Terms & Conditions for Tailor Made Holidays

First Choice Holiday Hypermarkets Limited (“we, us and our”) acts as an online travel agent on behalf of a number of approved suppliers of holiday flights and accommodation. Having booked your flights and accommodation your booking will be confirmed by email from us. You will then have entered a legal contract with your chosen supplier(s) and are subject to their standard terms and conditions. Please ensure that you are fully aware of these conditions prior to booking.

First Choice Holiday Hypermarkets Limited is a member of The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA No. K8641)

The contracts that you enter into for Flights and accommodation are separate transactions, with separate suppliers and have no relationship with one another. Should either element of your travel arrangements be amended or cancelled by the supplier, Holiday Hypermarket will make every effort to source suitable alternative arrangements on your behalf, but cannot accept any financial responsibility.

Data Protection

It is necessary for us to take certain information from you, including your name, address and financial details in order to confirm your booking. We will provide your personal information, as well as any personal information you provide in relation to other persons who form your booking party, to suppliers and carriers who might be located outside the UK and/or EU to enable the operation of the services requested with you. By confirming your booking you consent to such disclosure of personal information. Financial and contact information will not be passed on to any third party.

Pricing

Whilst we endeavour at all times to keep our pricing as accurate as possible, and while all our prices are updated regularly, usually on an intra-day basis, and displayed in good faith, prices displayed by our flight locator and accommodation search engine should still be seen as guide prices only. All accommodation and flight details are subject to availability and price variation. A final costing will be given when you call us, or when you reach the final stage of the online booking journey prior to your bookings being confirmed.

Booking Fees

Credit Card fees equal to 2.00% of the total transaction costs are payable on all bookings made with Holiday hypermarket. The charge is non-negotiable.

No charges are applicable to any bookings paid via Debit Card.

Our best deals are always online. However, should you need help, our sales team are available to assist you with your booking. All bookings made over the telephone incur a £10 per booking service fee.

Payment

Any outstanding balances for your holiday are due to be paid to us at least 12 weeks prior to the date of departure. Many airlines require payment in full at the time of booking in order to reserve your seats. Payment can be made by credit/debit card by ringing the Customer Service department on 0870 197 5167. Alternatively, payment can be made by sending a cheque to First Choice Holidays Plc, Dunedin House, Columbia Drive, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, TS17 6BJ. Please remember to write your booking reference number on the reverse of the cheque. Please ensure that you fully check your holiday documentation, and that you are fully aware of both check-in and flight times, durations, and departure and accommodation details. If you are unsure about any aspect of your holiday please contact our Customer Services department on 0870 197 5167.

Special Requests

Where possible, we will pass special requests on to the supplier when you book. We will tell you whether there is a charge for the request. The relevant supplier will only guarantee requests charged for, or confirmed in writing.

Passport, Visa, Insurance and Health Information

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that all members of the party have valid visas, health vaccinations and all other appropriate documentation for your intended destination. Please be aware that advice regarding a destination can change and it is your responsibility to ensure you comply with current requirements.

Please consult with your doctor at least 2 months before your departure as some health treatments and vaccinations should begin well in advance of travel. For late bookings within 3 weeks of departure please consult with your doctor before booking. You should ensure that all members of the party have appropriate insurance cover for the intended journey.

What’s Included In A tailor made Holiday Booking?

Booking Flights and accommodation separately will often mean that each component of your holiday is supplied by a different company. Typically this means that you will not have a holiday representative in attendance at your accommodation to respond to questions or problems. In the event of any difficulties you should contact the supplier directly by telephone. Please make sure that you are aware of the supplier’s contact details prior to travelling, which can be found on your accommodation voucher/invoice.

Suppliers’ Booking Conditions

Our third party suppliers have their own booking conditions and conditions of carriage and you will be bound by these, so far as the relevant supplier is concerned. These conditions may be available for inspection at the offices of the relevant supplier. The suppliers’ conditions will also apply to your contract with us, and in the event of any conflict between our conditions and those of the supplier, the suppliers’ conditions will prevail, save to the extent that any term in the suppliers’ conditions is deemed invalid or unenforceable, in which case our conditions will prevail.

The suppliers’ conditions may seek to limit or exclude liability on the part of that supplier and, by virtue of their application to your contract with us, may also limit or exclude our liability to you. The suppliers’ conditions may also be subject to international conventions.

International Conventions

Please note that land, sea and air carriers will have their own conditions of carriage with which you must comply. In the case of sea travel the provisions of the Athens Convention 1974 relating to the carriage of passengers and their luggage by sea may apply. This Convention and the sea carriers’ condition of carriage may continue to apply to you and your party throughout your stay on board the ship, and during boarding and disembarkation. The provisions of the Warsaw Convention 1929 (as amended) concerning the carriage of passengers and their luggage by air, and the airlines’ conditions of carriage, may apply to you and your party during your flight, and during boarding and disembarkation.

These international conventions may contain provisions and conditions which may limit or exclude liability for death or personal injury, or loss of or damage to luggage, and may make special provisions for valuables.

A copy of the conditions of carriage applicable to your holiday can be supplied on request.

Tickets

The supply of flight tickets will vary depending on the supplier. Providing you have paid the total cost of your travel arrangements, tickets will normally be sent approximately 2 weeks prior to travel. However, for bookings made within 21 days of the departure date, tickets will need to be collected from the Airport. Some airlines now issue e-tickets for online bookings and you will be advised of this at the time of booking. Any queries regarding your booking should be directed to our Customer Service department on 0870 197 5167. You will receive separate confirmations for each element of your booking and each element will be charged as a separate transaction.

Documentation

Holiday Hypermarket will issue you with a booking confirmation document for your reference, which will normally reach you within 7 working days. Please check the documentation carefully as soon as it is received and advise us of any errors immediately. Confirmation of your booking may also be issued by the supplier (subject to a minimum period between booking and departure dates). A summary price may be displayed on the booking confirmation, which will include booking fees and any additional administrative costs and charges. The total price shown will be the same as your original quotation.

Flight Reconfirmation

It is your responsibility to ensure that you reconfirm the departure date and times of all your Flights at least 72 hours prior to departure. This is particularly important in respect of subsequent journeys after you have left the UK.

Accommodation Ratings

The accommodation ratings are provided by the supplier and there is no guarantee either stated or implied by Holiday Hypermarket as to the accuracy of the ratings given. It is important to note that ratings may vary between countries and also between suppliers and therefore accommodation ratings should be considered only as a guide to the standards of accommodation.

Cancellations/Amendments

To cancel or make amendments to your booking you will need to notify Holiday Hypermarket in writing by post, fax or e-mail. The postal address is: First Choice Holidays Plc, Dunedin House, Columbia Drive, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, TS17 6BJ; fax: 0870 8500194; e-mail: hhype.customerservices@holidayhypermarket.co.uk

Holiday Hypermarket is not able to accept verbal requests for amendments or cancellations. Proof of posting is not proof of receipt and therefore it is in your interest to confirm all requested changes by telephone with our Customer Service department.

Administration charges will be incurred where changes are requested. Some suppliers will also charge their own administration fee for changes and a penalty fee for cancellation, which will vary according to the supplier. Cancellation fees may differ from the deposit paid and may be dependent upon the date of the cancellation in relation to the date of departure. Cancellation fees must be paid in full with immediate effect. Some tickets may not allow changes to be made. You will be advised of any charges or penalty fees at the time the amendments are made. Once changes have been made you will be notified in writing to confirm the changes prior to your date of travel. Additional persons will be added to a booking on the express understanding that they have read, understood and accepted all Terms and Conditions associated with the booking. Requested amendments or cancellations are made only at the discretion of Holiday Hypermarket.

When Flights are booked by us on your behalf with an airline classed as a “low cost carrier”, such as ‘easyjet’, you should be aware that such carriers typically operate independently of one another and are usually quite inflexible. As a result, they will routinely charge more for booking amendments and will impose “severe” cancellation charges. When we book a flight with a low cost carrier on your behalf, you are agreeing to the booking conditions of that low cost carries,r including those setting out their amendment and cancellation charges which are available on their website.

Complaints

If you have a complaint you must tell the relevant supplier, for example, the accommodation management or the airline staff immediately. If they cannot resolve the problem at the resort or during your flight, you may notify us of your claim or write to us within 35 days of your return from holiday to our Customer Services Department at First Choice Holidays Plc, Dunedin House, Columbia Drive, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, TS17 6BJ. Failure to follow the above procedures our ability to investigate and we will not deal with it unless there is a valid reason why you didn’t inform us. You can, of course, pursue your claim elsewhere. Disputes about your holiday that we cannot settle can be referred to arbitration under a special scheme administered by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The scheme provides a simple and cheap method of arbitration based on documents alone. It does not apply to claims over £5,000 per person or £25,000 per booking form. A limit of £1,000 per person applies to any part of a claim for personal injury or illness. You must apply for arbitration within nine months of your return from holiday, but in special circumstances it may be offered outside this period. Information regarding complaints may be shared with other tour operators.

Law and jurisdiction

This agreement will be governed by English law and any disputes will be dealt with by the English courts. If however you booked your holiday in Scotland or Northern Ireland any disputes may be dealt with in the local courts in Scotland or Northern Ireland and will be subject to the law of those countries.