Beijing Albatros Travel Service Co. has implemented both the EU ‘Law on Package Tours’ and the regulations set forth by the China National Tourist Administration. In accordance with these laws, travel agencies must be able to document that they have drawn the attention of the consumer to all possible contingencies: the detailed itinerary, all formalities and expenses, possible changes, and the terms of agreement must be very clear when the tour is booked (i.e. before you confirm your booking by paying a deposit).
It is therefore very important that you have familiarised yourself thoroughly with the terms of agreement for a tour. The terms of agreement comprise the following elements: brochure and/or website information including price list and itinerary, invoice, terms and conditions.
If the tour is booked AND paid for on the Beijing Albatros Travel Service Co. website, chinatoursandholidays.com, the traveller is obliged to read and possibly print all relevant information and documents:
A. Brochure and/or website information including price list and itinerary which contains a detailed description of the tour, current prices and a specification of expected extra expenses, as well as special regulations or information relevant to the specific tour. Flight times, visa requirements, etc., are frequently altered and information regarding these will therefore seldom be found in the printed brochures.
B. The terms and conditions must be seen in context with the other relevant content of the terms of agreement as mentioned above. If there are conditions stipulated in the tour itinerary or practical information relating to the specific tour, these must be included in the information provided in our brochure and/or our website. Otherwise, you may assume that the general terms and conditions for Beijing Albatros Travel Service Co. are valid for your tour.
C. Product liability insurance. In keeping with legislation regarding extended liability for tour operators, we always presume that our customers have familiarised themselves with the content of all of the distributed material.
1. Booking
A booking is binding for both customer and travel agency once the deposit has been paid.
2. Conditions of payment
The following rules apply unless other conditions are stipulated in the tour itinerary or practical information relating to the specific tour on our website.
At the time of booking, a deposit on 25% of the tour’s total price per person, though no less than 300 USD, must be paid. The remaining payment must be submitted no later than 75 days prior to departure. If the deadline for the remaining payment is exceeded, there is no guarantee against otherwise unnecessary changes. Please note that some tours have different conditions of payment and often stricter conditions for cancellation, i.e. tours utilising chartered ships or flights. These conditions will be stated in the specific tour terms and conditions on our website.
3. Cancellation
The following rules apply unless other conditions are stipulated in the tour itinerary or practical information relating to the specific tour on our website.
Cancellation by the customer
If the customer cancels a tour up to 76 days prior to departure the deposit is lost. If cancellation is made within 75-15 days prior to departure, a handling fee of 85% of the total price of the tour will be charged. Later cancellations: The customer has no claim to reimbursement.
Should war and life-threatening epidemics break out, or natural catastrophes and similar events occur within 14 days prior to departure, the trip may be cancelled free of charge. This will, however, be on condition that the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office directly advises against travelling to the specific area, and that the contingencies have arisen after the booking of the tour.
Cancellation by the travel agency
If the number of participants is insufficient for a scheduled group tour, it may be cancelled up to 14 days before departure. The minimum number of participants for a tour is 10 persons. The tour may also be cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control and which neither our partners nor we could foresee (force majeure). In such cases the customer has no right to compensation beyond a refund of the price of the trip. Should the aforementioned contingencies arise the travel agency will always try to offer an acceptable alternative.
4. Travel documents
If travel documents, other than the invoice, are required, these will be emailed or posted to the participants upon full payment.
Additional travel documents could include detailed flight schedules (if included in the purchase), vouchers and itinerary that include the pre-booked services at your destination. If you are participating in a tour with a guide or in an event described in our programme, you will not normally be given a voucher beforehand.
5. Passport and visa
Unless otherwise specified, obtaining the required passport and visa for travelling is the responsibility of the traveller.
The traveller must ensure he/she has a valid passport and visa and give the travel agency correct information regarding name and nationality, etc. We draw your attention to the fact that the processing of visa may take several weeks. The travel agency cannot be held responsible for travellers who, for whatever reason, may be denied entry at a border. Some countries require the traveller to be in possession of a suitable amount of currency, as well as a valid return ticket.
Please be aware that rules and regulations may change between booking and departure.
Please note that there are also visa requirements when in transit. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after returning from your destination.
6. Vaccination requirements
These should be obtained from your own physician. Information given by the travel agency about vaccination and/or prophylactic measures or other medical subjects should be considered a service that is under no medical liability.
7. Change of traveller
In keeping with legislation, and if practically possible, transferring one’s tour (instead of cancelling it) to family or friends on the condition of paying a fee is an option. The size of the fee depends on the character of the tour. The travel agency does not carry out resale of tours already paid for, nor does the travel agency guarantee that a change of traveller can be effectuated.
8. Changes in prices
In accordance with legislation, tour operators may raise the agreed upon price as a result of increased transport costs (including increased fuel prices), altered taxes, tariffs and fees, as well as fluctuating exchange rates. Unfortunately, many sudden price increases occur as a result of fuel surcharges, increased safety taxes or other taxes. On many overseas travels, these extra costs may exceed several hundred USD. Price increases will take place according to the following principles:
1) Airfares, tariffs and taxes will be increased with the exact amount if this exceeds USD 50.
2) Alterations in currency rates with more than +5% or less than -10% in relation to the list price when published. The alteration in price will only include costs regarding the relevant currency and not the entire cost of the package. Please note that we continuously update our price lists, and that a tour will always be sold at the current price even though the customer may be in possession of an outdated price list. The same tour may have been sold at different prices, because we rarely permit price increases to influence the price of tours that have been booked prior to the price increase. General price reductions as a result of, for example, an exceptional reduction in airfares will benefit all customers, regardless of when a tour is booked or paid for.
9. Changes in the itinerary
In accordance with legislation, the travel agency cannot, in principle, make major alterations in the planned tour once it has been booked. It is therefore important that you draw the attention of the agency to any special wishes you may have in connection with the tour you have booked (e.g. hotel with a tennis court, golf, diving, etc.). Such wishes must be included on the invoice. The purpose of this is to guard you against an undesired product. On many of our more ‘adventurous’ tours, we operate (as far as possible) with late changes in order to create the best possible tour-taking climate, local conditions and events into consideration. Changes due to weather and infrastructure can occur and the traveller must see this as a natural part of the trip. Therefore, no compensation is paid for delays and changes within a 24hr duration.
10. Travel insurance
All travellers should be suitably insured. This is of paramount importance regarding transport in case of illness, as well as home transportation etc. All travellers are responsible for having the appropriate insurance coverage. Participation on a trip presumes responsible and considerate behaviour, and you are expected to comply with the directions of the travel agency and its representatives. It is not advisable for travellers to venture alone into unknown and remote areas especially after nightfall. If you wish to be independent, this should always be in consultation with the travel agency or its local representatives. Should the travel agency not be represented at certain destinations, please consult relevant guidebooks for advice on specific conditions.
11. Taxes and tariffs
A number of taxes and tariffs are levied upon issue of your ticket and are included in the price of the trip. However, a number of local taxes cannot be levied beforehand and must be paid for on the spot. These are often airport taxes, as well as tariffs in some national parks. These expenses will usually be stated in your itinerary for your information. We would, however, like to draw your attention to the fact that tariffs and taxes may be altered between the booking of a ticket and your departure.
12. Your responsibility
As already mentioned, your participation in a trip is subject to your being aware of the above information as well as the information on the website, on the invoice and in the itinerary, and to your following the aforementioned regulations. It is also expected that you seek publicised information about the current political, health, natural and climatic conditions at your destination. People travelling individually must pay attention to the fact that the information material does not mention all circumstances. Especially airline tickets, alteration of these, reconfirmation of itinerary, visa etc. need extra attention.
13. People with disabilities
It will always appear from the itinerary whether special demands on physical ability and health are required for completing the tour. A principal rule is that all travel participants must be self reliant. Wheelchair users and people with a motor handicap are very welcome on many of our tours, but please consult the travel agency before booking a tour. The travel agency reserves the right to turn away participants who, based on the travel agency’s professional opinion, will not be able to complete the tour on their own. The travel agency is not responsible for any such refusal.
14. Claims
Claims regarding shortcomings on a trip must be directed to the travel agency or to its local representative as soon as they are ascertained so that the agency can attempt to rectify the situation. The travel agency is regulated by the China National Tourist Administration. In case of disagreement between the travel agency and the traveller regarding shortcomings on a tour, you may place your complaint with the local China Tourist Administration on this website: http://en.cnta.gov.cn/
Any lawsuit or dispute with the travel agency will be ruled upon according to Chinese law.