Terms & Conditions
Terms of business
1. CONTRACT:
These are the terms on which we will make a booking for your travel or holiday requirements.
Secret Japan Travel provides travel planning and advisory services. Depending on the trip, Secret Japan Travel may either act as the booking organiser and contract directly with you, or introduce you to a trusted third-party travel provider who will contract directly with you. This will be made clear before any booking is confirmed.
When making your booking, where Secret Japan Travel is acting as agent, we will arrange for you to enter into a contract with the principal(s) or other supplier(s) (e.g. tour operator / airline / cruise company / accommodation company) named on your receipt(s).
We can book you a package holiday, in which case you will have one contract with the principal, or we can book the services that make up your holiday with different principals or suppliers, in which case you will have separate contracts with each of them.
Where you are introduced to and book directly with a third-party travel provider, the contract for travel services is between you and that provider, and their terms and conditions will apply.
As agent, we accept no responsibility for the acts or omissions of the principal(s) or supplier(s), or for the services provided by them. The principal’s(s’) or supplier’s(s’) Booking Conditions will apply to your booking and we advise you to read these carefully, as they contain important information about your booking. Please ask us for copies of these if you do not have them.
2. LEGAL:
Our Terms of Business are governed by English Law and the jurisdiction of the English Courts. You may however choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you wish to do so.
All travel arrangements which we provide or which are sold through us are not an offer by us to sell any travel arrangements, but an invitation to you to make an offer to the suppliers of the arrangements. We are free to accept that offer on behalf of those suppliers or to reject it.
3. BOOKING DETAILS:
Please check that all names, dates and timings are correct on receipt of all documents and advise us of any errors immediately. Any changes to these details will incur the charges stated below. Please ensure that the names given are the same as in the relevant passport. The booking information that you provide to us will be passed on only to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements or other persons necessary for the provision of your travel arrangements. The information may therefore be provided to public authorities such as customs or immigration if required by them, or as required by law. This applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, or dietary and religious requirements. Certain information may also be passed on to security or credit checking companies. The UK Government recognises Japan as offering adequate protection, meaning that data can legally be transferred without additional safeguards. If we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers, we will be unable to provide your booking. In making this booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons. Full details of our data protection policy are available upon request.
4. PAYMENT:
You will be required to pay a deposit or make full payment for your booking at the time of booking.
Where you book directly with a third-party provider following an introduction by Secret Japan Travel, payment terms will be governed by that provider’s terms and conditions.
Where you only pay a deposit, you must pay the full balance by the balance due date notified to you. If full payment is not received by the balance due date, we will notify the principal(s) or supplier(s) who may cancel your booking and charge the cancellation fees set out in their Terms and Conditions.
5. CANCELLATION and AMENDMENT:
Any cancellation or amendment request must be sent to us in writing and will not take effect until received by us. If you cancel or amend your booking the principal(s) or supplier(s) may charge the cancellation or amendment charge shown in their Terms and Conditions (which may be 100% of the cost of the travel arrangements) and you must pay us the cancellation or amendment charge stated below.
6. OPERATING CARRIER INFORMATION:
In accordance with EU directive (EC) no. 2111/2005, Article 9, we are required to bring to your attention the existence of a 'Community list' which contains details of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban within the EU Community. The Community list is available for inspection at http://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/safety/air-ban/index_en.htm. In accordance with EU Regulations we are required to advise you of the operating carrier(s) (or, if the operating carrier(s) is not known, the likely carrier(s)) that will operate your flight(s) at the time of booking. Where we are only able to inform you of the likely carrier(s) at the time of booking, we will inform you of the identity of the operating carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of this. Any change to the operating carrier(s) after your booking has been confirmed will be notified to you as soon as possible. Any change in the identity of the airline, flight timings and/or aircraft type will not entitle you to cancel or change to other flight arrangements without paying our normal charges except where specified in the tour operators booking conditions.
7. FINANCIAL PROTECTION:
Financial protection arrangements depend on whether your booking is made directly with Secret Japan Travel or with a third-party travel provider. Details of the applicable protection will be provided before any booking is confirmed.
Secret Japan Travel arranges flight-inclusive packages on behalf of our trusted UK partner, Travelink Group, who hold ATOL licence number 7613. When you book a holiday that includes flights under this arrangement, your booking is made directly with Travelink Group under their ATOL.
You will receive an ATOL Certificate issued by Travelink Group, which confirms your financial protection and outlines what is covered. ATOL protection is provided by the Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL) scheme, regulated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
In the unlikely event that Travelink Group or any part of your flight-inclusive package becomes insolvent, you may be entitled to a refund or repatriation under the terms of the ATOL scheme. For more information, please visit www.caa.co.uk/atol-protection.
8. PASSPORTS, VISAS AND HEALTH:
We can provide general information about the passport and visa requirements for your trip. Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. Neither we nor the principal(s) or supplier(s) accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements. Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. Please take special note that for all air travel within the British Isles, airlines require photographic identification of a specific type. Please ask us for full details. We can provide general information about any health formalities required for your trip but you should check with your own doctor for your specific circumstances. You should take health advice about your specific needs as early as possible.
Helpful contact information:
NHS Travel Health website: www.nhs.uk/Livewell/TravelHealth
Passport Office: www.direct.gov.uk/passports or phone: 0300 222 0000.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Travel Advice Unit: www.fco.gov.uk or email: traveladvicepublicenquiries@fco.gov.uk or phone: 0845 850 2829
9. FINAL TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS:
Please ensure that all your travel, passport, visa and insurance documents are in order and that you arrive in plenty of time for checking in at the airport. It may be necessary to reconfirm your flight with the airline prior to departure. Please ask us for details at least 72 hours before your outbound flight. You should take a note of any reference number or contact name when reconfirming. If you fail to reconfirm you may be refused permission to board the aircraft and you are unlikely to receive any refund.
10. COMPLAINTS:
The contract(s) for your travel arrangements is between you and the principal(s) or supplier(s).
Where you have booked directly with a third-party provider, any contractual complaints should ultimately be addressed to that provider, in accordance with their terms and conditions.
If you have a problem whilst on holiday, this must be reported to the local supplier who will try to rectify the issue as best and quickly as possible. If you fail to follow this procedure there will be less opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint.
11. SERVICE CHARGES:
For some types of bookings we will apply a booking or service fee for the services we provide. This will be stated on any receipts or invoices we issue. We reserve the right to amend our charges from time to time.