These Agency Bookings conditions apply to all bookings made from 17 October 2024 onwards.
If you made your booking before 17 October 2024,
these Agency Booking Conditions apply.
Except where otherwise specified, we, Gentianes Solutions Ltd, a company registered in England with company no: 06916506 and registered office address of 2nd Floor Nucleus House, 2 Lower Mortlake Rd, Richmond TW9 2JA, United Kingdom trading as “Much Better Adventures” (“we” “us” and “our”), act only as an agent in respect of all bookings we take and/or make on your behalf. We accept no liability in relation to any contract you enter into or for any travel arrangements or other services you purchase (“Travel Arrangements”) or for the acts or omissions of any supplier or other person(s) or party(ies) connected with any arrangements. For all Travel Arrangements, your contract will be with the supplier of the arrangements in question (the “Supplier/Principal”).
All references to ‘trips’, ‘adventures’, ‘packages’ and ‘package holidays’ on this website, marketing material or in these Agency Terms & Conditions means packages organised by third-party Supplier/Principals on whose behalf we act as an Agent. We do not organise or sell packages in our own name.
References to “you” and “your” means all persons named on the booking. By making a booking, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that they:
1. have read these Agency Booking Conditions and have the authority to and do agree to be bound by them;
2. consent to our use of personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and are authorised on behalf of all persons named on the booking to disclose their personal details to us, including where applicable, special categories of data (such as information on health conditions or disabilities and dietary requirements);
3. are over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services
4. accept financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking.1. YOUR CONTRACT
When making your booking we will arrange for you to enter into a contract with the applicable Supplier/Principal of the Travel Arrangements (we commonly refer to them as ‘hosts’), as specified on your Booking Confirmation email. Your booking with us is subject to these Booking Conditions and the specific terms and conditions of the relevant Supplier/Principal(s) you contract with and we advise you to read both carefully prior to booking. The Supplier/Principal’s terms and conditions may limit and/or exclude the Supplier/Principal's liability to you. These are available to view at any time in the ‘My Booking’ part of our website, but please ask us for copies if required.
Your booking is confirmed and a contract between you and the Supplier/Principal will exist when we send you confirmation on their behalf.
2. BOOKING
When you make a booking on our website, you will have the opportunity to review all the details of the booking before making payment. Once you have reviewed these details and made payment, we will proceed to confirm your booking with the Supplier/Principal. In some instances, we will need to check availability with the Supplier/Principal before confirming the booking: these departures are clearly marked with a warning saying ‘host approval required’.
Please check that all names, dates and timings are correct on the Booking Confirmation Email and advise us of any errors immediately. Please ensure that the names given are the same as in the relevant passport. As we act only as a booking agent, we have no responsibility for any errors in any documentation except where an error is made by us.
The booking information you provide to us will be passed on only to the relevant Supplier/Principal or other persons necessary for the provision of your Travel Arrangements. The information may be provided to public authorities such as customs or immigration if required by them, or as required by law. This applies to any special category (sensitive) information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, or dietary and religious requirements. If you are travelling to the United States, the US Customs and Border Protection will receive this information for the purposes of preventing and combating terrorism and other transnational serious crimes. If you travel outside the European Economic Area, controls on data protection may not be as strong as the legal requirements in the UK. If we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers, whether in the EEA or not, we will be unable to provide your booking. Please click here for full details of our privacy policy.
3. PAYMENT
In order to book your chosen Travel Arrangements, you must pay a non-refundable deposit at the time of booking (or full payment if booking within a specified number of days before departure – we will make this clear on the checkout page prior to making your booking). Where applicable, any additional non-refundable costs are shown in the Booking Terms.
If you have paid 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, your booking will be cancelled and you will be charged the applicable cancellation fees (as set out in the terms and conditions).
Where local payments are required it will be clearly stated on the trip page/at the time of booking. Local payments (such as permit fees, national park fees, tourist taxes, or similar) may be implemented or changed without prior warning. These costs must be paid by you. We do not accept responsibility for these costs.
Except where otherwise advised or stated in the terms and conditions of the Supplier/Principal concerned, all monies you pay to us for Travel Arrangements will be held by us on behalf of the Supplier/Principal concerned until we make payment to the Supplier/Principal in accordance with our agreement with the Supplier/Principal.
4. FINANCIAL PROTECTION with ABTOT and ATOL
Financial Protection through ABTOT
Much Better Adventures is a member of ABTOT with membership number 5475. The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Gentianes Solutions Limited. In the event of our insolvency, protection is provided for non-flight packages.
ABTOT cover provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled or repatriation if transportation was included in your package. Please note that bookings made outside the UK are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with Gentianes Solutions Limited.
In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call ABTOT’s 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company.
You can access The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 here. You can find out more about ABTOT here: https://www.abtot.com/
Financial Protection through ATOL
Much Better Adventures is a Member of ATOL with membership number: 12365.
Some of the flights and flight inclusive holidays on the Much Better Adventures Platform are financially protected by the ATOL scheme.t ATOL protection only applies to Customers resident in the UK and does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on Much Better Adventures.
Much Better Adventures will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected.
If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. For more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk.
5. ACCURACY
All descriptions and content on our website or otherwise issued by us is done so on behalf of the Supplier/Principal in question and is intended to present a general idea of the services provided by the Supplier/Principal. If you require any further details, in respect of any Travel Arrangements or any other services, please contact us.
We endeavour to ensure that all the information and prices both on our website and in any advertising material we publish are accurate. However, due to the nature of adventure travel, variations in the details of activities can arise. Occasionally changes and errors occur and we reserve the right to correct prices and other details in such circumstances.
6. PRICES
We reserve the right to amend advertised prices at any time. We also reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices. Special note: changes and errors sometimes occur. You must check the price of your chosen Travel Arrangements at the time of booking.
You can choose from a range of currency options at the point of booking – your booking will then be administered in that currency and the currency cannot be changed later.
From time to time we may offer discounts or promotional offers – these will apply to new bookings only and will not be retrospectively applied to existing bookings. A maximum of one discount or offer may be applied to each booking, they may not be applied in combination.
7. INSURANCE
For international travel: you are required to take out appropriate travel insurance as a condition of booking with the Supplier/Principal and will not be allowed to join a trip without it.
Your travel insurance policy must cover you and your party for involvement in the full range of Travel Arrangements included in the package. In addition to the destination(s) being visited, when purchasing appropriate travel insurance you’ll need to be aware of; the specific activities being undertaken and the environments being visited
Your travel insurance policy must cover you and your party against the cost of cancellation by you (for any reason, including cancellation of flights), the cost of comprehensive assistance (including repatriation) in the event of accident or illness; loss of baggage and money; and other expenses.
For domestic travel: if travelling within your home country or region, please confirm before departure that you are entitled to access the public medical system easily should an accident occur. We would still strongly recommend you take out travel insurance which covers you for cancellation cover, in the event that you are unable to join your trip due to illness or injury.
For all trips: If for any reason you travel without adequate insurance cover, or are unable to travel, neither we nor the Supplier/Principal will be liable for any losses or expense arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.
8. PASSENGER INFORMATION FORM
When you make a booking we will ask you to complete a Passenger Information Form, which we pass on to the Supplier/Principal. You should complete this as promptly and accurately as possible. We cannot be responsible for any inaccurate or incomplete information which you provide, which we pass on to the Supplier/Principal, which may later have an effect on your trip. If your circumstances change between completing the Passenger Information Form and the date you are due to travel, you must update your Passenger Information Form via the MBA Website, and inform your host of any changes via your MBA inbox.
Inaccurate information provided in the passenger information form can, in some circumstances, result in additional surcharges being necessary, for example where non-changeable flights or permits have been purchased by a host using incorrect passport details.
9. FITNESS, PREPARATION TO TRAVEL AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS
The trips we feature on our website are adventurous and many are physically demanding. It is important that you review all the trip details, descriptions and kit requirements thoroughly to understand the physical demands likely to be involved. If you need any more information about the physical aspects of the trip and your suitability please contact us in advance of booking.
By reading official travel advice, you should understand and accept any known risks that are associated with travel to a particular destination/region. Trip-specific risks relating to environments or activities should also be taken into account before making a booking. In most cases, trip-specific risks will be identifiable from reading the trip page and the Supplier/Principal Booking Conditions.
If you join a tour and the Supplier/Principal is of the opinion that you, or any member of your group, do not have the required fitness, or you have not brought the appropriate kit as specified on the trip page, they have the right to terminate your participation in the tour. No refund or further liability will be provided for the missed portion of the tour.
If you or any member of your party has any pre-existing medical issue or a disability which may affect your participation on a trip, please contact our Customer Experience Team in advance before making your booking so we can advise you and review with the Supplier/Principal the suitability of your chosen Travel Arrangements. We may require you to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that you are fit to participate in your chosen tour. If acting reasonably, the Supplier/Principal is unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not be able to confirm your booking on the Supplier/Principal’s behalf.
If you did not share relevant medical details at the time of booking, and then subsequently provide them before departure, the Supplier/Principal reserves the right to cancel your booking and impose the cancellation charges set out on your booking if the Travel Arrangements are no longer suitable.
If your medical details change between booking and departure, please inform your Supplier/Principal immediately via your Booking, so they can review this information. We strongly recommend you take out Travel Insurance immediately after booking to cover any cancellations due to medical events.
10. ENTRY, VISA & IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS AND SAFETY & HEALTH FORMALITIES
It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We can only provide general information about this. You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances (in good time before departure), in order to make your decisions and/or fulfil such requirements and check any information regarding your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling. Please note that these requirements may change between booking and departure.
Such information which you may need to check includes (but is not limited to) passport requirements including (but not limited to) how valid your passport must be after return date or whether your passport must be machine readable (for USA travel).
You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant bodies as applicable. We have provided a few useful resources below, though it is your responsibility to check and see if such body would be relevant to yourself.
- the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (“FCDO”, https://www.gov.uk/travelaware) (applicable to UK residents);
- UK Passport Office (0870 5210410 or https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship.
- The Department of Foreign Affairs (“DFA”) (applicable to Irish residents);
- Embassies, High Commission and/or Consulates;
- Your own doctor.
For UK residents booking European travel, you should obtain a UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC) prior to departure unless you are able to rely upon an existing European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For travel to Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, UK GHIC and EHIC can not be used for medical treatment. Passengers to these destinations should obtain comprehensive medical insurance prior to departure, including cover for emergency medical treatment and associated costs.
Neither we nor the Supplier/Principal accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse and/or Supplier/Principal us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
11. OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS
Optional excursions refer to any activity that is not included in the advertised itinerary / Travel Arrangements, but is offered independently either by the Supplier/Principal or another third party. While we take care to review the safety of the trips that we sell, we are not able to do this for additional activities that may be available while you are travelling.
Excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on holiday are not part of your contracted arrangements which you book through us. For any excursion or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour, or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the Supplier/Principal.
12. CHANGES AND CANCELLATIONS BY YOU
Any cancellations must be made via our online cancellation system. Amendments and cancellations can only be accepted in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Supplier/Principal of your Travel Arrangements. The Supplier/Principal will charge the cancellation or amendment charges shown in the booking conditions (which may be as much as 100% of the cost of the Travel Arrangements and will normally increase closer to the date of departure).
If a trip is cancelled by you for any reason and the Supplier/Principal’s booking terms for your trip allow, you can choose to hold this as account credit, which can be put against booking any other trip. See Clause 20 for how Credit is treated.
13. CHANGES AND CANCELLATIONS BY THE SUPPLIER/PRINCIPAL
We will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if the Supplier/Principal needs to make a significant change to your confirmed Travel Arrangements or to cancel them. We will also liaise between you and the Supplier/Principal in relation to any alternative travel arrangements offered by the Supplier/Principal but we will have no further liability to you.
If a trip is cancelled by your Supplier/Principal for any reason you are entitled to either a full refund, to move your booking to an alternative date or to convert your payment into credit.
If you move your booking to a new date, the Supplier/Principal’s original booking terms will apply. Any subsequent cancellation by you would be subject to the Supplier/Principal’s cancellation terms.
14. CUTTING YOUR TRIP SHORT
If you leave the trip early for any reason, the Supplier/Principal cannot refund the cost of any travel arrangements you have not used. Neither we nor the Supplier/Principal will be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them. In some circumstances, the Supplier/Principal may request that you sign a release form to confirm termination of involvement in the Travel Arrangements.
15. COMPLAINTS
As the contract for your Travel Arrangements is between you and the Supplier/Principal, any queries or concerns about your Travel Arrangements should be addressed to them in the first instance. If you have a problem with your Travel Arrangements whilst using them, this must be reported to the Supplier/Principal immediately. If you fail to follow this procedure there will be less opportunity for the Supplier/Principal to investigate and rectify your complaint. The amount of compensation you may be entitled to may therefore be reduced or extinguished as a result.
If you wish to complain when you return home, please put your complaint in writing and send it to happiness@muchbetteradventures.com within 28 days of your return.
We will endeavour to assist in our capacity as an Agent by liaising with the Supplier/Principal on your behalf, in line with the principles of our Happiness Guarantee.
For customers resident in the EEA, disputes may be submitted for online resolution to the European Commission Online Dispute Resolution platform.
16. ABTA
We are a Member of ABTA, membership number P8623. 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.
17. OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR BOOKING
Your contract is with the Supplier/Principal and its booking conditions apply. As Agent, we accept no responsibility for the actual provision of the Travel Arrangements. Our responsibilities are limited to making the booking in accordance with your instructions.
We accept no responsibility for any information about the Travel Arrangements that we pass on to you in good faith. However, in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis whatsoever, our maximum liability to you is limited to twice the cost of your booking (or the appropriate proportion of this if not everyone on the booking is affected).
We do not exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury that arises as a result of our negligence or that of any of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.
18. LAW AND JURISDICTION
These Agency Booking Conditions are governed by English law and we both agree that the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, claim or other matter which may arise between us (unless you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, in which case you can bring proceedings in your local court under Scottish or Northern Irish law, as applicable).
19. ACCOMMODATION RATINGS AND STANDARDS
All ratings are as provided by the relevant Supplier/Principal. These are intended to give a guide to the services and facilities you should expect from your accommodation. Standards and ratings may vary between countries, as well as between suppliers. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of any ratings given.
20. YOUR BEHAVIOUR
You are expected to conduct yourself in an orderly and acceptable manner and not to disrupt the enjoyment of others. This includes complying with local laws and customs of the destination, and in your use of any online services, social media or messaging apps. If in the Supplier/Principal’s opinion or in the opinion of any other person in authority, your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any other customers or any third party, or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion to transportation, the Supplier/Principal reserves the right to remove or restrict your access to the services or any part of them, or terminate your booking immediately with no further liability to you.
You and/or your party may also be required to pay for loss and/or damage caused by your actions and you and each member of your party will be jointly and individually liable for any damage or losses caused. Full payment for any such damage or losses must be paid directly to the Supplier/Principal prior to departure. If you fail to make payment, you will be responsible for meeting any claims (including legal costs) subsequently made against us because of your actions together with all costs we incur in pursuing any claim against you.
We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.
21. CREDIT, GIFT CARDS AND PROMOTIONS
The following terms apply to Credit:
- You can see how much credit you have, and when it expires, at any time in your account area on the website.
- Credit has zero cash value equivalent and cannot be exchanged for cash at any time.
- Credit can be used for both deposit and balance payments but you will be required to use credit first before making any additional cash payments.
- If the Cancellation Policy of your trip allows, your deposit will be converted to credit if you cancel your booking
- If the Cancellation Policy of your trip allows, if you choose to convert any balance payments into credit, this decision is final and a cash refund cannot subsequently be issued.
For terms relating to Gift Card purchases and use, you can view these here.
You can view terms related to promotions, including Discount Codes on our Terms page.
22. PHOTOGRAPHY & MARKETING
It is often the case that photography or video is shared with us post-trip, or we send a professional photographer along. Please see our Content Policy on how we will use this content.
23. PROMPT ASSISTANCE
If you have booked Travel Arrangements with a Supplier/Principal established outside the EEA and whilst you are on holiday, you find yourself in difficulty for any reason we will offer you such prompt assistance as is appropriate in the circumstances. In particular, we will provide you with appropriate information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance, and with distance communications and finding alternative Travel Arrangements. Where you require assistance that is not owing to any failure by us, our employees or sub-contractors, we will not be liable for the costs of any alternative Travel Arrangements or other such assistance you require. Any Supplier/Principal, airline or other transport supplier may however pay for or provide refreshments and/or appropriate accommodation and you should make a claim directly to them. Subject to the other terms of these Booking Conditions, we will not be liable for any costs, fees or charges you incur in the above circumstances, if you fail to obtain our prior authorisation before making your own Travel Arrangements. Furthermore, we reserve the right to charge you a fee for our assistance in the event that the difficulty is caused intentionally by you or a member of your party, or otherwise through your or your party’s negligence.
Updated: 17 October 2024