Terms and Conditions

Fair Trading Charter

The Gambia Experience is operated by Serenity Holidays (Serenity Holidays Ltd) and we are committed to a policy of fair trading. Our terms of trade have been formulated as a result of our responsibilities under law and in no way affect your statutory rights as a consumer. Please read this carefully as it sets out the basis of the contract between you and Serenity Holidays.

DATA PROTECTION

We do from time to time contact our customers with information on special offers, new products and forthcoming events from ourselves or other carefully selected companies. Should you wish to receive such information by e-communications please subscribe to our on-line newsletter. By giving us your name and personal details you consent for these to be used as necessary in processing your booking and complying with legal requirements (e.g. passing passenger lists to airlines). Sensitive personal information that you give us will only be used when it is necessary for us to communicate your needs to a supplier.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Serenity holidays is fully bonded with the CAA and a member of ABTA. The flights that we advertise are ATOL protected, since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s license granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 1866. For further information on consumer protection and ATOL licensing, visit www.caa.co.uk.

1. YOUR BOOKING

When making a booking you must be aged over 18 years and have the authority to accept and do accept on behalf of your party the terms of these booking conditions. All correspondence and documents are sent to the party leader who is responsible to us for all payments in respect of the booking. The contract is made on the terms of the information on this website, the details set out in the confirmation invoice. We agree that the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction and English law applies (unless you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, in which case you can bring proceedings in your local court under Scottish or Northern Irish law, as applicable). When a booking is confirmed, we will provide you with a booking reference (please made a note of this). Our confirmation invoice is our acceptance of the booking and this will be issued by post within 3 working days. We ask you to check the details and any anomaly should be reported to us or your travel agent immediately otherwise the details shown on the confirmation will be presumed to be correct. Quotations should not be considered binding until the first confirmation invoice is received. All flights and offers shown on this website are subject to availability at the time of booking.

2. PAYMENT

If you wish to confirm a booking you must pay the deposit of £95 per person (unless you are booking a Fixed ticket, upon which payment must be made in full at the time of booking). Your final payment will be detailed on your invoice and must be paid in full no later than 8 weeks before your departure, or your booking may be deemed cancelled and your deposits retained. Payment is by credit, debit or switch card only.

3. IF YOU WISH TO CANCEL YOUR BOOKING

You will need to let us know as soon as possible either by telephone or in writing (or must ensure your travel agent does so on your behalf). You will then receive a cancellation invoice, detailing any charges, as shown in our cancellation table. No booking is cancelled until such a cancellation invoice is issued by us, so you (or your travel agent) should ensure you receive one in order to avoid incurring extra costs.

The charges above apply to the total flight price excluding any insurance premiums, amendment charges or charges for goods sold and dispatched. The conditions of your travel insurance policy may allow a refund claim.

4. ACCURACY AND INFORMATION

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of all information and prices displayed on this website, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. In the event that an incorrect price has been entered in error, any booking made based on this price, will not be valid. You will be advised of the mistake at the earliest opportunity and you will then have the option either to pay the correct price for the travel arrangements or to cancel and receive a full refund of any monies you may already have paid. Incidental information (e.g. relating to local events or markets etc) is offered in good faith and we therefore ask that should this be important to you, you check the details independently.

5. IF YOU REQUEST A CHANGE TO YOUR BOOKING

All amendments to your booking, e.g. name changes or dates of travel, will incur a charge, the amount of which will depend on the nature of the change and the time before the date of travel. This is in addition to any carriers’ alteration or cancellation fees applicable. Any changes made within 8 weeks of departure may be treated as cancellations and re-bookings. The lead name on a booking cannot be changed under any circumstances and this would also be classed as a cancellation and re-booking.

6. IF YOU BOOK THROUGH A TRAVEL AGENT

We will assume that in dealing with us the agent is acting on your behalf. All monies you pay to the travel agent are held by him on our behalf at all times.

7. IF WE CHANGE YOUR BOOKING

Flight arrangements are made many months in advance and although it is unlikely, circumstances can change and therefore we reserve the right to make changes at any time. Most changes are minor and we will always endeavour to advise you or your travel agent of any such changes at the earliest possible date. A MINOR change is one that involves a change of aircraft type, carrier or departure time of less than 12 hours or a change or withdrawal of a facility offered by an airline. A minor change does not entitle you to cancel or change to another flight without paying our normal administration charges, and no compensation or refund is due.

Occasionally, we have to make a major change to your flight arrangements. We consider a MAJOR change is one involving a change of departure airport (excluding London airports) or time of departure by more than 12 (not a flight delay)

If we have to make a major change we will endeavour to tell you as soon as possible. Where possible, we will offer the following options: you can either a) accept the changed arrangements b) purchase another flight from us at the advertised current selling price or c) cancel your booking upon which we will refund your monies in full and final settlement. Irrespective of whether you choose a), b) or c) we will pay compensation to passengers who paid the full published fare as follows:

Such compensation is only applicable where we have arranged two or more of the following services a) transport; (b) accommodation; and (c) other tourist services not ancillary to transport or accommodation which account for a significant part of the arrangements. Payments do not apply to any changes caused by force majeure (war, threat of war, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, natural and nuclear disasters, fire, health risks, technical problems, closure or congestion of airports or ports, cancellation or changes by scheduled airlines, hurricanes and other actual potential weather conditions, and other such events outside of our control).

8. IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT

In the unlikely event you have cause for complaint with any aspect of your travel arrangements, you must refer it to the airline or their agent as soon as possible to enable them to resolve any problem immediately. If a problem cannot be resolved you should write to our Customer Relations Department at Serenity Holidays Ltd, Cutter House, 1560 Parkway, Solent Business Park, Hampshire, PO15 7AG, with any supporting evidence and within 28 days of your return. If you fail to give the airline or their agent the opportunity of resolving your complaint at the time, then this may reduce your rights under the contract.

9. ARBITRATION

In the unlikely event that a complaint cannot be settled amicably between us, you may if you wish refer the matter to arbitration under a special scheme, which, though devised by arrangement with the Association of British Travel Agents, is administered quite independently by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (details on request). This is a simple method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted cost liability to the customer. The rules of the scheme provide that the application for arbitration must be made within nine months of your return, but in special circumstances it may still be offered outside of this period. The scheme does not apply to claims over £5,000 per person or £25,000 per booking, nor to claims mainly or solely in respect of injury or illness or their consequences. Alternatively, AITO’s Independent Dispute Settlement Service may be called upon by either side to bring the matter to a speedy and amicable solution.

10. OUR RESPONSIBILITY

When you book a flight with us, we enter into a direct contract with you to ensure that you are protected by the CAA ATOL regulations (see Consumer Protection). Our only obligation is to reserve a seat for you with the airline concerned or such other airline as may be substituted and provide you with a ticket for travel. We have no responsibility or liability for the provision of the actual flight itself or for the acts or omissions of the airline concerned.

11. PRICES AND SURCHARGES

We reserve the right to increase or reduce prices, and the current price of your flight will be advised to you at the time of booking. Once you have booked your flight we reserve the right to surcharge for cost increases due to government action such as changes in VAT or any other government imposed charges, transportation costs (including the cost of fuel), taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes, embarkation or disembarkation fees at airports, and exchange rates. There will be no charge within 30 days of your departure. We will absorb such increases up to 2% of your basic flight price (excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges). If the surcharge is greater than 10% of your flight price you have the option of changing to another flight that we offer or you have the right to cancel (within 14 days of receiving surcharge notification), in which case we will refund in full all monies paid to us except insurance premiums and any amendment charges. If payment for your flight is made by credit card a handling fee of 1.5% will be levied. Should the price of your flight go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your flight cost, then any refund due will be paid to you.

12. TRAVEL SERVICES

When you travel by air, the relevant carrier’s ‘Conditions of Carriage’ will apply to your journey, some of which may limit liability or exclude liability in accordance with the relevant international conventions. Copies of the conditions are available for inspection at any ABTA travel agent. Information given by us about such services is for guidance only and the carriers concerned accept no responsibility for this. It is your responsibility to report promptly at the check-in desk at the times given by the carriers and with the appropriate valid travel documents (e.g. Passports); we cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred by you if you fail to do so. Occasionally there are times beyond our control when a flight is delayed. We will work closely with the airline and our resort office to make sure any delay is as short as possible. Under EU law you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from your airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delays to flights. Full details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from airlines. Please note that reimbursement in such cases is the responsibility of the airline. Your right to a refund and/or compensation from us is set out in clause 6 ‘if we change your booking’. If your airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Air Transport Users’ Council – www.auc.org.uk

In March 2006 the European Commission published a list of airlines considered to be unsafe and which are therefore not permitted to fly passengers or Cargo in the EU or operate within the European airspace. This list is updated every three months, and can be viewed by clicking on the website for the European Commission http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/list_en.htm. Alternatively, should you wish to be sent a copy of the list, please contact us either by telephone or in writing.

13. TRAVEL INSURANCE

You agree to our requirement that at the time of booking your flight to either accept our travel insurance or to make immediate alternative arrangements with cover at least equal to our own policy.

14. PASSPORT/VISA

It is the responsibility of all clients to ensure they have a valid passport, and any required visa. In addition, you must consult your GP for advice regarding recommended medication and anti-malarial drugs before you book. For further information on passport and visa requirements, please contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at www.fco.gov.uk

15. HOLIDAY PARTICIPATION

Should anyone be refused admission to the flight or to the destination country by the airline or government authority then we are powerless to assist and cannot be held responsible. Any passengers considered to be unacceptably under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be denied boarding to the aircraft or entry into the country. In these circumstances we shall consider the client as having given notice of cancellation and be under no liability for any costs or charges incurred as a result of our doing so.

Links to Other Websites

Any links or frames to other websites included within this website will not be protected by ABTA unless the websites themselves are a member of ABTA.

Useful Travel Information

Please click on the following links for further information:

www.fco.gov.uk and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for advise on traveling abroad.

Serenity Holidays Ltd

Registered in the U.K. Number 1744872