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The Fine Print

General Terms & Conditions
for Friendly Planet Travel Programs

To achieve our goal of providing you with the very best services at the lowest possible prices, we ask that you read our "fine print" carefully and note the policies as outlined below.

Air Transportation

Our tours include flights from designated USA gateways in economy class, by scheduled carriers. Business class upgrades are available on some of our tours at a supplement in price. See individual tours for availability and cost.

Airline schedules and flights are subject to change at anytime without notice. Friendly Planet Travel, Inc. is neither responsible nor liable for any costs resulting from a change in airline schedules. This includes, but is not limited to: change or cancellation penalties incurred for tickets, international or domestic, not issued by Friendly Planet Travel, Inc; additional nights of hotel before, during, or after one of our tours; and additional airport transportation. Under no circumstances shall Friendly Planet Travel be liable for any special, incidental or consequential damages arising from the foregoing. Friendly Planet Travel recommends that passengers reconfirm their flight times 72 hours prior to departure for all flights.

Fares and fees are subject to change until final payment is received by Friendly Planet and tickets are issued. Once issued, airline tickets are no longer subject to increase, but they are fully non-refundable.

ADD ON FLIGHTS from select USA cities may be offered on some tours. In such instances, Friendly Planet Travel Inc. cannot guarantee choice of routing or carrier.

AIRPORT TAXES are in addition to tour prices and are noted in the price schedule for each tour and are subject to change without notice. If some taxes cannot be prepaid, passengers will be notified to pay them directly to local authorities.

BAGGAGE: One suitcase per passenger is allowed for checked luggage. In some instances, the weight limit is only 44 pounds. Carry on luggage is limited to one piece per person, which must fit in overhead bin or under seat. Specific baggage limitations for your specific tour will be sent with confirmation materials. Friendly Planet Travel, Inc. cannot be responsible for any lost or damaged luggage.

LATE RETURNS: On some of our tour programs, it may be possible to extend your stay post-tour for up to 30 days from your original departure from the US. A late return costs an additional $100 per person, plus any applicable difference in fare. Price and space for late returns are subject to availability at the time of booking. Certain restrictions apply.

FREQUENT FLYER MILES: Friendly Planet Travel, Inc. is not involved in or responsible for crediting miles. Please consult directly with your frequent flyer program for rules.

Passports & Visas

PASSPORTS are required for all US citizens traveling abroad and must be valid for at least 6 months after your date of return. Many countries will not allow you to enter their borders if you do not have at least 6 months of remaining validity on your present passport. If you already have a valid passport, please send Friendly Planet Travel two clear photocopies of the signature and photograph pages of your passport with your reservation. If you do not already have a passport, you should make arrangements to get one without delay and send the photocopies of the appropriate pages as soon as your passport arrives. Be sure to sign your new passport before you make your photocopies for us. Friendly Planet must receive your passport copy 60 days prior to departure in order to assure that your name appears on your ticket exactly as it appears on your passport. Airlines may apply penalties if it is necessary to make corrections to your name either in the air record or on your ticket.

VISAS are required for some of our tours, and it is the responsibility of each passenger to secure the proper travel documents for each tour. In some cases, group visas are possible to obtain and Friendly Planet Travel, Inc. will make arrangements to secure such visas for you. If group visas are not possible, we will provide our passengers with information on obtaining individual visas required for our tours. Visa fees are not included in the tour price and are noted in the price schedule for each tour.

You are advised to contact the Consulate or Embassy of the countries that you are visiting well in advance of your trip to ascertain their requirements.

Hotel Accommodations & Meals

ACCOMMODATIONS are in carefully selected Deluxe and Superior First Class and First Class hotels, cruise ships and lodges, in twin-bedded rooms with private facilities. Single rooms are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. You will receive a detailed list of all the accommodations on your tour, including addresses and telephone and fax numbers, with your travel documents.

Other than breakfast, which is included on all tours, meals are as specifically indicated in the features and itinerary for each tour. Beverages are not included.

Sometimes, due to various causes beyond our control, it is necessary to change the accommodations on your tour. We will do our best to see that any substitutes meet or exceed the quality and location of the listed accommodations. Please understand, however, that in many instances, we are relying on the opinions of local operators. Friendly Planet is not liable for the quality or location of any accommodations.

Transportation & Touring

TRANSFERS & TOURING are provided by modern, air-conditioned touring coaches. All entrance fees to places visited in the itinerary are included except those mentioned as optional. Arrangements for the itineraries, domestic transportation and flights are solely at the discretion of the local land operators and are subject to change without notice. If any changes are made, Friendly Planet has no liability.

Transfers are provided on a group basis only. For land-only passengers or for passengers deviating in any way from the group program, transfers are not provided. On some tours, individual, private transfers can be arranged at a supplement in price for some of our tours. Taxis and other forms of transportation are also available and may cost less than private transfers. If you wish to arrange private transfers on those tours for which this service is available, please request them at the time of reservation.

Reservations & Deposits

RESERVATIONS can be made online by completing the reservation form on our website. If you reserve your tour online, please call us with your credit card information so that we can charge your tour deposit and travel insurance if you elect to purchase it. You can also make your reservation and pay your deposit by fax (215-572-9803), by telephone (1-800-555-5765) or by postal mail (Friendly Planet Travel, Inc. P.O. Box 505, Jenkintown, PA 19046). We accept VISA, Master Card, Discover and American Express. If you prefer to make your reservation by postal mail and pay your deposit by check, we strongly recommend overnight delivery, as your reservation cannot be confirmed without receipt of your tour deposit. A deposit of $300 per person is required to reserve your place. DEPOSITS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE ON ALL FRIENDLY PLANET TOURS.

Final Payments

FINAL PAYMENTS are due at least 75 days prior to departure or on the due dated indicated on your invoice. Payments may be paid by check or major credit card. If your tour departs within 75 days, your final payments are due immediately, within 72 hours of your reservation date. We regret that late payments will incur a $50 late payment fee. In the unlikely event that we haven't received your finally payment by 60 days prior to departure, your reservation will be automatically cancelled, and your deposit will be forfeited.

CHANGES to your original reservation will result in a $150 change fee per person, per change. We regret that we cannot accept changes within 60 days of departure.

UNUSED SERVICES cannot be refunded once the trip has begun. No refund can be made for absence by passengers from any part of the tour.

PERSONAL TIPS are not included in the tour price. We will provide each passenger with suggested tipping information for all of our tours. These suggestions will be part of the final tour documents.

DOCUMENTS for all tours will be sent at approximately 12 days prior to departure, via FedEx if paper tickets are required for your flights. If electronic tickets are provided, documents will be sent by first class postal mail, to arrive in a timely manner prior to your departure. If you reside within the USA (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) the delivery cost is already included in your tour price. If your documents need to be delivered to an address in Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico, or any address outside the USA, a document delivery fee of $40 per shipment will be added to your invoice.

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES flights from designated USA gateways, applicable fuel surcharges, hotel accommodations, meals as indicated, touring and entrance fees per itinerary, hotel taxes, and porterage of one suitcase per person.

TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE passports and visa fees, foreign airport taxes and fees, US departure taxes, excess baggage charges, baggage and personal insurance, gratuities, optional tours, beverages, items not specifically mentioned in the itinerary or tour inclusions section, or any items of a personal nature.

CANCELLATIONS of reservations must be made in writing and are subject to the following charges:

Up to 75 days prior to departure $300
74 - 45 days prior to departure $600
44 - 30 days prior to departure $1,000
29 - 10 days prior to departure $1,500
9 days or less prior to departure No Refund

Travel Insurance

Friendly Planet Travel strongly recommends insurance coverage for your trip. Travel insurance through our special wholesale plan costs only $99-$159 per person (depending on your total trip cost) and is an invaluable asset for protecting your vacation investment. Travel insurance must be purchased before or at the time of final payment and is non-refundable. After we receive your final payment, our travel insurance package will no longer be available for purchase. In order to take full advantage of this comprehensive travel protection plan available through Travel Guard, we recommend purchasing the insurance at the time of booking. This way, the pre-existing conditions waiver will apply and your deposit will be covered.

The primary benefits of our comprehensive insurance coverage include:

TRIP CANCELLATION & INTERRUPTION: Up to total trip cost. Covers non-refundable trip payments up to the air and land cost for cancellation prior to departure or trip interruption after departure, in the event of covered sickness, injury or death.

PRE-EXISTING CONDITION EXCLUSION WAIVER: The pre-existing conditions exclusion will be waived at no additional cost provided that you purchase the insurance from Friendly Planet within 7 days of making the initial deposit/payment for your trip, and you are not disabled from travel at the time you pay your plan cost. We recommend purchasing travel insurance at the time of reservation in order to take advantage of this excellent benefit

MEDICAL EXPENSE & EMERGENCY EVACUATION: Up to $25,000. Covers costs of physician, hospital and emergency evacuation due to sickness or injury that occurs while you are on the trip.

TRIP DELAY: Up to $100 per day for up to 5 days. Reimburses additional expenses incurred by you for hotel accommodations and meals if you are delayed 12 hours or more. We will not pay benefits for expenses incurred after travel becomes possible

MISSED CONNECTION: Up to $500. Covers additional transportation costs to join the trip, reasonable accommodations, and meals if inclement weather or the common carrier causes the cancellation or delay of regularly scheduled airline flights for 3 to less than 12 hours.

CONNECTING FLIGHTS: Up to total cost of connecting flights not purchased through Friendly Planet if you cancel these flight arrangements for a covered reason. In order to take advantage of this excellent benefit, you must inform Friendly Planet of your connecting flight arrangements and of your intention to use the travel insurance to cover these flights no later than 60 days prior to departure. When purchasing travel insurance, please be sure to anticipate the cost of your connecting flights when calculating your total trip cost so that you select the correct insurance plan (see Plan Costs below).

BAGGAGE & PERSONAL EFFECTS: Up to $1,000. Covers loss, damage or destruction.

BAGGAGE DELAY: Up to $100. Covers purchases, clothing, etc., if baggage is delayed 24 hours or more.

24-HOUR HOTLINE ASSISTANCE: 24 hour hotline to provide help and legal assistance for medical and legal emergencies.

ELIGIBILITY: All travelers, regardless of age, country of citizenship, and pre-existing conditions, are eligible for coverage through our plan.

PLAN COSTS: Unlike expensive retail travel insurance plans that price coverage according to traveler characteristics, our travel insurance plan costs the same for all travelers regardless of age, pre-existing conditions, and trip duration. Our plan costs vary only slightly according to total trip cost per person. Total trip cost includes total Friendly Planet tour cost plus the total cost of any connecting flights not purchased through Friendly Planet. Cost of insurance is not calculated in the total trip cost.

Plan costs are as follows:

Coverage Tier Total Trip Cost Per Person Plan Cost Per Person
1 $0-$1500 $99
2 $1,501-$5,000 $129
3 $5,001-$10,000 $159

Insurance is underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., a Pennsylvania Insurance Company (NAIC #19445) with its principal place of business at 70 Pine Street, New York, NY 10270, currently authorized to transact business in all states and the District of Columbia. The Policy will contain reductions, limitations, exclusions and termination provisions. All coverages may not be available in all states. Assistance Services are provided by Travel Guard Assist. This is only a brief description of the insurance benefits and travel services provided. Our travel insurance plan also provides additional benefits.

Responsibility

The Tour Operator/Friendly Planet Travel Inc. arranges these tours, only as agent for the companies and services they represent. As a consequence, Friendly Planet Travel, Inc. accepts no responsibility for accidents, damage, baggage losses and/or delays due to weather, strikes, acts of God, acts of governments or authorities, wars, criminal acts committed by third parties, hostilities, civil disturbances, riots, defects of vehicles or breakdown in equipment, or to the fault or default of any company used for carrying out these tours. Nor shall Friendly Planet Travel Inc. be liable for any damage resulting directly or indirectly from delays, cancellation or changes in flights. In the event it becomes necessary or advisable, for the comfort or well being of the passengers, or for any reason whatsoever in the professional judgment of Friendly Planet Travel, Inc., to alter the itinerary or arrangements, such alternations may be made without penalty or liability against Friendly Planet.

Additional expenses shall be borne by the passengers. Friendly Planet Travel, Inc. reserves the right at its absolute discretion to withdraw services and make changes and alterations in the itinerary as may be necessary for the proper handling of the tour or to refuse or cancel any person at any time, without being under obligation to assign a reason therefore. In the event of exercise of this right, the Tour Operator shall be under no liability to that person whatsoever.

Regarding any and all services and accommodations furnished, Friendly Planet expressly disclaims all responsibility or liability over any matter whatsoever for loss, damage, injury or expense to property or person due to any cause whatsoever for loss, damage, injury or expense to property or person, due to any cause whatsoever occurring during the tour or otherwise. Friendly Planet and/or their agents can accept no responsibility for losses and accidental expenses due to changes in schedules, sickness, weather, strikes, terrorism, war, quarantine or other causes. All such losses or expenses will be borne by the passengers.

In the absence of their own negligence, Friendly Planet shall not be responsible for any cancellations, delays, diversions or substitution of equipment, or any act or omission whatsoever by air carriers, hotels, transportation companies, or any other persons providing any of the services and accommodations to passengers, including any results thereof, such as changes in services or accommodations necessitated by same. Nor shall they be liable for any loss or damage to baggage or property, or for injury, illness, or death, or for any damages or claims whatsoever arising from loss, negligence or delay from the act, error or negligence of any person not its direct employee or under its exclusive control. Friendly Planet is not responsible for any criminal conduct by third parties.

The airlines, rail and steamship companies concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omissions or events during the times that passengers are not aboard their aircraft or conveyances. The passage contract in use by the airlines concerned, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between the airlines and the purchasers of this tour or passengers. Friendly Planet Travel Inc. reserves the right to cancel any tour, for any reason, prior to departure and cannot be held responsible for any damages resulting from said cancellation. In case of such tour cancellation by Friendly Planet, a full refund of the monies paid to Friendly Planet will be offered. Friendly Planet is liable to the customer for any funds received from the tour operators due to changes or cancellation of any part or all of the itinerary. This represents the entire agreement between the passenger and Friendly Planet. There is no additional liability. Any dispute arising from these tours shall be litigated only in the courts of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, which shall have exclusive jurisdiction.