travel consultancy terms of business

changes made to your booking whilst on holiday (by us)

On rare occasions it may be necessary to change your holiday arrangements after you arrive in the resort or villa. If this proves necessary we will try to place you in accommodation of the same or higher standard in the same or a similar resort and we will pay you compensation of £40 per person subject to the written notification requirement being met.

changes made to your booking by you whilst on holiday (by you)

If you wish to make any changes to the booked arrangements whilst on holiday, for example, upgrading your accommodation, changing resort or extending or reducing your holiday duration, all such requests will be subject to availability and any extra costs, including cancellation charges, must be met by you and paid locally. As this alters the basis of your booking contract it is essential such changes are arranged through us in writing, either with our local representative/agent office or if this is not possible our head office in the UK.

our responsibility

We accept responsibility for the acts and omissions of our employees and local agents whilst acting in the course of their employment. Although Open Sicily acts in good faith, we do not control the day-to-day operations of our suppliers, therefore we do not accept responsibility for any deficient facilities or services which form part of the holiday, and which we contract to provide. Please bear in mind that in some countries local standards will not be the same as in the UK and it is not always within our control to impose our own standards. Where Open Sicily has acted as Agents for third party suppliers, please refer to the Terms of Business provided by that supplier. Open Sicily will not be liable for negligence of any third party suppliers.

We cannot be held liable to accept responsibility for death, bodily injury or illness caused on holiday unless it is proved that it is due to the negligence of our employees, agents, suppliers or sub-contractors acting in the course of their employment and this is brought to our attention in resort or within three months of your return from holiday. The company’s liability in any action (excluding that for personal injury, illness or death) will be limited to twice the cost of your holiday.

In the event, through no fault of your own, you suffer an accident, injury or illness whilst on holiday which is not connected with arrangements made by us we will, in our discretion, offer help, guidance or any assistance which we consider appropriate provided you tell us and the supplier involved about your illness or injury whilst you are in resort and write to us within three months of your return.

If due to adverse weather conditions or other circumstances beyond our control, pre-booked excursions or tours are not available during your holiday; our liability is limited to a refund of monies paid for such services.

your responsibility

The accommodation booked is only available for use by those persons including on the booking unless otherwise agreed by us in writing. You are responsible for any damage caused to your holiday accommodation, except by persons not known to you or us and unconnected with the contract between us, during your stay and any charges levied by the owner/hotel manager in this respect must be met by you and paid locally. We can end your holiday if your behaviour or that of any member of your party is likely in our opinion to cause distress, damage, danger to or to annoy other customers, employees, accommodation or anyone else.

If, in the opinion of any person in authority such as an aircraft captain, accommodation owner or manager or senior Open Sicily employee, you appear to be unfit to travel or because of antisocial behaviour, are likely to cause a disturbance to other passengers, or damage to property, we may terminate your holiday arrangements with us. We will not be liable to make alternative arrangements for other accommodation or repatriation nor will we cover any costs, which you may incur or make any refunds.

On arrival, clients must show 1) confirmation details, 2) passport, 3) pay all local charges, deposits etc. Accommodation must be vacated by 10am and the keys must be returned to the owner or an Open Sicily representative.

administration charge

We reserve the right to levy an administration charge in certain circumstances to cover any additional costs incurred by us, such as contacting suppliers for special requests, returning lost property, extra administration relating to late bookings within 7 days of departure etc. This charge is £25 per booking, but may be higher to cover special ticket despatch costs. This charge does not relate to any amendments made to your booking as outlined under “Changes to your booking prior to the start of your holiday (by you)”.

insurance

In order to book with us, it is recommended that you take out our travel insurance or another policy offering the same or greater protection. The cost of medical and other treatment overseas can be high and if you do not have insurance, we will not be able to help you pay those costs.

flight delays and travel arrangements

Please refer to the terms and conditions that are issued with your tickets, as notified by the designated Airline.

Please note, Airlines do not offer compensation for inconvenience or loss of holiday time caused by flight delays. Similarly, it is not possible to obtain refunds for any unused accommodation or facilities in the event of an extended delay.

When you travel by air, land or on water, the relevant carrier’s ‘Conditions of Carriage’ will apply to your journey, some of which may limit liability.

Pregnant women are usually eligible to fly up to 28 weeks of the pregnancy on the date of return travel as this may vary, please check beforehand with your doctor and the relevant airline.

Operational decisions may be taken by carriers and/or airports, port authorities, and other competent authorities, resulting in delays, diversions or re-scheduling. When such situations occur, this is not within our control and we cannot accept liability for them.

special requests

We will always pass on any special requests and try to meet them but cannot guarantee to do so. However, please note that special requests do not form part of our contractual agreement and will have no liability if they are not met (see Important Information).