General Information
< Back to holidayAIRFARES - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Upgrading Economy Fare to Business Class Fare with Points
The airfare included in a package, or otherwise purchased separately may not allow the use of flyer points to upgrade. However, there is the option of paying a surcharge where we would book the airfare which does allow you to upgrade. The surcharge can be quoted at time of requesting quote and is subject to availability.
Accruing Frequent Flyer Points
The airfare offered may not permit frequent flyer points to be accrued. If you wish to accrue frequent flyers points please check with us at the time of booking. We will advise the status and if any airfare supplement applies to book an airfare class that permits the accrual of frequent flyer points.
HOTELS - CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT TIMES
Consider the hotel check in time on arrival and the hotel check out time on departure.
Early Check In
If your flight arrives well in advance of the hotel check in time, then we recommend travellers consider booking an additional night at the hotel the evening prior to guarantee a morning check-in. Early check in without payment can be requested, and is at the discretion of the hotel, but cannot be guaranteed.
Late Check Out
If your flight departs after the hotel check out time we recommend that you make an enquiry with us about securing a late check out with payment. Some hotels will require payment in full of the next night of stay while others may have a rate for a late check out such as a payment to extend check out until 6pm as an example.
Late check out can be requested but without payment cannot be guaranteed.
MORE ABOUT FITNESS
At our discretion we, including the service provider, can exclude you in a tour or in any activity if we consider that you are unable to safely participate in that tour or activity or if we consider your participation may place the safety of other guests at risk
We exclude all liability for any illness, injury or death sustained by you on tour because of any pre-existing medical condition. You release us from all liability arising out of your medical condition, illness, or injury that you may suffer during the tour or as a result of the tour.
SPECIAL DIETS
As a standard, Encounter Travel limit special dietary requests to Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Lactose Intolerant and Diabetic. Additional intolerances to those fore-mentioned, are the responsibility of the traveller. For any additional special diet requests you must seek our advice and consultation.
- We make special dietary requests on behalf of our travellers to our ground operators, cruise operators, and/or any third party that operate components of The Holiday where meals or snacks are provided as part of The Holiday inclusions. We cannot guarantee that all or any of the third parties will meet the request in part or full.
- We can offer guidance on each of The Holidays as to the suitability of The Holiday for you in relation to your special diet request.
- Requests made after booking your holiday that cannot be met will not entitle you to any refund of monies paid. Any lacking or failure from any of our operators to cater for your special diet does not give claim to any compensation whatsoever.
Other notes about special dietary requirements:
- Please also be mindful that many hotels, restaurants and cruise ships may not provide gluten free cereal, bread, pasta, pizza, cake and/or dessert.
- Special diet requests may limit the number of choices or variety for meals.
- For airlines, please seek further advice at the time of booking. Please take note that a request for a vegetarian meal on a flight is provided as a vegan meal.
- We recommend travellers with special dietary requirements consider their options to supplement meals and snacks in their holiday destination before deciding to travel. In some countries, it is not uncommon that restaurants and food outlets pay less or no attention to special dietary requirements in comparison to what we may be accustomed to in Australia or other home countries.
- Helpful Websites for Special Diet Translation cards:
TRAVEL INSURANCE
- Travel insurance is a compulsory pre-requisite to join any of our holidays, unless the trip value is below $1000 per person.
- We urge every traveller to take out travel insurance immediately after making a deposit for any holiday.
- Please send your travel insurance policy details to us before or no later than the time you pay your final monies. You must send us your insurer’s name, telephone number in Australia, emergency contact number for calls outside of Australia and the policy number.
- We urge you to carefully read any travel insurance policy level of cover/inclusions. All policies must include cover for medical expenses and sufficient cover for repatriation to your home country in the event of accident or illness. In addition, we urge you to take out a policy that includes cover for cancellation, curtailment, loss of luggage and personal effects and that the policy has a high level of cover for personal liability.
About Credit Card Travel Insurance
You may have travel insurance included with your credit card.
Before you travel:
- Contact your bank to request the details of their insurer
- Find out the level of cover included with your credit card insurance policy
- Obtain the contact information for the insurer that you would need in an event of an emergency
- Be sure to determine the credit card provider requirements that qualify you for cover. Example: a minimum purchase value on the card for your holiday expenses
- If travelling within Australia, check your policy covers you for domestic travel
STAYING IN TOUCH
Email, SMS ans instant messaging services are the most convenient ways to stay in touch with family and friends while you are away. In most destinations and certainly in major cities you can expect access to internet services and also local telecommunication companies for SMS.
Be sure to have an email account that you can access from any internet service while travelling such as a gmail, hotmail or an icloud email address.
INTERNATIONAL ROAMING
To be able to send SMS messages while away you need to check with your mobile phone provider that international roaming services are turned on. You need to check with your provider the cost for sending and/or receiving SMS while you are outside of your home destination as usually this service is not included in mobile plan packages.
Important Note: making and receiving telephone calls are usually very expensive and we don’t recommend you use your mobile phone for either. Our tip – create a voicemail message that let’s callers know you will not bet taking calls but for urgent messages they can send you a text. Just remember to re-record your voicemail when you return home.
INSTANT MESSAGING SERVICES
If you aren't already a Whatsapp user, we recommend you download the APP before you travel; then get family and friends to download it too.
CODE OF CONDUCT
The following is a code of conduct that must be observed by all participants/travellers:
We require that all participants observe responsible consumption of alcohol and obey all local, state or country laws pertaining to the consumption of alcohol.
- Use or possession of any illegal drugs will be cause for immediate expulsion for the group. This includes marijuana and opium even if this is considered acceptable in the destination.
- We require all participants to obey all laws of the country.
- Participants are to respect the privacy of other participants and if a participant declines to provide any contact information requested by another participant, that this wish is respected.
- Participants understand that if they receive contact information from another participant of the group event that this is solely for their reference and is not to be provided to other participants of the event group without the express permission of the participant whose information it is.
- Participants are to refrain from offensive language or behaviour including sexist and racist remarks.
- Participants are to be courteous to other participants and respect differences of one another.
- Participants understand that should other participants provide personal contact information that this information is not to be used for unsolicited email or correspondence for the purpose of business exchanges or transactions unless with the express prior permission of participants.
Any behaviour contrary to the Code of Conduct may result in your removal from The Holiday.
DISCLAIMER
We have taken great care to prepare and publish the trip information and in good faith we believe it to be accurate at the time we published the information. However, as is the nature of travel, plans may need to change from time to time and often unexpectedly.
If trip details need to change, in most cases your final documentation issued prior to your departure will be updated. However, it’s also possible that an itinerary change may be necessary while on the trip. It could be related to unexpected weather or road conditions or another example could be an announcement of a closure of a facility we planned to use. In these cases, we will make all best endeavours to provide an alternative, of equivalent or similar standard.
Any content in this publication maybe subject to change or correction, and without notice.
We have taken great care to prepare and publish the trip information and in good faith we believe it to be accurate. However as is the nature of travel, plans may need to change from time to time and often unexpectedly.