As well as the TravelManagers terms and conditions, each supplier that I procure services from on your behalf will have their own set of terms and conditions, amendment and cancellation fees, and other requirements such as vaccination status, travel insurance, and more. Furthermore, each country that you visit or transit through (and sometimes each state) will also have their own entry requirements, such as visa requirements, passport validity, transit passes, evidence of vaccination status, negative test result, travel insurance, maximum stay period, countries visited prior, and many more.
To make the planning process as easy as possible for you, I will endeavour to provide as much up-to-date information as possible to help you navigate through everything you need to obtain, and all the details you need to provide. This may include direct information, as well as links to information, government or supplier websites, portals, forms, etc.
This information is provided as a courtesy, and due to the ever-changing nature of these requirements, I cannot guarantee its validity or accuracy at all times. It is your responsibility to ensure that you and your travel companions verify and understand this information and meet all requirements, supply all details required, and submit or obtain any and all forms or documents necessary, by the required time. I cannot be held responsible, accountable or liable for any failure from you or your travel companions to check and act on the information, advice or instructions I provide, nor for any changes to restrictions or requirements which occur before or during your trip and that may disrupt and/or inhibit your ability to proceed with your travel plans. Rest assured that I have taken due care in providing accurate and correct up to date information, but please be aware that requirements and restrictions can and do change, and though I will do my best to advise you of any changes, it remains your sole responsibility to ensure that you check these regularly and that all travellers meet the necessary requirements at the time of travel.
As indicated, I charge fees for the service that I provide. My time and expertise in discussing your trip with you and suggesting a suitable travel package; crafting your WOW trip itinerary; researching, gathering and presenting the information you need; making recommendations and travel arrangements based on your unique needs and desires; and overseeing the maintenance and delivery of your bookings from the time of our very first chat until you get back from your trip and “show me the pictures”; all far exceed the nominal fees I charge. Charging these fees ensures a consistent high level of service and continued prioritization for you and your travel plans, and allows me to make the best recommendations and arrangements suited to you. You can also rest assured that I will take great care to ensure all components of your trip are arranged using correct and accurate details agreed with and provided by you, however, it is also your responsibility to re-check the accuracy of all details such as (but not limited to) the correct spelling of full names as per travel documentation (passports, visas, vaccination certificates, etc.), dates of travel, order of components, tours or cruises, resorts or activities, dates of birth, contact details, etc.
In addition to the fees that I charge, I am also remunerated by some suppliers through various commissions, wholesale-retail margins, and other affiliate methods. These partnerships usually enable me to offer you great deals, and I will always strive to source the best value packages for you. As every wholesaler is different, there may be occasions when individual components can be sourced for cheaper elsewhere (there can be many reasons for this), and although I always appreciate being made aware of these in order to remain competitive, I may not always be able to align with the price for that individual component. In the vast majority of cases, the overall savings I can bring you, over a complete travel package, will more than pay for the fees charged – thereby providing you with even more value, far outweighing the initial cost of these fees.
Bookings:
Service fee: I charge a combined WOW trip crafting and planning fee / booking maintenance and service fee based on the complexity of the planned trip (i.e. a series of guided tours or cruises vs flights-only or fully bespoke FIT). This is a non-refundable fee that is payable prior to commencing work on your itinerary, even if you decide not to finalize your travel arrangements. This fee is in addition to other fees and to the cost of the travel arrangements and does not constitute a deposit toward any part of your booking, as deposits will be charged where applicable once you have decided to proceed with confirming the arrangements. Payment of this service fee constitutes a contract for me to provide my services as stated above, and I may, at my sole discretion, allow for part payment (as a deposit toward this fee only) to be made at the planning stage and the remainder to be paid upon your request to confirm the proposed travel arrangements. All fees are disclosed up-front and before any agreement is made, then itemised clearly and transparently on your invoice.
Fee: AU$200.00 to AU$1,000.00 per booking.
Airfares: Due to evolving technologies, increased operational costs, and shifts in the travel industry (including the widespread reduction in/discontinuation of agent remuneration from airlines), airfares without added fees and margins are no longer a viable source of income for travel agents (even in Australia, which has been able to resist many of these changes much longer than most of the rest of the world).
In order to be able to offer my expertise and continued assistance with air travel arrangements, as well as ongoing monitoring and support of these arrangements until travel completion, I must charge the following non-refundable fees and margins when booking air travel directly – added to the best fares I can source to meet your needs. (Does not apply to air travel arranged through tour operators or cruise lines. Bookings which include a multi-day guided tour or cruise package of 7 days or more will qualify for a 50% discount off these fees – when the flights are not booked through the tour operator or cruise line).
*Each traveller has/needs their own ticket, some itineraries may require multiple tickets within the same booking for each traveller on that booking.
Domestic Australia: AU$50.00 per person/ticket*
Domestic/Internal non-Australia: AU$100.00 per person/ticket*
International ex-Australia: AU$150.00 per person/ticket*
International non-ex-Australia (including in-bound to Australia): AU$250.00 per person/ticket*
Assistance with Frequent Flyer points redemption bookings and/or direct online bookings: AU$250.00 per person/ticket*
Round the World/complex multi-stop itineraries (ex-Australia only): up to AU$500.00 per person/ticket*
3% margin added to Economy and Premium Economy fares.
2% margin added to Business Class and First-Class fares.
Please note: An additional fee of AU$250.00 may be applied to bookings made using the “New Distribution Capability” (NDC) currently being adopted to varying success by some airlines. (You will be advised at the time of quoting if this is the case)
Changes:
Minimal changes: These are changes that only affect one component of your booking and/or do not require any substantial dealings with the suppliers. (Such as, but not limited to, airline schedule changes, a day’s activity, specific preferences or special requirements, etc.)
These usually form part of my standard booking maintenance and service, and so I will not charge any additional fees for these changes, I will only pass on any fees from the suppliers wherever applicable.
Fee: AU$0.00 in addition to any supplier fees.
Substantial changes: These are changes that affect multiple components of your booking and/or may require extensive dealings with the suppliers. (Such as, but not limited to, name changes or corrections, date changes, accommodation or tour changes, changes to flights, considerable special requirements, requests or preferences, etc.)
These can have a serious impact on the booking as a whole and may even require re-booking all the arrangements. There can be multiple supplier fees, and supplier terms and conditions apply. In addition to supplier fees, I will charge a fee based on the amount of work necessary to action the changes – each time a new substantial change is made.
Fee: AU$100.00 to AU$500.00 in addition to any supplier fees.
Please note that these booking and change fees are non-refundable fees charged by me in relation to the services I provide to you for the travel arrangements procured for you; they are separate from, and in addition to, fees charged by the suppliers of the travel arrangements procured, and constitute a form of remuneration that is independent from any remuneration obtained for the provision of the travel arrangements procured.
Cancellations:
Each supplier will have their own cancellation policy and fees, which you will have read and accepted prior to confirming your travel arrangements. Where possible, when a confirmed booking or booking component is cancelled, I would recommend re-booking or holding credits with the suppliers to minimize your losses. If you must request a refund for a cancelled booking or booking component, regardless of the reasons for cancellation (be it voluntary, involuntary or due to force majeure, supplier insolvency, etc.), you acknowledge and accept that in addition to any supplier fees incurred, I may retain part or all of the commissions earned for that booking or booking component as fair and reasonable remuneration for the work undertaken by me in relation to your travel arrangements, the cancellation of these arrangements, the ongoing support and assistance provided, and in advocating for you if necessary to get the best possible outcome. Rest assured that every precaution is taken to minimize risk and maximize refunds wherever possible.
Fee: 5% to 15% of the value of the booking or booking component (excluding any non-refundable booking or amendment fees previously charged) in addition to any supplier fees, plus a AU$75.00 flat refund processing fee per ticket for cancelled airfare ticket refund requests (when the flights are not booked through the tour operator or cruise line).
Cruising and Touring Specific Conditions
Deposits:
Most cruise/tour bookings confirmed far enough in advance will not require full payment at the time the reservation is confirmed (unless otherwise specified by the supplier and/or due to a special deal/discount). In these cases, a deposit payment is usually required by the supplier to confirm the booking. These can be either a flat deposit amount or a percentage of the total value of the cruise/tour, with supplier terms and conditions applying to the stipulated deposit amount paid.
In addition to this supplier deposit, I will collect a supplementary 2% of the total value of the cruise/tour booking as a security deposit, which will be used toward the total balance of the cruise/tour booking upon final payment of the remaining amount owing.
Cancellations:
Prior to final payment – The deposit amount paid to the supplier is subject to the supplier’s cancellation terms and conditions. These may include a full or part refund of the deposit amount, a credit being held by the supplier for a percentage of the value of deposit amount, forfeiting the full deposit amount altogether, or a combination of these or any other supplier terms and conditions.
The additional 2% security deposit collected by me will be forfeited as fair and reasonable remuneration and compensation for the work undertaken by me in relation to your travel arrangements. However, I will hold this deposit amount for 6 months after cancellation, for the purpose of rebooking your travel.
After final payment – Once you have made final payment for the remaining balance of the cruise/tour booking, the full amount is now subject to supplier terms and conditions. Again, these conditions may include full or part refund of the value of the booking, a credit being held by the supplier for a percentage of the value of the booking, forfeiting the full value of the booking altogether, or a combination of these or any other supplier terms and conditions – these often depend on a cancellation schedule based on the amount of cancellation notice given prior to your planned departure date.
In addition to the supplier’s cancellation fees, I will retain a set 5% of the total value of the cruise/tour booking as fair and reasonable remuneration and compensation for the work undertaken by me in relation to your travel arrangements. This amount will be deducted from any refund owed to you by the supplier once received, and the remainder will be refunded to you via the original form of payment. However, I will keep the amount withheld for 6 months after cancellation, for the purpose of rebooking your travel.
If the option is available, I recommend holding credits/vouchers with suppliers wherever possible, so long as you expect to utilise them, as this will help to reduce the loss of funds you would be subject to upon requesting a refund whenever cancelling a cruise/tour.
Acknowledgement:
All availability and costs are subject to change at any time until a booking is confirmed, and a booking or booking component can only be confirmed upon receipt of the required payments and/or acknowledgements. Confirmation of a booking or booking component constitutes a direct contractual relationship between you and the suppliers/providers, which is separate from my services to you as a facilitator for the planning and the procurement of travel related services and arrangements on your behalf (not for their provision).
Once a booking or booking component is confirmed, it will be unaffected by any subsequent price fluctuations including any price increases, but also any special offers, sales or price reductions unless stated in the supplier terms and conditions. Requests for refunds of any price differences, or for receiving the benefits of any special offers, after a booking has been confirmed, will be entirely subject to the terms and conditions of the supplier. For any travel arrangements made (subject to your approval) in a foreign (non-AUD) currency, no restitution can be made for losses incurred from fluctuations in exchange rates.
By proceeding with payment to confirm or finalise any services or travel arrangements, you are acknowledging and accepting the stipulations made above, along with all suppliers’ terms and conditions. Please complete the acknowledgement and acceptance form here.
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