days or less prior to departure, full payment may be required at the time of booking.

6. FINAL PAYMENT

Final payment amount and due date will be advised at time of confirmation. Final payment is required no less than 60 days prior to departure unless otherwise stated. Some products and services must be paid in full at the time of booking. We are not responsible for any cancellations, penalties, fare increases or fees incurred due to late payment.

If full payment is not received by the applicable due date, we may, at our sole discretion, charge a late fee, or treat the booking as cancelled and retain the deposit paid as a cancellation fee.

7. ADDITIONAL FEES

Additional taxes and surcharges (including carrier imposed surcharges) that cannot be pre-collected may be charged locally.

8. CHANGES

Once a partial or full payment has been made, any changes to your booking requested by you are subject to a change fee. Changes include, but not limited to, a change in origin, departure date, return date, hotel room category or the number of travelers.

If the number of travelers decreases, the remaining travelers will be responsible for additional costs incurred as a result of a change in the per person rate. Any balance due will be deducted from the refund of the cancelling traveler unless the remaining customers provide additional payment.

Flight, date or hotel changes cannot be made 30 days or less prior to departure.

Requested changes are not guaranteed and are at the sole discretion of the travel service provider.

Name changes are not permitted at any time.

9. CANCELLATIONS

Once a partial or full payment has been made, cancellations will only be accepted in writing. Please be aware that most bookings are non-refundable and cancelled bookings will incur cancellation fees. Where we incur any liability for a cancellation fee or charge for any booking which you cancel, you agree to indemnify us for the amount of that fee or charge.

If for any reason, the travel service provider is unable to provide the products or services for which you have contracted, your remedy lies against the provider, and not against us.

10. REFUNDS

If your travel plans change, the right to a refund is limited and will be determined in conjunction with the terms & conditions listed herein. If your reservation qualifies for a refund (subject to the policies herein), a written refund request must be submitted to us no later than 15 days before the scheduled departure date, or any payments and deposits shall be forfeited. Refunds are processed to the credit card(s) originally used for payment, up to the total amount paid.

There are no refunds for missed or unused services.

11. TRAVEL INSURANCE

All travel involves some degree of risk, therefore we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance.

If you wish to purchase your insurance through us, this should be done at the time of booking. Travel insurance purchased through us is non-refundable. Complete details of the coverage limitations and exclusions will be provided upon request.

We are not an insurance company and have no responsibility for the submission, payment or adjustment of any insurance claims. Any claims that may fall under the relevant travel insurance policy must be submitted to the insurance company identified in the policy.

12. PASSPORTS, VISAS AND VACCINATIONS

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have valid travel documentation, including but not limited to passports, visas and vaccination or medical certificates, which meet the requirements of immigration and other government authorities at your destination.

Passports are required to be valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel. Some countries require a full blank page in the passport for stamping purposes.

Requirements can change and it is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with current passport, visa and health requirements and take all necessary documents with you to gain access to any country or region which forms any part of your travel. You will be solely responsible for any cost, loss or damage that you incur as a result of a failure to obtain all necessary passports, visas and/or vaccinations.

13. COVID-19

All destinations, airports, air carriers, hotels, restaurants, transfer companies, car rental companies, shops and excursions have established COVID-19 safety measures and precautions which may change from day to day.  These safety measures may include but are not limited to curfews, attraction closings and reduced hours, size of group gatherings, social distancing requirements, health screenings, proof of vaccination and self-quarantine requirements. In addition, you must follow CDC guidelines and the recommendations of health officials.

Please note that any public location where people have been or are present provides an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 and we cannot guarantee that you will not be exposed during your vacation.  By traveling, you agree that you assume these inherent risks associated with your vacation.  Any and all additional costs will be your sole responsibility.

14. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

To expedite the issuing of travel documents, all travel documents such as electronic tickets, vouchers and itineraries will be sent via email to the email address provided at time of booking once full payment has been received by us.

If you request paper documents when e-documents are available, documents will be delivered via FedEx approximately 14-21 days prior to departure, and a fee of $30 will apply. A complete street address is required (no PO boxes).

Please ensure you carefully read your quote and all other documents we send to you as soon as you receive them and contact us immediately if any information appears to be incorrect. Any errors in names, dates and timings on your documentation will be your responsibility if you do notify us within 3 days after booking.

15. SPECIAL REQUESTS

Any special requests (i.e. ground floor accommodation, adjoining rooms, seat assignments etc.) must be communicated to us at the time of booking. We will use reasonable efforts to fulfill such requests. However, special requests cannot be guaranteed and we make no promises and take no responsibility for special requests which we are unable to fulfill.

16. AIRLINES AND FLIGHTS

Unless otherwise stated, airline tickets are 100% non-changeable & non-refundable.

All flight times, flight itineraries, carriers and aircraft types are subject to change without notice. Airlines reserve the right to demand immediate issuance of tickets whenever they determine that specific flights are heavily booked even when normal ticketing rules do not require tickets to be issued until a later date. In this instance, we will require immediate and full payment of the airfare as itemized on your quote. This situation overrides quoted terms & conditions and payment due dates. If full payment is not received, seats will be cancelled by the airline and may not be available to be rebooked on the same flights or at the same airfare. Any replacement air arrangements and airfare will be the sole responsibility of the passenger.

Schedule Changes: In the event of an airline schedule change, we will make every effort to inform passengers of the schedule change and new flight schedule prior to departure. We are not responsible for schedule changes including, when applicable, changes in routing and/or the number of stops in the itinerary. We are unable to provide compensation for schedule changes, seat assignment modifications, or cancellations implemented by an airline. In the event of any change in flight itinerary made directly between you and the airline, it is your responsibility to advise us of amended flight details. We cannot be held responsible for land services, including arrival and/or departure transfers, if flights are changed without our knowledge.

We strongly recommend that you verify flight times and numbers at least 72 hours prior to departure.

Airline Taxes & Fuel Surcharges: If you purchased airfare, airline taxes and fuel surcharges are included. Prior to completion of full payment there is a potential for a price increase(s) due to increases in government-levied taxes and fees and/or fuel surcharges. To avoid potential increases, you may choose to accelerate your final payment in order that your tickets may be issued. Once issued, airline tickets are no longer subject to potential increases but are fully non-refundable. Certain overseas domestic flights are subject to air taxes which can only be paid locally.

Baggage Fees: Additional fees for baggage may apply. Please contact your airline or refer to its website for detailed information regarding their checked baggage policies.

17. LIABILITY

We always do our best to make sure your travel arrangements are satisfactory. However, Belles à Bound does not own or operate any entity which is to or does provide goods or services for your travel. All such persons and entities are independent contractors and are in no way affiliated us. As a result, we are not liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such person or entity, or of any other third party. Without limitation, we are not responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to person or property, death, delay or inconvenience in connection with the provision of any goods or services occasioned by or resulting from, but not limited to, acts of God, acts of government, force majeure, acts of war or civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, or the threat thereof, overbooking or downgrading of accommodations, structural or other defective conditions in hotels or other lodging facilities, mechanical or other failure of airplanes or other means of transportation or for any failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart timely or safely, dangers associated with or bites from animals, pests or insects, marine life or vegetation of any sort, dangers incident to recreational activities such as swimming, kayaking, sailing, canoeing, rafting, hiking, walking, bicycling, etc., sanitation problems, food poisoning, lack of access to or quality of medical care, difficulty in evacuation in case of a medical or other emergency, illness, epidemics or the threat thereof or for any other cause beyond the direct control of Belles à Bound. In addition, you release Belles à Bound from its own negligence and assume all risk thereof.

Also be advised that certain foreign facilities such as air-conditioning systems in public places, hotels and motor coaches may not be up to U.S. standards.

If due to weather, flight schedules or other uncontrollable factors you are required to spend additional night(s), you will be responsible for your own hotel, transfers and meal costs.

Baggage is entirely at owner’s risk. Under circumstances where liability cannot be excluded, such liability is limited to the value of the purchased travel arrangements. You specifically agree that we are not liable for any consequential loss or damage.

18. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITY

You acknowledge that you will be visiting places where the political, cultural and geographical attributes present certain risks, dangers and physical challenges greater than those present in your daily life. By booking travel with us, you acknowledge that you have considered the potential risks, dangers and challenges, and expressly assume the risks attendant to such travel conditions. You are responsible for acquainting yourself with customs, weather conditions, physical challenges and laws in effect at each stop along your itinerary, and are encouraged to locate or make contact prior to embarkation with your local embassy or consulate in each destination.

19. CUSTOMER SERVICE

All customer service issues must be submitted in writing. Please notify us within 30 days following your return. There will be no refunds for missed or unused services or features, including sickness, death of a family member, deployment, missed transfers due to airline changes and/or missed flights, unused meals, missed sightseeing tours, unused entrance fees, and accommodations. Complaints regarding a hotel’s standards or amenities should be addressed directly with the hotel’s management. Refunds are not normally considered by hotels if they were not given an opportunity to address those complaints locally.

20. APPLICABLE LAW

The Contract and these Terms & Conditions are subject to State of Maryland Law and the exclusive jurisdiction of the State of Maryland Courts.

21. PRIVACY POLICY

We are committed to protecting your personal information and agree to handle your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which is available online at bellesabound.com. By providing personal information to us, you agree that our Privacy Policy will apply to how we handle your personal information and you consent to us collecting, using and disclosing your personal information as detailed in our Privacy Policy.

Generally, we will only disclose your personal information to those persons in connection with facilitation of your booking. Where we disclose your personal information to any person (including any overseas recipients), we will use reasonable efforts to ensure the recipient’s compliance with relevant privacy laws; however, you acknowledge that we cannot control the privacy practices of the recipient and therefore will not be liable or accountable for how the recipient handles your personal information. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third party travel service provider whose services we arrange on your behalf. When used above, “disclose” includes ‘to transfer, share, send, or otherwise make available or accessible to another person or entity’.

22. ONLINE BOOKINGS

All online reservations shall be deemed as booked in United States, and shall be subject to the United States law and jurisdiction.

23. IMAGES AND MARKETING

Travel service providers occasionally take photos during travel for use in promotional material. Unless you advise them otherwise, you consent to such use of your photographic/video likeness.

24. REFUSAL OF SERVICE

At any time before or during the booking process, we retain the right to refuse service, for any reason whatsoever, outside of any discrimination or protected class reasons.

25. UPDATING OF TERMS & CONDITIONS

We reserve the right to update and/or alter these terms & conditions at any time, and it is your responsibility to be familiar with them. The latest terms & conditions may be found online at www.bellesabound.com.

©2024 Belles à Bound