Please read carefully the General Terms and Conditions below referring to organized trips complying with EU Directive 90/314.
GENERAL TERMS OF PARTICIPATION FOR TRAVELERS IN AN ORGANIZED TRIP Based on Presidential Decree 339/1996, in compliance with Directive 90/314/EEC
Please read carefully the following General Terms of Participation before registering for any of our organized trips. Participation in any of our travel agency’s organized trips requires careful study of the specific trip’s program and implies the unreserved acceptance by the traveler of the General Terms of Participation according to Presidential Decree 339/1996. It should also be noted that the General Terms of Participation refer to the general information, rights, and obligations of the two contracting parties in the organized trip, while regarding specific and special information (destinations, prices, departure and return dates and times, means of transportation, accommodations, visits, etc.) pertaining to each organized trip separately, you should consult our current brochure and the relevant price list.
TOUR OPERATOR
Our company, named < ΜΑRΙΑ Κ. KAPITI > and trading under the distinctive title < MILES AWAY TRAVEL>, headquartered in Athens, Ermou 38, 166 74 Glyfada, holding the special EOT sign with number 0206E60000521101, hereinafter referred to as “travel agency,” is a member of the Association of Greek Tourist and Travel Agencies, acting as a tour organizer, either alone or in collaboration with other travel agencies, and operates as an intermediary between other travel agencies as well as transportation means, with the ultimate goal of selling these organized trips to the traveler-excursionist.
GENERAL
The information, data, and recommendations contained in the General Terms of Participation have been verified by our office at the time of drafting this form for their validity and accuracy. They are of a general nature and apply unless otherwise stated in the program of each trip. The printed programs, including the current price list, are valid for the period specified therein. The information and details of the travel programs may change due to frequent and extraordinary changes in global conditions, particularly in transportation and international relations. In such a case, you will be promptly notified in the most appropriate way.
REGISTRATIONS – PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZED TRIPS
Registrations are made by visiting our offices or the offices of our partners, through correspondence, fax, and telephone, with the condition, in order to reserve seats for the specific trip: firstly, the payment of the prescribed deposit or the entire amount, in cash or by transfer to the travel agency, and secondly, the unconditional acceptance and compliance with the present Terms. For a valid registration, the payment receipt of the deposit must indicate the specific trip, with departure and return dates and any other distinctive elements. The right to participate in the trip is ensured by paying the total value and related charges 7 full days before departure. Failure to pay the total value of the trip within the specified time allows the travel agency to cancel the reservation and, possibly, demand cancellation fees, in accordance with the cancellation terms provided herein. The contracting party, representing the family or group, is obliged to inform all the co-travelers represented by him about the details and terms of the trip. Participants through a third party have the same obligations as the representative who registered them for the trip, and the travel agency provides them with any relevant information upon request.
TRAVEL PRICES – CHARGES, ETC.
The price of travel is referenced in the current brochure of our office. Travel prices are calculated on the day the price list/brochure is issued based on the cost estimates of each trip’s services, applicable fares/charges, taxes, and other expenses, the exchange rate of foreign currencies in relation to the € Euro, as well as any other cost factor. The travel agency, having exhausted every possibility of forecasting, reserves the right to adjust prices when the aforementioned cost factors change. The price of the trip may change up to 20 days before the departure date of the corresponding trip, due to unforeseen increases in fares, currency exchange rates, fuel, etc. In case of a significant price increase (over 10% of the value of the trip) for the above reasons, the traveler may cancel their participation, and the money they have paid will be refunded to them. Additionally, the travel agency has the right, for a specific period of time or for a limited number of seats, to presell seats at more favorable prices, with special cancellation terms. Child charges vary case by case from free accommodation offers, without meals, at hotels and ships, to a small discount (for ages 2-12 years and only when two adults are paying in the same room/cabin).
OBLIGATIONS – RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TRAVEL AGENCY
The travel agency is obliged to coordinate and execute with the best possible manner the trips it offers to travelers. The travel agency, having exhausted every possibility of forecasting and care, is not liable for erroneous actions and omissions of third parties and their associates, and for emergency situations, such as cancellations, delays, or changes in schedules of various means of transportation (airplanes, ships, buses, trains, etc.) due to the closure (“embargo”) of areas due to terrorist actions, strikes, and other causes. The travel agency also cannot predict or control any delays of chartered flights or scheduled airplanes or ships due to the possibility of minor or major delays, for technical, meteorological, or other reasons. It should be noted that the travel agency is unable to predict or control circumstances that are beyond its sphere of influence and may lead to the cancellation of the trip or damages due to non-performance or incomplete performance of the agreed services of the trip. Characteristic examples of such cases are: strikes, accidents, illnesses, epidemics, organic disorders due to local conditions, altitude, climate, due to meals not included in the travel program or due to inadequate hygiene conditions caused by external factors, injuries or hardships due to war, coups, terrorist actions, hijackings, earthquakes, weather conditions, fires, epidemics, toxic contaminations, and any other emergency or force majeure situation. In the above cases, the travel agency is not liable for compensation for any damages caused by them, but will make every effort to assist and care for the travelers in every way, without this constituting liability or obligation of the agency to cover the relevant extraordinary expenses, which should be covered, as in cases of force majeure, by the travelers themselves. Reasonable complaints during the trip must be reported immediately and on-site to the escort (or in the absence of the escort, to our office) and to the provider of the specific service in writing. If the problem reported cannot be resolved on-site, after your return from the trip, you must submit in writing to our office any relevant complaint within a deadline of 7 working days, along with any documents or other evidence you have to justify it. After the expiration of the 7-day period, the travel agency is not obliged to respond to any claim. After the departure of the client, if damages arise due to non-performance or incomplete performance of the provisions of the organized trip, compensation is limited to what is stipulated by the international conventions binding the country and governing these provisions. Compensation based on non-performance or incomplete performance of the provisions of the organized trip is limited to twice the value of the travel price per person. In order to be cost-effective – the implementation of an organized trip requires a minimum number of 20 (twenty) participants. If this number is not reached, our office reserves the right to cancel the specific trip, but is obliged to inform the consumers who had declared participation in it and to refund them the money they had paid without any other obligation towards the traveler. Services not mentioned in the descriptions of the programs of the organized trips or mentioned as optional, either not offered at all by our travel agency or available with an additional charge beyond the stated prices, as long as their implementation is eventually possible. Our office is not responsible for optional events organized by local authorities.
TRAVELERS’ OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Since organized trips usually involve other individuals, participation in them presupposes appropriate social behavior. Therefore, travelers are required to fully comply with the itinerary of the trip and the instructions of the escorts or guides, as well as to arrive on time at the meeting points for various services of the program (flights, transfers, guided tours, excursions, meals, etc.). If a traveler’s delay or inconsistency results in missing a flight, excursion, transfer, or other service, they will need to reconnect with the group at their own expense and without the right to a refund for the missed service. The travel agency will make every possible effort to assist them in this regard. Travelers should be at airports and ports at least two (2) hours before their departure. If there is no escort on the trip, you must confirm your next flights on-site with the airline and confirm the time and departure airport and terminal. Any loss of the means of transportation of the organized trip due to a traveler’s delay results in the loss of the entire trip. In such a case, the expenses for reconnection with the rest of the group are borne by the travelers themselves, without the right to a refund. In this case, the expenses for reconnecting them with the rest of the group are borne by the travelers themselves, and the travel agency will make every possible effort to assist them organizationally. If a traveler decides to interrupt their trip and leave the group, they are not entitled to any further service or compensation, and the responsibility and expenses for any transportation outside the group are solely their own. Likewise, our office is not responsible for services of the organized trip that were not provided to the traveler due to their negligence, responsibility, or illness. If a client is unable to participate in the organized trip they have reserved, they may transfer their reservation to another person who meets the requirements for participation in the specific trip, no later than 5 working days before departure, while for sea transportation specifically, the deadline is 10 working days before departure. In case of any outstanding balance or additional expenses resulting from the transfer, both the transferor and the transferee are jointly liable to our office for their payment. Especially regarding airlines, it should be noted that changing the passenger’s name is not possible, only the cancellation of the existing reservation and the booking of a new seat if possible in each case. Our travel agency bears no responsibility in case this is not feasible. The resulting mandatory cancellation of the reservation will be made according to the cancellation terms specified herein.
HOTELS – ACCOMMODATION / SHIPS AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION MEANS
All information regarding the categorization or classification of hotels and accommodations mentioned in our organized travel programs complies with the current legislation of each country regarding the tourist classification of hotels and accommodations, which may vary from country to country. Most hotel rooms accommodate two beds or one double bed. Triple rooms are essentially double rooms with an additional bed. They are usually not particularly comfortable, and the extra bed may be smaller than the regular beds or a sofa or a folding couch. Rooms are typically available for check-in by guests between 13:00-15:00 and are at the disposal of guests until 12:00 on the day of departure. If you wish to check in earlier or check out later, you will need to pay the relevant surcharge. In individual trips, in case of delayed arrival at the hotel, after the day or time of the traveler’s scheduled arrival, and if the traveler has not informed the hotel and our office accordingly, the hotel has the right to cancel the reservation and make the room available for the entire period of the reservation, if requested. In case of overbookings by the hotel, our office will make every effort to resolve the issue, in accordance with the applicable regulations in the host country. Here it should be noted that on bus trips in Greece, seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and do not change during the trip; however, on trips abroad, they change daily. Smoking on the bus is prohibited. The phrases < through the city > and < we will see > in road trips indicate the route direction and the view of the landmark building respectively. The duration of a full-day visit/excursion does not exceed eight (8) hours in total, always calculated from departure to return to the hotel. The duration of a half-day visit/excursion does not exceed four (4) hours, always calculated from departure to return to the hotel. It is announced in advance and explicitly agreed that airlines may sometimes charter aircraft from another airline for their own flights for their own reasons. This case does not constitute a reason for canceling the trip by the customer.
PASSPORTS , VISA REQUIREMENTS & HEALTH DECLARATIONS
In general, for all trips abroad, a new Greek passport is required, issued from 2006 onwards. Schengen countries also accept the new IDs. Our office recommends that you have your passport valid for at least until your scheduled return date. Some countries require travelers’ passports to expire at least 3-12 months after their arrival. Our travel agency provides all necessary information regarding travel documents and other paperwork required for each trip and destination, as well as their issuance or visa processing, but – even if it provides some assistance in the relevant process – it is not responsible for any non-issuance or non-visa approval by the competent authorities, to which the traveler must address. Especially citizens of other countries holding foreign passports should inform our travel agency accordingly and address the consular authorities of their country, as well as the countries they will visit. Failure to obtain timely issuance or approval of your travel documents does not justify the cancellation of your participation in the trip without cancellation fees. Our travel agency provides all information regarding any necessary vaccinations or other medical precautions for tropical or other epidemic areas. However, due to the medical personal data of each traveler, they are responsible for contacting the relevant health authorities.
INSURANCE
Our office has concluded a professional liability insurance contract for each trip it organizes, covering liabilities against its clients arising from the non-performance or defective performance of the organized trip. Additionally, the insurance contract covers cases of insolvency or bankruptcy, the obligation to refund the amounts paid, as well as the repatriation of travelers. The insurance policy number and the insurer’s details are available to the traveler at our office’s accounting department. There is also the option of optional insurance for desired amounts, which our office highly recommends. Furthermore, in the event of illness during your trip within the European Union, we recommend contacting your Insurance Agency for the issuance of the “European Health Insurance Card.”
BAGGAGE
Baggage is transported at the responsibility of its owners, whether or not accompanied by representatives of the travel agency. In case of damage or loss, the respective international Conventions apply for each means of transport and for hotels, and liability, in this case, is limited according to these Conventions. In air travel, baggage weight must not exceed 20 kg in economy class. In case of additional expenses due to excess baggage weight, these are borne by the traveler and paid on the spot. It is also noted that airlines only allow one small carry-on bag (approximately 50 X 40 X 25) in the passenger cabin.
CANCELLATION POLICY
No penalty for cancellations up to 21 days prior arrival of the client / service date
50% penalty for cancellations made between 20 to 8 days prior to arrival / service date
100% penalty for cancellations made within 7 days prior to arrival / service date or no show
Cancellations should always be made in written, by e-mail
Service cancellation fee of Euro 25,00 applies in case of full refund
Bank wire transfer fees / credit card fees arising in case of reservation cancellations will be covered by the client
DISPUTE SETTLEMENT
The travel agency and the traveler undertake to resolve in good faith any dispute that may arise during the execution of the organized trip contract. In case of failure of relevant attempts, the parties undertake to address the Dispute Resolution Committee of HATTA and request its mediation. If friendly dispute resolution is not possible, the courts of Athens are competent.