Terms & Conditions
User agreement between the user (User, you) and Sky Direct Travel Ltd. Please read these terms and conditions before agreeing to any booking.
Your contract will be with Sky Direct Travel Ltd. For your financial security Sky Direct Travel Ltd holds an Air Travel Organisers License. When booking travel arrangements our contract with you begins when we tell you your booking is confirmed either by telephone, face to face or email. Once the contract is made we are responsible for providing the travel arrangements you have booked and you are responsible to us to pay for them. In parties of two or more people the person who makes the booking, by signing the booking form or otherwise contracting as telephone order with us or face to face accepts responsibility for making payments to us for all members of the party.
If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.
At the time of booking you must pay a deposit, the amount of which varies from £100 per person up to the total holiday cost, depending on the type of booking, and pay any balance of the cost of the holiday no later than 8 weeks before departure. If you book inside 8 weeks of departure full payment is required at time of booking. If you do not make the required payments your booking will be cancelled. If you have paid a deposit and fail to pay the balance on time you will lose your deposit. Fares are not guaranteed until full payment has been received.
Balance – You need to pay the balance by the due date. It is very important that you pay balance payments when due because failure to do so may lead to the cancellation of your holiday/flights and still leave you liable to pay cancellation charges. Where an extra “booking charge” applies it will be advised at the time of booking. Until full payment has been received the price of your booking may increase as a result of fuel or other surcharges which may be imposed by suppliers.
Air Reservations
Many scheduled and most discounted airfares, carry amendment and cancellation fees sometimes up to 100%. It is important that all customers’ check the fare rules prior to confirming their reservations detailed under the fare quote. You may ask our travel consultants. Amendments and cancellations cannot be processed until the original tickets have been returned or permission has been given by the traveller. Refunds are processed as quickly as possible. Generally totally unused tickets can be processed by Sky Direct Travel Ltd within 28 working days, but may take anything up to 14 weeks. If refund is going back on a credit card it can also take anything up to 14 weeks. In the meantime, many card issuers will allow the item to be placed in dispute to avoid interest charges. Sky Direct travel Ltd accepts no liability for interest charges incurred for outstanding refunds. For scheduled air fares, an administration fee of £110 per ticket will be applied to all amendments and cancellations in addition to the airline’s standard fees. Partially unused tickets may have to be returned to the issuing airline to calculate the refund due (if any) which normally takes 6-12 weeks to process. In some isolated cases this can take up to 12 months. Tickets issued for discounted air fares are subject to an administration fee of £160 in addition to the charges applied by the airline.
Hotel Reservations
Hotels have varying cancellation policies varies and most of the hotels are non-refundable. Ask our travel consultant for more details.
Alterations By The Company
Although the Company makes every effort to ensure that published descriptions are correct, it does not own or operate airlines and other suppliers and cannot control or prevent changes. The Company therefore reserves the right to change the description of any flight and/or ground service before you book, in which case you will be told before a confirmation invoice is issued. Although under no obligation to do so, the Company will endeavour to notify all changes before departure if it is practicable to do so. No compensation is payable by the Company in such cases. Should a schedule change occur to your itinerary after full balance/ticket issue, on either the outbound or return flights the relevant suppliers decision will be final and Sky Direct Travel Ltd amendment charges may apply.
Cancellation By The Company
Holiday arrangements excluding packages
In the unlikely event that a booking has to be cancelled a full and prompt refund will be made of all monies paid to the Company less any insurance premiums and amendment fees. No compensation is payable.
Packages
The Company reserves the right to withdraw or cancel the service on offer. If the booking is cancelled before departure for any reason other than non-payment by you, then you will be offered the choice of purchasing another arrangement from the Company. Any price differences will payable/refundable as applicable, or of receiving a full refund of all monies paid to the Company (except insurance premium and any amendment fees). In addition, unless the cancellation has been caused by “force majeure” or “low bookings” (defined in Clause 6 below) compensation will be paid on the scale set out in Clause 4 above. The Company will never cancel a package within 30 days of departure except for reasons of “force majeure” (check below).
Force Majeure
Includes war, threat of war, riot, civil disobedience or strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or industrial disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, level of water in rivers, technical or maintenance problems with transfer, unforeseen operational decisions of air carriers such as changes of schedule, or any unforeseeable or unavoidable event beyond the Company’s control
Low Bookings
Is where the number of persons who have booked a particular arrangement is less than the minimum required to make it viable.
The following applies to all products or services booked via our Site:
E-tickets
During the booking process, you will be given the choice of e-ticket or paper ticket. Please note that airlines have their own rules and regulations with regard to e-ticketing. Sky Direct Travel Ltd cannot be held responsible for non-compliance with these rules and regulations and strongly recommends that you check these details with your airline in advance of travel.
Ticket Delivery
Sky Direct Travel Ltd rely on the information that you provide as being accurate and therefore cannot be held responsible if your paper tickets are lost due to an incorrect address or your e-ticket does not arrive due to an incorrect email address or your junk email settings. You must notify us immediately if you change your email address or contact telephone number. In addition, please check that the name on your passport matches the name on your ticket and/or booking confirmation.
It is your responsibility to advise us if you have not received your tickets. If you hold any other booking, either with Sky Direct Travel Ltd or another agent, then it is your responsibility to advise us that you need tickets from us by a certain time. Sky Direct Travel Ltd would recommend that you do this before completing the booking.
Please note that some airlines may apply a charge and follow a specific procedure for the re-issue of lost tickets or tickets delayed in the post. This charge and procedure will vary depending on what airline you are traveling with.
All airlines are required to collect Advance Passenger Information from passengers before travel to or from the USA and certain other countries. You agree to supply this information to Sky Direct Travel Ltd and consent to Sky Direct Travel Ltd passing this information to the airlines who may onward disclose it to foreign authorities. If you do not supply Advance Passenger Information, you may be refused entry to these countries. It is also important that the information is accurate so that you do not have any delay when you pass through Immigration on arrival in these countries. The information you will be asked to provide will depend on the country you are visiting but will include passport information, city and country of residence and destination address if travelling to the USA (for all travelers on your booking).
If you are travelling to a country that requires Advance Passenger information, Sky Direct Travel Ltd will ask you to fill out this information on the confirmation page after you have completed your booking. If you do not have the information to hand, Sky Direct Travel Ltd will send you an email confirmation containing a link where you can enter the information manually at any time before your departure.
You agree to be bound by the following obligations, including without limitation:
- You accept financial responsibility for all transactions made under your name or account.
- You must be 18 years of age or over and have legal capacity.
- You warrant that all information you provide about yourself or members of your household shall be true and accurate.
- The transmission of threatening, defamatory, pornographic, political, or racist material or any material that is otherwise unlawful is expressly prohibited.
- The Site and any content may not be modified, copied, transmitted, distributed, sold, displayed, licensed or reproduced in any way by you, except that one copy of the information contained within the Site may be made for personal, non-commercial use.
The copyright and all proprietary rights in the Site and all content are reserved by Sky Direct Travel Ltd. The material contained within the Site is the property of Sky Direct Travel Ltd or its affiliates unless identified as belonging to third parties. The name Sky Direct Travel Ltd and any other marks, logos and graphics of Sky Direct Travel Ltd displayed on the Site are registered trademarks of Sky Direct Travel Ltd or its affiliates. Other company and product or service names displayed on the Site may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
You are not granted any right or license to use any trademarks.
We at Sky Direct Travel undertake to do our best to make this journey a comfortable and rewarding one for you.
It is unlikely that you will encounter any problems therein. However with any journey and travel, especially to countries in the Middle East, occasionally things can and sometimes do go wrong.
Please read the terms and conditions carefully and make sure you and any companions travelling with you fully understand their contents.
By reading this document below, you confirm that you (and each of your companions, if travelling with others) have read and understood the provisions herein and agree to be bound by them in the resolution of the contractual arrangements now made between us.
Payment
No booking will be taken unless a deposit of 25% per passenger is paid at the time of booking.
The full cost of flights must be paid as soon as the tickets are provisionally retained. If full payment is not received at the time the booking is confirmed no tickets will be issued and the booking will be vacated.
The cost of the tour package (minus the flights) must be paid for no later than 42 days from the date booking arrangements are confirmed.
Failure to make payment at the due time will lead to the travel contract being terminated and the passengers will become liable for cancellation fees / charges as set out herein.
Booking Fees / Administrative Costs in the event of a cancellation prior to Departure / Any unforeseen circumstance / Unpaid invoices
This will depend on the time cancellation is made.
Please note that the arrangements in Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage (Umrah / Hajj) depend entirely on prior bookings made by us for hotels, flights and the making of pre-paid arrangements for catering, laundry and internal transportation and transfers etc.
For these arrangements to be effected by us as a tour operator in the UK, we have to pay authorities, agencies and organizations within Saudi Arabia in advance and usually at significant costs in order to secure and block these facilities before any of these facilities can be offered by us for onward supply to our customers.
Once we have made pre-payment for these facilities our funds are non-refundable in accordance with local Saudi law and custom.
Against this background including packaged holidays the following provisions will apply to cancellation as follows:
a) In the event of any cancellation from the date of the booking herein, up to and prior to 30 days from the intended date of travel we will apply a cancellation fee of £350 per passenger irrespective of age. [Please note that any deduction made by the airline for cancellation of tickets / refunds will be subjected to its standard terms and conditions and any penalty applied by the airline will be separated from our cancellation fee. Note also that some airline tickets are non-refundable.
B) In the event of a cancellation made within 30 days of the intended date of travel, we will not be able to provide any refund of the Hotel/Food/Transfer elements of your package. As Far as the Flights element of your package is concerned, we will endeavor to obtain a refund from the airline concerned if you made the flight booking through us. Such endeavor to obtain a refund by us will be dependent upon the Standard Terms of Carriage of the relevant airline and will be subjected to any cancellation fee/penalty applied by them in accordance with their terms of carriage.
C) If the cancellation is made in the event of death or a serious medical condition which is certified by a doctor of consultant status then we will make every reasonable endeavor to recover as much of the costs of i and ii above. iv. In order to assist us in making such reasonable endeavors to obtain a refund on your behalf we will require a certified copy of a death certificate or a medical report from a consultant who is able to fully set out the nature and extent of any medical condition arising and who additionally confirms that in his/her expert clinical opinion the passenger will be unfit to travel on the relevant date concerned.
D) All Ramadan period bookings will be under a non-refundable policy.
E) If your full payment has not been made to us 14 days before your departure date irrespective of the payment method available we hold all rights to cancel your booking. Even if the booking is cancelled you will be liable to clear the invoice balance.
Umra / Hajj / Saudi Tourist Visa
We will make every reasonable endeavor to obtain a visa from the Saudi Arabian Government / Embassy on your behalf.
This is an administrative process over which neither we nor our agents have any direct influence or control.
The issuing of travel visa is entirely under the control of the Saudi Arabian Government, Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy in the United Kingdom.
Similarly the issuing of travel visa is subject to Saudi Arabian Legal provisions, regulations, fees (declared or hidden) and quotas.
As has happened in recent times (Ramadan 2013), such legal provisions, regulations, fees and quotas are prone to be changed at any time and often with little or no notice.
Whilst we will take every reasonable step to obtain a visa on your behalf we cannot be held responsible if the arrangements you make with us are frustrated as a result of delays in and/or the refusal of the Saudi Arabian authorities to issue a travel visa.
In the event of a declared fee, being applied by or at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a MOFA serial number (essential for the visa process) then the passenger will be responsible for the payment of such a fee, without payment we will not be able to obtain a travel visa.
The booking arrangements made by us on your behalf and in particular those relating to duration of stay in the Holy Cities and outbound and inbound flights is subject to Saudi Arabian Laws and regulations made from time to time. We will ensure our bookings are made in accordance with such provisions.
If a passenger insists on making travel plans which contravene the applicable visa law and regulations then in the event of difficulties, refusal to travel and penalties arising or being applied either at UK airports and/or within Saudi Arabia – then all liability for such sanctions will rest with the passengers and not on us or our approved/authorized agents.
Being rejected for a Saudi Tourist E Visa is a possibility, in this case all fees are non refundable. Reason for rejection is never provided.
Hotel Room & Food
We will take every reasonable step to provide the meals indicated in your booked package.
To this end we are dependent upon the facilities made available to us and our staff/agents at the hotels concerned.
It is typical for such hotels to seek to accommodate a number of tour groups at one and the same time particularly during Ramadan and Hajj Seasons.
We have no direct influence or control over the allocation of space, kitchen time or sitting space within the hotel restaurant areas.
We take no responsibility over the condition / hygiene of the hotel area, restaurant area and all areas in the hotel room provided to you. We will always try our best to solve issues via the hotel management.
The hotel star rating will be of Saudi Arabia standards.
Please be aware the food served may contain or come into contact with common allergens, such as dairy, eggs, wheat, soybeans, any type of nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat and any other foods/ingredients. We do not take any responsibility relating to contact with any type of foods which may contain allergy ingrediants.
We urge all our passengers to exercise restraint and patience at such times remembering always the sanctity and respect necessary for the Holy Places and fellows visitors thereto.
Laundry
We will provide a complimentary laundry service as indicated in your package.
Such service is dependent upon the use of Saudi based laundry agents and facilities.
Any loss of valuables or damage to clothing will not be our responsibility.
Whilst loss and damage is not common, we urge all our passengers not to send for laundry any valuable/delicate items.
Internal Transportation
Transport is arranged on our behalf by the Saudi Arabian pilgrim transport company who at all times retain control of the type of transportation made available, the availability of seating, the times of arrival and departure and luggage carrying facilities etc.
We urge all our passengers to follow our instructions in this regard and exercise appropriate patience and restraint.
Zam Zam
N.A.
Hotel Maintenance
Hotel maintenance and housekeeping is at all times the sole responsibility of the hotel, its staff and authorized contractors.
Passengers are advised to contact hotel reception / housekeeping / Maintenance Manager or Duty / General Manager of the Hotel in the event of any problems.
Threatening /abusive / violent conduct and behaviour
Such behavior directed towards us, our staff, partners and / or agents will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Any one guilty of such behavior will be expelled from the tour party / hotel forthwith and the travel contract will be immediately terminated.s