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.

If any part of these Booking Conditions is found to be invalid, or unenforceable, then the remainder of the conditions will not be affected, and remain valid and enforceable.

Friendship hosts

One � sometimes two Friendship hosts are on hand for all holidays featured in this brochure. (Sometimes local staff fulfil this role on our behalf due to local working regulations).

Star ratings

Please note that the star ratings we use are our own assessement, which may differ from official gradings.

Booking your own flights

Please note that we add a �20 administration fee to your invoice if you make your own flight arrangements. This makes a contribution towards the extra work involved in keeping track of your flight times and any changes. And please note that if your independently booked flights do not dovetail with our transfer times, an additional fee of �20 per transfer is charged.

How to pay

Payment can be made by cheque, credit or debit card (a 2.5% charge is applied for credit card transactions).

Travel Insurance

You must have adequate travel insurance. (The old E111 form for travel within the EU has been replaced by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) but it provides for only basic medical treatment within EU member countries and is NOT an insurance policy.) Our insurance is with Columbus Direct and represents very good value. For full details of the cover provided, please refer to our website. Costs are: Europe & Egypt - �9 for 2-4 days; �13 for 6-10 days; �18 for 11-17 days; �99 for annual multi-trip cover. Long haul 7 nights is �28, 9-14 nights �34. Ski cover is �42 for 7 nights. If you are over 60 or have pre-existing medical conditions, the insurance company may charge a higher premium.

YOUR COMMITMENT TO US

DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT

When you make your booking you accept (including on behalf of anyone else you book) the terms of these booking conditions. You must pay a deposit of �75 for UK breaks, �150 for Ski, Europe and Egypt holidays, �300 for long haul holidays. You should also pay your insurance premium in full. A contract exists when we issue our confirmation invoice (by email or post). All monies paid to a travel agent are held by him/her on our behalf. You must pay your balance at least 9 weeks before departure. If you do not, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled, in which case you could be liable to pay us cancellation charges as set out below. If your booking is made within 9 weeks of departure then full payment must be made. All payments are fully protected and bonded by ATOL 6683.

CHANGES BY YOU (more than 9 weeks before departure)

If your holiday includes MyTravel flights, after 56 days the full amount is payable. We regret that no refund can be made until full travel documentation has been returned to us. No refunds will be made on insurance premiums. We strongly advise you to take advantage of the travel insurance described in this brochure, which includes protection against cancellation charges. If not, you must take out alternative insurance with at least an equivalent cover.

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU

CHANGES OR CANCELLATIONS BY US

Certain holidays need minimum numbers before we can operate them and we have the right to cancel such holidays if that number is not achieved.

It is unlikely that we would have to make any changes to your holiday but we do plan the arrangements many months in advance. Sometimes changes have to be made which we reserve the right to do at any time. Most of these changes are minor, but where they are significant, we will inform you or your travel agent when you book, or if you have already booked as soon as is reasonably possible before your departure. If the change is of a major nature (e.g. involves a delay in departure or return of more than 12 hours or a change of hotel accommodation to a lesser category than originally booked or to a totally different destination) you will have a choice of the following:

a) Accepting the change of arrangements;

b) Accepting another available holiday from us, at the appropriate price.

c) Cancelling your holiday.

If you choose a) or b) we will pay reasonable compensation as shown. If you choose c) we will refund you all the money you have paid to us plus reasonable compensation on the scale shown below:

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE We cannot accept liability or pay compensation if we are forced to cancel, or in any way change your holiday due to war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire or adverse weather conditions, or any other reason outside our control amounting to force majeure.

PRICE GUARANTEE Please note that all accommodation and flight prices are subject to change before you book, particularly in the case of fuel or other flight charges, APD increases etc. The price we confirm at the time of booking is the price you pay. Once booked the price of your holiday is fully guaranteed and will not be subject to any surcharges.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY

When you contact us to make a booking we act as agent for the relevant carrier/hotel which will be disclosed on your documentation. We reserve the right to substitute the carrier if necessary. When we have confirmed your booking a contract exists under which we accept responsibility for the provision of all the services described in our invoice. We have taken care in choosing the hotel accommodation, other services and facilities for inclusion in the holidays we offer and have described them in this brochure in accordance with the latest information we have at the time of publication.

We accept responsibility for ensuring that all the elements of your holiday are as described in this brochure and are of a reasonable standard. We also accept responsibility for every service which we are contractually obliged to provide, irrespective of whether such services are provided by our own employees or agents, or by sub-contractors or suppliers. In the unlikely event that your holiday is not supplied as specified, reasonable compensation may be paid. If you or any member of your party suffers death, bodily injury or illness arising from the negligence of our employees, agents, suppliers, their sub-contractors, servants and or agents, we may accept responsibility provided that they are acting within the scope of or in the course of their employment when the accident occurred. In all cases our liability will be limited in the manner provided by the relevant International Conventions.

COMPLAINTS

Our aim is to ensure that you have a trouble-free holiday. However, there are some aspects of your holiday which are not under our direct control. In the unlikely event that you have a problem or complaint during your holiday you must bring it to the attention of our local office/agent and/or hotelier so that they have an opportunity to put it right at the time. If the problem is still unresolved you should contact Friendship Travel immediately to allow us the opportunity to deal with it while you are still on holiday.

If the matter cannot be resolved locally and you wish to take it up with us on return, please write to Friendship Travel (email not accepted) within 28 days of your return from holiday. Please quote your booking reference number and give full details so we can make a thorough investigation.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

All flights are based on the scheduled services of the operators as listed. On occasions, it may be necessary to operate with alternative carriers. Such changes which are known to us will be advised at the time of booking, significant ones will be notified to you by your travel agent as soon as possible, but will not constitute an automatic right to cancel or receive compensation.

INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR

If the behaviour of any member of any party is considered likely to cause offence, danger, damage or distress to others we reserve the right at all times to cancel or terminate a holiday completely. If this situation arises, our responsibility will cease and the company will be under no obligation to cover expenses incurred and neither will we consider or accept any claims for compensation or refunds whatsoever.

VACATION OF ROOMS

It is standard policy throughout the world to vacate your room at midday on the day of departure. If you arrive on a night flight your room will have been available from the afternoon of the first day. On your departure evening it may be possible to keep your room, at an additional cost.

VISAS

A tourist visa must be purchased on arrival in Egypt at a cost of �15 (subject to change).

Friendship Travel Ltd, Enkalon Business Centre, Antrim, BT41 4LJ