inspireski/inspiresport Terms & Conditions
We set out below an explanation of the Terms and Conditions that apply when you book a ski trip with us. It is important that you read these conditions as, together with the information pages in your tailor made package, they not only define our obligation to you but also impose some important commitments upon you.
inspireski/inspiresport is a trading name of the Co-op Consortium which is part of The Midcounties Co-operative Limited. Your contract is with the Midcounties Co-operative Travel, ABTA No: P6293, ATOL No: 6053, VAT No: 123366434.
Your Ski Trip Contract
When you make a booking the contract is made with you the first named passenger (lead passenger) being any person travelling or intending to travel on any arrangements operated by the company named above on the terms of these booking conditions. It includes all matters arising from it and is subject to English law and the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
You may however choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland and Northern Ireland if you wish to do so. No variation of these terms will be valid unless confirmed in writing by us. A contract will exist as soon as we issue our confirmation invoice. By making a booking, the lead passenger confirms that all people’s names in the booking (and their personal representatives) have agreed to be bound by these conditions and the terms of its suppliers.
Your Financial Protection
When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information and what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong.
We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative service). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you).
You agree to accept that in those circumstances that an alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding will be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable).
ABTA
We are a member of ABTA, membership number P6293. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes arising out of, or in connection with this contract. The arbitration scheme is arranged by ABTA and administered independently. It provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on you in respect of costs.
There is a limit of £25,000 per booking. This scheme does not apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences. The scheme can however deal with compensation claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1,500 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element, Your request for arbitration must be received by ABTA within eighteen months of the date of return from holiday.
Outside this time limit arbitration under the scheme may still be available if we agree, but the ABTA Code does not require such agreement. For injury and illness claims, you can request the ABTA Mediation Procedure and we have the option to agree to mediation. Further information on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com
Pricing Policy
You will be advised of the current price of the holiday that you wish to book before your contract is confirmed. When you make your booking you must pay the required deposit. The deposit is the total of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or any number of split deposits agreed at time of booking (Excluding infants under two years of age at the date of return). Should your booking include budget or scheduled flights/ low cost airlines, cruises or other special arrangements the deposit required may vary up to the full ticket price. Some accommodation providers may also require additional deposits at the time of booking. The balance of the price of your travel arrangements must be paid 12 weeks before your departure date. For any bookings made within 12 weeks of the departure date, full payment must be made at the time of booking.
Balance due dates may vary where scheduled flights are included and where ticketing deadlines are unexpectedly brought forward. This may result in a request for earlier payment. If the deposit and/or balance are not paid on time, we reserve the right to cancel your travel arrangements and retain your deposit. The price of your holiday may change after you have booked due to changes in transportation costs including the cost of fuel, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports and exchange rates. However there will be no change within 30 days of your departure.
We will absorb and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. You will be charged by the amount over and above that, plus an administration of £1.00 per person together with an amount to cover agents’ commission.
If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your travel arrangements, you will have the option of accepting an alternative holiday if we are able to offer one, or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all monies paid, except for any amendment charges and Insurance charges.
Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your holiday cost, then any refund due will be paid to you. However, please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent currency changes have no impact on the price of your travel dues to contractual and other protection in place.
If You Change Your Booking (excluding name changes)
If, after our confirmation invoice has been issued, you wish to change your travel arrangements in any way, for example your chosen date of departure or accommodation, we will do our utmost to make these changes but it may not always be possible. Any request for changes to be made must be made in writing from the person who made the booking.
You will be asked to pay an administration charge of £25 and any further cost we incur in making this alteration. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made. You should contact us as soon as possible.
Note: Certain travel arrangements (eg. scheduled or low cost flights) may not be changeable after a reservation has been made and any alteration request could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.
Name Changes Before Travel
Changes are dependent on the carrier and in the majority of cases airlines will not allow name changes and you would be required to purchase a new ticket. Where changes are allowed an administration fee of £25 will be charged plus any charges from the airline/carrier.
If You Cancel Your Booking
You, or any member of your party, may cancel their travel arrangements at any time. Written notification from the person who made the booking must be received at our offices.
Since we incur costs in cancelling your travel arrangements, you will have to pay the applicable cancellations charges up to the maximum shown in the table below:
| Period before departure within which written cancellation is received by inspireski/inspiresport | Amount of cancellation charges shown as a percentage of the booking price.* |
| More than 98 days | (Normally 1st, 2nd and 3rd or any low deposit) as indicated on invoice. |
| 98-72 days | 30% or deposit if greater |
| 71-42 days | 50% or deposit if greater |
| 41-22 days | 75% or deposit if greater |
| 21-15 days | 90% or deposit if greater |
| 14 days or less | 100% |
Note: if the reason for cancellation is covered under the terms of an insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges. The full insurance premium is retained in the event of cancellation.
*Bookings that include Budget/Low cost or Schedule Flights and/or cruise may incur different cancellation charges. Some accommodation providers may also require additional non-refundable deposits. Please enquire at the time of booking.
**Where a low deposit has been paid at the time of cancellation you will be required to pay the remainder of the full deposit. For clarity THE DEPOSIT is the total of all the deposit instalments.
If We Change or Cancel Your Booking
It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your travel arrangements, as we plan the arrangements many months in advance. Occasionally we have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes are minor and we will advise you of them at the earliest possible date. We do use the services of independent suppliers such as hotels, airlines, over which we have no direct control.
We also reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your travel arrangements. For example, if the minimum number of clients required for a particular travel arrangement is not reached, we may have to cancel it. However, it may be necessary to cancel your travel arrangements less than 14 weeks before your departure date, for reasons of force majeure, failure of a supplier or failure by you to pay the final balance by the due date. If we are unable to provide the booked travel arrangements, you can either have a refund of all monies paid or accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value). If it is necessary to cancel your travel arrangements, we will pay to you compensation as set out in the table below.
In accordance with EU Directive (EC) No. 2111/2005, article 9, we are required to bring your attention the existence of a ‘Community list’, which contains details of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban within the EU Community. The community list is available for inspection at: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/list_en.htm
In accordance with EU regulations, we are required to advise you of the actual carrier operating your flight/connecting flight/transfer. Any changes to the actual airline after you have received your tickets will be notified to you as soon as possible and in all cases at check-in or at the boarding gate. Such change is deemed a minor change. Other examples of minor change include alteration of your outward/return flights by less than 12 hours, changes to aircraft type, change of accommodation to another of the same standard. In any event, The Midcounties Co-operative Travel will not be held responsible for any additional “out of pocket” expenses your party may incur due to holiday amendment.
When a major change occurs, we will inform you as soon as reasonably possible, if there is time before departure. You will have the choice of either accepting the change of arrangements, accepting an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value), or cancelling your booked holiday and receiving a full refund of all monies paid. In all cases, except where the major changes arises due to reasons of force majeure, we will pay compensation as detailed below:
| Period before departure within which a major change or cancellation is notified to you or your travel agent | Credit/ compensation per full fare paying passengers |
| More than 90 days | Nil |
| 98-43 days | £10 |
| 42-29 days | £20 |
| 28-8 days | £30 |
| 7-0 days | £40 |
The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so.
Force Majeure: This means that we will not pay you compensation if we have to cancel or change your travel arrangements in any way because of unusual or unforeseen circumstances beyond our control.
These can include, for example war, threat of war, riot, civil disobedience or strike, industrial dispute, terrorist activity and its consequences, acts of god, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, unavoidable technical or maintenance problems with transport providers, closure of airports or any unforeseeable or unavoidable event beyond our control.
If You Have a Complaint
If you have a problem during your tour it is of the utmost importance that you immediately bring it to the attention of the relevant person (for example the resort representative, hotel manager or transport agent) who will do their best to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, you should contact us to advise us of the problems so that we may endeavour to resolve it. However, should a problem remain unresolved, a complaint should be made in writing within 28 days of your return home to: Customer Service Department, inspireski/inspiresport, 4th Floor, Broadhurst House, 56 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EU, providing your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you.
It is strongly recommended that you communicate any complaint to the supplier of the services in question as well as any resort representative without delay and complete a report form whilst in resort. If you fail to follow this simple procedure we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your compliant whilst you were in resort and this may affect your rights under this contract.
What Happens to Complaints
We aim to resolve all complaints amicably, but if this is not possible your complaint can be considered under an arbitration scheme arranged by ABTA. We aim to acknowledge your complaint with 14 days and respond in full within 28 days thereafter. Please see the above clause on the ABTA website. Full details will be provided on request or obtained from the ABTA website: www.abta.com
Our Liability to You
If the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed by us or our suppliers we will pay you an appropriate compensation if this has affected the enjoyment of your travel arrangements. However, we will not be liable where any failure in the performance of the contract is due to: you; or a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel arrangements and where the failure is unforeseeable or circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised; or an event which we or our suppliers, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall.
Our liability, except in cases involving death, injury or illness, shall be limited to a maximum amount calculated on the cost of your travel arrangements. Our liability will also be limited in accordance with and/or in identical manner to:
- The contractual terms of the companies that provides the transportation for you travel arrangements. These terms are incorporated into this contract; and
- Any relevant international convention, for example the Montreal Convention in respect of travel by air, the Athens Convention in respect of travel by sea, the Bearne Convention in respect of travel by rail and the Paris Convention in respect of the provision of accommodation, which limit the amount of compensation that you can claim for death, injury, delay to passengers and loss, damage and delay to luggage. We are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitation of compensation contained in these or any conventions.
You can ask for copies of the transport companies’ contractual terms, or the international conventions, from our offices: inspireski/inspiresport, 4th Floor, Broadhurst House, 56 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EU
This clause doesn’t apply to any excursions or activities that you might purchase whilst on holiday.
Under law Reg 261/2004 you have rights in some circumstances to refund and/or compensation from your airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay in flights. Full details of these rights will be published at EU airports and will also be available from airlines. However reimbursement in such cases is the responsibility of the airline and will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday cost from us. Your right to a refund and/or compensation from us is set out in these terms and conditions.
If any payments to you are due from us any payment made to you by the airline will be deducted from this amount. If your airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Air Transport Users’ Council on 020 7240 6061 or www.auc.org.uk
Prompt Assistance in Resort
If the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed as a result of failures attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services, or as a result of failures due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, or an event which we or our suppliers, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall, and you suffer an injury or other material loss, we will offer you such prompt assistance as is reasonable in the circumstances.
Passport, Visa, Immigration and Vaccination Requirements
A full passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of your holiday) is required for travel. Your specific passport and visa requirements and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements or if you are not in possession of the relevant vaccination certificates. It is also your responsibility to arrange adequate insurance cover for your trip and to take relevant details of the policy with you.
Excursions / Apres Ski Activities
Excursions or other activities that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on holiday are not part of your package holiday provided by us. For any excursion or other activity that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or activity or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.
Transportation
It is your responsibility to ensure that you arrive in good time to board all flights or other methods of transportation. To assist you we will notify you of the time by which you should arrive at all points of departure. If you miss a flight or other transportation we will try to arrange alternative transportation, but reserve the right to recover from you any costs we incur in making such arrangements.
Any air, rail, road and other departure times are supplied by the carriers. They are subject to inter alia, air traffic control restrictions, weather conditions, the need for constant maintenance and the ability of passengers to check in on time. There is no guarantee that departures will take place at the times shown on your tickets. The timings are estimates only. Midcounties Co-operative Travel does not have any liability to you for any delays that may arise. Further, your dealings with all carriers are subject to the conditions of the carrier, some of which may limit or exclude liability. Where we are in a position to do so, we will give information before you book concerning the airline on which you will fly, your airport of destination and type of aircraft on which you will travel. However if any of these details change subsequently, and you choose to cancel as a result, our normal cancellation charges will apply. Any arrangements in the event of a delay will be at the sole discretion of the airline or other carrier involved.
Ferries: The standard channel crossings for each tour are detailed on our website and provisional itineraries. Whilst we will make every effort to secure the ferry route of your choice this cannot be guaranteed.
Coaches: We reserve the right to utilise any empty coach seats for our staff.
Explicit Consent – Personal Data & Transfer of Data to Non EEA Countries
When you make a booking with inspiresski/inspiresport, some of the personal data that you provide such as Medical and Dietary Information, will need to be passed to, processed and stored by relevant third parties; airlines, coaches, ferries, Eurotunnel, hotels, visits and attractions, insurance companies, and ground handling agents, so that they can provide you with the arrangements you require. Some of these third parties may be based outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). (The EEA comprising of 28 countries, and also including Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) There are some countries that are assessed as adequate in the area of data protection and they include Andorra, Argentina, Canada (commercial organisations), Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Israel, Isle of Man, Jersey, New Zealand, Switzerland, Uruguay and the US (limited to the Privacy Shield framework). Organisations that are based outside of the EEA may not be subject to the same level of controls in regard to data protection as exist within the UK and the EEA. In order for you to travel overseas, we may be required to disclose some of your personal data to Government bodies or other authorities in the UK and in other countries, such as those responsible for immigration, border control, security and anti-terrorism. Even if it is not mandatory for us to provide information to such authorities, we may exercise our discretion to assist them where appropriate.
Data Protection
In order to make your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly we need to use the information you provide (such as names, addresses, special needs and dietary requirements, information for ski hirers and ski schools etc). We pass the information on only to the relevant suppliers such as airlines, transport companies, hotels, ski hirers and ski schools, insurers and, as may be required to be provided to public authorities, such as customs/immigration, or as required by law. We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. In making this booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons. We do not pass on any such information to any other person or organisation.
Miscellaneous
Conditions of Travel
We reserve the right to require any passenger to produce medical evidence of their fitness to travel. Passengers with a disability, which may require special treatment or assistance, must advise inspireski/inspiresport in writing of the condition so that appropriate advice and assistance can be given. NB Passengers may be refused passage as a result of failing to notify The Midcounties Co-operative Travel and appropriate arrangements cannot be made.
inspireski/inspiresport has no control over the allocation of airline seats and cannot guarantee any seat requests. Baggage allowance will vary by destination-please check (with the airline used) for details. Passengers are advised that all airlines operate a non-smoking policy. You must declare pregnancy to us at the earliest opportunity as on certain airlines conditions and restrictions apply. Pregnant women are not permitted, typically if the pregnancy is more than 28 weeks at the anticipated return date. We reserve the right to refuse passage onboard to any person who appears to be in advanced stages of pregnancy.
We reserve the right to determine the hotel, air-carrier, flight routing (flights will not necessarily be direct or non-stop) and airport, for all ski trips advertised. We do not guarantee to book all passengers on one aircraft; it is likely that large groups will be split between two flights.
Special Requests
Where special requests for flight seats, room allocation, diet considerations etc are required we must be made aware of them at time of booking. Whilst every effort will be made to ensure that these requests are fulfilled, they cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore, inspireski/inspiresport will not be liable for claims for consequential loss where written advice of special needs and requirements has not been received in writing at the time of booking. Where special requests for flight seats are passed by inspireski/inspiresport to an airline, the confirmation of seat numbers is at the discretion of the airline.
Behaviour
You must not behave in a way that may cause distress or annoyance to others or may create the risk of danger or damage to property. If you are subject to arrest or prevented from travelling at the discretion of an airline or other transport providers, or if you are evicted from your accommodation by the management inspireski/inspiresport will not refund any portion of the cost of your sports tour and, if inspireski/inspiresport incurs any expense because of your behaviour, you will be obliged to compensate inspireski/inspiresport for these expenses.
Travel Insurance Recommendations
It is highly recommended you take out adequate travel insurance cover for your trip. It is a condition of booking an inspireski/inspiresport tour that you take insurance cover that is equal to or superior to that offered by inspireski/inspiresport. It is important that any cover taken should cover students participating in sporting activities.
Health Requirements
There are currently no special requirements for France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Andorra, USA or Canada nor the countries you travel through. This is, however, a matter for the party leader to check on before departure. For trips to Europe, hospital treatment is currently provided free of charge at public hospitals as part of the EU reciprocal arrangements. Bills for chemists and ambulances must be paid locally and reclaimed under the terms of your insurance on your return. The insurance company we have chosen to use does undertake to pay or guarantee the payment of doctors’ bills (and hospital bills if travelling to the US) and in virtually all cases this is what happens. However, doctors are free agents and cannot be compelled to accept our guarantee; in such (rare) circumstances you will be required to pay on the spot and reclaim expenses from the insurance company upon your return to the UK. c) Each person must be in possession of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which must be produced at the doctor’s surgery or the hospital in case of treatment.
Consent to Emergency Medical Treatment Forms
It is a requirement that all medical centres in North America obtain written consent from a parent or guardian prior to treating a minor. Therefore many resorts require our groups to bring their own “loco parentis” forms with them, completed and signed by each parent on behalf of their child. Please enquire, either with ourselves, or your LEA for details. Certain resorts produce their own forms and if this is the case we will supply you with these 4 – 6 weeks prior to departure along with your ski hire declaration forms.
Accommodation
All resorts and accommodation have been inspected by the company’s staff. Many hotels make a charge for the use of advertised facilities e.g. sauna, solarium, swimming pool, hot whirlpool, bowling etc. All hotels reserve the right to remove television sets and telephones from children’s rooms. Towels are not always provided. Single rooms are not normally available. Free places are granted based on the use of twin, double or multi-bedded rooms. If a single room is required, or necessary, for whatever reason an additional charge will be made including in respect of persons travelling on free places. Twin or double rooms are available for accompanying staff but are subject to restriction and special confirmation for adults exceeding the free place ratio. Prices and free place ratios are calculated on male and female staff sharing rooms. We cannot guarantee that couples/families will be accommodated together and where availability allows this, any subsequent increase in the number of rooms required will be invoiced for. Students are accommodated in multi-bedded rooms and prices are based on full occupancy of these rooms. The company reserves the right to charge a supplement for under occupancy if the number of students or their gender results in students being accommodated in single/twin rooms. Irrespective of the usual number of children per room as indicated in each description, pupils may be accommodated in larger rooms. In some cases private facilities may be adjacent to the room as opposed to en suite. Certain hotels provide apartment-style accommodation with 2, 3 or 4 separate rooms per apartment sharing private facilities. Bunk beds, divans, couch beds and pull-down beds may be used and in some European and North American hotels also use double beds to accommodate school groups which may involve pupils sharing. An Austrian or Swiss twin usually comprises two separate mattresses, duvets and bed linen on a king-sized frame. Rooms must be vacated after breakfast on your last day. If, however, a hotel is, at its discretion, able to provide rooms until departure, it will do so. If rooms cannot be retained until departure we will arrange for showering/changing facilities, at our discretion, using bedrooms or the sauna area or corridor showers etc. as may be available. We maybe able to provide rooming lists where available but this cannot be guaranteed and we do not undertake to accommodate boys and girls on separate floors of the hotel.
In certain resorts where we feature more than one hotel or centre, groups will be allocated to a specific accommodation on receipt of final numbers forms. Please advise us of your preferred accommodation on your booking form. Please note that some properties may not be available on all advertised dates and are booked on a request basis by us. We occasionally use accommodation in specific resorts which is not featured on our website or promotional material. In such cases, the accommodation will be of a comparable standard to that featured.
Meals
The board basis provided by each accommodation is detailed in your proposal. Lunch, where provided, is usually packed lunch and supplements may apply for the provision of hot lunches. In the event you or any member of your party has any allergies, you must inform us immediately on booking so we can advise whether the chosen accommodation is suitable.
Facilities
WiFi and Internet services in hotels are subject to local supplier conditions over which we have no control and so cannot be responsible for non-availability or absence of service. Usage of leisure facilities such as swimming pools, hot tubs and saunas are determined by suppliers in accordance with local customs, guidelines, practice or regulations.
Hotel Description
Where accommodation is described as offering “doorstep” skiing it will be dependent on individual skiers’ ability and snow conditions in resort. Generally, the term will relate to a hotel <300metres. Where walking distances times are quoted, it is based on the guideline time for an adult walking 150m in one minute in standard footwear as timings will vary on footwear and conditions including personal fitness. Free ski bus services may be subject to capacity restrictions. The Austrian and Swiss star-grading system is voluntary so not all establishments have an official rating. In such cases we have given an inspireski/inspiresport star rating as an indication. The word “hotel”, as used in our publications and website, is a generic term which embraces all types of accommodation. The descriptions “Gasthaus, Gästehaus, Gasthof, Hotel, Pension, Albergo” and the like have no significance in terms of hotel category. For example, there is no difference in a category between a 2 star Gasthaus or Gästehaus, a 2 star Gasthof or a 2 star Hotel or Pension. Please always refer to the actual, detailed description on each resort page. If a hotel specialises in accommodating youth groups, this will be indicated
Damage Deposits
An increasing number of hotels/centres require a damage deposit. This is payable in resort on arrival and is refunded provided no damage is incurred. We will advise this at the time of booking or as soon as this is made known to us.
Tourist Tax or Other Resort Taxes
Many resorts are introducing a “Tourist Tax” that is payable upon arrival. Sometimes this is introduced with little or no notice, and with no publicity. Although we will pass on details and notify you as soon as we become aware, at times it may be that we are unaware of the implementation. Tax is applied to the individual travelling to the resort, ergo you are responsible in all cases in meeting these costs in full. Inspireski/inspiresport will not be able to pay these on an individual’s or group’s behalf under any circumstance.
Itineraries & Travel Schedule
All timings and route schedules featured on our website act as a guide only and once a booking is confirmed by the ferry company or airline certain amendments may be necessary. A complete itinerary will be forwarded to you two to three weeks prior to departure and all the information contained therein will be deemed to be part of the contract. Should there be a discrepancy between the information on our website and the itinerary, the information in the itinerary supersedes that on the website and will be considered the most up-to-date and accurate. Should any major changes occur after that, we will advise you accordingly. Certain services we depend on may, from time to time, change their schedules (e.g. ferry crossings, aircraft schedules, rail timetables) which may affect the overall length of time you spend in resort. In the event of this occurring we would not accept responsibility for changes that are beyond our control. It is obviously important that our programme operates to strict time schedules and we would ask for your cooperation with the various final timings given.
At the time of publication/quotation, we are not in a position to confirm your airline, aircraft type, definite timings or airport, either in the UK or overseas. Where this information appears on our website, it is intended as a guideline only and is subject to change. For European tours the provision of in-flight meals are subject to the individual airline’s policy. It is not always possible to allocate groups direct flights so it may be necessary for your group to be allocated on an in-direct flight. Coach itineraries can be varied, but alterations must at all times comply with EU regulations relating to drivers’ hours. The final itinerary will be agreed by the Company before departure from the UK. While coach drivers will do their best to point out places of interest and provide information, it should be noted that they are not employed as guides.
We will advise you of approximate departure and channel crossing times but will not be in a position finally to confirm these until we have received this information from the channel operator concerned. We will however provide this information no later than when final travelling instructions are sent out, approximately 7 days before departure. b) It should be remembered that on peak dates there is huge pressure on limited cross-channel capacity. While we attempt to meet each party’s preferences in terms of ferry or shuttle and timings, such arrangements must, for operational reasons, be entirely at our discretion. c) You have unrestricted use of your coach during your ski trip for travelling to the slopes or for entertainment purposes during the day or evening, subject only to EU drivers’ regulations. d) Whilst, once a minimum of 40 persons have been paid for, a party normally enjoys exclusive use of a coach, any unoccupied seats remain at the disposal of the company to use for clients or staff. Such a requirement (which applies equally when a small numbers supplement has been paid) is extremely unusual but we reserve this right in case of necessity. e) In the case of a breakdown, the company undertakes to provide alternative transport at its expense to and from the resort and, as necessary, for skiing. It should be noted, however, that the company will not accept any responsibility for delayed arrival or missed skiing but will reimburse any reasonable expenses which would not otherwise have occurred. Travel to ski resorts in winter inevitably involves the possibility of poor weather, including freezing conditions, heavy traffic, delays and breakdowns. The company undertakes to do its best to look after you in the event of breakdown but it must be appreciated that replacement vehicles can be difficult to obtain at short notice wherever a breakdown happens to occur. f) In circumstances where a local bus is provided free of charge by us on the last ski day to return a party from the slopes to their hotel, the time and pick-up point of that transfer is entirely at the discretion of the company. If you prefer other arrangements to those the company can provide free, these may be reserved locally at a supplement of £250 per coach per transfer. g) The departure time from the resort on the last day after skiing is calculated to comply with legal requirements (EU drivers’ hours and rest regulations); it may not be changed to an earlier time without the specific agreement of the company. h) Luggage space on all coaches is limited; this is of particular significance when your coach has a (fairly) full complement. We recommend using flat pack luggage rather than hard shell suitcases to help maximise storage. Each passenger may place one medium-sized case or hold-all weighing not more than 15 kilos in the hold and take one small piece to be placed under the seat or on the overhead rack. If you have any additional luggage requirements please contact the coach company directly for their advice. We will not accept any responsibility for transporting luggage which cannot be accommodated in the coach hold.
Small Parties
Parties of less than 36 paying passengers are considered as a small party and are subject to the following conditions: a) The price quoted will include everything stated in the “What’s included” section of your quotation. Small parties must, in return for the savings they make, fully accept any limitations to services which may result from being a small party. This includes but is not limited to flexibility as to departure time from school, sharing a coach and agreeing with the other party or parties regarding use of the coach for evening entertainment and transfers to the slopes, and having a smaller number of ski classes with the attendant effects on progression and ability groups; small parties may, at our sole discretion, be combined with other parties to facilitate ski lessons and must accept any limitations or restrictions which may occur as a result.
Withdrawal or Limitation of Facilities for Which We Are Not Responsible
We draw your attention to the following non-exclusive circumstances which fall outside our direct control and where we are not prepared to accept liability. Note that some amenities (e.g. hotel lifts, swimming pools, etc.) require servicing and cleaning and may therefore not be available at all times. Some services are also affected by weather conditions (e.g. local staffing, availability of outdoor swimming pools, etc.) and their availability is at the discretion of the provider of the service. Entertainment (particularly live entertainment) provided by hotels is frequently subject to demand; its nature and frequency may be varied and there may be a lack of demand or insufficient numbers in the hotel. Adverse weather may also affect availability of ski areas, ice rinks, bus services, après ski activities or ski lift facilities in which case our suppliers will do their best to offer alternative facilities or activities.
Snow Conditions
The company cannot accept responsibility for snow and weather conditions which may affect skiing or ice skating etc. If you are covered by our insurance you may be covered by special piste closure insurance. The decision of your ski school on the suitability of snow conditions is final.
Release of Liability Forms
It is also a requirement of certain resorts that a “release of liability form” is completed by each student and signed by the parent or legal guardian in order for them to participate in the ski school; this is standard practice. Please enquire of our office team for details.
Ski Passes
Virtually all lift companies require a list of pupils with their dates of birth in addition to a statement from the Head (including a school stamp) confirming that the group is a school party. The party leader undertakes to provide this documentation as prices are based on its availability. Certain lift companies require photographs for adults only or for all party members. Please consult the website for up-todate information. It is the responsibility of the party leader to provide these photographs on arrival in resort.
Ski Instruction
Groups booking 5 or 6 days x 4 hour lessons must expect to have lessons split equally in the morning and the afternoon. Additionally, instructors cannot accompany parties to other non-connected ski areas that may be included in the lift pass, as they would then be unable to instruct subsequent groups in the main ski area. b) Snowboarding groups are accepted subject to the conditions indicated in snowboarding section below. Please carefully consider whether you need to book extra instructors to cope with the numbers and composition of your group. c) Lessons are provided at group prices based on one instructor to twelve pupils. Persons travelling on free or concessionary places or extra paying adults do not count in determining the ratio of 1:12 instructors to pupils. You may, at your own discretion, vary the size of groups to take into account uneven group sizes caused by varying ski standards.
Groups which do not meet minimum number obligations may on occasion slightly exceed the 1:12 ratio or drop below this slightly but this is entirely at the company’s discretion and we reserve the right to invoice you for any additional instructors required. Extra instructors are also available at an extra charge (speak to office for cost) should you wish to voluntarily decrease the ratio of instructor to students. d) In Italy a 2 hour lesson is by law 1 hour 50 minutes in order to allow instructors time to move from one group to another. Lessons each day are usually arranged on 4 x 2 hour rotations between 0900 and 1700hrs (i.e 9-11am,11am-1pn,1pm-3pm, 3pm-5pm. In cases where this rotation applies the lunch break will be of 2 hours duration. e) In order to comply with UK Health and Safety recommendations it is a condition of the company accepting a booking that the party leader agrees that students will ski or snowboard only on marked and patrolled slopes and be supervised at all times while skiing either by the party’s teachers who are competent skiers or by ski school instructors provided by a ski school contracted by the company.
Snowboarders
A supplement is payable as indicated by your quotation to cover the increased costs of hiring snowboards instead of skis as well as covering the cost of hiring specialised snowboard instructors as there are far fewer of these in comparison to ski instructors. Our standard snowboard supplement covers the extra cost of hiring snowboard equipment and the extra cost of a snowboard (as opposed to a ski) instructor but it does not cover the provision of any extra instructors. As Snowboarders require a minimum of 1:8 instruction ratio and as mixed ski and snowboard groups of varying ski and snowboard abilities can cause serious grouping difficulties because one instructor cannot teach both disciplines at the same time, you will require an extra instructor at a fixed rate provided by your inspireski/inspiresport contact which will automatically be added to your invoice. You may, in certain circumstances, even require two extra instructors.
Ski Equipment
The party leader accepts the obligation of ensuring the party attends the ski shop for ski fitting should this be the arrangement in that resort. In addition, on the last day, the party leader agrees to return and check in all ski equipment with the supplier in the hotel or at the ski shop, whichever arrangement applies. b) The largest ski boot we are able to supply is 16 (normal shoe size 15). If any members of your party require boot sizes 15 or 16 (normal shoe sizes 14 or 15) we must be notified separately in writing no later than 3 months prior to departure. c) In order to hire snow sport equipment in North America, everyone will need to complete and sign a ski or snowboard hire declaration form; this is standard practice. We will endeavour where possible to supply you with these forms prior to travel.