Holiday Deals Online - Booking Conditions
The following Booking Conditions together with the General Information contained on our website form the basis of your relationship with Ski Line Limited trading as Holiday Deals Online 131 Edgware Road, London W2 2AP and your contract with the tour operator or other provider of the featured holiday arrangements or, where we sell a flight with a no frills carrier, the airline operating your flight. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations.
These Booking Conditions only apply to holiday arrangements which you book through us in the UK.
Please note: Except for flights operated by no frills airlines, we act only as agents for the tour operators and other providers of the holiday arrangements featured on our website and/or which you book through us. We do not sell or offer for sale any arrangements as principal. Similarly, we do not act as an organiser of any “package”.
You will be advised at the time of booking as to whether your holiday arrangements are to be provided by a tour operator or other provider and who that tour operator or other provider is. Your contract for the arrangements you have booked will be with the applicable tour operator or other provider(s) of those arrangements and not us. The relevant tour operator or other provider(s)’ terms and conditions will apply to that contract, copies of which are available on request.
Where you book a “package” with a tour operator, you will also be advised of the operator’s ABTA number or other financial protection arrangement or, where your package includes flights, the operator’s ATOL number.
All references to “provider(s)” means the applicable tour operator or other provider(s) of your chosen arrangements and, where the context permits, no frills airlines.
Except for flights operated by no frills airlines, where you book a flight or flights only, your contract will be with the ATOL holder who provides the flight or flights for whom we act as agent. You will be advised of the ATOL holder’s name and number at the time of booking.
For no frills airlines (which are described as such on our website), we make all bookings as a ticket provider (see clause 21 below). Your contract will be with the no frills airline concerned whose terms and conditions will apply to your booking.
1. Making your booking
To make a booking, you may book online or telephone our reservation department on 020 8313 3999. The person making the booking will be deemed to be the party leader. The party leader must be at least 18 and must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these Booking Conditions by all persons named on the booking. In making the booking the party leader confirms that he/she is so authorised. All bookings are subject to these Booking Conditions. The party leader is responsible for making all payments due to us. The payments specified in clause 2 must be made at the time of booking.
Once we have received your booking and all appropriate payments, we will, subject to availability, confirm your arrangements on behalf of the provider concerned by issuing a booking summary. This booking summary will be sent to the party leader and will be followed by a confirmation invoice from the provider. Please check this booking summary and invoice carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately if any information which appears on the booking summary, confirmation invoice or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later. Please note that we cannot accept any responsibility for any errors in any documentation except where those errors were made by ourselves. Additionally we regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracy in any document within 14 days of our sending it out (5 days for tickets). Please note: for late bookings i.e. bookings made within 14 days of departure we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracy in any document (including tickets) immediately.
For no frills airlines, after full payment has been made at the time of booking, we will e-mail you the e-mail confirmation from the airline which along with your passport will enable you to travel on your confirmed flight. No further confirmation invoice will be issued.
2. Payment
In order to confirm your chosen arrangements, a deposit per person must be paid at the time of booking (except no frills airlines – see below). Full details of the applicable deposit will be given at the time of booking. In some cases, if you book within a certain number of weeks of departure or depending on the type of booking you make e.g. flight only, you may have to pay the full cost of the holiday/flight at the time of booking.
The balance of the cost of your arrangements must be received by us 7 days prior to the date stated on your confirmation invoice. Reminders are not sent. If we do not receive all payments due (including any surcharge where applicable) in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you on behalf of the provider concerned. In this case the cancellation charges set out in clause 6 below will be payable.
For flights with no frills airlines, full payment must be made at the time of booking.
Please note: All payments made by credit card are subject to a 2.5% charge for Visa and Mastercard and 4% for American Express. Should the costs to us increase for payments made by this method we reserve the right to increase this charge at any time.
3. Your contract
When we confirm your booking, a legally binding contract between you and the provider of your confirmed arrangements comes into existence.
We both agree that English Law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us (except as set out below). We both also agree that any dispute, claim or other matter of any description (and whether or not involving any personal injury) which arises between us must be dealt with under the ABTA Arbitration Scheme (if the Scheme is available for the claim in question - see clause 12) or by the Courts of England and Wales only unless, in the case of Court proceedings, you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In this case, proceedings must either be brought in the Courts of your home country or those of England and Wales. If proceedings are brought in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may choose to have your contract and any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us governed by the law of Scotland/Northern Ireland as applicable (but if you do not so choose, English law will apply).
4. The cost of your Arrangements
(a). We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices at any time. We will advise you of any error of which we are then aware and of the then applicable price at the time of booking. Please note changes and errors occasionally occur. You must check the price of your holiday at the time of booking.
(b). As we act as agent only for the provider of your confirmed arrangements, all increased costs and charges of whatever nature imposed by the provider concerned will be passed on in accordance with the provider’s own terms and conditions.
5. Changes by you
Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed arrangements, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavor to assist, we cannot guarantee any such requests will be met. Where they can be met, an amendment fee of £25 per person/per booking will be payable together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of the providers of your confirmed arrangements
6. Cancellation by you
Should you or any member of your party need to cancel your chosen arrangements once they have been confirmed, the party leader must immediately advise us in writing and by recorded delivery. Your notice of cancellation will only be effective when it is received in writing by us. If you do cancel, the applicable cancellation charges will be those imposed by the provider of your confirmed arrangements. Please see the provider’s own terms and conditions or ask at the time of booking for further details. Please note - amendment charges are not refundable in the event of the person(s) to whom they apply canceling. Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to the insurance company concerned.
7. Insurance
You must ensure that each member of your party has adequate travel insurance. Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on your break. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs, including all winter sports / activities which you may wish to take part in. Please note that the link provided on our website to Columbus Direct is for your ease of reference only and is not a recommendation as we are not qualified or authorized to recommend insurance providers or insurance policies.
8. Other Changes and cancellations
If there is a change to or cancellation of your booking we will pass on the new details to you together with any compensation that the provider of your affected arrangements may offer. As agent only for the provider of your confirmed arrangements or ticket provider we cannot accept any liability for any changes or cancellations made to your booking.
9. Force Majeure
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations or those of any provider is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any expense, damage or loss of any nature whatsoever as a result of "force majeure". In these Booking Conditions, "force majeure" means any event which we or the provider of the arrangements in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, actual or threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our / their control.
10. Our Liability to you
We act only as an agent for the providers of the holiday arrangements featured on our website and/or which you book through us or as ticket provider for no frills flights. Your contract for your confirmed arrangements is directly with the provider concerned. We accept no liability in relation to the arrangements themselves or for the acts or omissions of the provider concerned. The terms and conditions of the provider of your confirmed arrangements will apply to your contract (copy available on request).
However, in the event that we are found liable on any basis whatsoever our maximum liability to you if we are found to have been at fault in relation to any service we provide as agent for the provider concerned (as opposed to any service provided by the provider) or as ticket provider is limited to twice the cost of the booking in question. We do not exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury which arises as a result of our negligence or that of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.
11. Complaints and problems.
In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your arrangements whilst away, you must immediately inform the provider or the provider’s representative or agent (if there is one). Any verbal notification must be put in writing as soon as possible. Until they know about a problem or complaint, the provider cannot begin to assist you resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If you remain dissatisfied, you must write to us within 28 days of your return to the UK giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint and we will pass this on to the provider concerned. Please note that if you fail to follow this simple complaints procedure, your right to claim any compensation you may otherwise have been entitled to may be affected or even lost as a result.
12. ABTA Arbitration
Disputes arising out of, or in connection with your booking which cannot be amicably settled may be referred to arbitration if you so wish under a special scheme arranged by ABTA Ltd and administered independently.The scheme provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on the customer in respect of costs. Full details will be provided on request or can be obtained from the ABTA website (www.abta.com). The scheme does not apply to claims for an amount greater than £5,000 per person. There is also a limit of £25,000 per booking. Neither does it apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences. The scheme can however deal with compensation claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1,500 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element. Your application for arbitration and other required documents must be received by ABTAwithin 18months of your return from the holiday. Outside this time limit arbitration under the scheme may still be available if we agree, although the ABTA Code does not require such agreement. For injury and illness claims, you can request the ABTA mediation procedure and we have the option to agree to this. Where we act as agent, please bear in mind that your contract is with the supplier of the arrangements concerned. Unless the supplier is also a member of ABTA, only disputes relating to our actions as agent can be dealt with by the arbitration scheme or mediation procedure and not complaints about the arrangements themselves or the acts / omissions of the supplier.
13. Behaviour
When you book with or through us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss must be paid direct at the time to the provider(s) in question. If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions.
We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. If in the reasonable opinion of any person in authority (for example the provider of your confirmed arrangements), you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage to property, the person in authority is entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the arrangements of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service. In all cases we and the provider(s) concerned will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we and the provider will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.
14. Special requests and medical problems
If you have any special request, you must advise us at the time of booking. Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant provider(s), we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the provider(s) or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met. Unless and until specifically confirmed, all special requests are subject to availability.
We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request. All such bookings will be treated as "standard" bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests.
If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your arrangements, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking or whenever the problem or disability develops, if later.
15. Activities and published information
The information contained on our website or given by us to you is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of the being placed on our website /when it is given to you.
We may provide you with information (on our website/verbally or when you are on holiday) about activities and excursions which are available in the area you are visiting. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions which are neither run, supervised nor controlled in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other third parties who are entirely independent of us.
We cannot guarantee accuracy at all times of information given in relation to such activities or excursions or about the resorts/area you are visiting generally (except where this concerns the services which will form part of any contract you have with us) or that any particular excursion or activity which does not form part of any contract you may have with us will take place as these services are not under our control.
16. Passports, visas and health requirements
The passport, requirements applicable at the time of printing to British citizens for the arrangements featured can be found at www.ukpa.gov.uk. A full British passport presently takes approximately 3-6 weeks to obtain. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. If you or any member of your party is 16 or over and haven't yet got a passport, our recommendation is that you should apply for one at least 6 weeks before your holiday. The UK Passport Service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and will ask you to attend an interview in order to do this. If you or any member of your party is not a British citizen or holds a non British passport, you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel.
Details of any compulsory health requirements applicable to British citizens for your holiday can be found on www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure. Information on health is contained in the Department of Health leaflet T7 (Health Advice for Travellers) available from the Department of Health by telephone on 0870 1555455 or via its website www.dh.gov.uk and from most Post Offices. For holidays in the EU / EEA you should obtain an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) prior to departure from the Department of Health (see leaflet T7 and the website www.dh.gov.uk). Health requirements and recommendations may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure. All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry correct documentation. If you or any member of your party is not a British citizen or holds a non British passport, you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel. If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results to fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.
17. Accuracy of Prices and other published details
Please note, the published information, photographs and prices may have changed by the time you come to book your arrangements. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of such information, photographs and prices at the time of being placed on our website/given to you, regrettably changes and errors do occasionally occur. Unless specifically stated otherwise photographs of accommodation are intended to give a general impression of the accommodation only and will not necessarily be the same as the room(s) you wish to/have booked. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen arrangements (including the price) with us at the time of booking.
18. Safety standards
Please note, it is the requirements and standards of the country in which any services which make up your arrangements are provided which apply to those services and not those of the UK. As a general rule, these requirements and standards will not be the same as the UK and may sometimes be lower.
19. Ratings System
The ratings used by us on our website or elsewhere to describe accommodation are not necessarily official ratings. Rather they may simply be ratings which a particular provider has devised to reflect their opinion of the accommodation and other services they feature. Please bear in mind that different providers use different ratings systems and opinions can and do vary.
20. Flights
In accordance with EU Directive (EC) No 2111/2005 Article 9, we are required to bring to your attention the existence of a “Community list” which contains details of air carriers who are subject to an operating ban within the EU. The Community list is available for inspection at http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/air/safety/flywell_en.htm.
In accordance with EU Regulations we are required to advise you of the actual carrier(s) (or, if the actual carrier(s) is not known, the likely carrier(s)) that will operate your flight(s) at the time of booking. Where we are only able to inform you of the likely carrier(s) at the time of booking, we shall inform you of the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of this. Any change to the operating carrier(s) after your booking has been confirmed will be notified to you as soon as possible.
We are not always in a position at the time of booking to confirm the flight timings which will be used in connection with your flight. The flight timings shown on our website and/or detailed on your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and are subject to alteration and confirmation. Flight timings are outside the provider’s control. They are set by airlines and are subject to various factors including air traffic control restrictions, weather conditions, potential technical problems and the ability of passengers to check in on time.
Specific instructions relating to departure and travel arrangements will be sent with your air or other travel tickets approximately 2 weeks before departure. You must accordingly check your tickets very carefully immediately on receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times. It is possible that flight times may be changed even after tickets have been despatched - we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs. In any event, you must reconfirm your flight times 48 hours prior to departure for all flights. If you do not receive your tickets approximately two weeks prior to departure, please contact us immediately unless informed otherwise at the time of booking.
Any change in the identity of the carrier, flight timings, and/or aircraft type (if advised) will not entitle you to cancel or change to other arrangements without paying our normal charges except where specified in these conditions
21. Flight only and flight inclusive bookings
Except for flights operated by no frills airlines, we act only as agent for the ATOL holders concerned. All monies received for a flight only or flight inclusive booking will be held on behalf of the ATOL holder while in our hands.
When you buy an ATOL protected flight inclusive holiday or flight only, you will receive a confirmation invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under the ATOL of the ATOL holder concerned. In the unlikely event of the insolvency of the ATOL holder concerned, the CAA will ensure that you are not left stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking.
For no frills airlines (which are described as such on our website), we make all bookings as a ticket provider. Your contract will be with the no frills airline concerned whose terms and conditions will apply to your booking. Full payment must be made at the time of booking and in return we will e-mail you the e-mail confirmation from the airline which along with your passport will enable you to travel on your confirmed flight. We will have no liability for the performance of the contract or for the acts and/or defaults of the airline or any of its employees, agents, suppliers or subcontractors.
The copyright in these conditions belongs to MB Law of Studio 3, The Quays, Concordia Street, Leeds LS1 4ES , telephone number 0113-242-4444. Ref: CGI. All copies of these conditions must include the words “© MB Law”.