Thomson A-Z Guide - Information - Thomson Sensatori February 2012

A-Z Guide Return flight from the UK Air passenger duty at the standard economy rate - �12 per person for short haul, �60 for mid haul and �75 for long haul. Charges may change. Transfers between the airport and your accommodation. This is usually by coach. Where we provide a taxi, the price we quote is for each person and based on three adults sharing a return taxi transfer. Car hire on selected holidays - check when you book The accommodation and meals as advertised or confirmed on your invoice Luggage allowance as confirmed on your ticket Aviation insurance and security charge Estimated fuel costs A Holiday Advisor at the UK airport and in resort All obligatory hotel service charges and taxes VAT on all holidays to EC countries What's Not Included The basic cost doesn't include the following... Additional flight charges, such as taxes and regional supplements Additional air passenger duty - there's a difference between standard and premium cabin charges. A higher rate is charged by the government for passengers travelling in premium cabins. The additional charge is currently double the standard air passenger duty, but charges may change. In-flight meals: unless we say otherwise Seats together on the plane unless we say otherwise Fuel supplements where applicable Excursions Holiday insurance Additional charges for particular room types, meals or underoccupancy in apartments. For details, see the price panel for your accommodation or ask your Holiday Advisor. Excess luggage and the transport of any sporting equipment Deposits requested on arrival by some apartment or villa owners Any local taxes, levies or similar that local authorities abroad expect you to pay yourselves See Late Bookings for more details. Authority guidelines, so we have to comply with certain requirements before we can allocate seats near the exit. These are subject to availability on selected room types and board base. They're for one adult travelling with one or more children. Your first and second child pay the child price. Any others pay the full adult price. Only the first child counts towards the occupancy of the room. There will be supplements to pay if your room price is based on three adults sharing. This offer is not available in conjunction with group discounts. Single Rooms Single rooms and twin-bedded rooms for sole occupancy are available in most hotels, but demand always exceeds availability. Single rooms are generally smaller, may not have the best locations or the same amenities. If you're booking a double room just for yourself, you'll usually be asked to pay a supplement. This also applies to selfcatering accommodation, where, for example, three people choose a property for four. Our prices reflect the costs of the rooms contracted to us. Smoking All our flights are non-smoking. In our hotels, there are usually designated areas. Check the individual descriptions for details. Spa Spas in our hotels aren't included in the price of your holiday unless we say otherwise. Just so you know, in the Canary Islands, by law only over-16s can use the facilities. Special Assistance If you use a wheelchair or can't walk more than 500 metres without help, you'll need to book airport assistance with our Customer Welfare Team. You need to do this at least 14 days before you leave. You'll find their contact details at the end of this guide. If you don't book ahead, you're likely to face long delays at the airport as those who've booked will always take priority. If you've got any medical or dietary needs, the team will do their best to help. If you aren't mobile enough to use our coach transfers, we can arrange a taxi transfer if you tell us in advance but you'll need to pay for this. We can also tell you which properties have things like ramps and specially adapted rooms. See Wheelchairs for important details. Special Offers Our offers are only available on the holidays and dates we advertise and are subject to availability. Special Requests We'll always do our best to help however we can, but we can't guarantee we'll be able to meet your needs every time. These special requests aren't covered by Our Agreement With You so from a legal point of view, they're not part of your holiday contract. Supplements On Your Flight We base the price of your holiday on departures with no additional flight costs. We show these departures as �0 supplement in our flight tables. If you decide to fly from a different airport, on certain days or at certain times, you may have to pay the supplement shown. Some holidays are only available on flights with extra charges. This is either because the accommodation is only available on certain flight days or because onward travel arrangements are only available at certain times. There's a charge for under-twos to cover taxes and charges the airline has to pay. Just so you're aware, we can't predict the tax increase that other governments might impose. As these haven't been decided, we can't include them in your holiday price. If there are changes to travel taxes and costs, unfortunately you may need to pay extra. At Your Accommodation See Prices. Sustainability We're part of Sustainable Aviation, a UK initiative bringing together airlines, airport operators, aircraft and engine manufacturers and air traffic management providers, which seeks to minimise the impact of flying on the environment and society. Visit www.sustainableaviation.co.uk. Swimming Pools It's unlikely your pool will have a lifeguard. An adult must always accompany children in the pool. This includes children's pools and surrounding areas. Pools may be closed in early or late season, so April, early May and October, or in particularly bad weather. Also, pools won't be heated unless we say otherwise in the property description. If your pool has a waterslide, there may be height or age restrictions. Single Parent Offers See Late Bookings for more details on transfers. Twin Rooms Some twin rooms can take a 3rd or 4th bed but they're usually camp or folding beds. Rooms that take extra beds or a cot aren't necessarily bigger than standard rooms so space may be limited. V Vaccinations Speak to your doctor at least two months before you're due to go away. Some treatments, for malaria for example, should begin well before you go. If you're booking within three weeks of your departure, speak to your doctor before you book. There's more information available in the Department of Health's free leaflet - Health Advice for Travellers. Call 0800 555 777 for a copy. Visas The best place for up-to-date information on visa and travel advice is the Foreign Office. Visit www.fco.gov.uk/travel or call 0845 850 2829. There may be specific entry requirements for under-18s, depending on your destination. For example, if a young person is travelling without both parents, there may be extra costs and they may need extra legal documents such as an affidavit, from a notary public. Always check with the consulate or embassy of the country you're travelling to before you book. W Weather There are sometimes tropical storms and hurricanes in Mexico between June and November. It's impossible to predict their path or how long they will last more than three of four days in advance, and often it's much less. If there are hurricanes during your holiday we follow the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and work with the Federation of Tour Operators. Please also bear in mind that some hotel facilities - like outdoor bars and some sports - may not be available in adverse weather. Weddings And Renewals Of Vows Please contact us for more details - the number you need is in the Getting In Touch section at the end of this guide. Also, see the Thomson Weddings & Renewal of Vows brochure. Wheelchairs On Your Flight When you fly with us, we'll take your wheelchair. This is on top of your normal allowance. You can also use your batterypowered wheelchair but visit www.caa.co.uk and search for `Luggage' for more information. Wheelchairs need to be stored in an upright position when collapsed. Battery terminals need to be protected against short circuit and you should bring the operating instructions with you. You'll need to explain how to disconnect the batteries if the power can't be switched off. We also recommend you're fully insured for your wheelchair. If you need to take any other mobility items with you, make sure you call our Customer Welfare team before you travel so we can make arrangements where necessary. See Special Assistance for more details. R Rollaway Beds These are only suitable for 16s and under. If your room has a rollaway bed set up, the floor space may be limited. Room Upgrades If you arrange a different room type with the hotel when you arrive, this won't be included in your contract with us. S Safety Overseas' safety standards are generally lower than ours in the UK. We take reasonable care to make sure only reputable businesses provide the services that make up our holidays, and we expect them to provide those services in line with local standards. Children's Safety For our own Kids' Clubs, we take advice from leading UK child safety organisations and accident prevention agencies. You should always check you're happy with hotel clubs and children's facilities. Health And Hygiene Hygiene standards are generally lower than in the UK - particularly in developing countries. Having said that, you can help to improve hygiene levels by taking a few basic steps... Wash your hands after going to the toilet Shower before you get into the pool Encourage children to go to the toilet before getting into the pool Make sure babies and infants wear swim nappies in the pool Scuba Diving We recommend you check with your doctor before you go, and have a full medical examination in resort if you're planning scuba training. You may need to pay extra for this. It's also dangerous to fly within 24 hours of scuba diving. This is because pressure changes might cause `the bends' or even in severe cases, paralysis. Of course, you also need to make sure you have adequate insurance cover. Sea Views If you book a room with a sea view, it may be partly blocked by trees or smaller buildings, or across a road, but you'll still be able to see the sea. If we describe a room as a Limited Sea View, this will generally mean that your view of the sea will be to the side rather than directly in front of you. There may also be more obstructions like trees between your room and the sea than with a Sea-view room. Seats With Extra Space These are either close to emergency exit doors or behind a dividing wall. Emergency exit seats are only available to passengers who are able-bodied and a suitable size. Our cabin crew or check-in staff must believe you have the strength and mobility to open this exit door in the case of emergency. Also, it's a Civil Aviation Authority rule that only those aged 14 and over can use these seats. Select Your Seat If you pay extra to reserve seats together, you'll get to choose your seat numbers for free on most Thomson Airways flights up to three days before your flight. Once you've chosen your seat, you won't be able to change it. That said, in some circumstances, we may have to change your seat. This would only be for operational, safety or security reasons. If we do have to change your seat, we'll try to keep it as close to what you booked as possible. Seats together may be across an aisle or behind each other. A similar position means the same type of seat - window, aisle etc - as your original selected seats. A refund will only be offered if we can't seat your group together and in a similar position to your original request. In such cases, we ask that you keep a copy of your confirmation documents and boarding cards. If you choose the Select Your Seat option but then don't go on to select your seat numbers, we'll still try and seat your group together. If you're not flying with Thomson Airways, we'll do our best to keep your party together but we can't guarantee it. Our Select Your Seat Service is provided using the Civil Aviation Y Your Opinion We ask every customer travelling with us to fill in a Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire - CSQ - on their flight home, and to rate various aspects of their holiday experience as Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor. All the questionnaires are analysed by an independent market research company. Then, we publish the results, where they are available. The scores you see are results for the last season and are shown as the percentage of guests who rated their holiday overall so accommodation, location and meals - as good or excellent. Getting In Touch Before You Go If you're yet to travel with us, here are some numbers you may need... Bookings, Amendments or General Enquiries 0844 871 0872 Customer Welfare 0844 871 1600 Groups 0871 971 0560 Weddings and Renewal of Vows 0871 664 0131 Honeymoons 0871 231 4880 Thomson Airways - new bookings 0871 231 4787 Thomson Airways 0844 871 1603 - amendments, in-flight extras and general enquiries You can also email PreTravelServices@thomson.co.uk or write to us at the address below. If you've already booked, please include your reference number in your letter or email. If you're getting in touch about a wedding or renewal of vows please address your letter to `Weddings or Renewal of Vows' instead of Pre-Travel Customer Services - at the same address. Pre-Travel Services, TUI UK, Columbus House, Westwood Business Park, Westwood Way, Coventry, CV4 8TT While You're Away For help while you're away, please call our Holidayline Team on +442476 28 22 28, text 82345 or email 24-7@thomson.co.uk. They'll be there for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Calls from abroad will be charged at international rates. Texts to 82345 cost 50p plus your network rate. When You Get Home If you need help once you're back in the UK, you can contact AfterTravel Customer Support by calling 0844 871 0882 or 0844 871 1611. You can also email aftertravel@thomson.co.uk, or write to us at the address below. Remember to give us your booking reference details. After Travel Customer Support, Thomson, Wigmore House, Wigmore Lane, Luton, LU2 9TN Travel Agent Support If you're a travel agent and need our help... Agent Reservations & Administration 0844 871 0877 Group Bookings 0871 971 0576 Weddings 0871 664 0131 Calls to 0871 numbers cost 10p per minute plus network extras T Taxes You may need to pay a tourist tax either at the airport or at your hotel. Taxes change regularly so check before you go. See Prices for more details. Tour Operator Ratings We rate our holidays on our annual reviews and also the feedback we get from our end-of-holiday Customer Satisfaction Questionnaires. We rate hotels and apartments from `2' for no-frills, good value accommodation, to `5' for more comfort and a wider range of facilities. There may be some differences between accommodation that shares the same rating. That's where our `plus' rating comes in. Towels What we're talking about here is pool towels. You'll see from the individual property descriptions whether or not there's a pool towel service. You may find you'll need to pay a small charge. Transfers The transfer times we give you are a rough guide. They don't allow for delays to incoming flights or local traffic conditions. In terms of the type of transfer you'll get, it depends on the holiday you've booked. Just so you know, if your holiday includes a coach transfer, we may occasionally need to change this to a minibus or taxi. If you're on a Premium Collection holiday, the coach will drop you off first or second wherever possible. You've got the option of booking a private transfer, which will either be by minibus or taxi. Taxis take a maximum of three adults or two adults and two children. Prices shown are per person, per return trip, based on three adults sharing. Luggage space may be limited and baby seats aren't provided. 35

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