Temporary COVID-19 Policy
These terms and conditions shall apply to all new bookings made from 28 November 2020, while COVID-19 remains a global concern and pandemic, as defined by the World Health Organisation.
We are aware that the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted travel and tourism, poses new risks for travellers and continues to cause concern and uncertainty among travellers. We understand that travellers are hesitant right now to put large amounts of money at risk in the form of advance payments for a future trip.
The purpose of these COVID-19 terms and conditions is to address these concerns and reduce the risk of booking in advance. We do this by reducing the minimal possible deposit amount to confirm a booking, flexible payment terms, and generous cancellation and refund policies in case of a COVID-19 cancellation. Similar COVID-19 policies have been introduced by most of our partners and suppliers, although the actual terms and conditions vary from supplier to supplier.
30% Refundable Deposit
While COVID-19 remains a concern and many borders remain closed, and travel advisories remain in place for many countries, it is difficult to predict when it might be safe and possible to travel again. For this reason, we have waived the standard requirement of a 50% deposit as First Advance Payment. To confirm a booking with Jafrankly, all we ask for from our side is a 30% fully-refundable deposit as a commitment fee, along with a confirmed booking document. The 30% deposit will confirm your booking to ensure availability, and remains fully refundable in case of a COVID-19 cancellation (as outlined below).
Supplier Deposit Requirements
One caveat to the 30% refundable deposit is that some suppliers will require a higher deposit amount. Typically, we have seen deposits of between 30% and 50% requested by suppliers – most of them fully refundable in case of unavoidable COVID-19 cancellation, but some still insist on a non-refundable deposit. If a supplier’s deposit requirement is more than 30% to confirm a booking or is non-refundable, you will be given three options:
*Pay the higher deposit amount as required to ensure availability at that supplier (subject to the supplier’s cancellation and refund policy);
*Leave the booking on provisional status for as long as possible (at the risk that someone else who is willing to pay could book that room if availability is limited);
*Opt for a different supplier with a more flexible approach and lower deposit requirement, if possible.
Further Payments
For bookings that have been confirmed with a 30% refundable deposit, a further 20% second payment will be requested either at 90 days before travel or as soon as applicable restrictions or travel advisories are lifted and the relevant international borders are opened again. This additional amount shall remain fully refundable in case of unavoidable COVID-19 cancellation, subject to applicable supplier cancellation policies.
The remaining balance (or the full amount, for short notice bookings) is payable 60 days before travel as per our standard terms and conditions and again remains fully refundable in case of unavoidable COVID-19 cancellation, subject to supplier cancellation policies.
What is a valid COVID-19 cancellation?
While the exact definition differs from supplier to supplier, a COVID-19 cancellation is broadly defined in similar wording by most suppliers. To avoid unnecessary cancellations, a valid COVID-19 cancellation can only be effected 30 days or less before travel. Valid reasons for cancellation or postponement due to Coronavirus include if you or a member of your family or travel group have tested positive for Coronavirus within 14 days of your travel start date, or if you have been in contact with a positive case and have written proof from a health professional that you’ve been instructed to quarantine or self-isolate. You need a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate less than 72 hours old to be able to fly, so if your test and retest are both positive, that will cause a valid and unavoidable cancellation. Another valid reason is if your home country or destination country has imposed or maintained government-mandated travel restrictions which make it impossible for you to travel, or your airline has canceled your flight due to COVID-19. You will need to submit proof that your cancellation is due to a valid COVID-19 related reason. A disinclination to travel or personal choice to cancel, without a valid medical or verifiable logistical reason, does not constitute a valid reason for a COVID-19 cancellation and will fall under the standard cancellation policy. Similarly, personal concerns over case numbers in your home country or destination country, without a government restriction or advisory against travel, do not constitute a valid reason for a COVID-19 cancellation. All other non-COVID cancellations will fall under our normal cancellation policy.
Refund Process
In case of a valid COVID-19 related cancellation and refund request, the following options will be explored in consultation with you, in order of priority: Postponement; Travel Insurance Claim; Refund.
Postponement
If COVID-19 prevents you from travelling on the planned dates, our priority, and the trend among tourism suppliers, is to offer a flexible postponement voucher which will allow you to postpone your trip without loss or penalty to a future date. Postponement remains the best and preferred option to deal with temporary COVID-19 travel restrictions and helps to minimise losses to all parties. Certain suppliers have indicated on their COVID-19 policies that they will only offer postponement, no refunds. If a postponement is possible, this will always be the preferred option.
Travel Insurance
It is now more important than ever to purchase comprehensive travel insurance that includes COVID-19 cover or Cancel For Any Reason cover. It is a condition of booking with Runway 86 that you purchase comprehensive travel insurance with sufficient cover. Failure to do so puts everyone at risk of loss and will limit our ability to refund you. If a postponement is not possible, you will then be asked to claim from your travel insurance company. More and more insurance companies are offering 100% cancellation cover in case of a COVID-19 cancellation. However, it is difficult to obtain insurance that includes COVID-19 cover while existing travel advisories or restrictions exist for your intended destination. Please compare quotes and discuss your plans to find out if you can get COVID-19 cover. NO refund will be offered without first attempting to claim back from travel insurance. Failure to purchase comprehensive travel insurance will void your right to a refund.
Refunds
If a postponement is not an option and your travel insurance claim is not successful, you will receive a full refund, subject to the individual supplier refund policies and possible cancellation fees. A refund can only be processed back to the same credit card that you paid with, or into the same account, you paid from if you paid by bank transfer. Since credit card companies never refund the merchant transaction fees on credit card payments, all refunds will be subject to a 5% transaction charge to cover our costs. Refunds can only be made in the currency in which we received the funds (typically USD), and due to exchange rate fluctuations, you may receive a lower amount back than you expected.
Cancellation fees
From Jafrankly side there will be no cancellation fees for a valid, unavoidable COVID-19 cancellation, up to 72 hours before travel. However, third party suppliers that we have paid already (including hotels, lodges, airlines, transfer companies, activity operators, etc.) may still impose cancellation fees. The cancellation policies of third party suppliers will supersede our own. You will be informed about the applicable supplier cancellation policies in the process of making your booking, so you can make an informed decision. No refund can be offered unless we have received a refund from the relevant supplier(s).
COVID-19 safety protocols
Jafrankly complies with all government-mandated COVID-19 safety protocols and has taken extra steps to ensure the safety and health of our guests, and to help prevent the spread of the virus. This includes regular sanitising of our vehicles, compulsory use of masks (except while eating and in your hotel room), hand disinfectant (you are welcome to bring your hand sanitiser but we will have sanitiser available on our vehicles), practical social distancing (for example maintaining open seats between passengers where possible, open-air dining, plated rather than buffet meals, etc.).
Validity and Duration of our COVID-19 Policy
This COVID-19 policy will remain in place for every booking that was made under this policy. Once the pandemic is over, we will stop referring to our COVID-19 policy but the policy will remain in force for all bookings that were made during the pandemic.
Agreement and Acceptance
By agreeing to our standard Terms and Conditions, (which you do by confirmation of your booking document or by making payment), you automatically also agree to this temporary COVID-19 Policy as part of our booking terms and conditions