Holiday details

What is ATOL and what can it do for me?

lastminute.com only works with tour operators who have an ATOL licence!

"ATOL" means an "Air Travel Organiser's Licence" granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Firms selling air travel in the UK are required by law to hold ATOLS. ATOLs protect you from losing money, or being stranded abroad, when travel firms go bust.

Before any firm gets an ATOL, it has to lodge guarantees with the CAA: if it goes out of business, the CAA gives refunds to people who can't travel, and pays for people abroad to finish their holidays and fly home. This protection is included in the price of a holiday booked with an ATOL-holder. Please note ATOL Travel Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the UK.

Your contract is made with Jewel in the Crown Holidays Limited (Company No 1691427) (ATOL 3906, ABTA Membership No W0020) whose registered office and whose principal place of business is at 3 Charlwood Court, County Oak Way, Crawley, West Sussex, RH11 7XA. These booking conditions have been formulated as a result of our responsibilities under law. They do not affect your statutory rights.

1. Your Holiday Contract:

When you make a booking you undertake that you have the authority to accept and do accept these booking conditions on behalf of yourself and your party. A contract will exist upon our accepting any monies from you towards the booking or upon the issue of our Confirmation/Invoice, whichever is the earlier. These conditions, in conjunction with the information set out in our brochure, form the entire agreement between ourselves and yourself. Any advice/information given to you by your travel agent which is inconsistent with our brochure and these conditions will not form part of your contract with ourselves. We hold Air Travel Organiser's Licence No 3906 issued by the Civil Aviation Authority which provides for your financial protection and, if applicable, repatriation, in the event of our insolvency.

2. Making a Booking:

When you or your travel agent make a booking with us and we accept it, you must immediately pay a deposit of �100 per person together with any applicable insurance premium. A Confirmation/Invoice will then be sent to you or your travel agent setting out the balance due which balance must be paid no later than two months prior to departure. If you are departing within two months, then the total holiday cost including any insurance premium is payable in full upon booking. If the deposit is not paid on time, we reserve the right to cancel your travel arrangements. If the balance is not paid on time we shall retain your deposit and reserve the right to cancel your travel arrangements and levy the cancellation charges set out in Condition 5 below. Any monies you pay to your travel agent are held by him on our behalf at all times.

3. Prices:

Prices are fixed at the time of booking and will not be subject to any form of surcharge. The exception to this is an increase in costs arising as a result of any government action including but limited to new or increased taxes such as VAT. Even in this case we will absorb an amount equivalent to 2% of the holiday price which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. Only amounts in excess of this 2%, will be surcharged but when a surcharge is payable an administration charge of �1 per person, together with an amount to cover travel agent's commission (if applicable), will be added. If this means that you have to pay more than 10% of the holiday price you will be entitled to cancel your holiday with a full refund of all monies paid except for any insurance premiums and amendment charges. Should you decide to cancel because of this you must exercise your right to do so within fourteen days from the date we advise you or your travel agent of the amount due. We reserve the right to change our prices at any time before you book including any special offers we may from time to time have which may or may not be the same as set out in our publicity material.

4. Changes by You:

If you wish to change your plans in any way and we can accept the change, a charge of �25 per person per amendment will apply. These instructions must be received from the lead name, in writing, a minimum of two months prior to departure. Thereafter, except as provided by applicable law, cancellation charges, as specified in Condition 5 below, apply. If all names on a booking need to be changed, cancellation charges, as specified in Condition 5 below, apply as at least one name from an original booking must remain. It is not possible to amend from one season to another; cancellation charges, as specified in Condition 5 below, apply.

5. If you Cancel your Booking:

6. If We Amend your Booking:

It is unlikely that we will have to amend your booking. Occasionally changes may be made which we reserve the right to do at any time. Most of these changes are minor and we will advise you at the earliest possible date. Flight timings and carriers set out in our publicity material are subject to change and all details given to you are for guidance only. Confirmed details will be as shown on your ticket. Should a material change become necessary we will inform you as soon as reasonably possible. You may decide whether or not to accept the change although you must let us know by return. A material change is one made to your travel arrangements before departure involving change of departure or arrival airport (other than between airports within the same city airport system), outward or return flights being re-scheduled by more than 12 hours or by substitution of accommodation originally booked with one of a lower grade. If we alter the airline, aircraft type operating your flight or routing this is not a material change and we will be under no obligation to notify you of any such change in advance. If you do not wish to accept a material change we will give you a full refund and in addition, whether or not you accept a material change prior to departure, we will also give you compensation for the inconvenience as follows:

which is the only recompense which will be paid to you. As we do not control the day to day management of your accommodation, it is possible that we may be advised that the reserved accommodation may not be suitable or available to you upon arrival in resort. If this happens, we will endeavour to provide accommodation of at least the same standard in the same resort area. If only accommodation of a lower standard is available then we will refund the difference of the brochure price between the accommodation booked and that available together with compensation of �30 per person for any inconvenience. IMPORTANT NOTE: We are not responsible for changes which arise as a result of situations outside of our control such as technical or maintenance problems with means of transportation, changes imposed by re-scheduling or cancellation of flights by an airline or main charterer, war or threat of war, civil strife, industrial disputes, natural disasters, bad weather or terrorist activity.

7. If We Cancel your Holiday:

We reserve the right in any circumstance to cancel your holiday. However in no case will we cancel your holiday less than two months before the scheduled departure date unless it is for reasons outside of our control, for reasons of safety or security, or for late or nonpayment by you. If we have to cancel your holiday (other than for late or non-payment by you) we will offer you either (i) an alternative holiday of comparable type, though if the alternative offered is at additional cost, the difference will be payable by you and any 'No Surcharge Guarantee' on the original booking will not apply or (ii) a full refund of all monies paid, in either case being the only recompense which will be due to you..

8. Our Liability:

We accept responsibility for the negligent acts and/or omissions of our employees, agents, sub-contractors and suppliers while acting within the scope of or in the course of their employment with us and for any deficiencies in the services we are contractually obliged to provide or the failure of such services to reach a reasonable standard. In any such case our liability shall be limited to a maximum of twice the original holiday cost. We do not accept responsibility in respect of death, bodily injury or illness of any person taking one of our holidays except when caused by the negligent acts and/or omissions of our employees, agents, sub-contractors or suppliers while acting within the scope of or in the course of their employment agency contract of supply or sub-contract although where the services in question consist of carriage by air, by sea or rail or the provision of accommodation, the limit of our liability shall be as provided for under applicable law and/or international convention.

9. Documentation:

Where travel and health documents are necessary to comply with the requirements of any country you may wish to visit then it is your responsibility to procure them. If failure to obtain any such documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed upon us then you shall reimburse us accordingly. You must ensure by consulting your own doctor if necessary of specific health precautions deemed prudent for the country/resort you intend to visit and the appropriate medication/inoculations complied with.

10. Conditions of Carriage/ Accommodation:

We are neither a carrier nor a provider of accommodation. Each journey (whether undertaken or not) that you book by land, sea or air is governed by the conditions of the carrier undertaking to provide that carriage. Some of these conditions limit or exclude liability and are often the subject of international agreements. Copies of applicable conditions are available for inspection at the offices of the carrier concerned or through ourselves. It is your own responsibility to reconfirm the onward or return sector of any air journey with the carrier concerned or such carrier's duly authorised agents and according to such carrier's regulations. When you book accommodation (whether provided or not) its availability or provision is subject to the 'house rules' of the hotel or other accommodation providing or undertaking to provide such accommodation.

11. Conduct:

We reserve the right in our absolute discretion to terminate your holiday arrangements without notice should your behaviour be such that it is likely in our opinion to cause distress, damage, annoyance or danger to any other person. In such circumstances, no refund or compensation will be due to you.

12. Unused Services:

No refund will be due to you in respect of non-utilisation of any part of the travel arrangements made for you.

13. Insurance:

We cannot stress enough the importance of your taking out adequate holiday insurance against cancellation charges, unexpected curtailment of your holiday, medical expenses arising overseas, loss or damage to luggage and personal liability claims against you. Should you elect not to effect suitable travel insurance cover despite this advice, then you undertake on behalf of yourselves and all members of your party to indemnify both ourselves and our overseas agents and representatives (as applicable) for any costs that arise which would otherwise have been met had such insurance cover been taken out.

14. Data Protection Policy:

We comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Policy. However, to enable us to process your booking, we need to pass on certain information to our third-party suppliers, some of whom are outside the European Economic Area (EEA) controls. We shall be pleased to provide further details upon request.

15. Complaints:

We do our very best to ensure that your travel arrangements go according to plan. However, if you have a complaint arising out of what we have agreed to provide for you please let us know at the earliest opportunity, if necessary by calling our U.K. office from wherever you may be. If a problem arises during your holiday, it is important that you advise the supplier and/or our representative at the earliest opportunity who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint cannot be resolved locally you should advise us within 28 days of the incident, in writing, giving your original booking reference number and all other relevant information. Your letter will be given prompt attention. If you fail to follow this simple procedure we cannot accept responsibility as we would have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate the matter and hopefully rectify any problem. Disputes arising out of, or in connection with, our contract with you which cannot be amicably settled may be referred to arbitration under a special scheme which, though devised by arrangements with ABTA, is administered quite independently by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The scheme (details on request) provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on the customer in respect of costs. This scheme does not however apply to claims for an amount greater than �5,000 per person or �25,000 per booking form nor to claims which are solely or mainly in respect of physical injury or illness or the consequences of such injury or illness.

16. Applicable Law:

The contract between us as well as these booking conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with laws of England and Wales. In the case of any dispute between us which cannot be settled amicably or resolved through the arbitration scheme referred to in Condition 15 above, both yourselves and ourselves agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England & Wales.