Terms and Conditions of Contract
IMPORTANT
We recommend that you read the Booking Conditions carefully before booking your holiday. These are designed to safeguard your interests as well as ours and are as per guidelines for the travel industry Issued by the European Commission.
Contract
Your contract is with Chalukya (UK) Limited trading as Window to India. When you make the booking you guarantee that you have the authority to accept and do accept these booking conditions on behalf of yourself and your party. A binding legal contract will exist upon issue of the confirmation invoice. These conditions in conjunction with the information provided within our brochure form the entire agreement between Window to India and yourself.
Your contract is with Window to India, a fully bonded tour operator, registered as a limited company in England.
When booking through an agent for arrangements that include, but are not limited to, Window to India arrangements, your contract will be with the agent and not with Window to India, who will simply be a Supplier to your agent. Similarly if you are booking only one component of a holiday, e.g., a hotel, Window to India will be a mere agent for the supplier and the Liability for the provision of the service will, in such cases, rest with the supplier.
How to make a booking
Bookings are confirmed on a first come first serve basis. Forward your completed reservation form, along with 30% of Tour cost to Windows to India or your travel agent. If you are making a booking within 70 days of your intended departure date you must remit full payment with your reservation form. All Challenging expeditions and any client 50 years of age or over are required to have a personal health form completed and signed by their family physician prior to the reservation being confirmed. Alternatively you can pay the deposit over Telephone by giving us your credit card details, and send in the Booking Form separately. Window to India will send you a Booking Acceptance Letter normally within 7 days of receiving the booking.
If booking through a travel agent, which is welcome if the agent introduces you to Window to India, he holds the entire amount paid to him on our behalf.
A contract is deemed to exist with us immediately the payment is made to and accepted by an agent.
Payments
Bookings made between 70 days and departure - full payment is due immediately.
Bookings made more than 70 days before departure - a non refundable deposit of 30% of Tour Cost. Full and final payment is due no less than 70 days prior to departure.
Some hotels, notably beach resorts, wildlife resorts and luxury trains (Palace on Wheels), during peak season require an advance or full payment immediately on booking. In such cases a higher deposit may be required. We will advise you of these higher deposits, if required, while accepting your booking. The tour operator reserves the right to cancel a booking where any payment is not received within 5 days of its due date.
The tour operator reserves the right to cancel any departure, and if so done, the clients’ deposit will be refunded or transferred to an alternative trip.
Acceptable forms of payment: cash, credit cards (Visa, MasterCard) and Cheque
Credit cards: When using a credit card to confirm or pay for a booking, the passenger must complete the credit card authorization form, giving consent to the tour operator for the card use.
Upon Registration
Once you receive confirmation of your trip you will be sent a pre-departure information package that will include visa and/or passport requirements, insurance information, health information, recommended reading list, clothing suggestions, and other travel related tips.
Cancellation
In the event of a cancellation you must notify the tour operator immediately via Email/Fax.
Cancellation charges:
The tour price is quoted as a package. No partial refunds or credit will be given for services not used.
Changes or amendments to your booking
If you wish to change your original booking or transfer to another tour, you must notify Window to India in writing. Any changes you make 70 days or more before the original departure date will be subject to an administration fee of £ 15 per person. Any changes made within 70 days of departure may also be subject to the applicable cancellation charges in addition to the applicable administration fee.
In instances where you have not specified any critical elements, if the very nature of the holiday changes due to non-availability of significant portion(s) of the tour, we will ourselves offer you the option of a later departure or cancellation with full refund. An exception to this condition may be made for bookings within 8 weeks of departure. In such instances we may have paid non-refundable deposits for confirming certain portions of the itinerary. If such last minute bookings are cancelled due to non-availability of some portion(s) of the holiday, we would expect you to pay for the costs already incurred by us for confirming the
remaining portions of the tour. Such costs will be equal to our cancellation charges, as mentioned in these Booking Conditions.
Items Not Included in the Package Price
Note* Our tours often go into remote regions. The cost of the tour does not include any additional costs for meals and accommodation due to delays, emergency evacuation costs, or transportation to and from your home to the departure point.
Documentation
It is the passengers’ responsibility to obtain, at his/her own expense, all documentation required by all relevant government authorities, e.g. Special documentation may be required for minors traveling alone and for single parents traveling with children. It is recommended that, prior to departure, the passenger ascertain the documentation required. In the event that the passenger does not possess the documentation required by the destination or the carrier, the carrier reserves the right to refuse passage and the tour operator will not refund in this instance.
Customs and Immigration
Customs and/or immigration officials may, at their own discretion, deny the passenger entry into their country. A previous criminal record could be an obstacle in international travel, leading to a denied entry. The Tour Operator cannot be held responsible for denied entry under any circumstances and refunds will not be given.
Liability Release and Responsibility
Prior to participating in any tour, you will be required to complete a brief confidential personal data, health, and liability form.
All services described herein are organized by Window to India acting as agent for the owners, contractors and suppliers providing bus service, hotel accommodation, activities and all other related travel services. Notice is hereby given, that all arrangements made on behalf of customers are made by the organizers, on the sole condition that the organizers, shall not be held responsible for any injury, death, accident, delay, loss, damage, or irregularity, which may be occasioned through acts of any company and/or persons engaged in carrying out arrangements and services described herein or otherwise in connection herewith.
The information contained in this brochure is correct to the best of the organizer’s knowledge, but the organizer accepts no liability for any inaccuracies therein. The organizer reserves the right to alter any itinerary or service at any time without penalty to the
organizer.
Any additional expense or cancellation cost shall be borne by the customer. The organizers reserve the right to withdraw or refuse any service to any customer at the discretion of the organizers. Payment of deposit is taken as acknowledgement of and agreement to the above items.
For tailor-made holidays the itinerary is essentially your own, though we may advise you on matters such as hotels, places to visit, mode of travel, sightseeing, etc. In such holidays our liability is limited to offering correct and honest advice based on our own
experience and that of our clients who have traveled with us and given us their feedback, along with
faithful execution of the itinerary.
If any client suffers death, illness or injury whilst overseas we shall, at our discretion, offer advice, guidance and assistance but do not accept liability for the consequences of such independent acts. These include items booked independently with our suppliers or any other suppliers during the course of the holiday.
Window to India make best possible effort to ensure your holiday is meaningful and enjoyable. However, if you are not satisfied with your tour and have complaints, you should immediately notice to our Local Office or Representative or Hotel and they will try their best to solve the problem. If the issue can’t be solved locally, you must contact Window to India through Email or Fax immediately. If, after contacting us the problem remain unsolved your written complaint must be registered with Window to India, within 20 days of the completion of your Tour. We shall investigate the complaint and send you a reply as soon as possible. We will not accept liability for any complaint that was not informed to both the supplier and Window to India in writing at the relevant time.
In the event of a dispute that we are not being able to reach an amicable settlement you may be taken to arbitrator appointed by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators under a special scheme devised for the travel industry. The scheme provides for a simple way of solving the disputes.
Delay, Cancellation or Change of Itinerary
Since schedules are determined many months in advance, changes in dates may have to be made. Window to India reserves the right to cancel any tour prior to departure (including, but not limited to reason of too few people booking on any tour) in which case participants will be given a refund in full. However, you will not be entitled to make any further claim for any injury, loss, expenses or damage (either direct or consequential) or for any loss of time or
inconvenience which may result from such cancellation (including but not limited to visa, passport and vaccination charges, or departure, airport and airline taxes).
We reserve the right to cancel your holiday anytime during its operation if you are found to be behaving in a socially unacceptable manner or indulging in an illegal activity. In such cases no refund will be offered for the unutilized portion of the holiday and Window to India will further claim from you the costs of your return to the parent country.
Route Changes / Postponement or Delay of Tour in Progress
It is possible that route change, postponement or delays prior to or during the tour (either in relation to departure or to the duration of the tour) may become necessary. This could happen due to inclement weather, political restrictions or any other cause. In this event participants will have no right to a refund of the tour price (in whole or in part) or other compensation for any injury, loss or damage.
Airlines / Airfares
This brochure, the Booking Form and these Terms and Conditions of Contract are not issued on behalf of, and do not commit any airline whose services are used or proposed to be used in the course of the tour. Airfares arranged through Window to India in conjunction with a tour package will be subject to the rules and regulations as determined out by the air carrier. Carriage is subject to the rules and limitations relating to liability established by the Warsaw Convention unless such carriage is not “international carriage” as defined by that Convention. All flight times, flight itineraries and carriers are subject to change with or without prior notice. We recommend that you contact the airline within 24 hours of departure to confirm your departure time. The Tour Operator recommends that you check in 2-3 hours prior to your departure time.
Tour Prices
Tour prices are based on ground costs, airfares (domestic) and exchange rates at time of printing this brochure. Window to India tries its utmost not to increase tour prices (in full or part), however sometimes increases are outside its control. Window to India reserves the right, as governed by the Travel Industry Act to amend tour prices (or any part) for reasons such, but not limited to exchange rate fluctuations, increased fuel costs, airfares, airport charges or increases in ground operator service fees. Any increase in tour prices must be paid prior to the departure date.
In the event that we do not have the minimum number of participants in group tours we reserve the right to cancel the tour or you can choose to convert the program in individual tour price. In either case, you will be notified as soon as possible. In the event of a tour cancellation, you will receive a full refund or you may transfer to another trip at which time the administration fee will be waived.
Notice to Travellers
Travellers should be aware that different living standards and practices may exist outside United Kingdom including but not limited to: provision of utilities, e.g. water and electricity; accommodation; services of all kinds; food; food preparation and water quality.
The Tour Operator shall not be responsible for any loss, damage, injury or inconvenience resulting from different living standards and
practices outside United Kingdom.
Tickets and Travel Documentation
Tickets and trip documentation will be sent to the tour participant two weeks prior to the departure. Participants in possession of their travel documents assume full responsibility for loss or damage before and during the tour and will incur all/any
applicable penalties for any re-issues plus an administration charge of £ 30.
Jurisdiction
Your holiday contract with us is made on the terms of these Booking Conditions which are governed by English Law and both parties shall submit to the jurisdiction of English Courts at all times.
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