The following Important Information should be read in conjunction with our Booking Conditions, as together they form the basis of your contract with us. Please read these carefully as they set out our respective obligations.

Airline airport check-in

Check-in times for your international and internal flights will be outlined in your final itinerary. It is important you adhere to these times. Should you fail to check in before check-in closes (usually no less than 1hr prior to departure), the airline has the right to refuse you to board the flight and will not provide you with any refund. Most passengers arrive at check-in at the pre-assigned check-in time and therefore the queues tend to be the longest at this time. In general it is always worth checking in earlier if possible as not only should the queues be shorter and the experience more relaxing, but you will have a much better choice of seating. Please note that the check-in time relates to when you should be at the actual check-in desk, not the time you should arrive at the airport. Long queues for security checks and for check-in should be taken into consideration when planning your journey to and arrival time at the airport. Self-service check-in machines can be found at all major UK airports and many international airports.

Self-service check-in can be a fast, efficient way of checking-in, avoiding queues and giving you the opportunity to personally select your seat number. Any hold baggage needs to be dropped off at the Fast Bag Drop counters.

Airline on-line check-in

Many airlines now give you the option of checking-in on-line up to 24 hours before departure from the comfort of your home. The major advantage is the ability to choose your own seating and to smooth experience at the airport on departure. If you are travelling with British Airways, log onto www.ba.com and click on manage my booking, or use the link on the Latin Travel UK website. Don’t forget that you will also have to check-in for your return journey 24hrs before the return departure date. If you are unable to access the Internet please ask your hotel or our representative for assistance.

Airline e-tickets
Most air tickets issued in the UK are now e-tickets. E-tickets are an electronic ticketing solution and do not comprise any paper ticket coupons, though you will be provided with an e-ticket receipt, that can be printed out. E-tickets can be used to check-in on-line, using the self-service machines or at the staffed check-in desks.

Airline seating
The pre-allocation and acceptance of seating requests is becoming more and more restrictive. Often it is only families, holders of frequent flyer cards and Premium class passengers who are able to request specific seating.
Seating requests for Premium class are still accepted (though not guaranteed) by most major airlines on long haul routes but many airlines no longer accept seating requests on domestic, short haul and in Economy Class.

However, this is not the case with British Airways, where only families travelling with infants, Gold and Silver Executive cardholders, First Class and some Club

Class passengers are able to pre-allocate seats at the time of booking and only on long haul flights. Only some Club Class tickets are able to pre-book seats so please speak to your sales consultant to see if your tickets are eligible. Families travelling with children, cannot request specific seating but will be automatically pre-assigned seating 48hrs prior to departure. British Airways cannot guarantee that families will be seated together, although children will always be seated with a parent. British Airways operates an on-line check-in service within 24hrs of departure, where you can choose your own seating. We highly recommend that you use this service, particularly if seating has not already been pre-assigned. Please contact your consultant if you require any assistance with on-line check-in.
Please ensure that you let us know your seating preferences at the time of submitting the Booking Form and we will do our best to request seating where possible. Do note that airline seating is always only on request and airlines always reserve the right (which they often exercise) to rearrange the seating. We cannot therefore guarantee ANY seating requests.

Airline luggage allowance
Most airlines offer some free luggage allowance. The allowance varies from airline to airline and between different aircraft types. Please consult the airline, your consultant or your travel documentation for details. The free luggage allowance for international flights on British Airways is complex but in summary: World Traveller: 1 piece (exceptions are Caribbean, USA, Mexico, Brazil & Central America where 2 pieces are allowed), Club Europe and World Traveller Plus: 2 pieces, Club World and First Class: 3 pieces. Baggage allowances are per person and bags must not exceed 23kg each or 158cm (H+W+L). Any additional pieces of baggage will be charged at £90 longhaul or £35 shorthaul per bag (with discounts if paid on-line) and overweight bags (up to 32kg) at £25 per bag. In addition you will be allowed up to 2 pieces of cabin luggage. For connecting flights on the same ticket the most generous allowance is applied. For full details please visit www.ba.com and see the baggage instruction in the information area.
For all other airlines please refer to your travel consultant, ticket or contact the airline. Please note that low cost carriers may have very restrictive free luggage policies. Please note that for some internal flights you may be on a light aircraft where a strict luggage restriction of 10-15kg per person plus hand luggage is imposed. On many light aircraft large suitcases with rigid frames are prohibited, as they cannot be packed in the hold of light aircraft. The ideal luggage to bring is a soft canvas or leather bag or holdall. If this is going to cause a problem please call to discuss the possibilities.

Airline reconfirmation
Many international airlines, with the exception of British Airways, require you to reconfirm your flight(s), including your return flight(s), at least 72 hours before the flight(s) concerned departs. We therefore strongly advise that you do so.

Please be particularly aware of this issue when travelling on smaller regional airlines and during peak season. If for whatever reason you do not use your outbound flight, the inbound sector will automatically be cancelled. This process is automated and standard airline procedure.

Air taxes and surcharges
Current regulations require that all passengers (including children) departing from a UK airport must pay an Air Passenger Tax (APT) as shown in the table below, and a Passenger Service Charge (PSC), which varies from airport to airport.

Air Passenger Tax            Short haul           Long haul
Economy Class                  £10                         £40
Premium Classes              £20                         £80
(incl. Premium Economy)

In addition to the Government imposed APT and PSC, airlines usually apply surcharges to cover the increased cost of insurance, fuel and other charges. Fuel surcharges vary from airline to airline, between shorthaul and longhaul flights and between classes of cabin.
The prevalent UK taxes (APT and PSC) and the various surcharges will be included on your international air tickets plus any other overseas taxes that are pre-payable in the UK. However, in some countries departure taxes, especially domestic services, are only payable at the airport in local currency on departure. Foreign currency is often not accepted or given as change so it’s a good idea to put the required amount of money away at the beginning of your holiday to ensure that you are not caught out on departure and find yourself having to go and change money.
Please note that all taxes and surcharges are subject to constant change and may vary  after confirmation invoice has been issued.

Air ticket flexibility
Most of the air tickets that we sell are based on our contracted airfares. These airfares, although extremely competitively priced are designed for use with tour operator packages and are usually much more restricted in terms of flexibility than the more expensive ‘published’ fares. Alterations and refunds including premium classes are usually not permitted. If you require a fully flexible air ticket please call us to discuss prior to booking but bear in mind that there may be a significant increase in the airfare.

Air flight details
Your flight details are provided along with your tickets with your final documents. It is your responsibility to ensure that the details are correct and the name on your ticket matches that on your passport. Flights may be classed as non-stop, direct or indirect. A direct flight has a single flight number, but may land to refuel or collect/drop off passengers en route.  Only flights classed as non-stop are truly direct.

Air flight reservations
Flights cannot be held unless the full name of the passenger is provided. Therefore flights cannot be automatically held for all members of a ski booking unless their full details are supplied on the Booking Form. Once flights have been confirmed they are non refundable and non changeable.

Company details
www.latintravel.co.uk is a website of Latin DMC Ltd. Ltd and is registered in England under company number 6308690.

Credit cards
Most credit cards are widely accepted around the world, but please note that fees charged for their use vary dramatically from country to country. Fees in excess of 10% are not uncommon and exchange rates can be poor. Please check before using your credit card.

Insurance
It is a condition of booking with us that you and all members of your party obtain travel insurance, covering all elements of your holiday arrangements. If you are unable to supply details of sufficient travel insurance or a signed waiver, then we will be unable to issue your final travel documents. We highly recommend that you obtain travel insurance at the time of booking, rather than leaving it until close to your departure date, as this will provide cover in case you need to cancel your booking prior to departure. It is vital to ensure that your travel insurance policy, particularly general policies, such as annual or credit card policies, provide adequate cover for cancellation, missed departure, unused accommodation and all activities, particularly those considered hazardous, that you plan to undertake. Activities considered hazardous include such activities as diving,  rafting, trekking, skiing, horse-riding, paragliding, kite surfing, bungee jumping, travel in light or single-engine aircraft, safaris and many more. If in doubt whether an activity is covered please ensure that you contact your travel insurance company. In many instances, insurance designed to cover a specific single journey or specific activity will provide a much higher level of cover, than the general annual or credit card policies. Virtually all insurance policies will exclude any undisclosed pre-existing conditions, medical or otherwise, if in doubt always check with the insurance company prior to departure. Please see our booking conditions for further information.

Passports, visas and health
Many countries require passports, visas and health certificates to be presented before entry is permitted. Please ensure that you and all members of your party, including infants and children, are in possession of a passport, valid for at least 6 months, prior to departure.
We will advise the passport, visa and health requirements for British Citizens at the time of booking but we strongly advise that you contact the relevant embassy(ies) or consulate(s) and your doctor, in good time prior to travel, in order to check the latest advice and regulations, as they can change at short notice. A full British passport presently takes approximately 2 to 6 weeks to obtain. If you or any member of your party is 16 or over and do not yet hold a passport, our recommendation is that you should apply for one at least 6 weeks before your holiday, as the UK Passport Service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and may ask you to attend an interview. Many countries require that passports are valid for 6 months after the return date and airline/immigration officials may prohibit entry unless this rule is observed.

Please also ensure that the name on the passport corresponds with your airline tickets and that your passport contains at least one completely blank page to allow for immigration stamps. If you or any member of your party is not a British citizen or holds a non-British passport, you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel. If you are planning to combine some business with your holiday or if you are planning a visit for more than 30 days, different/additional visa requirements to those referred to above may apply to you. If these circumstances apply to you please contact the Embassy or Consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel, for further advice. Please note that visas can take several weeks to obtain, however, specialist visa companies, such as CIBT: Global Visa and Passport Professionals (08708 900185 or http://www.ukcibt.com can process visas and passport renewals within a few days. Typically these companies charge approximately £25 service charge plus the cost of the visa plus postage. If you are going on your honeymoon, we suggest you carry your Marriage Certificate.

Please note however that airlines now require the name on your passport to match your flight tickets even if you are newlywed, so if you are planning on travelling in your married name make sure you have changed the name in your passport before your holiday. Many countries require certificates for mandatory vaccinations depending upon recent travel and current policy. It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure.

Information on health while travelling is contained in the Department of Health leaflet T7 (Health Advice for Travellers) available from the Department of Health by telephone on 0870 1555455 or via its website www.dh.gov.uk and from most Post Offices. For holidays in the EU / EEA you should obtain an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) prior to departure from the Department of Health (see leaflet T7 and the website www.dh.gov.uk).
Please note that some vaccinations and prophylaxis courses must be started up to 6 weeks before travel. Health requirements and recommendations may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.

See our Booking Conditions for further information regarding passports, visas and health requirements.
Problems and emergencies If any problems occur whilst on your holiday, please contact the manager of the hotel or our representative in the region. If this does not resolve the problem please call us in the UK. We would much prefer to resolve any problem at source and at the time of occurrence (if possible). Please see our booking conditions for further information. If you fail to follow the simple complaints procedure set out here and in our booking conditions, your right to claim any compensation you may otherwise have been entitled to may be affected or even lost as a result.

Contact numbers at

Latin DMC Ltd are
Telephone:  +44 (0) 203 287 7587
Fax:  +44 (0) 203 514 1641

The telephone numbers for your particular hotel/s and that of our local representative in your holiday destination can be found on the contact sheet included in the email with final itinerary prior to leaving.

November 2010