Booking Conditions


1. Our Agreement with You

The following terms and conditions form the basis of your contract with TravelMax who act at all times as an agent of Alfendo Ltd of 2210 The Crescent Birmingham Business Park, B37 7YE.   Most of the air holidays and flights on this website are ATOL Protected, since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority.  Our ATOL number is ATOL 4110. 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.

We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate, or a suitable alternative. In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative, at no extra cost to you. You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme, or your credit card issuer where applicable.

If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.

If your ATOL Certificate identifies multiple suppliers, you will have contracts with each of them and be subject to their terms and conditions. Please ask us for us for copies of these if you do not have them.

All money accepted from you by a travel agent acting as our agent is held by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust at all times, but subject to the agent's obligation to pay it to us for so long as we do not fail. If we do fail, any money held at that time by the agent, or subsequently accepted from you by the agent, is and continues to be held by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation to pay that money to us

If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then you will not be protected by the CAA, but your financial protection will be provided by our membership of ABTA, membership number W3438

You agree to accept that in the event of our insolvency ABTA may arrange for the services you have bought to continue, or for a suitable alternative to be provided at the same cost as your original booking. You also agree to accept that in circumstances where the travel service supplier provides the services you have bought, you agree to pay any outstanding sum under your contract with us to that alternative travel service provider. However, you also agree that in some cases the services will not be provided, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under ABTA’s Scheme of Protection (or your payment card issuer where applicable) for a refund of the monies you have paid

All travel arrangements on this website are sold subject to the following booking conditions.


2. Booking

When you or your travel agent wishes to confirm a booking, you are acknowledging your understanding and acceptance of our terms and conditions on behalf of everyone in your group.

If your booking includes a cruise, you must read the terms and conditions of the relevant cruise line as these will also form part of your contract. If you have not seen these, please ask for a copy before proceeding to book. These terms are important as many cruise lines restrict their liability or impose terms which may vary from the usual terms expected. In particular, currently most cruise lines will require you to complete a pre boarding health questionnaire and will require full details of your Covid 19 vaccinations. If you cannot comply with this requirement, you may be denied boarding and, in these circumstances, this will be treated as a cancellation by you and cancellation charges will apply. Cruise lines will always deny boarding to those exhibiting symptoms, whether at the departure point or at any port during the cruise.  If necessary to ensure the health of other passengers, a Master or senior crew member may refuse reboarding and your holiday will be curtailed. You will then be subject to the health formalities effective at that time at that destination and may be subject to quarantine or removal. These will be at your own expense, so please ensure you have a fully comprehensive insurance policy to cover these costs. 

All cruise lines currently require proof that you have been fully vaccinated against COVID 19 and you should not proceed to book if this is not the case.

All cruise lines have developed health and safety procedures on board, and these can change without notice. These could include the requirement to wear a face mask at any time whilst on board or ashore on excursions, restrictions on the use of facilities on board but any changes to procedures will not be considered to be a major change and allow you to cancel without paying cancellation charges

Finally, it is important to note that ships itineraries are designed years in advance and as a result, ports of call may be changed with little or no notice. The decision to change a route is entirely in the hands of the ships master and we have no control whatsoever but will advise you of any changes if we are notified of them prior to your departure. Again, most changes are made for health or safety reasons, for bad weather forecasts for example, and will not give you a right to cancel without cancellation charges applying

The terms and conditions vary depending on whether you purchase a ‘package holiday’ or ‘Other Travel Arrangements’ which is anything else, for example flights or accommodation booked separately in which case we always act as an agent for the supplier, and your contract will be with that company, not  TravelMax. You will be advised before you request a booking whether it consists of a package or not.

Please note that where a supplier’s services form part of your booking, the supplier’s standard terms and conditions will also apply. These are important in the case of ‘Other Travel Arrangements’ where TravelMax acts only as an agent between you and our suppliers. All travel arrangements that include flights are subject to the airline’s conditions of carriage. Copies of these conditions may be requested in writing.


3. Deposits & Payment

(a) When making a booking involving flights, we will require a minimum deposit of £75 per person.  If booking charter or low-cost flights, full payment is required at time of booking. However other airlines may require immediate full payment and you will be advised at the time of booking.  In addition, a deposit of £25 per person will be required in respect of any hotel arrangements, transfers, car hire and attraction tickets and full payment is required at time of booking for car parking.  We will then send you a confirmation invoice, after which a contract exists, subject to English law unless otherwise agreed. 

We will require payment of the remaining balance as shown on your confirmation invoice, not less than eight weeks before your departure from the UK.  If you book within eight weeks of departure from the UK, we will require full payment at the time of booking. All monies paid to your travel agent are held by the agent on our behalf at all times.  Deposits are non-refundable and should you fail to pay the money when it is due, we reserve the right to cancel your booking and retain the deposit that has been paid.  Travel documents will not be released until we have received full payment.

For cruise bookings, the deposit required, and the final balance due date may vary, we will advise you at the time of booking of the terms relating to your specific booking

(b) Airline Ticket Deadlines

For ‘other travel arrangements,’ where we act as agent between you and our suppliers, airlines may on occasion request that payment be brought forward in which case we will notify you of this change of payment date. This usually occurs when an airline withdraws a fare and requests that all tickets at the old fare are issued by a particular date. Regrettably your booking cannot be held after this ticket deadline date and will have to be cancelled if payment is not made.


4. Cancellation by You

(a)  If you need to cancel a confirmed booking you must contact your travel agent.  To cover the cost of administration and cancellation charges imposed by suppliers and for the possibility that we will not be able to resell the holiday we have to make a cancellation charge. If you have purchased insurance, you may be able to claim for the charges we impose.  Should you cancel your confirmed booking or part of your booking, then the following cancellation charges will apply:

Flight Only

Pre ticketing
Loss of deposit and £75 TravelMax Admin fee for cancellations for all un-ticketed bookings per passenger.

After ticketing
£75 TravelMax Admin Cancellation fee plus any additional airline fees per passenger. In many cases tickets may be completely non-refundable after issue and this will be advised at the time of purchase

Hotel Only

£25 Administration Cancellation fee per room plus any additional Hotel/Supplier fees stated here or advised via our call centre.

Cruise /Other

£75 TravelMax Admin Cancellation fee per booking plus any additional Supplier fees.

Packages

More than 56 days prior to departure: Deposit only
29 – 55 days: the highest of 50% of the total cost or loss of deposit
15 – 28 days: the highest of 75% of the total cost or loss of deposit
14 days or less: 100% of total cost

Note: These cancellation charges apply to all bookings, except when tickets have been issued and they are non-refundable by the airline or in circumstances where a booking includes items or services where our supplier’s cancellation charges exceed those shown above. In these circumstances any additional cancellation charges will be advised at the time of booking.


5. Alteration by You

If you wish to make a change, such as a change to the date of travel or accommodation, to a confirmed booking please contact your travel agent. We will do our best to assist but it may not always be possible. In some cases, airlines require tickets to be issued on booking and where tickets have been issued changes may be treated as a cancellation

Flight Only

Pre ticketing
£25 TravelMax Admin Change fee for all un-ticketed passengers per booking.

After ticketing
£50 TravelMax Admin Change fee plus any additional airline fees per passenger but note that in many cases flights cannot be amended after tickets have been issued, we will advise at the time of booking

Hotels/Cruise/Other

£25 TravelMax Admin Change fee per booking plus any additional Hotel/Supplier fees.

Packages

There will be an administration fee of £50 and any further costs we incur in making the alteration as noted above, many airline fares are non-refundable or changeable and may incur 100% cancellation fee for that part of the arrangements. Our costs are likely to increase the closer to the departure date the changes are made, and you should contact your travel agent as soon as possible.

You can transfer a package booking to another person, who satisfies all the requirements that apply to this booking by giving us reasonable notice before departure. Both you and the new traveller are responsible for paying all the costs we incur in making the transfer. If the services booked are dependent on a minimum number of people using the service, we will have to recalculate the total cost if the number travelling has been reduced, based on the new number of passengers travelling.  The cost may therefore increase but as this is not a cancellation charge, it may not be covered by your insurance.

No refunds will be given for unused services unless an amendment or cancellation has been made in which case the charges shown above will apply.


6. Cancellation by Us

We aim to provide the travel arrangements you have booked without any changes; however, it is possible that cancellations may be necessary due to changes made beyond our control by airlines, hotels or other suppliers. For some package holidays to operate a minimum number of people may be required. If sufficient bookings are not received, we reserve the right to cancel the holiday, but will do so at least eight weeks before departure. If there are unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances beyond our control, or if you fail to pay the final balance, we may have to cancel your booking at a later date

In the unlikely event that your travel arrangements must be cancelled we will advise you as soon as is reasonably possible, and you will be offered an alternative if we can or a full refund.

If we have to cancel your booking, except as a result of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, we may offer you compensation where deemed appropriate. If the cancellation is due to the actions of a cruise company involved in your booking, we will follow the cruise company’s policy in respect of cancellations

Note:  Compensation will not be payable when the cancellation is due to events beyond our control, such as war, threat of war, riots or disturbances, terrorist activities, industrial disputes, fire, nuclear or natural disasters, health risks including pandemics, problems with transport, severe weather conditions or any other similar events.


7. Alterations

Package Holidays

We may have to make change to your package holiday, and we must reserve the right to do so. We will let you or your travel agent know of any major changes at the time of booking or as soon as possible if you have already booked. If there is a major change to accommodation of a lower standard or to a different resort or a change of more than 12 hours in the departure time of a flight, we will tell you as soon as possible and allow you the choice of accepting the change, accepting an alternative holiday, with a refund of the difference in value if it is less expensive or you may cancel the holiday and receive a full refund. In addition, we will pay reasonable compensation to reflect the change being made unless the changes are as a result of events outside our control as set out above. Changes to aircraft type, alterations in flights times of less than 12 hours or a change to accommodation of the same or a higher standard are not considered to be major changes

Other travel arrangements

In this case, as we only act as a booking agent, particularly in the case of air tickets, we may not be notified of a major change before you travel. However, where we are notified, we will advise you as soon as is reasonably possible. If the changes are not acceptable to you, we will offer you an alternative if available, or a full refund, if permitted by airline or other supplier. If your chosen alternative costs more, you must pay the difference.


8. Lost tickets or vouchers

If your travel documents have not been received by you, or you have mislaid your travel documents, you must inform us at least 10 days prior to departure. Failure to do so may result in additional charges as special arrangements will have to be made.


9. Changes in Price

The prices shown are correct at the time of publication. You or your travel agent will be notified of any changes to these prices at the time of booking.
In the case of ‘package holidays’ we reserve the right to increase the price after booking if any increase in price occurs in respect of:
(i) Air fares or other transport costs,
(ii) Taxes or duties payable, including new taxes introduced by any government
(iii) Adverse changes to currency exchange rates
If the cost of your holiday increases by more than 8% you may decide to cancel the holiday and have a full refund or chose another one if we are able to offer one,  except for the insurance premiums or amendment fees paid after booking.  If you want to cancel you must tell us within 14 days of being advised of the increase.  In return we will not change the cost of your holiday within eight weeks of departure. Equally, where our costs fall after the package has been bought, we will pass onto you any benefit and reduced costs to ourselves as a result of changes to the items listed above.

We will not pass on any increase below 2% of your holiday price, but equally we will not refund any decrease of less than 2% of your holiday price

In the case of ‘other travel arrangements’ you can choose whether to pay in full within 14 days of booking in which case we can guarantee the price quoted. Alternatively, you may pay eight weeks before departure but, in this case, the price will be recalculated according to the fares and currency rates then applicable. No guarantee of price can be given, and you do not have the right to cancel no matter what happens to the price, except by paying the cancellation charges shown above


10. Our Liability

For package holidays only, we are responsible for ensuring that your package holiday is of a reasonable standard and as described by us to you. If any part fails to reach this standard and affects the enjoyment of your holiday, we will offer reasonable compensation, so long as it is not due to events outside our control such as action by you or a member of your party, caused a a third party unconnected with the package or unforeseeable and extraordinary circumstances which could not be avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken

In addition, we accept responsibility for any injury, illness or death arising from the activities booked through us by the fault of any of ourselves, our suppliers or their employees acting in the course of their employment. We will pay compensation equivalent to that which would be awarded in an English court but will not offer compensation if the injury, illness or death is caused by your own fault, the fault of someone unconnected with the package or by an event which could not have been expected or avoided even with all due care. You must report the event that occurs to us and the supplier whilst you are on holiday and write to us as soon as you return.

We reserve the right to limit our liability in accordance with International Conventions such as the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions in relation to air travel and the Athens Convention in relation to international sea travel, the Berne Convention in respect of travel by rail and Paris Convention in respect of the provision of accommodation. We shall have the full benefit of any limitation of compensation which is contained in these conventions and   the contractual terms of the companies that provide the services that make up your package holiday and those terms are incorporated into this booking

You can ask for copies of the relevant international conventions and terms of the travel providers which apply to your booking.

In the case of ‘other travel arrangements’ TravelMax accepts responsibility for any loss, personal injury or death caused by our own proven negligence.  However, in respect of the travel arrangements themselves and any claims that may arise from them, we are unable to accept responsibility and any claims must be addressed to the supplier with whom you are in contract or to your own insurance company.


11. Complaints Procedure

If you have a problem during the course of your holiday, you must inform the supplier of the service, plus a representative whose details we have provided, or telephone our offices immediately, failure to do so may reduce or extinguish any possible claim.  We will endeavour to put things right as soon as possible for our own packages and offer assistance where the issue is with your supplier in the case of ‘other travel arrangements’.  We will acknowledge all complaints on their receipt and deal with them promptly and efficiently. Any disputes which cannot be amicably settled may (if you so wish), be referred to ABTA’s scheme of dispute resolution which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. Full details can be found at www.abta.com


12. Data Protection

By making a reservation with us you agree to the use and disclosure of the information you provide for the following purposes: to enable us to process your booking (when it may be transferred abroad), if you purchase insurance we may process your information and pass it to insurers, for market research and analysis, to avoid fraud and to enable us to contact you by letter, telephone or e-mail with details of our products or those of our suppliers. 

You may find further information regarding our privacy policies here www.travelmax.co.uk/pages/privacy-policy


13. Important Information

The products available on this web site are only available to UK residents or those who have visited the UK in the last 12 months prior to departure. Your booking on this website is conditional on you accepting our terms. If you do not agree with any part of them, you must not proceed with your booking. By clicking on the “confirm” button you accept that you have read, understood and accepted our terms.  If there is any part that you do not understand, or if you have a query on the flight or any product, please contact us on 02825 654477 , or you can e-mail us at donotreply.travelmax@travelmax.co.uk


14. Excursions/Tours

For any excursion or tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the 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.


15. Law and Jurisdiction

This booking is governed by English law, and the jurisdiction of the English courts. You may choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you live there and wish to do so

Prices
The prices for scheduled flights on this website are in pounds sterling.  A compulsory charge for airline protection cover has been added to your booking unless you have advised us you have alternative cover, and we have a copy of your policy. The charge ensures all passengers on this booking against repatriation costs in the unlikely event the carrier you are booked to travel with becomes insolvent or otherwise ceases to trade.

TravelMax reserve the right to refuse any reservation without notice or to advise of fare discrepancies within 2 working days (excluding bank holidays) of the reservation being made.

Hotel descriptions/locations
Due to suppliers providing direct hotel content to this website, TravelMax cannot guarantee the accuracy of all the content and advise all users to recheck details/locations of hotels.  TravelMax accept no responsibility for any errors associated with the above.

Credit card payments
Tickets are sold to credit card holders or registered travel agents only.  If you are not a registered travel agent with an account, we require payment by credit card.  The credit card information is validated after the transaction is finalised. Despatch address for tickets must be the same as the billing address for the card.

Check in and flight times
Timings shown are local times based on the 24-hour system and may change during periods according to the individual country’s daylight-saving policy. Flight times on this website are for guidance only and are subject to change. Actual flight times will be shown on your flight ticket. It is important that you check your flight details and times on receiving your tickets.

We advise you to check-in in plenty of time before departure. For European flights the normal check in time is at least two hours before flight departure and for transatlantic flights 3 hours. We also recommend that you reconfirm your return journey with the carrier’s local Representative 72 hours before your return flight. Air transport regulations require that the spelling of your name on your ticket is identical to your passport.

Flight delays
In 2004 a new Europe wide law relating to denied boarding, delays and cancellations came into force. This may give you rights to care and in some cases compensation if you are affected. Full details of these rights are available at all UK and EU airports and from the airline you are flying with. Please note that any claims must made to the airline and not to ourselves. Reimbursement by an airline will not automatically entitle you to a refund of the holiday cost from us, which is dependent on these terms and any right to compensation will be reduced by any payments you receive from airlines or other service provides. If you are on a package holiday and are prevented, due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, from returning home we will provide necessary accommodation for a maximum of three days

Baggage allowances
The baggage allowance per person is shown on your e-ticket and may vary by airline, destination and class of travel. Infants under the age of 2 on the date of their return flight have no allowance. Airlines are increasingly enforcing stricter controls over excess baggage. You should be aware that if you exceed the baggage allowance stated on your ticket then an excess baggage allowance may be charged by the airline at the time of checking in. The excess baggage charge may be as much as 1% of the premium fare charged by that airline per kilogram over your allowance.

Pregnancy
If you are pregnant you should check with your doctor that it is safe for you to travel. If you are more than 28 weeks pregnant at the time of your return scheduled flight, airlines insist on a medical certificate stating you are fit to fly. Many cruise lines refuse travel to those more than 24 weeks pregnant at the date of travel so please check before booking

Infants
Infants under 6 months must sit on the adults’ lap with an infant-strap during the flight. Infants over 6 months and under two years must sit on the adults’ lap unless there is a vacant seat. The minimum age limit for infants on scheduled flights is two weeks of age, on the date of departure. Infants will not be charged Air Passenger Duty or Airport Taxes (unless you are purchasing a seat), other taxes may apply.

Meals
A meal or snack is served on most long-haul scheduled flights. For travellers with special dietary requirements, special meals can normally be requested, and must be done so, well in advance of the travel date. TravelMax accepts no liability for any requested special meals not being available.

Seating Requests
TravelMax will pass on any seat requests to the relevant airline. However, we must stress that seating requests cannot be guaranteed, and we cannot be held responsible for requested seating being unavailable at the time of check – in. In some cases, airlines permit seat requests in advance only on the payment of additional fees, please ask at the time of booking.

Other Special Requests
If you have any other special requests in respect of the accommodation, or require airport assistance for example, please advise us at the time of booking. We will pass these requests on to the relevant supplier but must emphasise that we cannot guarantee they will be provided and cannot accept bookings which are dependent on specific requests.

Overseas departure taxes
Many countries impose airport or departure taxes. Where these can be paid in advance, the cost will be included in the ticket price quoted. Other taxes may be payable in cash at the destination.

Frequent flyer schemes
Not all airline tickets sold by TravelMax are eligible for mileage/points accrual. We strongly advise that you check with the airline(s) concerned regarding the use of frequent flyer membership(s) concerned regarding the use of frequent flyer membership(s) with your booking.

Insurance
You must have insurance; we insist that in your own interests, you and other members of your party are adequately insured.

Before you travel/passports
Check the Foreign Office website at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for advice and the latest information about specific Countries.

You are responsible for checking you and your party have the necessary passports, visas and other requirements for the destination you intend to visit. In particular many countries introduced new health formalities to allow entry and a failure to comply may result in you being denied travel by the airline or other transport provider and result in your holiday being cancelled and subject to the usual cancellation fees.

The airline may refuse travel if you do not have a valid passport, visa and entry permits. We are not obliged to help you if you are refused travel. Your passport and other documents must be intact, you may not be able to travel if they are damaged or have been tampered with. If you have any doubts on the validity or condition of your passport or for any other questions. Please contact the Passport Advice line on 0300 222 0000 or visit www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports

Note your passport number before travel and keep it separate from your passport. This will help the local British Consulate to supply a temporary passport at short notice if you lose the original.

For travel to many countries, a British passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the UK. For travel to the EU, your passport must have been issued within the last 10 years on the date of travel and have at least 3 months validity on the date of your return home. Some Countries apply different rules; contact the Embassy of your destination country for current information and any visa requirements.

Children under the age of 16 are now required to have their own passport and are not allowed to travel on their parent’s passport.

Any international traveller to the USA will have to complete an ESTA Form at least 72 hours prior to departure.  All persons travelling to the USA must now hold a machine-readable passport.

Website passwords
We will not be held responsible for any bookings made fraudulently using the agency password.  We recommend that if a member of staff leaves you contact us to change your agency password.

Nationality
Bookings are accepted on the condition that passengers are British nationals and hold a valid British passport. Should this not be the case, TravelMax must be made aware prior to booking. Failure to do so could result in amendments or cancellation without notice and subject to our cancellation polices.

Supplier Terms
Some providers require you, the travel agent, to read and adhere to their own Terms & Conditions. Where this is occurs, we will clearly display a link to the terms and conditions of these suppliers on the payment page prior to booking.

Sports & Events
When we offer tickets for sporting or other events, we do so solely as an agent for the organisers. As we have no control over the operation of the event, there is always a possibility that it will be cancelled or postponed, in which case the limit of our liability is to refund the value of the ticket purchased. Should you choose not to travel at all, our usual cancelation fees for the other elements of your holiday will still apply.

 

Foreign Travel Advice

For the latest travel advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office including security and local laws, plus passport and visa information, click here