This is a must read for everyone who is about to travel with BCT or may travel with them in the near future, so that you are not caught off guard by any surprises!
Price Guarantee:
Bethel Coach Tours reserves the right to increase published rates and airfare supplements without prior notice. In Addition: fuel surcharges, government taxes, other surcharges and changes to deposit, payment and cancellation terms/ conditions, are also subject to change without notice.
Terms and Conditions Regarding Packages that Include Airfare:
Full Package Prices quoted that include airfare are with suggested airfares only, from major international airports. In the event airfare is higher than the suggested airfare (at our time of purchase), you will be contacted to pay the difference, at which time you will have the option to change to ‘Land Package’ at no additional charge and purchase your own airfare. If you change to ‘Land Package’ at this time, we will include transfers, if you arrive/depart to the proper airport. If you change to ‘Land Package’ on your own account, after having paid your deposit, there will be a $50 change fee per person. Land Package Prices quoted do not include airfare nor airport/hotel transfers. However some BCT provided hotels do offer complimentary shuttle services. If you change to ‘Full Package’, after having paid your deposit, there will be a $25 change fee per person. Once you’ve changed to ‘Full Package’, you will be responsible for additional airfare above the suggested airfares of the ‘Full Package’, if and when applicable.
Tour Conditions for ALL Tours:
All airfares are based on advance- purchase fares, group inclusive tour fares or tour basing fares out of selected major airports. Because of hotel and airline commitments, the following cancellation policy must be followed. All notices of cancellation must be in writing and received during the period prior to departure in accordance with the following schedule. See below Deposit and Cancellation Policy:
Since our 'NO REFUND' Policy is clear many opt to change to another trip instead of canceling. If you opt to CHANGE instead of CANCEL there will be a change fee of $50.00 per person. For details see NOTE: under ‘Deposit and Cancellation Policy’ below.
The $50 change fee is also applied to the following changes: for any name changes (changing your reservation to someone else) or any change in your itinerary or departure city, as long as the airfare has not already been purchased.
Once purchased, airline tickets are subject to the policies of the respective airline, which is usually that the tickets are non-refundable, non-transferable, etc. Change fees usually begin at $150, once tickets are ticketed. Although Bethel Coach Tours is the principal agent and takes great care in choosing its suppliers BCT does not control them and cannot be responsible for their acts or omissions. BCT accepts no responsibility or any claims, losses, damages, expenses arising out of injury, accident or death, loss or delay of baggage, unused days of any tour, strikes, acts of terrorists, mechanical breakdowns, government actions, weather, acts of God, or any other causes beyond our control or your failure to obtain mandatory documentation, passports, visas and health certificates, where required; therefore no refund can be made. We reserve the right to change hotels, aircrafts, dates, times, itineraries and rates. No refund will be given for such changes.
Deposit and Cancellation Policy:
- 25% deposit required to confirm any reservation.
- 25% deposit (up to $400 maximum per person) non-refundable
- No insurance, no refunds. A claim, with the proper paperwork, for an insured reason, must be presented to the insurance company.
- Lack of Insurance results in no refunds of any type.
- Balance is due 90 days prior to departure on all trips.
- Reservations made under 90 days before departure require full payment.
- NOTE: Should you need to cancel your trip you will have a credit of your funds paid which will be valid FOR TWO YEARS from the date of your scheduled tour (i.e.- if you were scheduled to take a New York and Canada tour on June 11th, 2014, your credit will be valid until June 11th, 2015). There will be a fee of $50 for rebooking your tour. You may use your credit after one year and up to two years later for a fee of $150. After two years, the credit is lost. Additionally, your credits may ONLY be used on certain tours that Bethel Coach Tours deems applicable at the time of use. Your options will be given you when you are ready to use your funds (credits).
Package Transfers:
- In some cases land portion of package price is transferable.
- Transfer Fees: $50.
- Most airline tickets are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
- For tickets that are refundable and transferable fees will apply.
Options Available and Under Consideration Concerning Pricing that Includes Airfare:
BCT may need to implement the following policy changes or a combination thereof concerning:
1) Eliminate packages that include airfare and let each traveler find their own. This would be easier for us, but for many, this would not be so easy, as you must find the proper flight arrival times, airport/hotel transfers, etc. This can be very stressful! We take many factors into consideration when buying your airfare, to make your trip and travels as easy as possible.
2) Raise prices on packages that include airfare to cover the steep jumps in airfare for certain segments. This would be extremely difficult to price so that ‘Full Package’ prices would be fair to and for all travelers.
3) Let current and future BCT customers know that ‘All Prices that Include Airfare are Subject to Change’. Then find a reasonable medium price for packages that include airfare, and when, or if, airfare exceeds the allotted amount, give you, the customer, notice that you will need to cover the increase or switch to a ‘Land Package’. This would take the stress out of traveling for those who prefer not to shop and purchase their own airfare while making sure BCT is able to provide packages that include airfare.
Even though BCT is already operating under a similar policy, as option 3 above states, and even though BCT already lets our customers know that prices and itineraries are subject to change without notice, we would like to make that policy a little more user-friendly and here is how:
- First, for those who have purchased a package that includes airfare. If, or when, airfare exceeds the allotted amount, BCT will notify the customers on their reservation the amount of the increase and allow them the option, with no fees attached, to change from ‘Full Package’ to ‘Land Package’ and buy their own airfare.
- Second, BCT would like to offer ALL those who voluntarily change to ‘Land Package’, when notified of that option by BCT, the following service. BCT will include airport to hotel shuttle service when, and if, the customer buys their own airfare and flies into, and out of, the airports suggested by BCT. This will make those packages that do NOT include airfare more attractive and less uncertain as to how such one will get to and from their hotel upon arrival. Normally, that service is NOT included in ‘Land Packages’.
BCT reserves the right to implemented some and/or portions of the above stated policy(s) when and if they deem necessary! This policy allows BCT to achieve its goal of providing affordable and spiritual vacation packages to and for our brothers and sister in troubling economical times without much undue financial harm to itself!