General Terms of Participation

GENERAL TERMS OF PARTICIPATION OF THE TRAVELLER IN A PACKAGE TRAVEL

In accordance with Directive (EU) 2015/2302, pursuant to Presidential Decree 7/2018 on package travel and linked travel arrangements

Please read carefully the following General Terms of Participation, which form an integral part of the package travel contract, together with the information provided, before registering to take part in any of our package tours. The general terms set out the responsibilities and obligations of the Traveller participating in a package tour (a package of travel services comprising transport and at least one overnight stay) and of the travel company trading under the name Luxury Travel DMC, having its registered office in Thessaloniki, 9 Danaidon Street, which sells package tours organised by itself or by another organiser, as well as of the means of transport used to carry out the trip, with the ultimate purpose of selling such package tours to the traveller. It is clarified that the role of Luxury Travel DMC is that of an intermediary acting on behalf of its clients and the necessary providers, so that travellers are fully served by the services provided by our offices. The traveller, the members of his or her family, his or her fellow travellers and any participants through companies, associations, schools or other bodies, whose costs have been covered by the traveller and who have authorised him or her to register them for a package tour, by participating in the company’s package tour, automatically and unreservedly accept the programme of the package tour and the following General Terms of Participation, which comply with Presidential Decree 7/2018 and which they have studied carefully, understood and undertake to observe.

Please note that the General Terms of Participation set out the general information and the rights and obligations of the two contracting parties to the package tour, whereas, with regard to the specific and particular information (destinations, prices, dates and times of departure and return, means of transport, accommodation, visits etc.) relating to each package tour individually, you should consult the programme of each trip and the relevant price list or the prices provided to you by the travel company.

1. ORGANISER (TRAVEL COMPANY)

We are LUXURY TRAVEL DMC E.P.E., having our registered office in Thessaloniki, 9 Danaidon Street, Postcode 54626, Tax Identification Number (VAT No.) 800774290 , General Commercial Registry (G.E.MI.) No. 59248204000, (hereinafter the “travel company”), a member of the Hellenic Association of Travel & Tourist Agencies (HATTA) under No. 2526, organising trips either on our own or in joint cooperation with other travel agencies, and selling them or making them available for sale ourselves or through another travel agency (retailer).

2. CONTRACT FOR PARTICIPATION IN A PACKAGE TOUR

Your participation in a package tour (hereinafter the “trip”) requires the signing of a contract between our travel company and the “traveller”, namely you, which also covers your family or the group you represent and whose costs you cover, a copy of which you will necessarily receive. These General Terms of Participation form an integral part of that contract.

3. GENERAL

The information, particulars and recommendations contained in the General Terms of Participation have been checked by our company for their validity and accuracy at the time this document was drawn up; they are of a general nature and apply unless otherwise stated in the programme of each trip.

The printed programmes are valid for the period stated in the current price list and in inseparable combination with it, in which any changes, corrections and information concerning the trips are also stated, and which are binding on all travellers.

The final configuration of the trip, its services and its price is contained in the package travel contract, which is signed and jointly accepted by the two parties (travel company and traveller).

Please note that any special wishes, needs or requirements of the traveller with regard to the trip in which he or she participates must be expressly included in the contract, provided that they have been agreed and can feasibly be fulfilled. Since such details may constitute personal data of the traveller (and frequently, indeed, sensitive personal data), our company retains them exclusively for the duration of the trip, in order to serve the traveller’s needs during the trip, and thereafter deletes them. (unless you wish to receive offers and newsletters about upcoming trips we organise)

The information and particulars of the trip programmes may change owing to frequent and unforeseen changes in circumstances worldwide, and particularly in transport and international relations. In such a case you will be notified immediately by the most appropriate means, and for this reason our company must have all your contact details (telephone numbers, fax, email), so that it can contact you at any time.

4. BOOKINGS – PARTICIPATION IN PACKAGE TOURS

You may register for any of our trips if you are over 18 years of age or if you are accompanied by an adult, provided that places are available, at the price and with the other charges applicable at the time. Bookings are made by visiting the offices or branches of the organisers or retailers or the offices of our partners in the joint venture, by post, fax, telephone or via the website, provided that, in order for places on the specific trip to be secured: a) the deposit stipulated in each case (usually 40-50%) or the full amount is paid, in cash or by bank transfer to the bank accounts of the travel company, and b) these Terms are unreservedly accepted and complied with.

A booking is valid if the specific trip, with its departure and return dates and any other distinguishing details, is stated on the receipt for payment of the deposit. The right to participate in the trip is secured by payment in full of its total price and the related charges at least 20 full working days before departure. Any failure to pay the total price of the trip within the prescribed time entitles the travel company to cancel the booking and, where applicable, to claim cancellation charges in accordance with the cancellation terms provided herein.

The contracting party who represents his or her family or group is under an obligation to inform all the fellow travellers represented by him or her of the details and Terms of the trip. Those participating through a third party have the same obligations as the representative who registered them for the trip, and the travel company shall make all relevant information available to them upon request.

Bookings open immediately after the publication of the trip brochure and the enclosed price list. If you are interested in a trip, we recommend that you register for it in good time in order to secure your participation.

On organised air tours, your tour escort will be at the arrival airport, and the services begin and end with the arrival at and departure from the destination airport of the tour respectively. The company reserves the right to replace the tour leader / escort during the tour / trip owing to extraordinary circumstances. In certain cases the escort service is provided by local representatives. Our company bears no responsibility for the opening days and hours of shops, museums and archaeological sites.

5. TRIP PRICES – CHARGES ETC.

The price of the trips (hereinafter the “price”) is stated in our price list in force at the time, in which the other mandatory charges (duties and taxes, airport taxes, fuel surcharges, gratuities, visas etc.) are also itemised, or is provided to you in detail by our company when you enquire about a trip. Trip prices are calculated on the date on which the price list is issued (that date being stated therein), on the basis of the costings of the services of each trip, the applicable fares, taxes and other insurance costs, the exchange rate of foreign currencies against the Euro, and any other cost factor. The travel company, having exhausted every possibility of foresight, reserves the right to adjust prices where the above cost factors change.

The price of the trip may change up to 20 days before the date of the relevant departure owing to unforeseen increases in fares, exchange rates, fuel etc. Any such price increase shall be notified to you, calculated in detail, in a clear, comprehensible and prominent manner on a durable medium, together with the justification for it.

In the event of an increase in the price of the package exceeding 8%, the traveller may accept the proposed change or terminate the contract without paying a termination fee.

If the traveller terminates the contract, he or she may accept another package, provided that we are able to offer one, of equivalent or higher quality and value. If the trip offered to the traveller is of lower value, the price shall be reduced accordingly.

The traveller is obliged to notify our company in writing of his or her decision within a reasonable period, which in no case may exceed 15 days from the time the price increase is notified to him or her. If the traveller does not reply in writing within the above time limit, our company is obliged to cancel his or her participation and refund all monies paid by him or her without any further obligation.

Charges usually relate to third-party costs (airport and port taxes, fuel surcharges, exchange rate differences etc.)

As a standing rule, the prices of package tours are per person and cover only the services stated under “inclusions”.

The price of trips may also be reduced in order to attract additional participants necessary for them to go ahead. Any offering by the travel company of the last prepaid places at a special price, so that a trip may go ahead, does not entitle the other travellers to demand a corresponding discount or to cancel their participation without paying the stipulated cancellation charges.

Furthermore, the travel company is entitled, for a certain period of time or for a limited number of places, to sell places at more favourable prices, subject to special cancellation terms.

Child rates (for ages 2-12 and only when two adults are paying in the same room/cabin) vary from case to case, ranging from free accommodation, without meals, in hotels and on ships, to a small discount.

On charters (chartered means of transport), all passengers, including children, pay the full fare.

Should you choose to stay in a triple room, you should be aware that the third person in triple rooms receives a small discount or none at all. The exact price differences are, in any event, stated in the price list in force.

7. OBLIGATIONS – LIABILITIES OF THE TRAVEL COMPANY

The travel company is under an obligation to coordinate and carry out in the best possible manner the trips it offers to travellers. The travel company, having exhausted every possibility of foresight and care, is not liable for wrongful acts and omissions of third parties unconnected with the provision of the services, and of their associates, nor for extraordinary situations such as cancellations, delays or changes to the schedules of the various means of transport (aircraft, ships, coaches, trains etc.) owing to the closure (“embargo”) of areas as a result of terrorist acts, strikes and other causes. Owing to the possibility of minor or major delays, for technical, meteorological or other reasons, travellers should not schedule visits or their participation in events etc. on the days of flights or, generally, of their transfer from one destination to another. Any scheduled guided tour, in the event of a delay, shall be moved to the following days, and if this is impossible its cost shall be refunded.

It is emphasised that the travel company is not in a position to foresee or control circumstances that are beyond its sphere of influence and which may lead to the cancellation of the trip or to damage resulting from the non-performance or improper performance of the agreed travel services. Typical examples of such cases are: strikes, accidents, illnesses, epidemics, physical disorders owing to local conditions, altitude or climate, owing to meals not included in the trip programme or owing to inadequate hygiene conditions caused by external factors, injuries or hardships owing to war, coups d’état, terrorist acts, hijackings, earthquakes, weather conditions, fires, epidemics, toxic contamination and any other state of emergency or force majeure. In the above cases, the travel company bears no liability for making good any damage caused thereby, nor any obligation to cover the related extraordinary expenses, which, as in cases of force majeure, must be borne by the travellers themselves. It shall, however, make every effort to assist and look after travellers in every way, mainly as regards providing appropriate information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance, as well as providing assistance to the traveller in facilitating distance communication and finding alternative travel arrangements. Our company may impose a reasonable charge for such assistance where the problem was caused intentionally or through the negligence of the traveller, which shall not exceed the actual cost incurred.

– Where, after the traveller’s departure on the trip, a significant proportion of the travel services cannot be provided as agreed in the package travel contract, our company shall offer, at no extra cost to the traveller, suitable alternative arrangements, where possible of equivalent or higher quality than those specified in the contract, for the continuation of the package, including where the traveller’s return to the place of departure is not provided as agreed.

– Reasonable complaints during the trip concerning any lack of conformity identified during the performance of a travel service included in the package travel contract must be reported immediately and on the spot, in writing, to the tour escort (or, in his or her absence, to our company) and to the provider of the service concerned. The tour escort shall record his or her observations on the matter on the same form.

– If the problem reported could not be resolved on the spot, upon your return from the trip you must submit any relevant complaint to our company in writing within a time limit of 10 working days, together with any documents or other evidence you have in support of it. After the expiry of the 10-day period, the travel company is under no obligation to respond to any claim.

–All group trips of our Company have been costed on the basis of 20 adult persons (unless otherwise stated in the programme of a specific trip), and we reserve the right to cancel the trip if this number is not reached. In the event of cancellation, the travel company must notify the traveller at least 7 days before departure and propose any alternative travel options. If no alternative is found, the company shall refund the amount paid without any further obligation towards the traveller.

– Services that are not mentioned in the descriptions of the package tour programmes or that are described as optional are either not offered at all by our travel company or are available at an additional charge over and above the stated prices, provided that they can ultimately be arranged. These optional services, however, (local excursions, evening events, museum admissions etc.) are not mandatory for either party (organiser / traveller), and take place only if a minimum number of participants is reached and after the total amount has been prepaid.

Our company bears no liability for optional services that are not provided by it.

– Within a reasonable time before the start of the package you will receive from our company the necessary receipts, vouchers and tickets, information on the scheduled departure times and, where applicable, on the deadline for check-in, as well as the scheduled times of intermediate stops, connections and arrival.

-Where there is a particular wish, e.g. for a special diet, and it is an important detail for your booking on a trip, every necessary effort will be made to accommodate reasonable wishes. The company, however, cannot guarantee them and they shall not be considered grounds for cancellation.

-Upon completion of your trip, our company shall issue the tax documents required by law.

8. OBLIGATIONS – LIABILITIES OF TRAVELLERS

Since other persons usually also take part in a package tour, participation in it requires appropriate social conduct and consideration towards fellow travellers and those involved in carrying it out. For this reason, travellers must comply fully with the trip programme and the instructions of the tour escorts or guides, and arrive punctually at the meeting points for the various services of the programme (flights, transfers, guided tours, excursions, meals etc.). Lateness and unreliability on the part of the traveller result in the loss of the flight, excursion, transfer or other service, without any right to a refund for the service missed. In such a case, the traveller must rejoin the group at his or her own responsibility and expense. The travel company shall make every possible effort to assist him or her in this.

You must be at airports and ports at least two (2) hours before your departure. If no tour escort is provided on the trip, you must reconfirm your onward flights locally with the airline and make sure from which airport and terminal your flight departs and at what time.

Travellers from other areas must arrive at the departure point of the trip well in advance – preferably the previous day – so as not to be affected by any delay or strike of local means of transport. Any missing of the means of transport of the package tour owing to such a delay entails the loss of the entire trip, where it is not possible to rejoin the rest of the group, without any right to a refund. Otherwise, the costs of rejoining the rest of the group shall be borne by the travellers themselves, and the travel company shall make every possible effort to assist them organisationally in this.

Travellers are responsible for the acts of the children they accompany and must supervise them continuously throughout the trip with regard to their safety and conduct.

Should the traveller interrupt his or her trip of his or her own accord and leave the group, even for reasons of force majeure, he or she shall not be entitled to any further service or compensation, and the responsibility for and costs of any travel by him or her outside the group shall be borne by the traveller.

Likewise, our company bears no liability for services of the package tour that were not provided to the traveller owing to his or her own negligence or fault, or owing to his or her illness.

Before your departure from your hotel or accommodation, please arrange in good time for the settlement of any personal bills (for telephone calls, drinks, etc.).

Where the traveller is prevented from participating in the package tour on which he or she has booked a place, and after giving our company timely written notice on a durable medium, he or she may transfer the booking to another person who satisfies all the conditions for participation in that trip, no later than 15 days before the start of the package. In the event of any outstanding balance of the price or any additional fees, charges or other costs arising from the transfer (e.g. from the fact that the new traveller is a person of the opposite sex), the transferor and the transferee shall be jointly and severally liable towards our company for their payment.

Particularly in the case of scheduled air carriers, it should be pointed out that it is not possible to change the passenger’s name, but only to cancel the existing booking and book a new seat. Our company will make every effort to find a new seat, but shall bear no liability if this proves impossible. The resulting mandatory cancellation of the booking shall be made in accordance with the cancellation terms provided herein.

8. HOTELS – ACCOMMODATION [/ SHIPS – OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORT]

All information concerning the categorisation or classification of the hotels and accommodation mentioned in the programmes of our package tours complies with the legislation in force in each state on the tourism classification of hotels and accommodation, which may differ from country to country. You should be aware that there is no single international hotel classification. Hotels and accommodation are selected on the basis of their location and the services they offer, combined with the best possible price according to their category, as stated in the description of each trip.

The rooms of most hotels accommodate two beds or one small double bed. Triple rooms are, in essence, twin rooms with an extra bed or camp bed. They are usually not particularly comfortable and the extra bed may be smaller than standard beds or a sofa bed. For the convenience of travellers, some hotels also provide a fourth bed, but it goes without saying that space will be quite limited.

For groups, and generally for package trips, superior rooms are usually not allocated, owing to the special economy prices.

Rooms are usually handed over by the hotel between 14:00-15:00 and are at the disposal of guests until 10:00-12:00 on the day of departure. Should you wish to check in to your room earlier or depart later, our company will try to accommodate you and, if rooms are available, you will have to pay the relevant charge.

On individual trips, in the event of late arrival at the hotel, after the day or time of the traveller’s scheduled arrival, and provided that neither the traveller nor our company has informed the hotel accordingly, the hotel is entitled to cancel the booking and make the room available for the whole period of the booking, if requested.

In the event of overbooking on the part of the hotel, our company shall make every possible effort to resolve the matter, also in accordance with the rules applicable in the host country. If, owing to unforeseen difficulties, the trip organiser is compelled to change the hotel – even where it is mentioned by name in the programme – for another of the same or a higher category, this shall not constitute grounds for cancellation, and notification shall be given upon receipt of the final information document.

On ships, cabins are generally smaller than hotel rooms and, apart from the levels on which they are located (decks), are divided into outside cabins (with a window or porthole) and inside cabins (without external contact). They may also be of the “bunk” type, with upper and lower beds. The categorisation of cabins (lux, superior etc.) is at the discretion of the shipping companies.

On coach tours within Greece, seats are allocated in order of booking and do not change during the trip. By contrast, on coach tours abroad, seats change daily. Smoking on the coach is prohibited.

Meals prepaid in the price of trips abroad usually correspond to a 3-course menu (e.g. starter, main course with side dish, dessert).

The phrases <through the city>, <we will see>, <we will admire> on tours denote, respectively, an indication of the direction of the route and the view from the coach of the sight or building concerned. A full-day visit/excursion has a duration not exceeding eight (8) hours in total, always calculated from the time of departure from the hotel up to the time of return to the hotel. A half-day visit/excursion has a duration not exceeding four (4) hours, always calculated from departure up to return to the hotel.

It is made known in advance and expressly agreed that airlines, for their own reasons, sometimes charter aircraft of another airline for their own flights. This shall not constitute grounds for cancellation of the trip or for any claim for compensation by the traveller. Changes to flight schedules and aircraft types may be made by an airline at any time for operational reasons beyond our control. We recommend that you do not leave bags, cameras, mobile telephones and your other personal belongings unattended, and that you keep them under constant supervision in any area of hotels, ships and other accommodation, as well as on means of transport.

9. GUIDED TOURS – EXCURSIONS – MUSEUMS

On Christmas, New Year, Carnival and Easter tours, visits to museums and other archaeological sites may not take place or may take place on a day other than that scheduled, owing to public holidays and their closure. The price of the tour does not include admission to museums or archaeological sites unless otherwise stated in the relevant tour programme. For optional guided tours/excursions/events that are decided upon, organised and paid for abroad, a minimum number of participants is required. The company is not responsible for whether they take place, nor for the prices and services offered, and it is entirely at the travellers’ discretion whether or not to participate in optional excursions or other events abroad. The programme and duration of guided tours vary and are determined by the tourism and guiding bodies of each locality.

10. PASSPORTS, ENTRY VISAS (VISA) AND HEALTH FORMALITIES

Generally, all trips abroad require a new-type passport issued in 2006 or later. The countries of the Schengen area also accept the new identity cards, which state the holder’s details in Latin characters as well. Our company recommends that you travel with a passport valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return date, for the immediate verification of your identity and to avoid problems during your travels.

Please note: Some countries require travellers’ passports to expire at least 3-12 months after the time of their arrival there. The specific information for each trip, where such a case arises, is to be found in the programme or other document of the trip, which forms an integral part of the programme.

The travel company provides all necessary information concerning the travel and other documents required for each trip and destination and their issue and/or endorsement, but – even if it provides some assistance in the relevant procedure – it is not liable for any failure by the competent authorities, to which the traveller must apply, to issue or endorse them.

Particular attention is required with regard to the travel documents of minors, who must in all cases hold a passport.

In particular, nationals of other countries holding foreign passports and/or a valid residence and work permit must inform the travel company accordingly in writing and must apply themselves to the consular authorities of their country, as well as of the countries they will visit, in order to check whether they require an entry visa or any other documents for the countries through which they will pass or to which they will travel, as well as for their re-entry into Greece or the country from which they departed.

Any failure to secure the timely issue or endorsement of your travel documents does not justify cancelling your participation in the trip without incurring cancellation charges.

The travel company provides all information on any necessary vaccinations or other medical precautions for areas affected by tropical or other epidemics. However, owing also to the sensitive medical personal data of each traveller, the traveller is responsible for consulting the competent health authorities in this respect.

Please note: a) Many trips involve extraordinary or different conditions for the travellers’ bodies, particularly trips to areas with extreme temperature conditions (cold, heatwaves) or to tropical or more disease-prone areas, such as Africa, Asia, South America etc.

Travellers, and particularly elderly persons, persons with health problems (blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, allergies) or reduced mobility, and pregnant women, should consult their doctor and inform the travel company accordingly, and should also produce a medical certificate, which is also required by carriers and other service providers, confirming that they can travel safely. Otherwise, they must assume the relevant responsibility themselves by means of a solemn declaration.

b) Furthermore, many of the activities of all kinds included in our trips (e.g. outdoor activities) may require good health and physical fitness on the part of the travellers in order to be carried out. In such cases, travellers must produce a medical certificate or a solemn declaration that they are able to engage safely in the activity concerned.

It is advisable to be vaccinated or to take medication for the prevention of Hepatitis A and B, which is the most frequent consequence when strict measures of personal hygiene in shared spaces and of cleanliness in the consumption of fresh food and drinking water are not observed.

11. INSURANCE

Our company has taken out a Professional Civil Liability insurance policy for each of its programmes, which covers any liabilities towards travellers arising from the non-performance or improper performance of the package tour. The insurance policy also covers, in the event of the company’s insolvency, the obligation to refund all amounts paid by or on behalf of travellers, to the extent that the relevant services are not performed owing to the company’s insolvency. Where the package travel contract includes the carriage of travellers, the insurance also covers their repatriation. The option of continuing the package may, however, also be offered.

Should any insolvency of our company affect the performance of the package, the insurance shall be activated free of charge, so as to ensure repatriation and, where necessary, the financing of accommodation prior to repatriation.

For travel services that have not been performed, refunds of the amounts paid shall be made without undue delay following a request by the traveller.

The insurance policy number and the details of the insurance company (name, contact details, address) are stated in the contract signed between our company and the traveller.

Our company has notified the insurance policy number and the name of the insurance company to the competent Regional Tourism Office (P.Y.T.) of the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism so that they may be entered in the Register of Tourism Businesses.

Since group insurance cover is specific and limited, for cases of loss of life, illness, accident and loss of or damage to luggage and other valuables that are not covered, optional insurance in the desired amounts is available, which our company unreservedly recommends.

If you are interested in additional insurance cover [including for the event of cancellation of your trip owing to termination on your part or for reasons relating to you (illness, medical operation on you or your relatives, or any other similar cause)], you may contact our company for relevant information.

Furthermore, in the event of illness during your trip within the European Union, we recommend that you contact your Social Insurance Provider to obtain the “European Health Insurance Card”.

We unreservedly recommend that you take out optional insurance in the desired amounts to cover the costs in cases of loss of life, illness, accident and loss of or damage to luggage and other valuables not covered by group insurance cover, and also for the event of cancellation of your trip owing to termination on your part or for reasons relating to you (illness, medical operation on you or your relatives, or any other similar cause).

12. CANCELLATIONS

Cancellations of participation by the traveller are made only in writing to our company and, irrespective of the date of booking (and provided that it is not possible to transfer the booking to another person under the conditions set out in the article “OBLIGATIONS – LIABILITIES OF TRAVELLERS” of the General Terms of Participation), are subject to the following cancellation fees per person, depending on the time at which the cancellation is made, irrespective of whether or not the corresponding amounts have already been paid by the travellers:

– For trips in Greece and Europe, excluding the Russian Federation and the countries of the former USSR

Up to 45 days before departure: €50 for trips in Greece and €100 for trips in Europe, per person, for administrative costs.

44 to 30 days before departure: 40% of the total price of the trip

29 to 15 days before departure : 75% of the total price of the trip.

From 14 days before departure up to and including departure (no show): 100% of the total price of the trip. For special air fares, once the ticket has been purchased and is cancelled, up to 100% of its value is charged, irrespective of when the seats were booked and cancelled.

-For trips outside Europe and to the Russian Federation, as well as to the countries of the former USSR, the following cancellation terms apply :

Up to 2 months before departure, the entire deposit (40% of the total price of the trip) for administrative costs.

Up to 30 days before departure, 60% of the total price of the trip.

From 30 days before departure up to and including departure (no show), 100% of the total price of the trip.

For cruises, different cancellation terms apply in accordance with the terms of the contracts of each company applicable to each tour – cruise.

For special departures, holiday periods, periods of trade fairs, sporting or artistic events, conferences, cruises or trips operated with specially chartered flights or specially chartered ships, the above-mentioned periods may be longer and the retention percentages higher, and these are expressly stated in the printed programme of the trip concerned.

Charges apply irrespective of the time of booking or of whether or not the corresponding amounts have already been paid by the travellers.

For individual / independent trips, as well as for those of associations, schools and companies, different cancellation terms apply in accordance with the terms of each airline fare and the cancellation policy of the respective hotel or other supplier.

In the case of non-refundable fares or non-refundable hotel offers, cancellation charges may reach as much as 100%, as determined by the airline & ferry company and the accommodation provider, and as stated in the tour programme or the offer.

The above apply even where the client does not take part in all the events of the programme and/or uses his or her own means of transport. For departures during holiday periods, periods of trade fairs, sporting or artistic events, cruises or trips operated with specially chartered flights or ships, the above-mentioned cancellation periods may be longer and the retention percentages higher, as expressly stated in the programme of the tour concerned. Charges apply irrespective of the time of booking or of whether or not the corresponding amounts have already been paid by the travellers. Where one of the two persons who have chosen to stay or are staying in a double room cancels his or her participation, he or she shall pay the corresponding cancellation fees. Where the above cancellation fees do not equal 100% of the total price of the trip, the person who ultimately travels shall also pay the room supplement, as he or she will necessarily be accommodated in a single room.

14. SPECIAL OFFERS

In the case of special offers (with special prices or discounts), the booking may require full payment for the service, and different cancellation periods or terms for the transfer of the right of participation may apply. Furthermore, in the case of special offers, the booking may not permit cancellation or any change and may, in the event of cancellation, entail a 100% cancellation charge.

Where payment is made by credit card, the booking may be cancelled automatically without any notice to the client if the credit card does not have the necessary funds or validity.

In the event of cancellation of the trip, the company may charge the client’s credit card with the amount of the cancellation charges (in accordance with the cancellation policy applicable to the booking concerned) without requiring the approval or signature of the credit card holder.

Where payment is made in cash or by bank transfer, the company is entitled to claim the total amount from the client by the most appropriate means for its collection.

15. LUGGAGE

Luggage is handed over to and collected from the carrier at the responsibility of its owners, irrespective of whether or not representatives of the travel company are in attendance. In the event of damage or loss, the IATA Regulations apply to aircraft, and the corresponding international Conventions apply to each means of transport and to hotels, and liability in such a case is limited in accordance with those Conventions.

Our company bears no liability for the contents of luggage.

On certain types of trip (e.g. by coach), each traveller is entitled to carry one suitcase and one item of hand luggage.

On air travel, the weight of luggage is usually not permitted to exceed 20 kilos in economy class. Should additional costs arise owing to luggage weight exceeding the permitted allowance, these shall be borne by the traveller and paid on the spot. It is also noted that airlines permit in the passenger cabin only one item of hand luggage of small dimensions (approximately 50x40x25) and the carriage of liquids in containers of up to 100 ml (not exceeding one (1) litre in total), in a transparent bag of 20×20 centimetres.

Your attention is drawn to the fact that you should not place money, items of high value or important documents in your luggage, because carriers pay compensation on the basis of the weight of the luggage, irrespective of its contents, as if it contained used clothing.

If you have valuables with you, you should deposit them for safekeeping in the safe deposit box of the hotels, ships or other accommodation. Compensation does not cover their value.

15. SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES

The travel company and the traveller undertake to resolve in good faith any dispute that may arise during the performance of the package travel contract. HATTA may assist in this respect through its Amicable Dispute Resolution Committee, should the parties so wish.

If amicable resolution of the dispute is not possible, the courts of Thessaloniki shall have jurisdiction.