STA Group Travel terms and conditions. 

Our Agreement with You

Our agreement with you sets out what you are legally entitled to expect from us and other suppliers of travel services (for whom we act as a booking agent) when you purchase travel services through us. As we sell a variety of travel products, you should make sure you understand the terms and conditions which apply to your particular arrangements in addition to these general terms and conditions (which apply to all bookings made through us).

Your travel booking

When you make a booking, you guarantee that as the lead name, you have the authority to accept and do accept, on behalf of your party, these terms and conditions and those of any other suppliers of travel services applicable to your booking. It is your responsibility to ensure that all of the details on your travel documents are correct and to bring to our attention any errors or discrepancies immediately. Who your contract is with and the legal protections that apply to your booking will depend on the type of arrangements you book. A contract will exist (either between you and us or you and the other suppliers of travel services, as described below) as soon as we issue our confirmation invoice. The types of arrangements we offer are as follows:

Packages

Unless otherwise stated on your booking confirmation, your contract will be with us if we sell you a Package. These terms and conditions are incorporated into the contract between you and us in relation to the sale of the Package.

Your holiday will be a package if:

(1) it is a pre-arranged combination of at least two of the following components: a) transport; b) accommodation; and c) other tourist services not ancillary to transport or accommodation which account for a significant part of the arrangements; and (2) the services are sold or offered for sale at an inclusive price; and (3) the services cover a period of more than 24 hours or include overnight accommodation. If we sell you a Package, the Package has protection under The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tour Regulations 1992 (Regulations) and The Civil Aviation (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) Regulations 2012 (ATOL Regulations). Please see the “Your Financial Protection” section below for what this means. If you select and purchase a combination of services which are sold by us separately (i.e. not pre-arranged) and which are individually priced, this will not be considered to be a Package. In some circumstances, this may be considered to be a Flight- Plus – please see below for details.

If STA Travel has arranged a package for you more than 11 months before the planned departure date, the price of the flights will be estimated and cannot be confirmed until the airline releases the flight schedules and rates, normally around 11 months prior to departure. Once the airline has released the flights you will receive and updated invoice that clearly sets out any changes to the previously quoted rate or schedule. Increases of more than 2% in the trip costs will be passed back to the group.

Most airlines group offices are manned Monday – Friday during office hours, if you depart during the weekend and there are issues with your departing flight, the airline may not be able to assist until Monday. Our STA Travel 24hr emergency line remains open.

Flight-Plus

Your arrangement will be a Flight-Plus if you request and we arrange the following for you: a) a flight (provided that the outbound flight departs from the UK or the flight is into the UK and you have commenced your journey in the UK and departed the UK using another means of transport); and b) accommodation outside the UK or self-drive car hire outside the UK (or both) in connection with the flight, provided that: (1) the accommodation or self-drive car hire is requested to be booked on the same day, the previous day or the day following the day that you requested to book the flight; and (2) the arrangement covers a period of more than 24 hours or includes overnight accommodation. Other services supplied in connection with the flight which were requested to be booked on the same day, the previous day or the day following the day that you requested to book the flight and which account for a significant proportion of the arrangement (but which are not ancillary to the flight or accommodation) will also be included in the Flight-Plus. Your arrangement will not be Flight Plus if your flight begins and ends in the UK or if you are purchasing the flight and other services in the course of your business or trade (i.e. not as a consumer). Your arrangement will stop being a Flight-Plus (and the protections set out in the “Your Financial Protection” section below will not apply to your arrangement) if you cancel any part of your Flight-Plus and, as a result of that cancellation, the requirements set out above are no longer met. If we arrange a Flight-Plus for you, the contract for each of the services within the Flight-Plus will be between you and the supplier(s) of those services. The name(s) of any supplier(s) who will be supplying the services will be stated on your booking confirmation. Where the services are supplied by other suppliers of travel services, we act as a Booking Agent and we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions made by other suppliers of travel services in relation to the relevant services. The relevant supplier’s terms and conditions will apply to the supply of the services by the supplier to you. These will be provided to you by the relevant supplier or, if they are not, they are available on request from us or the relevant supplier. Please read the supplier’s terms and conditions carefully as they are incorporated into the contract between you and the supplier for the supply of the relevant services. Although your contract for the services within the Flight-Plus will not be with us (it will be with the relevant third party supplier(s)), if we have arranged a Flight-Plus for you, it is protected by the ATOL Regulations. For full details of what this means, please ensure you familiarize yourself with “Your Financial Protection” section of Terms & Conditions.

Flight-Only, accommodation only and other individual services We also offer travel services (including flights, accommodation, excursions, etc.) for purchase as individual items (and each of these items are priced separately). If you purchase a flight, accommodation or other services from us as individual items (i.e. not as a Package or a Flight-Plus arrangement), the contract for the relevant service will be between you and the supplier(s) of those services. The name(s) of any supplier(s) who will be supplying the services will be stated in your itinerary. In the case of Flight-Only services, we act as an Airline Ticket Agent on behalf of the relevant airline. In the case of accommodation only and other individual services, we act as a Booking Agent. In either case, we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions made by an airline or other supplier of travel services in relation to the relevant services. The airline and other suppliers’ terms and conditions will apply to the supply of the services by the airline and/or any other suppliers to you. These will be provided to you by the airline or other suppliers or, if they are not, they are available on request from us or the relevant airline or other suppliers of travel services. Please read the airline and any other suppliers’ terms and conditions carefully as they are incorporated into the contract between you and the airline and/or the other supplier of travel services for the supply of the relevant services. Unless otherwise stated in your booking confirmation, Flight-Only, accommodation only and other individual services are not covered by the Regulations or the ATOL Regulations and the protection described in the “Your Financial Protection” section below does not apply to these services.

For flight bookings, please be aware that your flights will not be confirmed unless the availability, schedules and rates have been confirmed by the airline; at this point we will confirm your final tour price. Full and accurate names and titles as per passport must be provided at the time of booking; any charges for errors that result in changes will be passed back to the group.

The airline has the right to alter the schedule of the flights after the booking is made. In this event, the passenger will be informed before the departure date in regards to the new flight times. It is the passenger’s responsibility to re-check the flight schedule directly with the airline 72 hours before flying. Check in for an international flight is recommended at 3 hours before departure.

Your financial protection

All the Package and Flight-Plus holidays we sell come with protection for your money. If you buy a single travel service (such as Flight-Only, accommodation only or other individual services) then this might not apply. Our Package and Flight-Plus holidays are ATOL protected (our ATOL number is 3206). If we are not the organiser of your Package, the Package is still protected by the Package organiser and we will provide you with their confirmation. When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. On all Flight-Plus holiday arrangements, your money is ATOL protected meaning that you will be able to continue with your holiday or receive a refund of the amount paid to us in the unlikely event of our insolvency or the insolvency of your suppliers. Please note however that we have no liability beyond that for insolvency as set out in the ATOL scheme, because we act as agent of the suppliers.

Please note that any other suppliers of travel services who provide services as part of your arrangement may also limit their liability to you. We cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of the contract between you and us. As such, you are advised to read the terms and conditions of any other suppliers of travel services who are supplying services to you. You can ask for copies of the suppliers’ terms and conditions, or the international conventions, from the relevant supplier or from us by contacting Customer Relations, STA Travel, St Georges House, 56 Peter Street, Manchester M2 3NQ. Or email your request to us at www.statravel.co.uk/customer-services.htm.

Your Agreement with us

By finalising your arrangements with us, you are accepting that these terms and conditions and the terms and conditions of any contract made with any other suppliers of travel services within your arrangements apply to your booking and your travel arrangements. You also consent to our processing personal information about you and other members of your party for the purposes of performing our obligations in relation to your booking (which includes, but is not limited to, giving your personal information to airlines, other suppliers of travel services and public authorities (such as customs or immigration) where this is required for the fulfilment of your arrangements). If you travel outside the European Economic Area, controls on data protection may not be as strong as the legal requirements in this country. If we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers of travel services, whether in the EEA or not, we will be unable to provide your booking. In making your booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons. The protection of your personal information is important to us, please see our privacy policy (available at www.statravel. co.uk/general-policy.htm) for further details of how we use your information. Your contract with us is subject to the laws and jurisdiction of England and Wales. You may, however, choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland instead.

If you change your booking

Please speak to your group executive if you need to cancel a space or make any amendments as soon as possible. STA Travel’s standard amendment fee is £75 per person plus any airline fees. Please be aware that due to all trips being tailor made specifically for your group, changes are not always possible and our suppliers are unable to refund any payments that have been made to them.

Some amendments require STA Travel to hold any additional costs incurred prior to them being requested (once they are confirmed STA Travel will be billed). In this instance STA Travel may provide you with an invoice as soon as possible (usually at the request of your finance team) detailing the costs before the amendment is confirmed. If the change you wish to make is not possible or requires an additional cost STA Travel will confer with you before proceeding.

Please note that all reservation changes are subject to availability and the terms and conditions of the services purchased. Changes to name details are not allowed by many airlines and other suppliers of travel services. Whilst we do our best to make such a change if necessary, please bear in mind that most airlines and other suppliers of travel services treat a name change as a cancellation, to which standard conditions and cancellation charges apply. Flights must be taken in the sequence they appear on your ticket or eticket confirmation. If you plan not to take a flight as booked, please contact the airline as far in advance as possible to discuss your options. If you do not check in on time for a confirmed reservation, the airline may register you as ‘no-show’, which could result in extra charges and/ or your whole flight itinerary being cancelled and/or render your ticket void.

Please note we are unable to facilitate amendments to trip itinerates in confirmed bookings (deposit/full payment stage) within 4 weeks of trip departure due to our obligation and commitment to thoroughly auditing all suppliers and products with regards to health and safety. This does not affect any name changes on air tickets you may request which the airlines involved will decide upon a case by case basis.

If you cancel your booking

If you cancel your arrangements, you may be entitled to a partial refund. In addition to any cancellation fees set out in any supplier of travel services’ terms and conditions (which may be 100% of the cost of the travel arrangements), we will also charge the cancellation fees outlined on your receipt. We need to receive written notification of cancellation and your original ticket/voucher from you before any refund can be considered. If you decide to cancel arrangements before the balance due date, any deposits paid are non-refundable. Refunds will only be paid to you once we have received the funds back from the relevant supplier of travel services. Generally, flight tickets cannot be refunded if they are partially used. If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your travel insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim your cancellation charges through your insurer. If the person paying for the booking (the paying customer) is different from the travelling customer, and the paying customer wishes to cancel or withdraw the funding of any booked tickets, STA will notify the travelling customer of the paying customer’s funding withdrawal and give the travelling customer the option of continuing with the booking, subject to payment of the full cost of the travelling customer’s booked ticket by the travelling customer. If, following this notification, the travelling customer does not pay the full cost of his or her booked ticket, the booked ticket will be cancelled and the amount paid by the paying customer in relation to the booked ticket will be refunded to the paying customer (subject to the relevant supplier of travel services’ terms and conditions and the provisions of previous paragraph of these terms and conditions). Any airline costs/charges associated with the cancellation will be deducted from the refund due to the paying customer. STA Travel will not charge a cancellation fee in these circumstances.

If you have a complaint

If you have a problem during your holiday, please inform the relevant supplier of travel services (e.g. your hotel or airline) immediately. Should they be unable to resolve the matter, please contact us in the UK, either through the office where you made your arrangements, or through www.statravel.co.uk/customer-services.htm. If you fail to contact us, we will not be able to investigate your complaint and rectify any error whilst you are away and this may affect your rights under this contract. We are a member of ABTA (membership number V1958) and operate according to ABTA’s Code of Conduct. ABTA can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes involving us or another ABTA member. Further information can be found at www.abta.com.

Price Beat Guarantee

The flight must be departing from a UK airport on the same dates, using the same flights and airlines, as the written competitor quote. STA Travel will not price beat on an existing booking - the competitor quote must be presented to us prior to booking. Infant fares are not eligible for Price Beat Guarantee. Our Price Beat Guarantee cannot be applied to packages that are outside of 11 months. If you are prepared to wait for flights to be released we would be happy to re-visit any price matching enquiries you might have.

*We only Price Beat Guarantee against a scheduled airline. This guarantee does not apply to any charter carriers or low cost airlines. (Examples of Low cost and charter airlines include Ryanair, EasyJet, Monarch, and Aer Lingus)

**Fares offered to closed user groups are excluded. These include Subscription, Corporate, Membership or Trade/Travel Expo. This offer cannot be combined with any other discount or offer.

***The amount of stopovers must be the same as the original quote. The alternative flights offered must be within two hours of the quoted departure and arrival times.

STA Travel’s Price Beat Guarantee cannot be applied to packages that are outside of 11 months. If you are prepared to wait for flights to be released STA Travel will, at your request, re-visit any price matching enquiries you may have.

Passport, visa, immigration and health requirements

It is passengers responsibility to fulfil the passport, visa and other immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. It is also the passenger’s responsibility to check any health requirements for the countries visited and transited. Anyone from a country belonging to the Visa Waiver Programme who is travelling to, or changing planes in, the USA must also have completed an online application called the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) at least 72 hours BEFORE travel. The ESTA is a compulsory requirement and without it you will not be able to board your flight to the USA. Please consult with your travel expert for more information on how to apply. STA Travel can also quote for any visa’s you may require for your trip, please speak to your travel expert.

You should confirm these with the relevant High Commissions, embassies and/or consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you are unable to travel due to not complying with any such requirements.

Please check you have all visa, immigration and health requirements in place for your final destination and any transit points.  Many non- UK / EU passports require transit visas for the common transit hubs.

Insurance

Travel insurance is an important part of your arrangements. You should take out adequate insurance for the duration of your journey. Travel insurance is a mandatory element of some travel arrangements. We can arrange travel insurance for you and provide you with a quote and answer any queries you may have regarding the insurance we can offer.

Travel advice & Vaccinations

British Citizens should refer to the travel advice posted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk for all the countries you intend to visit. You should take advice about the health precautions you need to take prior to departure. Vaccinations may be required for some or all of the places you are intending to visit. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have arranged necessary vaccinations for your itinerary.

Information on health and any vaccinations required to travel is available from your GP and on the Public Health England website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-healthengland. Alternatively, the STA Travel Clinic offers a full range of travel vaccinations, anti-malarials and expert advice as well as other services for your travel health needs. Locations, open hours and consultation appointments can be viewed/booked online at: www.statravelclinic.co.uk/. `It is your responsibility to behave in a reasonable and responsible manner over the course of your travels, including abiding by any local laws and bilaws. We reserve the right to immediately cancel any travel arrangements in the event of unruly behaviour towards airline/ hotel / supplier representatives or other guests and you will be liable in full for cancellation charges and the costs of purchasing replacement accommodation and air tickets.

EU Notice Requirements

Under EU law (Regulation (EC) 2111/2005), we are required to bring to your attention the existence of a ‘Community List’, which contains details of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban within the EU. The Community List is available for inspection at ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban/index_en.htm. We are also obliged to notify you of the airline(s) to be used in your booking. For details please see your booking confirmation or itinerary. You will be notified if any carrier changes as soon as possible and in all cases at check-in or at the boarding gate. Please note that a change of carrier is not considered to be a significant change to your arrangements. Under EU law (Regulation (EC) 261/2004) you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from your airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from your airline. The airlines are responsible for compensating you in these circumstances. Please note that, if affected flights comprise part of a Package arranged on your behalf, any reimbursement from the airline under these regulations will not automatically entitle you to cancel and/or obtain a refund of your Package cost from us. Further information about your rights is available from the CAA www.caa.co.uk.

Pricing and photography

The ‘from’ pricing shown online and in our brochures and online are correct at time of print and or publishing. These prices have been calculated using low season stays, based on lead-in room types. We’re sourcing great deals all year long so we recommend using the prices only as a guide and to ask your STA Travel Expert for the best available deal for your travel period. STA Travel, during the brochure production process, takes every care to ensure that photography used to illustrate its tours, accommodation and other products is accurate, up-to-date and representative of the product(s) or destination(s) featured. We are committed to ensuring images are used appropriately, either by crediting the copyright owners or, where necessary, providing financial reimbursement to the copyright owners for the use of their images. The accommodation photos featured are representative of the the room types available at each property however this may not be the actual room type that you receive. If you have a preference for a particular room your Travel Expert will be happy to help. Just ask!  Please note 0333 321 7848 is the STA Travel Groups contact number.

Surcharges

Changes in [transportation costs, including the cost of fuel] [dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports] and [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, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. You will be charged for the amount over and above that, together with an amount to cover agents’ commission . If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% 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. Should you decide to cancel: 1) you must do so within 14 days from the date on your final invoice 2) We will provide a refund of insurance premiums paid to us if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy. Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your holiday cost, then any refund due will be paid to you. However, 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.

UK Airport Passenger Duty, UK Passenger Service Charge, Departure Tax, security taxes and any applicable fuel surcharge are subject to change and only guarantees once full payment and names are made and have cleared in our bank account. If you have children travelling please advise DOB so that STA Travel can quote the correct air taxes at quoting stage.

Please note, some cities (e.g. Barcelona, Rome) charge a small tourist tax payable locally. This is usually in the region of EUR2-EUR6 per adult per day. In US hotels it is common for a Porterage fee or Handling fee to be charged, this is approximately $10 per person. Please speak to your travel expert for more information on tourist tax for your destination(s).

Air fares

Fares quoted by STA Travel are only valid for group travel (minimum of 10 passengers travelling outbound and inbound on the same flight). Prices quoted are subject to availability and fares are not guaranteed until full payment is received.

Deposits

Deposit payment is the minimum requirement to secure the trip for your group. Once paid, these deposits become non-refundable. If a member of your group decides not to travel, you can usually replace them with another passenger before you have to make the full payment and/or provide names for your group. Please speak to your travel expert for further details.

Hotels and hostels are increasingly requesting refundable security deposits upon arrival to cover potential damages during a group stay. This is normally no more that £10-£20 per guest and is normally paid in cash. Some hotels/hostels may also accept a credit card.

Risk Assessments

Please advise if you require any assistance with the completion of your risk assessments. STA Travel is a member of the STF (School Travel Forum) and is also a ‘Learning Outside The Classroom’ (LOtC) badge holder. Please request a copy of our Customer Safety policy for more details. STA Travel can also provide copies of health and safety audits if required.

Your cover 

Should changes in the character or significant events in the local district (such as, without limitation increases in street or other crime, rioting, acts of god, terrorist attacks, or issues beyond the control of STA Travel) occur & the instance arises where your group can’t travel, STA Travel will not be liable to make payment for rebooking your group. Any compensation must be claimed through your group travel insurance provider.

PTR

The combination of travel services offered to you is a package within the meaning of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations.

Therefore, you will benefit from all EU rights applying to packages. STA Travel will be fully responsible for the proper performance of the package as a whole.

Additionally, as required by law, STA Travel has protection in place to refund your payments and, where transport is included in the package, to ensure your repatriation in the event that they become insolvent.

More information on key rights under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 can be found here: (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2018/9780111168479/contents).

Environmental implications 

We endure that all the properties we use have all the relevant current safety and insurance certificates. We request that all our partners take into consideration environmental implications & where possible take into consideration energy saving, correct waste disposal & water saving. If You notice something that doesn’t look right with one of our partners please speak to one of the team.

 

Nottingham Trent Students' Union will not accept any liability for this trip, you enter into this agreement with STA Travel and as such accept that Nottingham Trent Students' Union and/or any registered groups within the organisation are free from any claims made against this booking.