| Travel Discounts offers a variety of destinations including: the
United States, Canada, Costa Rica, South America, Antarctica, Europe,
Asia, Australia, New Zealand and AfricAnswer: Travel Discounts offers
escorted and unescorted tours to more than 50 countries on all seven
continents.
Question: What is an escorted tour?
Answer: Each prescheduled itinerary includes distinctive hotels,
fabulous regional cuisine, local entertainment, sightseeing, ground
transportation, directions, tickets and the services of a professional
tour manager - all the details necessary for a truly authentic travel
experience. You'll find that the price of our tours include so many
features, that you pay less out-of-pocket money, meaning you get
more value for your travel dollar on every Travel Discounts tour.
Question: What is an unescorted tour?
Answer: These packages are non-escorted as you travel independently
to explore the best a destination has to offer. Each package, which
can be purchased with or without air transportation, offers you
the flexibility to create your own general interest tour by selecting
from a range of three to five star hotels, fabulous local restaurants,
sightseeing activities, museum passes and more.
Question: Can I book land-only packages for escorted and unescorted
tours?
Yes, all our products can be purchased land and air or land only.
Contact a Travel Discounts travel expert for details.
Question: Does Travel Discounts offer consumer protection plans?
Answer: Travel Discounts has recently been praised by the NY Times
for providing consumers with the best waiver policy in the industry.
Travel Discounts is also a member of the following organizations:
The National Tour Association, The United States Tour Operators
Association, The Alliance of Canadian Travel Associations, the Travel
Industry Council of Ontario, the Australian Federation of Travel
Agents, and the Association of British Travel Agents. Some of these
associations operate a consumer protection plan to cover deposits
placed with any tour operator member. Collette Vacations shares
the coverage available under the United States Tour Operators Association
(USTOA) $1 million Consumer Protection Plan with affiliates of Collette
Vacations who, as an active member of USTOA, is required to post
$1 million with USTOA to be used to reimburse, in accordance with
the terms and conditions of the Plan, the advance payments of Collette
Vacations customers in the unlikely event of Travel Discounts bankruptcy
or insolvency.
Question: What does the escorted tour cost include?
Answer: Motorcoach transportation, hotel accommodations, all applicable
sightseeing and admissions as per itinerary, services of a professional
Travel Discounts Tour Manager and/or local host, all meals as shown
in the itinerary, luggage handling, taxes and applicable gratuities
for bellmen, doormen, housekeepers, and dining room wait staff.
Question: What is not included in the escorted tour price?
Answer: The land price does not include air travel, airline fees,
airport or departure taxes, transfers, visas, customary end of trip
gratuities for your tour manager, driver, local guides, cruise ship
wait staff, and any incidental charges.
Question: Can I purchase hotel nights before the escorted tour
begins or after the escorted tour ends?
Answer: Travel Discounts offers pre and post hotel stays on many
escorted tours. Most hotels offer Travel Discounts guests special
rates, which are available upon request on a space-available basis.
The services of a Travel Discounts tour manager are not included
in pre and post stays
Question: What if my escorted tour date is changed?
Answer: Travel Discounts reserves the right to cancel any tour prior
to departure for any reason. Should this happen, Travel Discounts
will make every effort to protect you on another departure date
and if an alternate cannot be found, a full refund will be made.
Air booked through Travel Discounts will be protected. We cannot
be held responsible for other air arrangements.
Question: Do you have a share program?
Answer: Initially, if you wish to share with another escorted tour
member you must advise Travel Discounts at the time of booking.
The single price is charged. If, two weeks prior to the day of departure,
we have another "share," the difference between the per person single
and the twin price will be refunded. "Shares" cannot be guaranteed.
Question: Where do I meet my tour manager?
Answer: Your escorted tour will begin at your first hotel. The tour
manager will make contact with you upon arrival at the hotel and
will make arrangements to meet and assist you. The hotel address
and phone number will be included in your documents.
Question: Do you rotate seats on escorted tours?
Answer: Seats are rotated on all Travel Discounts escorted tours
under the direction of the tour manager. So that we do not show
partiality among passengers, exceptions cannot be made. Please note:
all Collette escorted tours feature a NO SMOKING POLICY. Frequent
stops are made for your convenience.
Question: Do escorted tour itinerary variations occur?
Answer: In the unlikely event that services included in the escorted
tour cannot be supplied, or there are changes in an itinerary for
reasons beyond the control of the company, Collette Vacations will
arrange for the provision of comparable services.
Question: How much luggage can be taken on tour?
Answer: Due to limited motorcoach capacity, one carry-on (36 inches
in length, height, and width; not to exceed 11 lbs./6 kg.) and one
checked luggage (62 inches in length, height and width; not to exceed
70 lbs./32 kg.) are allowed. Luggage restrictions vary by airline
and destination. Please consult with your scheduled airline for
specific requirements. If you exceed the limit of 2 bags, we cannot
guarantee that your additional luggage will be able to fit in your
motorcoach. Storage or shipment of additional luggage will be at
your expense. If we are able to accommodate your additional luggage,
we will assess a $4 per hotel per bag fee.
Question: Do you sell supplemental insurance?
Answer: Yes, we offer our clients an accident/ baggage insurance.
Details are included with your invoice. You can register for this
on your own, prior to departure.
Question: How do I select a Special Interest Pre-planned Tour?
Answer: To select a special interest pre-planned tour, pick a theme
from the menu of special interest choices available on the site.
Upon picking a special interest, a variety of pre-planned tours
in that category are presented to you. You can browse the tours,
check dates and prices, and select the tour of your choice.
Question: How do I create a custom itinerary?
Answer: There are many convenient and powerful ways for you to create
a custom tour for yourself. If you are not an expert in the country
you want to create a tour in, and want the Wayfare system to do
all the work for you, click on 'Customized Tour' and our one of
a kind Booking Wizard will ask you a few Question: s focused on
your interests and travel needs. These Answer: s paired with your
initial interest profile, provide the basis for your custom vacation
which will be created automatically in seconds!
Question: What if I want to go somewhere that is not currently
listed as a city or attraction? Or a hotel I would like to stay
in that is not on your website?
Answer: Unlike other travel companies, we include almost any unique
request you may have for your travel experience! Please create your
tour with the exception of the unlisted city or attraction, and
note in the special requests section any particulars on the unlisted
item. We will get back to you with arrangements including the unlisted
item via email. We are always interested in expanding our information
base to provide the most comprehensive destination expertise and
service to our clients! Almost anything is possible at Travel Discounts!
Question: What if I don't want any tour or transfers, and am
only interested in hotel and transportation?
Answer: Tell us what your specific needs are via email, and we will
do our best to accommodate you! Travel Discounts is a full-service
travel company, dedicated to delivering total travel experiences.
Typically, we do not arrange just small components of tours, however,
Travel Discounts specializes in customization. Email a representative
with your unique requests and you will get a prompt response.
Question: What kind of lodging can I expect?
Answer: Travel Discounts offers a wide range of luxury and value
hotels for you to choose from. We recommend select hotels based
on standards, amenities and ambience. For example, in some cities
in India, you will stay at hotels that are erstwhile palaces of
Maharajas. They re-create the atmosphere of yesterday by their opulence
and ambiance that heighten what is meant to be a royal experience.
In Africa, you will stay at game lodges, smaller hotel and tented
camps, which will be provided with all necessary amenities. All
taxes and services charges levied by the hotel are included in your
tour cost.
Question: How many meals will be provided with this tour?
Answer: Most of our tours feature a daily sumptuous breakfast as
part of your tour package. Additional meals, refreshments and tea
included will be noted on your detailed itinerary and in hotel descriptions.
We also will offer you suggestions on fantastic restaurants in various
cities that feature delicious foods to top off your gastronomic
journey!
Question: How can I create a Tour from my selected Cities and
Attractions?
Answer: Use our city and attraction guides to help plan your itinerary.
As you discover attractions you wish to include in your itinerary
simply add them to the suitcase in your travel planner. Wayfare
will automatically build you a customized itinerary from the information.
Question: How can I create a Tour Day by Day.
Answer: Create your itinerary one day at a time. Pick your cities,
hotels, and attractions to create a personalized itinerary. Wayfare
will build a customized tour for you based on your information.
Question: How can I book a tour with Travel Discounts?
Subject to availability, reservations are accepted up to 7 days
prior to departure. All late bookings are on request and must be
guaranteed with a credit card if within 60 days of departure date.
A late booking fee of $25.00 may be assessed to cover express mailing
of documents and other expenses incurred.
Payments can be made by Checks, money orders, American
Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover/Novus. Travel Discounts,
P.O. Box 3396, Carmel, CA 93921
There is a $25 change fee per reservation if the airline ticket
has not been printed, or if the package is purchased land only.
If the airline tickets have been printed there is a $75* reissue
fee. (Ask about our cancellation waiver - if purchased you may cancel
for any reason and you will be refunded for the unused portion of
your vacation.) *Subject to airline regulations.
The land and air cancellation waivers are non-refundable and must
be purchased at the time deposit is made. The air cancellation waiver
can only be purchased by individuals who have purchased air through
Travel Discounts and does not cover non-refundable airline tickets.
Travel Discounts is not responsible for penalties imposed by airlines.
The waivers should be purchased at time of deposit, however may
be purchased with final payment if you are booking within 60 days
before departure.
All vacations can be purchased with or without airfare.
Travel Discounts is happy to assist you in accommodating your
flight needs. Due to scheduling and limited availability you are
strongly encouraged to take advantage of Travel Discounts air packages.
If you choose not to accept Travel Discounts air, we cannot be held
responsible for other arrangements you have made. On occasion, it
is necessary to change escorted tour dates. In this case, we can
only protect air reservations booked through Travel Discounts.
Options are activities that you may choose in order to enhance
your vacation. Options are not included in the vacation price. A
Travel Discounts Vacations destination expert will be happy to provide
you with prices and specifics on our options on escorted tours.
Question: Is Triple and quadruple occupancy limited.
Answer: Reservations of triples and quads are available on a request
basis and subject to the limitations of hotel properties. Some hotels
may only have two double beds and a cot may be added to the room
at an additional cost. Please check with your travel agent at time
of booking.
Question: What about airport transfers
Answer: Airport transfers are not included in independent or escorted
vacation package prices. They are available to be purchased for
our escorted tours at time of booking. Transfers can only be purchased
for the first and last day of the actual tour dates. However, on
some tours, transfers for pre/post night stays may be available,
but only when purchasing Travel Discounts air and hotel packages.
Documents will normally be mailed two weeks prior to departure
(provided full payment has been received). Documents for escorted
tours which include cruise segments will be carried by the tour
manager.
No refunds can be made for unused portions of any vacation due
to late arrivals or early departures.
Question: What about visas and passports
Answer: All clients should contact the appropriate consulate for
entry requirements. In addition, passengers are advised to carry
a photo I.D. on all domestic and international tours. Passports
and visas are required for U.S. citizens for certain countries.
However, requirements do change, so we urge you to confirm these
with "Passport & Visa" on our front page..
Travel Discounts offers the following are the customer
service phone numbers by tour type: Pre-planned general interest
tours: 831-626-1212 Pre-planned special interest tours: 831-899-1212
Custom Tours: 408-813-1111
Question: How do I change a flight reservation?
Answer: In order for us to offer discounted airfares, most of our
airfares -- particularly for economy/coach class -- do not permit
itinerary changes. Rules about changing your flight reservation
are provided to you at purchase. After purchase is complete, you
can read those airfare rules from your confirmation.
Question: If your flight reservation does permit a change:
Answer: You must contact us before your flight's originally scheduled
departure time to change your reservation.
We will charge you a $50 (USD) per-ticket, non-refundable fee
to process your change, which will appear as a separate charge on
your credit card statement.
The issuing carrier may require you to pay additional fees; the
amount will vary by market, travel dates, and specific airfare rules.
Question: When can I expect my paper ticket to be delivered?
Answer: If your paper tickets are being delivered to a non-PO Box
address, you should receive them within four business days of the
date that you booked your reservation. If your paper tickets are
being delivered to a PO Box address, you should receive them within
five business days of the date that you booked your reservation.
If you don't receive your tickets within the timeframe indicated,
please e-mail Customer Service. Please remember that paper tickets
can only be sent to your credit card billing address.
What are your fees, if any?
Answer: Additional Airfare Fees and Taxes USD (subject to change
without notice): Total airfare per passenger, including all carrier-collected
amounts, will always be clearly displayed to you prior to final
purchase. Fares quoted include any fuel surcharges and other non-governmental
charges and fees, but do not include: (i) Passenger Facility Charges,
from $1-$18, depending on itinerary; (ii) $3 federal excise tax
per domestic flight segment (takeoff/landing); (iii) $2.50 September
11th Security Fee per enplanement ($10 maximum); and (iv) if applicable,
international fees and taxes up to approximately $145 or more (depending
on itinerary).
Questions: Airfare Offer/Conditions:
Answer: Offer valid on select fares only. Fares/seats are subject
to availability and are not guaranteed until ticketed. Fares quoted
are "per adult" (unless otherwise indicated) and apply to US point-of-sale
and point-of-ticketing only. Limited time offer (void where prohibited).
Lower fares may be available. Unless otherwise stated, fares may
be subject to advance purchase/eligibility/availability/seating
limitations. Fares may not permit upgrades/stopovers/wait-listing/ticket
validity beyond one year (if permitted, penalties/restrictions may
apply). Travel restriction days/dates/minimum or maximum stays/holidays/seasons/blackout
dates and/or other restrictions may apply. Fares/fare rules are
subject to change without notice. For fare-rule details and/or code-share
flight information, please call Travel Discounts at 1.831.626.1212.
Airline Paper Ticket Shipping Fees
Some itineraries require paper tickets. Shipping fees for paper
tickets are:
PO Box $19.95 (USD)
Regular $19.99 (USD)
Premium $24.95 (USD)
International $39.95 (USD)
Note:
Paper tickets will only be shipped to the billing address of the
credit card used for purchase. Shipping fees are non-refundable.
All shipping fees are assessed per address. If multiple documents
are shipped in the same package, only one shipping fee will be assessed.
Flight Change and/or Cancellation Fee (if purchase permits)
Because you are legally responsible for the terms of purchase
related to your itinerary, we encourage you to review the airfare
rules carefully. These rules apply to the itinerary you select and
include important details regarding changes, refunds, penalties,
fees, other terms and restrictions, and more. Details regarding
airfare rules are made available to you at the time you select your
itinerary. In general, most of our discounted airfares, particularly
for economy/coach class, do not permit itinerary changes or cancellations/refunds.
If your airfare does permit a change or cancellation/refund: (1)
there is a $50 (USD) per-ticket, non-refundable fee to process your
change or cancellation/refund, which will appear as a separate charge
on your credit card statement; and (2) the issuing carrier may require
you to change or cancel your itinerary prior to your flight, as
originally scheduled, and/or to pay a processing fee, including
any applicable increase in airfare amount (the amount will vary
by market, dates, the issuing carrier, and your specific airfare
rules).
If you have any questions about changing or canceling your flight
reservation(s) and/or the fees to process a change or cancellation,
please call 1.831.626.1212
.Please be aware that airlines, car rental agencies, hoteliers,
and other third-party service providers may charge additional fees
or penalties for reservation changes or cancellations. All relevant
fees and restrictions apply. You are responsible for reading any
fare or rate rules that apply to your purchase and agree to be responsible
for all charges, fees, penalties, duties, taxes, and assessments
that result from your use of this Site.
Note:
* Fees are non-refundable.
* Applicable fees may appear as separate charges on your credit
card statement.
Question: When and how will I receive confirmation of my reservation?
Answer: Once you have completed booking a travel component, an e-mail
confirmation will be sent to the e-mail address you provided to
us. In order to confirm receipt of your e-mail confirmation, please
check all of your inboxes, including your "junk mail" inbox, in
the event your email system inadvertently routed the e-mail confirmation
there.
Question: Why do my paper tickets have to be sent to my billing
address?
Answer: For your security, we will only send your paper tickets
to your billing address. This helps minimize the risk of credit
card fraud.
Question: How do I change a flight reservation?
Answer: In order for us to offer discounted airfares, most of our
airfares -- particularly for economy/coach class -- do not permit
itinerary changes. Rules about changing your flight reservation
are provided to you at purchase. After purchase is complete, you
can read those airfare rules by visiting your confirmation with
Rules spelled out for you.
If your flight reservation does permit a change:
You must contact us before your flight's originally scheduled departure
time to change your reservation. Call 831-626-1212 or email to:
travel@traveldiscounts.com
We will charge you a $50 (USD) per-ticket, non-refundable fee
to process your change, which will appear as a separate charge on
your credit card statement. The issuing carrier may require you
to pay additional fees; the amount will vary by market, travel dates,
and specific airfare rules.
To find out if your flight reservation allows for a change, to
inquire about the fees that would apply, and/or to make a change,
please call a Travel Discounts at 1.831-626-1212... or email to:
travel@traveldiscounts.com
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