Your contract will be with Virgin Holidays Limited,(trading as Virgin Atlantic Holidays), registered company number 01873815, with registered address at Company Secretariat - The VHQ, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom, RH10 9DF; a member of ABTA with membership number V2043 and ATOL holder number 2358. The following terms shall have the meanings set out below when used in these Booking Conditions:
'We', 'Our', 'Us', 'Virgin Atlantic Holidays' means Virgin Holidays Limited.
'Holiday' means the travel services booked by you and/or any person on your behalf.
Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances’ means any events or circumstances which neither we nor the suppliers of any service(s) in question could have foreseen or avoided, even if all due care had been exercised. Such events include, without limitation: war or threat of war; riot; civil unrest/strife; hostilities; political unrest; health risks; infectious diseases; epidemics and pandemics and government measures to combat such outbreaks; the act of any government or other national or local authority or the act of any airport, port or river authorities; industrial dispute; sanctions; lock closure; natural or other disaster (including, without limitation, chemical or biological); nuclear incident; terrorist activity and/or its consequences or the threat of such activity; adverse weather conditions; closure of airports; fire; volcanic eruption; flood; drought; re-scheduling or cancellation of flights or alteration of the airline or aircraft type by an airline and unforeseeable technical problems with transportation, airport, port or airspace closure, restriction or congestion; flight or other travel restrictions imposed by any government, regulatory authority or other third party; Sargassum Seaweed (or similar); consequences of Brexit; and all similar events outside our or the concerned supplier’s control.
1. Your Holiday Contract
1.1. These booking conditions, together with our Privacy Policy, our website terms and conditions of use (where you have made a booking via our website), the Useful Information, together with any and all information that we provide to you in regard to your booking, form the basis of your contract (“the Contract”) with us.
1.2 In these booking conditions references to "you" and "your" means the first named person on the booking (the lead name) and all persons named on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date) and any one of them, as applicable. The lead name shall be responsible for the administration and correspondence in regard to the booking and warrants that he or she is aged 18 or over and has the authority to make the booking (and any amendments and/or cancellations) on behalf of all the persons in the booking. In making a booking with us, the lead name is regarded as having read, understood and agreed to these Booking Conditions on behalf of themselves and everyone else in the booking. The lead name shall be liable for: (i) the full payment of any deposits and balances; (ii) the payment of any amendment fees or cancellation charges; (iii) providing the details all the persons named in the booking to us; (iv) passing on any and all information issued by us to all persons in the booking including, without limitation, our booking confirmation invoices and these Booking Conditions; and (v) the conduct of the persons in the booking.
1.3 After we receive your booking and all appropriate payments and, if the arrangements you wish to book are available, we will confirm your booking to you and issue a confirmation invoice. We reserve the right not to accept your booking at any time up until we have issued a confirmation invoice to you and, in this event, we will refund any deposit and/or payments that you have paid to us.
1.4. The Contract will come into existence between us when we dispatch the confirmation invoice to the lead name. It is important to check the details on your confirmation invoice when you get it (or at the time of booking if you book within 12 weeks of departure), to ensure that all the details are exactly as you requested. In the event of any discrepancy, please contact us immediately as it may not be possible to make changes or corrections at a later stage, without incurring amendment charges. 1.5. This Contract shall be governed by English Law and any dispute, claim or other matter which arises between us out of or in connection with your Contract or booking will be dealt with by the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. You may however, choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you are a resident in either of those jurisdictions. Only us and the lead name on the booking shall have any rights to enforce these Booking Conditions.
Advance Registration
1.6. Some airlines and accommodation providers only load their seats/rooms to sell approximately 10 months before the departure. If this applies to your booking, we will tell you at time that you make a booking enquiry with us and will issue a provisional invoice setting out the provisional costs and details of your provisional booking, for which we will take a refundable deposit from you. This will be a provisional booking only and there will not be a Contract between us until you accept any changes that may be applicable to your provisional booking, in accordance with clause 1.7 below.
1.7. Pursuant to clause 1.6 above and, once the relevant airline/accommodation(s) have released the seats/rooms and associated costs, there may be changes to the total price, flight details (including flight times) and/or accommodation details of your provisional booking. Any such changes shall not be deemed to be an alteration of the price, or a significant change, pursuant to Regulation 10 and/or Regulation 11 of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, because your booking was only provisional – and not yet confirmed by us. We will communicate any changes to your provisional booking as soon as is practicable and you will then have the choice of:
(i) accepting the changes and paying any increase in price, in which case we will issue a confirmation invoice to you, your booking will be confirmed and the Contract between us shall be formed; or
(ii) not accepting the changes, in which case you will need to notify us within 7 days of us advising you of the changes to your provisional booking. In this event, your provisional booking will cease to exist and we will refund the deposit that you paid to us. In this event, we shall have no further liability to you, nor shall we be liable for any damage, loss, cost or other expense arising out of, or in connection with, the same.
Paying for your holiday
1.8 We accept payment by credit card and debit card. In order to confirm your chosen arrangements, you must pay a deposit (which, for some elements of your booking may be non-refundable), which may be higher than the standard deposit in order to secure specific types of airline tickets, hotel, Disney Park Tickets, tours, cruises, etc. The amount of the deposit will be confirmed to you at time of booking. The balance of the cost of your arrangements (including any surcharge where applicable) is due no later than12 weeks prior to your departure. If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges set out in clause 9 will become payable and we will retain the deposit paid.
1.9 If booking within 12 weeks of departure, full payment will be required by credit card or debit card at the time of booking.
Credit Card Fraud Contingency
1.10. If you do not supply the correct credit or debit card billing address and/or cardholder information, your booking will not be confirmed, the issue of your tickets may be delayed and the overall cost of your booking may increase. We reserve the right to cancel your holiday if payment is declined for any reason or if you have supplied incorrect credit or debit card information. We also reserve the right to carry out random checks in order to minimise credit or debit card fraud. If we become aware of, or are notified of, any fraud or illegal activity associated with the payment for the booking, the booking will be cancelled and you will be liable for all costs and expenses arising from such cancellation, without prejudice to any action that may be taken against us.
Disney Park Tickets
1.11. FOR NON-Walt Disney World ACCOMMODATION INCLUSIVE BOOKINGS ONLY - If your holiday booking includes Disney Park Tickets, these must be paid for in full at the same time as your non-refundable deposit payment, in order to secure the tickets. Once the payment has been made, your tickets will be sent to you with your ticket reference within 5 days [of booking], where upon you will be able to access the ‘Disney Park Pass System’. In the event that you fail to pay for your holiday by the balance due date, your holiday including your Disney Park tickets will be cancelled in accordance with these Booking Conditions and may not be refunded.
1.12 FOR ALL Walt Disney World TICKET HOLDERS: For Disney Park entry, both a valid ticket and a date-specific theme park reservation via the Disney Park Pass System are required. You must ensure that you reserve your Theme Park Days with your Disney Park Ticket to secure your days at the Disney Parks as soon as possible after receipt. All elements of your booking are subject to Park capacity and availability. No refunds will be given where customers fail to add Theme Park Days, or seek to add them too close to their holiday when there is likely to be no or limited availability.
Booking through Virgin Atlantic Holidays Retail Stores and Call Centre
1.13. If you make a booking with us through our dedicated retail stores or call centre rather than booking online, a non-refundable booking fee will be charged.
2. Website accuracy
We endeavour to ensure that all the information and prices on our website, in our brochures and on other promotional materials are accurate, however, occasionally changes and errors occur and we reserve the right to correct prices and other details in any such circumstances and at any time. You must check the current price and all other details relating to the travel arrangements that you wish to book before you make a booking with us. We will not be liable for booking errors which are attributable to you and, should you subsequently need to amend a booking that we have confirmed, amendment charges shall apply. If a price on our booking confirmation, website, brochures or promotional material is obviously incorrect, a booking made on that price will not be valid and we reserve the right to cancel the booking, unless you wish to pay the correct price.
3. Passports, visas, health requirements and travel documents
3.1. It is your responsibility to check and comply with any travel, passport, visa, entry, health, vaccination, testing and immigration requirements applicable to your booking before departure.
A full and valid passport is required for destinations we feature (including for children) and visas (transit, business, tourist or otherwise) may be required for some destinations - and depending on the passport you hold. Requirements change on a regular basis (including the length of time it is likely to take to obtain the appropriate passports and visas) and you must therefore continually check and monitor the requirements up to your date of return, both in regard to the countries to which you are travelling to or through - and any requirements on your return to the UK.
3.2. Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. In addition to the relevant embassies and/or consulates, information can also be found on the following websites:
FCDO (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice)
NaTHNaC (https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/)
Brexit (https://www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein)
GHIC: (https://www.gov.uk/global-health-insurance-card)
Passports: (https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport); https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports and https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship/passports.
For further information contact the Passport Office on 0300 222 0000.
Please note: For full details on passport requirements for your chosen holiday destination, please contact the Identity and Passport Service on 0300 222 0000 or the US Embassy on 0207 499 9000
Please note: special conditions apply for travel to the USA, and all travellers must have individual machine readable passports. Please check https://uk.usembassy.gov.3.3. You should consult your doctor for current recommendations and information on inoculations or vaccinations before you depart relevant to the destination you will be visiting or transiting through.
3.4. Travel to certain destinations may involve greater risk than others. You are strongly recommended to review any travel warnings, prohibitions, announcements or advisories issued or updated by The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Travel Advice Unit at www.gov.uk/travelaware prior to booking your international travel arrangements and regularly prior to departure.
USA – Travel Authorisation (ESTA)
3.5. It is mandatory for anyone travelling to or transferring through the US under the Visa Waiver Program, to obtain approval to travel no later than 72 hours prior to travel by completing an online process ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) scheme. The cost of an ESTA is currently approximately $21 per person (as of May 2022) and can be obtained by visiting https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov or the Visit USA Website at www.visitusa.org.uk where further information on the scheme and the up to date fee can also be found. Once completed and approved, the ESTA application is valid for two years and allows multiple visits without the need to reapply. Failure to obtain an ESTA could result in the passenger being denied boarding by the airline.
3.6. Virgin Atlantic Holidays accepts no liability if you or any member of your party cannot travel or are refused entry onto any airline, or transport, or into - or through (whether or not you are required to leave the aircraft) - any country because they have not complied with any travel, passport, visa, ESTA, vaccination, testing or immigration requirements or are not in possession of necessary travel documentation (including, without limitation, a valid ESTA, vaccination certificates, testing kits and any other required documentation). You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any such requirements.
4. Insurance
4.1. It is a condition of your Contract with us that you and all other members of your party including all infants and children, are adequately insured from the time of booking and for the duration of your holiday and return. You must be satisfied that your insurance fully covers all your personal requirements including, without limitation, full Covid-19 cover, personal belongings, loss of baggage/money, any pre-existing medical conditions, cancellation charges, medical and/or other expenses, repatriation and assistance costs in the event of accident or illness and car rental and/or any activities that you have booked or may book (including, without limitation, any additional cover for skiing/extreme sports/adventure travel). Please read and take your policy documents with you on holiday.
4.2. Please note that if you transfer your holiday to another person, you cannot transfer your holiday insurance. The new traveller must ensure that they have their own insurance in line with these Booking Conditions.
4.3. We strongly advise that you take out a policy of insurance in order to cover you and your party against the cost of cancellation by you; the cost of assistance (including repatriation) in the event of accident or illness; loss of baggage and money; and other expenses, as well as ensuring you have cover for any activities you have booked, including additional cover for skiing/extreme sports/adventure travel and all other activities you have booked.
5. Your financial protection
5.1. We provide full financial protection for our package holidays, by way of our Air Travel Organisers Licence number 2358 issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, Gatwick Airport South, West Sussex, RH6 0YR, UK, telephone 0333 103 6350, email claims@caa.co.uk. When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive package from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong.
5.2. We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where we aren’t able do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable).
5.3. If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.
5.4. If you book arrangements other than a package holiday (e.g. accommodation only), the financial protection referred to above does not apply.
7. Your holiday price
7.1. We are able to change the price of your package booking after you have booked as a result of changes: (i) in the price of the carriage of passengers resulting from changes to the cost of fuel or other power sources; (ii) in the level of taxes or fees imposed by third parties including tourist taxes, landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports; or (iii) to exchange rates relevant to your booking. However, there will be no change to the cost of your travel arrangements within 20 days of departure.
7.2. In relation to the price of packages, we will absorb, and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to up to 2% of the price of your total travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. You will, however, be charged for any increase over 2% and if the increase in price is more than 8% of the price of your total travel arrangements (excluding insurance premiums and amendments charges), you will have the option of (i) accepting the price difference and paying the additional amount due; or (ii) accepting a change to another holiday if we are able to offer one (if this is of equivalent or higher quality, you will not have to pay more but if it is of lower quality you will be refunded the difference in price); or (iii) cancelling your booking and receiving a full refund of monies paid, except for any amendment charges and cancellation charges already incurred. We will consider at our discretion an appropriate refund of insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy. Should you decide to cancel due to a price increase of more than 8%, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your invoice.
7.3. Should the price of your travel arrangements go down due to the changes mentioned in clause 7.1 above, then any refund due will be paid to you. We will deduct from this refund our administration expenses incurred. However, please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel arrangements due to contractual and other protections in place.
7.4 We reserve the right to amend the price of any unsold travel arrangements at any time.
Check-in deposits
7.5. You should be aware that some Suppliers (e.g. accommodation providers, etc.) may authorise or charge your payment/credit card at check-in as a deposit for any incidentals such as room service, telephone calls or other hotel services, or for damage or incidents occurring during your stay and which are not part of your holiday package with Virgin Atlantic Holidays. Some Suppliers may require a cash deposit upon check-in for customers who do not have a payment/credit card. The amount authorised or charged can vary considerably depending on the Supplier and/or the destination. It is your responsibility to ensure sufficient funds or credit are available to cover the amount required by the Supplier. Virgin Atlantic Holidays is not responsible for setting the amount of any deposit required and if you have any queries you should contact the Supplier prior to your departure.
Onboard Gratuities / Service Charges
7.6. Cruise lines operate varying policies regarding onboard tipping. Many will automatically add a daily charge to your onboard account. This charge will either be discretionary or mandatory; if discretionary the charge may be removed upon request. Some cruise lines also allow this daily charge to be pre-paid at the time of booking which can be cheaper than paying onboard.
7.7. Pursuant to clause 7.6 and, in addition to any daily charge, a compulsory service charge of approximately 15-20% often also applies to all bar, spa and salon bills. This compulsory charge is not covered when pre-paying any daily service charge. Prices exclude any gratuity or service charge that may be payable on board or in advance.
7.8. In accordance with the cruise lines’ terms and conditions, you will be required to abide by the cruise line’s gratuity / service charge policy and must settle your account in full before disembarking the ship at the end of your cruise.
8. If You Change Your Booking
8.1. If, after our confirmation invoice has been issued, you wish to change your travel arrangements in any way, the lead name on the booking must inform us as soon as possible and the effective date of any change shall be the date that we receive notification from you. We will endeavour to make these changes (subject to these Booking Conditions and any applicable charges being paid by you), but it may not always be possible. Any amendments are subject to availability and eligibility and if we are able to make the change to your confirmed booking, you will be required to pay an administration charge of at least £50 per person/per change, in addition to any further costs or charges that we incur (whether from our suppliers or otherwise) in making the changes to your booking. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and you should therefore contact us as soon as possible.
8.2. If the amendment results in fewer people in your booking, then the total price payable for the booking will be adjusted accordingly based on the lower number of people in the booking, which may result in an increase in price per remaining person. Cancellation fees will also be payable in regard to the people who have cancelled their place in a booking. If a cancellation brings the total number of people in the booking below the minimum number required to qualify for any discount in price or a concession for any accompanying adults, the total price and concessions may be adjusted accordingly.
8.3. You can transfer your booking to another person, who satisfies all the conditions that apply to the booking, by the lead name giving us notice in writing or via telephone at least 7 days before departure. Both the previous person and the new traveller are responsible for paying all costs and charges we incur in making the transfer, including an additional administrative fee of £50 per person. Most airlines do not permit name changes for any reason, therefore you may have to pay the full cost of an alternative flight (where available) for the new traveller.
8.4. Some hotel/Accommodation Providers do not permit name changes and as such the reservation may need to be cancelled (such cancellation may incur cancellation charges) and rebooked at the rates prevailing on the date of rebooking. These additional charges must be paid prior to the reservation changes taking effect.
8.5. The cost to transfer a booking to another name could be anything up to 100% of the original price. All elements to be rebooked shall be at the prevailing rates in force at the time of the rebooking and are subject to availability. Where possible, we will endeavour to make the changes at the lowest possible cost but we accept no liability if we are unable to secure the changes at an amount equivalent to or less than the original booking.
8.6. Name change requests within 48 hours of the date of departure cannot be guaranteed. As most airlines do not permit name changes after tickets have been issued for any reason, these charges are likely to be the full cost of the flight. If you request to change all names on a booking, this will be considered as a cancellation and new booking and full cancellation charges will apply.
8.7. You should be aware that any amendment costs or fees could also increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made. Only one change of departure date, per booking may be permitted, subject to availability. Any further changes to your departure date will be treated as a cancellation and full cancellation charges will apply. In addition, you will be required to pay an admin fee of £50 per person and a new deposit per person to secure the new departure date. Any further changes may be treated as a cancellation by you and result in cancellation charges being applied.
Please note: certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration could incur a cancellation of your travel arrangements and a cancellation charge of up to 100% of the relevant part(s) of the arrangements. In some cases, any changes made may mean you having to pay for the cancelled arrangements and purchasing new ones at full cost.
8.8. We reserve the right to increase or change the administrative fees referred to above at any time.
9. If You Cancel Your Holiday
9.1. If you wish to cancel your booking after we have issued a confirmation invoice to you, the lead name on the booking must inform us as soon as possible and the effective date of any change shall be the date that we receive notification from you. Since we incur costs in cancelling your travel arrangements, you will be required to pay the applicable cancellation charges, where applicable, as set out below:
Period before departure within which notice
of cancellation is received by us % of total booking price
More than 84 days Loss of deposit*
57-84 days 30%
37-56 days 50%
22-36 days 70%
7-21 days 90%
Less than 7 days 100%
* In some instances, your deposit may represent more than 30% of your booking, in which case whichever is the higher between the deposit you have paid and the % indicated in the table above, shall be charged.
9.2. Our cancellation charges are a percentage of the total holiday cost and do not include any insurance premiums. For insurance premiums, you should refer to your insurance provider’s cancellation policy.
Please note: If you have booked a cruise, any cancellation will incur additional cancellation charges including those in line with the relevant cruise line’s charges.
Please note: If only some members of your party cancel, in addition to incurring the applicable cancellation charges, we will recalculate the holiday cost for the remaining travellers. You may have to pay extra room charges e.g. single room supplements, pursuant to clause 8.2 above.
9.3. After departure no refunds will be made on any unused or part-used components of your holiday (e.g. unused flights, unused car hire or as a result of early check-out). You will be charged 100% of the price of all part-used components. Any voluntary and additional changes made by you when on holiday will incur additional charges.
9.4. All cancellation charges become payable by you immediately upon confirmation of the cancellation, in accordance with clause 9.1.
Please note: certain arrangements may not be cancelled after they have been confirmed and any cancellation could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.
Please note: if the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges from your insurance company. Your insurance premium is non-refundable
10. If We Change or Cancel Your Holiday
Changes
10.1. Occasionally we have to make changes to your booking and it is a term of your Contract with us that we are able to make changes to any aspect of your booking at any time.
10.2. Most changes are insignificant and will be advised at the earliest possible date. Minor/insignificant changes include alteration of your outward/return flights by less than 12 hours, changes to aircraft type, change of accommodation to another of the same or higher standard, changes of carriers and any change to a London departure airport (including London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, London Stansted and London Southend). In the event of a minor change, we shall not be liable to pay you any compensation.
10.3 If we are constrained by circumstances beyond our control to significantly alter any of the main characteristics of the travel services that make up your booking we will tell you as soon as possible, if there is time before your departure, and you will have the choice of: (i) accepting the change; or (ii) accepting a suitable alternative where we are able to offer one (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value); or (iii) having a refund of all monies paid, if we are not able to offer an alternative that is sufficiently comparable. We will tell you the procedure for making your choice. Please read any notification of changes carefully and respond promptly as if you do not respond to us within the timescale given, your booking may be cancelled. If you choose to accept a refund, we will provide a full refund of your travel insurance premiums if you paid them to us and can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.
10.4 We will also pay compensation as detailed below, except where the significant change is due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, which means a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.
Period before departure when Compensation payable per adult
a major change is notified (for children see below)
More than 84 days £0.00
29-84 days £25.00
15-28 days £35.00
7-14 days £40.00
Less than 7 days £50.00
Cancellation
10.5. We reserve the right to cancel your booking. However, we will not cancel less than 12 weeks before your departure date, except for unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, or failure by you to pay the final balance or because the minimum number required for the package to go ahead hasn’t been reached. Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances means a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. The minimum number required for the booking to go ahead will be provided to you at the time of booking, along with the time limit for us to tell you if your booking has to be cancelled due to the required minimum numbers not being reached.
10.6 If your booking is cancelled you can either have a refund of all monies paid or accept an alternative booking of comparable standard from us, if we are able to offer one (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value). In the event a refund is paid to you, we will provide a full refund of your travel insurance premiums if you paid them to us and can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy and pay compensation as detailed below, except where the cancellation is due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances (see definition above) or because the minimum numbers have not be reached.
Compensation
Period before departure when Compensation payable per adult
a major change is notified (for children see below)
More than 84 days £0.00
29-84 days £25.00
15-28 days £35.00
7-14 days £40.00
Less than 7 days £50.00
Please note: the above payments are per full fare-paying passenger (excluding infants). For children invoiced at reduced rates, compensation will be paid on a pro-rata basis of the adult rate.
10.7. We will not pay you compensation and the above options will not be available if we cancel as a result of your failure to make full payment on time. We will not pay you compensation if we cancel because there has been any fraud or illegal activity involved in the payment of your booking on your credit or debit card.
10.8. We will not pay you compensation where we make a significant change or cancel more than 12 weeks before departure, or in the event of unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances.
10.9. Very rarely, we may be forced by unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances to change or terminate your arrangements after departure. If this situation does occur, we will try to offer you suitable alternative arrangements, where we are able to, of an equivalent or higher standard than those booked and, if the alternative arrangements we make are of a lower quality than those you originally booked, we may provide a price reduction. However, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any from our suppliers), pay you compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result. In the event of an unavoidable or extraordinary circumstance and where it is not possible to ensure your return as scheduled, we will bear the cost of necessary accommodation, if possible of equivalent category, for a maximum of three nights. This limit doesn’t apply to persons with reduced mobility and any person accompanying them, pregnant women and unaccompanied minors, or persons in need of specific medical assistance, provided that you notify us of these needs at least 48 hours before the start of your holiday. Please see clause 16 for changes and cancellations after departure, as a result of Covid-19.
10.10. The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so.
11. Flights
11.1. Under the Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from the airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Full details of these rights will be available from the relevant airlines. Reimbursement in such cases is the responsibility of the airline and will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday price from us. Your rights to a refund and/or compensation from us are set out in these Booking Conditions. If any payments to you are due from us, any payment made to you by the airline or any other service provider will be deducted.
11.2. The carrier(s), flight timings and types of aircraft shown in our brochures, on our website and as detailed on your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and are subject to alteration and confirmation (which shall not be considered to be a significant change to you booking). We shall inform you of the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of it. The latest flight timings will be shown on your tickets which you will receive electronically approx. 2 weeks before departure. You should check your e-tickets very carefully immediately on receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times. It is possible that flight times may be changed even after tickets have been despatched — we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs.
Please note: In accordance with Air Navigation Orders, in order to qualify for infant status, a child must be under 2 years of age on the day of their return flight.
Please note Regulation (EC) No.2111/2005 establishes a list of air carriers which are subject to an operating ban within the European Community: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban_en.
12. Behaviour
12.1. When you book a holiday with Virgin Atlantic Holidays you accept responsibility for the proper conduct for yourself and your party whilst on Holiday.
12.2. If we or any other person in authority, or any Supplier of any service, is of the reasonable opinion that your behaviour or that of any member of your booking is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any third party (including being threatening or abusive, upsetting, annoying or disturbing any other traveller, our staff or agents or putting any of them in danger) or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion to transportation, we reserve the right to consider your booking to have been cancelled by you with immediate effect.
12.3. If you are disruptive and prevented from boarding your outbound flight from the UK, we will treat your booking as cancelled by you from that moment, and you will have to pay full cancellation charges (see clause 9). If this occurs overseas then you will become responsible and liable for arranging and paying for your return journey home in addition to any other members of your group who cannot or will not travel without you.
12.4. If you cause damage to the accommodation in which you are staying, you must fully reimburse the accommodation concerned for the cost of the damage before the end of your stay (if the cost has been established by then) or as soon as it has been established (if later). You must also indemnify us for the full amount of any claim (including all legal costs) made against us by the accommodation or any third party as a result. We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking or with us.
12.5 Pursuant to clauses 12.2, 12.3 and 12.4 above, our liability to you will immediately cease and you and the members of your booking will be required to leave your accommodation or other service immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and/or the members of your booking and will not be liable for any damage, loss, refunds expenses, or other costs incurred by you or the members of your booking as a result, including, without limitation, any return travel arrangements, the costs of cleaning, repairing or replacing property lost, damaged or destroyed by you, compensating any passenger, crew, staff or agent affected by your actions and diverting the aircraft or ship for the purpose of removing you.
12.6. If you are refused carriage because of your behaviour, or you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, your airline may pass on your details and date of the refusal of carriage to other airlines for their information. This in turn may make it difficult for you to book other airline tickets. In any of these circumstances no refunds or compensation will be paid to you.
12.7. Pursuant to this clause 12, we reserve the right to make a claim against you for any loss, damage, cost and/or other expense (including legal expenses) incurred by us arising out of or in connection with your behaviour (or that of any member of your group). Criminal proceedings may also be instigated.
12.8. The lead name shall, at all times:
(i) ensure that all people in the booking comply with any and all Covid-19 requirements during the holiday;
(ii) ensure that the group takes into account their personal safety whilst in destination so as not to put themselves or others at unnecessary risk including, without limitation, ensuring that the group members; (a) take care when out during the hours of darkness;
(b) do not go out alone; (c) do not put themselves in risk situations; (d) are not intoxicated or under the influence of any other illegal or dangerous substances; and (e) are aware of their behaviour and actions in the context of their surroundings.
(iii) ensure that the group or any members of the group comply with all relevant laws.
13. If you have a complaint
13.1. If you have a complaint whilst on holiday you must immediately notify our local representative and the supplier of the service (s) and complete a report form in resort. If they are unable to resolve the problem, you should contact us straight away on the details shown in your travel documentation and we’ll do everything reasonably possible to resolve your complaint whilst you’re on holiday.
13.2. If your complaint is not resolved whilst you are on holiday, you must provide us with formal notice of your complaint, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information: (i) by email to feedback.backhome@virginholidays.com; or (ii) by post to Customer Relations Department at Virgin Holidays Limited, The VHQ, Fleming Way, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9DF.
13.3. It is unreasonable to take no action whilst on holiday, but then to write a letter of complaint upon return. If you fail to follow these procedures, your right to compensation may be affected as we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify the problem, which may affect your rights under this Contract. Please also see clause 14 below.
13.4 We are a Member of ABTA, membership number V2043. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you ABTA’s scheme for the resolution of disputes which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. If we can’t resolve your complaint, go to www.abta.com to use ABTA’s simple procedure. Further information on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com.
14. Additional assistance
14.1 If you’re in difficulty whilst on holiday and ask us to help we will provide appropriate assistance, in particular by providing information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance; and helping you to find alternative arrangements and any necessary phone calls/emails. We will charge a reasonable fee for such assistance if the difficulty is caused intentionally by you or a person in your booking, or as a result of your negligence.
15. Our liability to you
15.1. You must inform us without undue delay of any issues with any of the travel services included in your booking – please see clause 13 (If you have a complaint) for how to make a complaint in destination.
15.2 In respect of Packages, we will not be liable for any injury, illness, death, loss (for example loss of possessions or loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any nature or description whatsoever which results from: (i) the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or another/any member of your group; (ii) the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel services in the booking that are unforeseeable or unavoidable; (iii) unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, which means a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken; (iv) any loss or damage you incur that relates to any business activity (including without limitation loss of earnings); (v) any loss or damage that relates to any services that you may have entered into separate contracts for with other providers/suppliers and which do not form part of our Contract with you (including, without limitation, any additional services or facilities booked and arranged by you directly, including any activity, tour or excursion you purchase in destination from a third party) and/or any services provided near to where you are staying such as water sport providers, beach vendors, shops, massage and other spa therapies and sporting facilities; (vi) any damage, loss or expense or other sum(s) of any description which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to it being confirmed, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our Contract with you; and any damage, loss or expense or other sum(s) of any description pursuant to clause 16 (Covid-19).
15.3 In respect of non-package arrangements, we act as an ‘agent’ (retailer) and we are selling on behalf of a third party. In such instances, your contract is with them as the Principal provider of your holiday arrangements. When we are acting as an agent, the Principal provider’s details will be communicated to you. We can provide you with a copy of their full terms and conditions at the time of booking, upon request. By proceeding with a booking, you acknowledge that you have read and understood all of the terms and conditions which apply to it and agree to be bound by them.
15.4 in regard to package bookings and, except as specifically set out in these Booking Conditions, we will not accept any further or different liability than the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 impose on us. It is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us.
15.5 We limit the maximum amount we may have to pay you for any claims you may make against us:
(i) The maximum amount we will have to pay you where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money) is £50 per person affected unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under this clause; (ii) In regard to package bookings, our liability (except in cases involving death or personal injury as a result of our negligence, or the negligence of our suppliers who provide some of the services that form part of your Contract with us), shall be limited to a maximum of three times the price of your travel arrangements (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under any conditions of carriage or International Conventions. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your holiday.
15.6.We are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitation of compensation contained in these Booking Conditions, in addition to any applicable International Conventions (including, without limitation, the Montreal Convention in respect of travel by air, the Athens Convention in respect of travel by sea, the Berne Convention in respect of travel by rail and the Paris Convention in respect of the provision of accommodation) and any limitation of liability provided for in any applicable conditions of carriage of the transport companies that provide the travel services that make up your booking (e.g. airlines, boats, ships, inland waterways, trains). Any such terms shall be incorporated into your Contract with us and will apply to you on that journey. Please note that strict time limits may apply for notifying of loss, damage or delay of luggage to airlines. You can ask for copies of the travel service contractual terms, or the international conventions, from us at the contact details provided.
Please also see clause 11.1 (Air Passenger Rights and Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019).
15.7. Our Contract with you and the laws and applicable standards of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred will be used as the basis for reviewing your compliant. If the particular travel services which gave rise to the claim or complaint were provided in compliance with the applicable local laws and standards, the travel services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the travel services did not comply with the laws and standards of the UK which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK.
15.8. We cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any description which did not result from any breach of our Contract with you or other fault by ourselves or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers.
16. Covid-19: Limitation of liability
16.1 Both you and we each acknowledge the ongoing COVID-19 global crisis and accept our obligations to comply with any official guidance from governments or local authorities, both in the UK and whilst on holiday.
16.2 You acknowledge that the suppliers providing your holiday, including but not limited to airlines, hotels and excursion providers, will need to comply with national and/or local guidance and requirements relating to Covid-19, and have implemented certain measures as a result. This will likely include specific requirements regarding personal protective equipment including but not limited to, the wearing of face-masks by guests/ consumers and staff members, social distancing, maximum number restrictions on the use of certain facilities, designated alternative entrance and exit routes, mandatory hand sanitisation, limited entertainment options and limited food/drink availability. These measures will not have a significant impact on your enjoyment of the holiday and all measures will be taken with the purpose of securing your safety and those around you.
16.3 Please note that we will have no liability for any refunds, compensation, costs, expenses or other losses of any kind incurred by you (including, where applicable, the cost of medical treatment), in the following circumstances:
- If you, or anyone in your booking party, test positive for Covid-19 and has to quarantine for a period of time, or are notified or otherwise become aware that you have, or suspect you may have, come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 (or where they otherwise suspect they may have Covid-19) and have to self-isolate for a period of time. Where this event occurs within 14 days of your departure date, you must contact us as soon as possible to discuss your options, as you may not be able to travel as planned. We will offer you the following options where possible and subject to availability:
(a) Postponing your booking to a later date. We will notify you of any impact to the price the postponement may have (please note that you may have to pay full cancellation charges on some elements of your booking, such as the flight, as well any increase in cost imposed by other suppliers), including amendment fees; (b) If not everyone in the booking is affected, you will have the right to transfer your place on the booking to another person nominated by you, subject always to the requirements of clause 8.3; (c) Cancelling your booking, in which case our standard cancellation charges shall apply as of the date we receive notice of cancellation from the lead name. You may be able to claim these charges back from your travel insurance.
- In the event that you test positive for COVID-19 whilst on holiday, you must notify us without delay and we will provide such reasonable assistance as we can in the circumstances. We will not, however, be responsible for covering the cost of any curtailment of your holiday, missed transport arrangements, additional accommodation required, or other associated costs incurred by you. You must ensure you have adequate travel insurance which covers these costs for you.
(ii) If you fail any tests, checks or other measures imposed by a supplier, airline, port or airport, border control authority or other government body or local authority or fail to submit for testing or assessment when requested to do so, and as such you are denied entry to board the flight, entry to the destination, access to the services or you are otherwise unable to proceed with the holiday, or that portion of the holiday.
17. Local Excursions/Activities/Events/ Resort Credits
We will not accept responsibility for services or facilities which do not form part of our Contract with you, for example, any excursion of whatsoever nature you book now via any of our websites, our concierge services or via our website links to third parties (“Excursions”) that are not specifically and expressly stated to form a part of our contract with you or that you book while away, or any service or facility which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you. Any such Excursion and in addition, any other excursions, tours, activities or other events that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are away (“Locally Booked Excursions”), are not part of your package holiday provided by us and these Booking Conditions will not apply to any such Excursions or Locally Booked Excursions. Instead, your contract will be with the supplier of that Excursion or Locally Booked Excursion and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the Excursion or Locally Booked Excursion or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the supplier.
18. Resort Credits
Resort credits provided or offered by hotels do not form part of your package holiday or Contract with us. Pursuant to clause 17 above, we do not accept liability for any items or experiences including excursions, activities or events booked using resort credits.
19. Data protection/privacy
For full details of what personal data we collect about you, how and why we use it, who we disclose it to, and how we protect your privacy in accordance with the UK GDPR, please see our Privacy Policy at https://www.virginholidays.co.uk/important/privacy-statement .
20. Special requests and medical information
20.1. If you wish to make a special request, you must do so at the time of booking. We will pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier but we cannot guarantee that any such requests will be met any failure to arrange a special request on our part shall not be deemed as being a breach of our Contract with you. The fact that a special request has been noted on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation or that it has been passed on to the supplier is not confirmation that the request will be met. We reserve the right to decline any booking that is conditional upon any special request being met.
20.2. We are happy to advise and assist you in choosing a suitable holiday. As some of the accommodation and resorts featured may lack even the simplest facilities, such as ramps for wheelchairs, lifts etc, it is important that, when booking, you advise us of any disabilities and special requirements to make sure the holiday meets your specific needs. If you have any specific dietary needs or severe allergies please contact us to discuss your personal needs. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person(s) concerned, we reserve the right to inform you of this. The lead name on the booking must also promptly update us of any changes that may occur after booking but prior to departure. For further assistance, please email special.assistance@virginholidays.com.
20.3. In respect of cruises, expectant mothers in or over their 24th week of pregnancy at the start of the cruise may not be able to travel on certain cruise liners. Pregnant women may be required to provide medical documentation confirming fitness to travel. Cruise liners can refuse boarding and will not accept any responsibility if the requirements are not met. You must inform us if you or any other member of your party is pregnant or becomes pregnant prior to travel.
21. Variation
These Booking Conditions may be varied by us at any time and at our sole discretion. Any new booking conditions will be published on our website and will have immediate effect.
Date: 21st July 2022
