Terms and Conditions
Thank you for visiting www.swifttravel.com. This site is owned and operated by Swift Travel of 199a High Road, Loughton, IG10 4LF (“Swift Travel”).
Your contract if applicable, will be with Swift Travel which holds an Air Travel Organisers License (ATOL 5950) and is a Member of The Association Of British Travel Agents (ABTA 5471) for your financial security. Your consultant will advise which conditions will apply to your booking and whether they are exempt from the directive (EU2015/2302) on package travel and linked travel arrangements. The following terms and conditions form the basis of your contract with Swift Travel. Please read them carefully as they are legally binding.
If you do have any questions please do get in touch and we’ll be delighted to help.
1. Your Contract
All bookings are subject to availability. When booking travel arrangements our contract with you begins when we issue your Confirmation Invoice.. Once the contract is made we are responsible for providing the travel arrangements you have booked and you are responsible to us to pay for them. In parties of two or more people the person who makes the booking, by signing the booking form or otherwise contracting with us, accepts responsibility for making payments to us for all members of the party. All monies paid to a travel agent are held by them on your behalf until we issue our confirmation, thereafter monies are held on our behalf. We also act as specialist tour operators.
2. How to make a booking
To secure a booking the company initially requires notice from you of your booking request. The booking will only be secured once both you and the company have confirmed the travel arrangements and the company is satisfied that the correct deposit/payment has been received.
3. Payments and Deposits
We reserve the right to change our prices at any time before you book. If we do you will be told of the revised price applicable to your booking before you confirm the booking.
Prices quoted are GBP sterling prices based on daily currency exchange rates current at the time of quotation. Please note that all payments taken on debit or credit card will be taken in GBP sterling and so if you are a customer whose payment card is not denominated in GBP, the final price will be calculated in accordance with the applicable exchange rate on the day your card issuer processes the transaction.
A deposit of at least £150.00 per person is required for all bookings taken more than 90 days before departure. The balance of the cost of your travel arrangements must be paid at least 90 days before departure and if it is not paid by that point your booking and contract with us will be cancelled and we will retain deposits made for the booking. If you make a booking within 90 days of your departure date then you must pay the full cost at the booking stage.
Package holidays and flight-only fares may be based on instant purchase tickets or ticketing deadlines soon after purchase. If a booking is made on such a fare, full payment for the flight or flight inclusive element of the package will be required in accordance with these restrictions. You will be notified by a member of our reservations staff if you have booked such a fare.
Payment can be made by cheque, bank transfer, debit or credit card. All payments made by consumer debit/credit card do not carry a surcharge. Payments made by a corporate debit or credit card, including commercial American Express, are subject to charges, as detailed below:
- Visa Commercial Debit – 0.090%
- Visa Commercial Credit – 2.002%
- MasterCard Commercial Credit – 2.058%
- Commercial American Express – 1.95%
4. Additional Charges
As soon as you have paid your deposit or full payment and your holiday arrangements have been confirmed we guarantee that up until 30 days before your departure date that the price of your holiday will not be subject to any surcharges excepting for :- (i) variations in transportation costs, including the cost of fuel; (ii) variations in dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports; and that within 30 days of your departure date we guarantee that the price of your holiday will not be subject to any surcharges.
If the above price variations increase the price of your holiday by more than 10% you will be entitled to; i) take our offered substitute package of equivalent or superior quality if we are able to provide one ii) take our offered substitute package of lower quality if we are able to provide one and accept a refund from us of the difference in price between the price of the package purchased and the substitute one offered iii) cancel your holiday with a full refund of all monies paid
5. Changes by us to, or cancellation by us of, your travel arrangements
It is very unlikely that we will have to make any changes to, or to cancel, your holiday. However, we do plan arrangements a long time in advance and we use the services of independent suppliers, such as hotels, airlines etc . . ., over whom we have no direct control. If it is the case that changes need to be made, or we need to cancel your arrangements, we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes are minor, and we do not pay compensation for minor changes, but whenever possible we will advise you.
Any flight timings and carriers in the brochure or on our websites are subject to change as a result of airline procedures and these details are given for guidance only. Final details will be shown on your tickets.
If a SIGNIFICANT CHANGE to your holiday occurs or becomes necessary, we will inform you as soon as possible if there is time before departure. When a SIGNIFICANT CHANGE occurs (such as a change of resort, hotel or a change of flight time of more than 12 hours) or we have to cancel your arrangements, you will have the choice of:- i) accepting the change of arrangements ii) taking our offered substitute package of equivalent or superior quality if we are able to provide one iii) taking our offered substitute package of lower quality if we are able to provide one and accept a refund from us of the difference in price between the price of the package purchased and the substitute one offered iv) cancelling your holiday with a full refund of all monies paid
6. Changes by you to your travel arrangements
If after our confirmation has been issued you wish to change any part of your travel arrangements, we will make every effort to help you do this, subject to availability and the type of ultimate product suppliers (airlines, car-hire companies, hotels etc), you have chosen and their cancellation/change charges details of which will be provided to you on request at any time including prior to booking. If you want to change any details regarding your flight reservation, airline rules mean that we may have to cancel your original flight and purchase a new one and you will be required to pay the full flight cost again. Please note for flights which are not part of a package holiday some airline rules and systems mean that it is impossible to transfer a seat to another person. We will charge you an administration charge of £75.00 per booking for flight inclusive arrangements and £40.00 per booking for ground only arrangements, and you will be liable to pay the hotel, car-hire, airline or other ultimate product charges resulting from your changes. NB: Once Airline Tickets are issued, usually 28 days prior to departure, changes are not permitted. Changes after airline tickets are issued will result in a 100% cancellation charge.
7. Cancellation by you
If you, or any member of your party, decides to cancel your booking you must notify us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by us and will be effective from the date which we receive it. The person to notify us of any cancellation must be the Lead Passenger.
Should one or more member of a party cancel, it may increase the per person holiday price of those still travelling and you will be liable to pay this increase.
Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will have to pay the cancellation charges as follows:
Period before your departure date in which you notify us
- More than 12 weeks prior to departure – Loss of deposit
- 84 – 55 days prior to departure – 50%
- 54 – 31 days prior to departure – 75%
- 30 – 0 days prior to departure – 100%
Note: Certain arrangements, such as flights, may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration or cancellation could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% for that part of the arrangements in addition to the charges above. This clause outlines the rights you have if you wish to cancel your single service booking. Please note that there is no automatic statutory right of cancellation under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 (Directive 2011/83/EU).
For flight-only reservations, our consolidated fares are mainly non-refundable in the event of your cancellation. Please note certain tickets are both non-changeable & non-refundable. Any specific conditions are advised at the time of booking and are stated on your confirmation and itinerary receipt.
In the event of the cancellation of full-fare refundable tickets, a minimum cancellation fee of 3% is applied against the total refunded amount.
8. The Company’s Liability to you
We accept liability for matters which arise as a result of our negligence and/or breach of our contractual duty to exercise care in making arrangements for you, including any acts or omissions by our employees or agents. We also accept liability for any negligent act or omission of our suppliers who may operate elements of your holiday arrangements, including any claim involving death, personal injury or illness. However, in respect of carriage by air, sea and rail the company limits its liability to the extent of the relevant international convention. You are subjected to the terms and conditions of the carriers concerned some of which exclude or limit liability in respect of death, injury, delay and loss or damage to baggage. It is also important to note that if delays diversions or rescheduling or cancellation of your arrangements occurs by reason of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control or that of our suppliers, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised such as war, a state of war, riot, fire, civil strife, industrial action, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions or other conditions amounting to force majeure we will not be liable. In these circumstances we will also not pay any resulting expenses or additional costs.
9. Claims and Complaints
If you have a complaint whilst on holiday you must tell the relevant supplier (e.g. Hotel) or our agent immediately. Most problems can be solved on the spot but if after you return home you are still not satisfied you must write to our Customer Relations Department in London within 28 days of your return. It is unlikely that you will have a complaint that cannot be settled amicably between us, however, if this is not the case any dispute arising out of, or in connection with this contract, may (if you wish) be referred to Arbitration under a special scheme, which, though devised by arrangement with the Association of British Travel Agents, is administered quite independently by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The scheme provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability of the client in respect of costs. The scheme does not apply to claims for an amount greater than £5,000.00 per person or £15,000.00 per booking form or to claims which are solely or mainly in respect of physical injury or illness or the consequences of such injury or illness, although it does include claims with an element of injury or illness up to £1,000 on that element. Written notice requesting Arbitration must be made within 9 months after the scheduled date of return from holiday.
10. Passport/Visas, Administrative and Health Regulations
You are responsible for ensuring that you meet foreign entry requirements and that your travel documents, such as passports and visas (transit, business, tourist, and otherwise), are in order and any other foreign entry requirements are met. We can point you to a specialist if required but it is your responsibility to comply with the information provided and to any loss which may arise due to failure to comply.
The necessary and recommended inoculations for travel may change and you should consult your doctor for current recommendations before you depart for a destination(s). It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet all health entry requirements, obtain the recommended inoculations, take all recommended medication, and follow all medical advice in relation to your trip. Online medical advice for travellers can be found at the Department of Health’s website currently located at http://www.doh.gov.uk. Otherwise, for medical advice regarding your journey, please contact your doctor.
For UK citizens a valid 10-year passport is necessary for all flights and trips offered on our website. Some overseas countries have an immigration requirement that a flier’s passport is valid for a minimum period after the entering that country, typically 6 months. If a passport is in its final year of validity, it is advised to confirm the requirements of the destination before making final travel plans. The details on the passport must match those on the booking and the ticket. If, after making a booking but before travelling, any member of the travel group changes their name, e.g. as a result of getting married, please contact us straight away.
British citizens are advised to consult the Identity and Passport Service for additional information on passport requirements. For information on visa requirements, contact the embassy of the country you propose to visit. Non-British citizens are advised to consult their embassy or passport office for information and advice on visa and passport requirements required for the countries they propose to visit (and for return to United Kingdom).
We accept no liability if you are refused entry onto a flight or into any country due to your failure to carry the correct and adequate passport, visa, or other travel documents required by any airline, authority, or country, including countries you may just be transiting through. This includes all stops made by the aircraft, even if you do not leave the aircraft or airport.
USA Visa Requirements
All travellers wishing to enter or transit through the USA under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) must apply for authorisation to travel using the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA). Please allow sufficient time when making an ESTA application. It is recommended that such an application is made at least 72 hours before departure. For further information please visit the US Department of Homeland Security’s website at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov In preparation for your trip to the States, please be aware that important changes have been made to passport requirements for the US.
If you are travelling on the Visa Waiver Programme to the US on or after 1 April 2016, you must have an ePassport.
If you’re not sure if you already have one or not, simply check your current passport for the ePassport symbol on the front cover.
Click here for gov.uk foreign travel advice to the USA
Canada Visa Requirements
Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) As of March 15, 2016, visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to or transit through Canada are expected to have an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Exceptions include U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid Canadian visa. However, from March 15, 2016 until fall 2016, travellers who do not have an eTA can board their flight, as long as they have appropriate travel documents, such as a valid passport.
Click here for the application for an Electronic Travel Authorization
11. Information
We make every effort to ensure that the information on our website is accurate and not misleading, however it may have been published many months before your trip takes place and may be subject to change. We reserve the right to make changes to the website and any information it contains at any time. Where material changes are made that affect your trip after your booking has been confirmed, please see section 5 above.
12. Insurance
We recommend in all cases that the customer take out comprehensive travel insurance cover through an approved insurance supplier. We will not be responsible for any costs incurred by you or any member of your party before, during or after your trip as a consequence of inappropriate or insufficient travel insurance being purchased.
13. Failure of Scheduled Airlines Insurance
As part of our ATOL license we are now required to ensure that our customers have insurance against scheduled airline failure. The cost for such insurance, will be added to your invoice, and quoted to you as part of the total cost of your booking prior to your conclusion of booking with us, unless you specifically refuse to accept such cover in writing. Such insurance costs are specifically applicable for Scheduled Airline Flights and not charter flights or pre booked tours. Policy details are as follows:
FAILURE OF SCHEDULED AIRLINES INSURANCE (EXCLUDING PRE-BOOKED TOURS). To pay up to £1,000 in all, each Insured Person in respect of:- 1. The cost relating to scheduled air flights necessarily and unavoidably cancelled prior to the departure of the Insured Person from the United Kingdom due to bankruptcy/liquidation of any Scheduled Airline as defined below on which the booked trip depends in respect of deposits or charges paid in advance by the Insured Person which are forfeited by the Insured Person. OR 2. The cost relating to scheduled air flights in the event of curtailment due to bankruptcy/liquidation as set out in 1 above whilst the Insured Person is on the booked holiday/trip.
DEFINITION : SCHEDULED AIRLINES; A Scheduled Airline is an airline that publishes a timetable and operates its services to a distinct schedule and sells to the public at large. Cover under this section is only applicable in respect of the costs relating to scheduled air flights (excluding all pre-booked tours). Cover does not apply in respect of chartered flights.
14. Unreasonable Behaviour
If in the reasonable opinion of a person in authority including a pilot or captain you are not fit to travel, he or she may refuse to let you board the aircraft or train or ship. Normally this happens if such a person thinks you are likely to disturb or harm other passengers. In this case your contract with us will end immediately and we will no longer be responsible for you. In addition if your behaviour is such that an hoteliers reasonable opinion leads him or her to the view that they are unable to accommodate you you may be asked to leave the hotel. In this instance no refund for lost nights accommodation will be made and the cost of any other accommodation or travel expenses will be absolutely your responsibility. We will also hold members of your party jointly and individually liable for any damage to the property, together with legal costs incurred in pursuing the claim. We can not be held responsible for the behaviour or actions of other individuals or guests who have no connection with your holiday arrangements or ourselves.
15. Jurisdiction
This contract is made on the terms of these booking conditions which are governed by English Law and both parties shall submit to the jurisdiction of English Courts at all times unless the consumer chooses the jurisdiction of their domicile in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
16. Accommodation
Hotel-only reservations are not covered under the ATOL or ABTA bond schemes.
17. ATOL Protection
Many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLcertificate
