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Travel With Confidence - Booking Policy Q & A
Thursday, December 04, 2003
Travel With Confidence - Booking Policy Q & A
What is the risk of travel today?
As always, travelers have to make their own assessment of the relative risk of travel. We refer you to an excellent article based on a reader poll published in Conde Nast Traveler Magazine entitled: Calculating the Odds. If travelers perceive that risk is high, they will feel more apprehensive about travel even if the real risk for their safety remains very low. The author documents how the anxiety of most travelers (and especially their relatives) is far out of proportion to the real risk. We are very experienced in assessing risks to help you rationally evaluate any anxieties related to your specific trip. Nonetheless, even though the calculated risk may be low, we respect that events may arise which make some people feel apprehensive and decide to postpone their plans to travel another time.
How does terrorism and the Iraq war affect my Wildland Adventure?
U.S. military interventions have no direct concern on safety for travelers within any Wildland Adventure destination worldwide. While terrorism against symbolic Western interests has become a fact of life, attacks are highly unlikely to occur in specific sites that Wildland Adventures travelers visit, especially traveling in remote Wildland destinations and staying in small, indiscrete hotels and lodges. Whether at home or abroad, terrorist attacks are random and not possible to predict with any certainty. Indeed, many of the places where terrorist attacks have occurred, such as a nightclub in Bali, a high rise in New York, or a street corner in Oklahoma, would not have been considered off-limits or risky travel destinations for safety reasons.
What will Wildland Adventures do in the event of another terrorism attack in the US or in a Wildland destination?
When terrorism occurs anywhere in the world we evaluate the security risk and any travel disruptions on a case-by-case basis. However, after 19 years of conducting Wildland Adventures throughout the world during times of international war, domestic guerilla conflicts, terrorism, and various political upheavals, we have rarely had to cancel a trip. Through our local representatives we determine where it is safe to travel, or where it is not. We might alter an itinerary if necessary, but rarely have events deterred Wildland Adventures travelers from fulfilling their journeys. When you travel with Wildland Adventures, we also provide you with an emergency number so you can contact our company President or the Seattle staff anytime 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Im apprehensive that I might be stranded if there is a disruption of travel. What would you do to help get me get home?
Whenever you are traveling on a Wildland Adventure anywhere in the world, you will be accompanied by a professional guide or otherwise under the guidance of our local representatives to assist you with any contingency. Although it is unlikely the world will experience the level of widespread disruption in air travel that was experienced after 9/11, during that episode our local representatives kept in close contact with all our guests and assisted everyone to make the most expeditious arrangements to resume their travel.
Will travel insurance reimburse me for trip payments if I must cancel my trip? Does it cover cancellation due to terrorism?
Our Terms and Conditions define the circumstances and amounts under which refunds are given for trip cancellation. We highly recommend Access America travel insurance to protect your trip investment for cancellation due to your illness, or illness or death of a travel companion, family member, or business partner. Our recommended travel insurance also provides protection against financial loss of your trip costs if your trip is interrupted or canceled due to a domestic or foreign terrorist event within 30 days prior to arrival in a destination city as defined by the policy terms.
How does Wildland Adventures decide when to cancel a trip?
Although we review travel advisories of the U.S. State Department and other countries, unquestionably, the most accurate, up-to-date and relevant assessment of local security comes from our local in-country representatives. If we believe it is not safe to travel to a particular destination, or any specific region, we will alter or cancel the itinerary. If the US State Department issues a Travel Warning recommending that Americans avoid non-essential travel to a certain destination then we will help you make your own informed decision, either to maintain or postpone your travel plans. If we cancel your trip we refund all payments held by Wildland Adventures. [Note, there may be airline change or cancellation fees and some non-refundable deposits to local suppliers.] Unfortunately, US State Department Public Announcements and Travel Warnings have become politically motivated or are otherwise too generalized to be of meaningful value to short term travelers. These government statements have to be taken in context and balanced with our own local information considering your specific itinerary. It is interesting to note, after the attack on the Twin Towers in New York, the Canadian and Australian governments issued blanket warnings to its citizens of the danger traveling in the United States!
What if I decide not to travel after I've signed up? What happens to my trip payments?
Should you decide not to travel after having paid a deposit for reasons not covered by insurance including significant developments related to war, terrorism not within a destination city, or related events that cause major disruptions in travel, Wildland Adventures will not charge a cancellation or change fee for clients who postpone their reservation at any time prior to departure and re-book another trip within the next 12 months. In this case, your trip payments will be held in our Trust Account and applied to a future trip. If you decide to completely cancel your trip prior to departure for reasons stated above, we will refund land payments held by Wildland Adventures less a $100 administrative fee. Please note, our normal cancellation penalties apply and we will NOT make trip refunds if you cancel for reasons otherwise covered by Access America trip insurance including illness or death of a family member, or terrorism in a destination city within 30 days prior to arrival as stated in the Access America travel insurance application. So, please, purchase trip insurance within 14 days of booking your Wildland Adventure to protect yourself for these uncertainties!
Do I have anything to lose if I book my trip in advance?
There is no benefit to waiting until the last minute to book your Wildland Adventure, but there is a probable disadvantage if you wait. Now that travel is back on an upsurge, many airlines and accommodations in popular destinations fill up far in advance so space can be a limitation. Whether you reserve in advance or at the last minute, there is always some financial exposure, but much less so if you purchase trip insurance. In some situations, including boat-based trips and small hotels in high demand, we may have advanced part of your trip payment to third party suppliers as a deposit to hold your reservation. If you decide to cancel or postpone your trip after we have advanced a deposit, local third party service providers may assess a cancellation fee especially when they have less than 30-days notice before a peak tourist period such as Christmas-New Years, winter or spring break. In such cases, Wildland Adventures will negotiate in good faith to secure a refund. Short of a full refund, we request that your deposit be held on account for a future trip within the next 12 months. In general, with few exceptions, if we have at least 30 days notice prior to departure we can usually secure a full refund of any advanced third party deposits. We will advise if it is necessary to advance any trip deposits when you book your trip and explain any financial risks.
If I cancel or postpone my trip will I have to pay a penalty to the airlines?
After 9/11, airlines made unprecedented concessions to waive fees and accommodate ticketing changes. That is no longer the case. In the future, perhaps they will waive or reduce their fees for change or cancellation depending on special circumstances but this is not something you can generally count on with any certainly. Airline cancellation/change fee terms change frequently and are highly variable among carriers. Check with your preferred airline for specifics.
