Terms and Conditions
1. OUR SERVICES
As your travel advisor, we will do the following for you:
- Consult with you about your trip.
- Research and offer you a variety of options that fit your travel wishes and budget. Use our supplier relationships and supplier preferred pricing to book on your behalf the trip components and confirm the arrangements with you.
- Organizing your trip from beginning to end, confirming all components to which you have agreed.
- We are available to you from start to finish; if you need assistance during your trip, our phone is answered 24/7; Outside office hours, by an answering service who can find a staff member to assist.
2. FEES
Consulting Fee – We will provide you with an initial consultation with an advisor to discuss your travel ideas and see how we can help. After the initial consultation and your agreement with the itinerary outlined our non-refundable consulting fee will be billed. We invest time, effort, and expertise into planning your trip; if you choose not to go, you agree that we will retain this payment in order to compensate us for the efforts we have made on your behalf in planning the trip.
Other Fees – Willamette International Travel may also charge fees for various services including, but are not limited to, airline ticketing fees, mileage ticket fees, change/reissue fees, visa assistance, and cancellation fees. While the fee we charge for booking airline tickets is between $30 – $75; we do have access to lower than published priced fares, especially international and business/first-class air fare. This fee covers the additional time to research & compare pricing plus managing the reservation through to your end date.
Our 24/7 Answering Service is available to you throughout your trip. A full schedule of airline ticketing and other fees is available upon request. If you have special requests above and beyond the items outlined above, we will assist you if we can, but we reserve the right to charge a service fee in such cases.
3. TRIP PAYMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Once you have made decisions about your travel plans, deposits are required by all vendors to confirm your reservations and will cancel reservation if deposit not received by their deadline. Also, vendors are rigid about final payment deadline. Failure to meet payment deadlines could mean cancellation of trip and forfeit of any monies paid.
Between booking and departure dates, vendors may find it necessary to increase cost, due to but not limited to, Government taxes or fees, fuel surcharges, currency fluctuations. We will notify you immediately of these post-deposit changes which are added by the vendor to final invoice. These changes are subject to any applicable local laws.
For credit card payments vendors may require you scan to us the front/back of the credit card and sign their authorization form to charge your card. If paying Willamette Intl. Travel by credit card, we will require you to also authorize us to bill your card directly the stated amounts. We will need full details of the card including security code, name on card and billing address. Third party credit cards will require additional documentation. If paying by check additional time must be added to deadline to allow for your check to clear banks, third party checks will also require additional documentation.
Your signed charge authorization is a binding agreement for charging your card. As such you waive any right to a chargeback (dispute) in the case of trip delays, changes, or cancellations for any cause (excepting fraud), including a force majeure event. This also means you agree to refund policies & procedures as outline in the vendors terms and conditions operating any component of your trip. In the event you attempt without Willamette’s authorization to chargeback, reverse or recollect a trip payment already made, every vendor involved reserves the right to collect all additional costs, fees and expenses associated with your action including but not limited to attorney fees.
We recommend you consider using credit card for payments, although there may be an additional fee over payment by check, so that you may be able to exercise your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act, should you not receive the services promised by providers.
Willamette Intl. Travel and any vendor involved in the itinerary does reserve the right to make substitutions or modifications to the airline carrier, hotels, departure/return dates, arrival/departure cities, or destination if necessary due to conditions beyond anyone’s control. Should this situation arise we will notify you immediately, and will be your advocate working with the travel suppliers involved to substitute comparable or superior services, based on the express understanding from you that our efforts on your behalf will waive any additional “remedies”.
Cancellation of a trip must be sent in writing (via email) to Willamette Intl. Travel. Any vendor involved in your trip will also require cancellation notification in writing. They will process any refund according to their terms & conditions which will be provided to you at initial booking. Willamette Intl. Travel’s cancellation fee of $100.00 per person may also apply. Note if you have purchased Trip Insurance and cancellation is for a covered reason, fees charged may be covered by your insurance.
4. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Age: You agree that you are at least 18 years old
You acknowledge that our role will be that of advisors and consultants. You will make the final decisions about your travel dates, trip components, and payments.
Travel Documents: When you receive any and all travel documents, it is your responsibility to review and verify all information for accuracy and contact us immediately if changes or corrections are required.
International Travel: We will require a copy of your valid passport (must be valid six months beyond your return to the USA) before confirming and issuing an international air ticket. If this is not available, it is client’s responsibility to confirm via email to us that the details shown on the proposed itinerary are correct. Willamette will advise regarding any Country visas that may be required and will provide assistance in obtaining these for a fee, plus any FedEx or other costs involved. Should you wish to obtain these visas yourself, we will require copies of the visas once obtained.
Willamette will provide you with their preferred Visa Service Companies, some Countries require that you work only with these companies to obtain the required visa. We will also provide links to the various Embassies/Consulates, as well as links to CDC, and other sites. These sites will contain the latest Governmental alerts, advisories, warnings, and prohibitions that apply to any of your destinations. Willamette does not accept responsibility if you are unable to travel due to failure to comply with any of these warnings or health restrictions.
By booking travel to a destination, we do not represent or guarantee that travel is safe or without risk. It is also your responsibility to review any specific immunizations required and obtaining these in a timely manner. It should be understood that living standards & practices with respect to utilities, services, accommodations, dining & transportation will differ from those found at home.
We have no special knowledge regarding the financial condition of the suppliers, unsafe conditions, health hazards, weather hazards, or climate extremes at locations to which you may travel. Up to date travel alerts, warnings & consumer info can be found at the following sites:
US Department of State – travel.state.gov
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – www.tsa.gov
Vaccination Requirements (CDC) – wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel
World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/
U.S. State Department: 1-888-407-4747 (from overseas, +1-202-501-4444)
All U.S. citizens are advised to enroll in the State Department’s STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program)
Your Change of Plans: You acknowledge that last-minute or unexpected changes can affect the quality of your travel experience, and you agree that we are not responsible if you are ultimately unhappy due to these changes. If you request changes that we are unable to confirm then you agree to release us and any vendor involved from all contract obligations, holding us in no way responsible for nonperformance.
Many suppliers such as airlines do not allow changes such as new or corrected names, and they may treat those requests as cancellations subject to their own policies. We are not responsible if you or your traveling companions cannot make the trip due to illness, hospitalization, accident, transportation problems, acts of God, or any other cause. Travel Insurance is strongly recommended.
Insurance: We feel it is essential for you to consider trip insurance. Your agent will discuss trip insurance with you at the outset of the booking, and we highly recommend it is considered. There are added benefits if you take the insurance out within 14 days of your very first deposit, whether it is made through Willamette or through another entity which you booked direct. It is important that you advise us if you have already made a deposit (which will include taxes/fees on mileage tickets) before contacting us.
Two reasons for taking out insurance within the 14 days from your first payment/deposit is to include supplier default, and to maybe qualify you for pre-existing conditions waiver. Travel insurance offers many benefits/assistances whilst traveling including a 24/7 emergency phone line. However, no representation or description of the insurance made by Willamette staff constitutes a binding assure or promise about the insurance purchased. If you have special circumstances, we recommend you call the Insurance Company directly to get their input.
5. OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS
We act only in the capacity of agent for the suppliers providing the travel services in connection with your trip, including but not limited to airlines, hotels and resorts, cruise lines, car rental company, or other service providers named in your itinerary. Suppliers have their own contracts covering cancellation penalties and other terms and conditions, and that you may be bound by those contracts regardless of whether you receive notice of their terms. By accepting the travel arrangements in your Itinerary/Invoice you are consenting to those terms and conditions.
We assume no responsibility for and shall not be liable for any refund, personal injury, property damage, or other loss, accident, delay, inconvenience, or irregularity which may be caused by: (1) any defaults, wrongful or negligent acts, or omissions of the Suppliers; (2) any defect in or failure of any vehicle, craft, equipment, or instrumentality owned, operated, or otherwise used or provided by the Suppliers; or (3) any wrongful or negligent acts or omissions on the part of any other party not under Willamette’s control. You hereby release Willamette International Travel from all claims arising out of any problem covered in this paragraph.
Supplier’s Liabilities: If unexpected last-minute issues arise, we will work with you and the on-site personnel at the destination, resort, or on the ship to resolve issues that arise due to unforeseen changes, inclement weather, errors or omissions, or other factors that may negatively affect your trip. However, you agree that we are not responsible for the nonperformance of any travel-related services due to these factors.
We shall not be responsible for any failure to perform any obligation under this agreement due to unforeseen circumstances or causes beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, war, riot, acts of civil/military authorities, fire, floods, pandemic, or labor strikes. Should your trip be canceled due to a force majeure event, we will work diligently with the affected suppliers to reschedule, revise, or cancel your itinerary. However, we cannot guarantee that you will receive a refund or avoid additional costs from such suppliers or vendors.
“Force majeure” means we shall not be deemed to be in breach of any terms and conditions or otherwise be liable to you, and shall not provide any refund due to delay in performance or non-performance of any of our obligations hereunder due to any circumstances beyond our reasonable control (including, but without limitation, to acts of God, explosion, flood, forceful wind, fire, accident, war or threat of war [declared or undeclared], acts of terrorism, sabotage, insurrection, riots, strikes, civil disturbance, sickness, epidemics, pandemics, quarantines, government intervention, weather conditions, defects in machinery and vehicles, delays, or other unforeseeable events).
If our agency and/or any of our travel suppliers are affected by force majeure, we shall be entitled to, and may in our sole and absolute discretion, vary or cancel any itinerary or arrangement in relation to your trip.
You agree to waive all claims for special, indirect, or consequential damages. You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from and against our liability to third parties (including your guests and companions) arising from you or your guests’ or companions’ actions or omissions. YOU AGREE THAT OUR MAXIMUM LIABILITY TO YOU WILL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID US.
Once we have completed the services described herein, your agreement with us will terminate automatically, except with respect to limitations on our liability and with respect to your indemnity.
Any disputes related to this agreement shall be governed by Oregon law without regard to conflict of laws or principles. The federal or state courts in Oregon shall be the exclusive forum for any lawsuit related to this agreement, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction by said courts. You agree to present any claims against us within 30 days after the trip ends and to file within one year of the incident, and you acknowledge that this expressly limits the applicable statute of limitations to one year. If we are successful in an action to enforce payment or other rights hereunder, you agree to pay all of the expenses we may incur including reasonable attorney’s fees.
