Custom Travel Itineraries Booked With Boutique Travel Advisors a Virtuoso Travel Agency.
CONTRACTING PARTIES:
These Terms and Conditions are legally binding between the traveler(s) and Boutique Travel Advisors, LLC., hereinafter referred to as BTA.
ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS:
Terms and Conditions must be accepted to begin the itinerary design process.
COVID-19 Cancellations for fear of travel or restrictions such as quarantine due to Covid-19 are not covered reasons for cancellation. In addition, rules and regulations are frequently changing. While BTA is doing its best to stay attuned to the requirements for travel to your travel destinations, the traveler is solely responsible for knowing and following travel protocols.
Travelers are responsible for scheduling all Covid-19-related testing and completing all paperwork to allow for entry into the country of travel and for returning to the US.
BTA highly recommends travel insurance to protect your financial investment and for other benefits, including medical coverage, trip interruption and medical evacuation.
PASSPORT & VISAS:
Passport holders are responsible for obtaining the required documentation applicable for entry. Passports must be valid for at least six (6) months after completion of your journey and should also have sufficient blank pages for visas and immigration stamps. BTA cannot be held responsible should you be denied entry to a country due to non-compliance with these requirements. Should you require specific information ahead of travel, please consult the travel advice produced by the government of your home jurisdiction and that of the government that issued your passport and/or visa.
PLANNING FEES:
BTA is a service-based travel advisory firm. Our planning and management fees are collected before beginning the design process. Planning and management fees are non-refundable and vary depending on the complexity of the trip. In addition, fees may increase if the scope of services changes, as mutually agreed upon between parties.
ITINERARY:
Accommodation and arranged sightseeing are subject to change at any time due to unforeseen circumstances or circumstances beyond BTA’s control. Every effort will be made to operate tours and activities as planned, but alterations may occur after the final itinerary has been issued.
BTA reserves the right to withdraw a tour or any part of it, to make such alterations to the itinerary or the tour inclusions as it deems necessary or desirable, and to pass on to tour members any expenditures or losses caused by delays or events beyond its control. In case of any appreciable variation in the tour price due to these circumstances, BTA reserves the right to adjust the tour costs.
TAXES AND GRATUITIES:
Certain airline fees (such as baggage costs) and hotel taxes imposed by city and state governments are typically not included in the quotation unless specified. Likewise, gratuities for guides, drivers, porters, and hotel and cruise staff are generally not included and are at the traveler’s discretion. Additional city taxes may be imposed in specific destinations and must be paid on the spot.
EXCLUSIONS:
The cost of obtaining vaccinations, passports, visas, excess baggage charges, food and beverages (except where specified), laundry services, telephone calls, and personal expenditures, unless expressly included in writing, are not included.
Certain services are subject to additional fees and will be charged to your card on file upon providing such service:
* Airline research fees (inclusive of ticketing fee) – $50-$75/person for travel within the continental US
* Airline research fees (inclusive of ticketing fee) – $100-$150/person for Hawaii, Alaska, and international destinations
* Restaurant reservations start at $100 per week unless otherwise specified
* A la carte tours and events – $50/tour
* A la carte rail tickets – $30/per person
* Spa reservations – $30/per reservation unless otherwise specified
Apartments and villa rentals:
* Finder’s fee for apartment and villa rentals: Up to 12% of net rental rate.
* Percentage will be determined based on net versus commissionable rate offered by the property manager.
CHANGES AND CANCELLATIONS
* Changes to the itinerary made post final payment are subject to $100-$150 fee per occurrence
* BTA reserves the right to charge a service fee of up to 10% of the booking costs if trip is cancelled by you after the first deposit. BTA encourages you to submit cancellation fees as part of claim in the event that you have trip insurance and deem your cancellation to be for a covered reason.
Note: Other supplier cancellation terms & conditions may apply and are the traveler’s sole responsibility.
* Cancellation terms & conditions assed by suppliers are specific to each booking. Your travel may not be refundable and/or subject to cancellation or rebooking fees.
* While we can not guarantee reimbursement, change and cancellation fees should be submitted with any trip insurance claim made due to cancellation for a covered reason.
AFTER-HOURS ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES:
BTA advisors are available Monday- Friday during standard business hours on MST and an appointment basis.
Travel itineraries booked with destination management companies and wholesalers may include complimentary after-hours customer support, in-destination emergency contacts, and concierge service lines.
After-hours support with a BTA advisor during travel is subject to $100/hour, billed in 1-hour increments. The fee will be charged at the time of service.
SPECIAL REQUESTS:
Specific requests, including connecting rooms, bedding configurations, room assignments, and meal preferences, should be advised at the time of booking. While we make an effort to secure special requests, they cannot be guaranteed.
PRICES & ARRANGEMENTS
The price for your custom itinerary includes planning, handling, and operational charges and is quoted based on the current exchange rates and tariffs.
Entrance fees for scheduled sightseeing tours are included in this price when specified.
This price is subject to revision in line with significant changes in foreign currency, tariff rates, taxes etc.
Quote and proposals are subject to change & availability until confirmed.
DESCRIPTIONS AND IMAGERY
Photographs, videos, imagery, and descriptions used by BTA are intended to present an example of the types of sights, experiences, and scenery you may encounter in your travel destination. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, it is foreseeable that some destinations will change in appearance.
BTA cannot guarantee sightings of animals in the wild or marine life in its natural habitat. We are also not responsible for inclement or undesirable weather.
CONFIRMATION OF SERVICES
A non-refundable itinerary design fee is required to begin the planning process. Typically, a non-refundable deposit is required at the time of booking to secure custom travel components.
The deposit amount will be specified at the time of booking and varies depending on the supplier’s Terms and Conditions.
The client understands that BTA’s Terms and Conditions may vary from those of cruise lines, land operators, airlines, hotels, and other travel companies involved in your trip. All applicable Terms and Conditions shall be enforced.
PAYMENT METHOD:
Payments may be made by the following methods:
∙ Credit card
∙ Bank transfer
Travelers are liable for all bank and related transaction charges. Some suppliers may charge additional credit card processing fees. These fees are strictly the responsibility of the traveler.
CREDIT CARD MERCHANT:
We also strongly recommend that you use a credit card for your purchase, so that you can exercise your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act if you do not receive the services you purchased. However, if we are the credit card merchant, our role is to facilitate the sale, collect funds on your behalf, and remit those funds to the Suppliers. If the Suppliers do not provide the services, your only recourse would be against the Suppliers, and you agree not to initiate a chargeback against us.
FLIGHT PREPARATION:
BTA recommends that you check your flight for any changes at least 48 hours before departure and check in before arrival at the airport when possible. We recommend that you arrive at the airport 3 hours before traveling internationally and at least 2 hours before flying domestically. BTA is not liable for any travel interruption or disruption.
RISKS OF TRAVEL AND TRAVEL RELEASE:
BTA assumes no responsibility for and shall not be liable for the acts or omissions on the part of any other party not under our control or any acts of God, unsafe conditions, terrorism, health hazards including pandemics, illness, weather hazards, or the suitability for a disabled person of any portion of any trip. We have no special knowledge of dangers during travel or at destinations.
For information related to such hazards, we recommend you visit the State Department travel website at www.travel.state.gov, click on “Find International Travel Information,” then click on “Country Information,” and fill in the name of the destination country.
For medical and health information, we recommend you visit the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov/travel, then click on “Destinations” and scroll to the destination country’s name. It is your personal decision to travel, and you are doing so with full knowledge of current travel recommendations and travel restrictions regarding the risks of COVID-19 or any other pandemic.
FORCE MAJEURE:
Force majeure means unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond BTA’s control or the control of our suppliers, the consequence of which neither BTA nor its suppliers could avoid even with all due care, including, but not limited to, war, threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity (actual or threatened), industrial dispute, unavoidable technical problems with transport, machinery or equipment, power failure, changes imposed by rescheduling or cancellation of flights by an airline, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, flood, drought, adverse weather conditions, epidemics or outbreaks of illness and level of water in rivers.
In the event of a cancellation or material alteration to the trip as a result of the circumstances as described in this clause, BTA may, in their sole and absolute discretion: a) offer the traveler (s) alternative travel arrangements or products of comparable standard as may be appropriate in the circumstances; or b) if BTA does not offer alternative travel arrangements or products, BTA will make every effort to obtain a prompt proportional refund of monies paid by the traveler to the suppliers.
YOU HEREBY EXPRESSLY ASSUME ALL OF THESE RISKS AND DANGERS, AND YOU HEREBY EXPRESSLY AGREE TO RELEASE FOREVER, DISCHARGE, AND HOLD US, AND OUR AGENTS, EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, ASSOCIATES, AFFILIATED COMPANIES, GUIDES, GROUP LEADERS, AND SUBCONTRACTORS HARMLESS AGAINST ANY AND ALL LIABILITY, ACTIONS, CAUSES OF ACTIONS, SUITS, CLAIMS, AND DEMANDS OF ANY AND EVERY KIND AND NATURE WHATSOEVER WHICH YOU NOW HAVE OR WHICH MAY HEREAFTER ARISE OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE RISKS AND DANGERS.
CLAIMS DEADLINE AND EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION:
You agree to present any claims against us within 30 days after your travels end and to file suit within one year of the incident, and you acknowledge that this expressly limits the applicable statute of limitations to one year. Any unresolved disputes arising out of or in connection with our services shall be finally settled under the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce by one or more arbitrators appointed in accordance with the said Rules.
