AYELET TOURS TERMS & CONDITIONS
RESERVATION PROCESS Download the registration form from our website or register on-line through our secure booking system. While we do not take reservations over the phone, you can contact us if you need assistance with registration: Toll Free: 1-800-237-1517 (or from abroad: +1-518-783-6001) Fax: 518-783-6003
TOUR PAYMENT You will receive an invoice for the balance of your tour cost approximately 100 days before departure. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. Tour costs as listed are discounted for payment by check/cash when such discounts are applicable. For credit card payments, no discount will apply. Check with our offices for full tour costs.
TIPPING POLICY Tips are pre-collected in advance of travel at $25/person/day for groups. This covers hotel porters, airport assistance personnel, guide, driver and more. In Israel, guides receive a minimum of $10 per person per day, drivers receive a minimum of $8 per person per day. Distribution varies in locations where a Tour Director is utilized in addition to local city guides. For private tours where guide is also the driver a minimum of: 1-3 Pax: $120 per guide per day, 4-9 Pax: $150 per guide per day pre collected. Additional tips are at your personal discretion.
TOUR DOCUMENTS About 2 months prior to departure, you will receive your documents, including packing information, travel tips, luggage tags, and more.
INSURANCE Ayelet Tours recommends AIG/Travel Guard or Travelex insurance coverage. Please follow the web link on our home page for more details.
NOT INCLUDED Each individual tour will list what is and is not included. In general, the tour does not include: Departure Taxes, any Border Taxes or Visas, Insurance, Tips (pre-collected) or items of a personal nature.
SECURITY Your safety is always a top priority for us, and we have stringent safety precautions. If we feel that any site or itinerary puts a group in danger, we will take steps to alter the itinerary to protect the group.
HOTELS We feature hotels specifically selected for our tours, based on location as well as amenities. Occasionally we are obliged to make substitutions. All hotels offer us standard grade (run-of-house) rooms. If you are arriving at a hotel before mid-day, your room may not be ready on arrival.
TRAVELING ALONE Single rooms are often limited, so please reserve early. We can also try to match you with a roommate when and if possible. We can only assign a roommate if another person on the tour wishes to share. If we cannot assign a roommate, the single supplement will be invoiced.
SPECIAL REQUESTS All requests are noted but cannot be guaranteed.
MEALS Breakfasts are included daily with your hotel stays. They are normally buffet style meals. Beverages are not included with meals, except where indicated. Arranged lunches and dinners are noted on the itinerary.
KASHRUT Hotels and most restaurants used in Israel are generally kosher, unless otherwise requested. Hotels and most restaurants in other international destinations are not generally kosher. Whenever we order an included pre-set meal, we insure that a fish, dairy or vegetarian meal be available for those who prefer it. Shellfish and pork never appear on a pre-set menu.
SPECIAL MEALS Ayelet Tours makes a reasonable effort to accommodate all special meal requests submitted in writing on our required passenger agreement form. Ayelet will forward your request regarding the traveler’s dietary needs to all hotels and restaurants providing food during the tour. In addition, your tour guide/tour escort will be available to interface with these food vendors during the tour to request that meals are provided meeting your needs. Ayelet Tours cannot take responsibility for complete compliance with the traveler’s request regarding dietary issues and dietary sensitivities, such as any cross-contamination or other exposure during the tour. Those with dietary sensitivities must take final responsibility for their own well-being, and should advocate on their own behalf, particularly in the case of a severe allergy or condition. Those with life-threatening food allergies should take this into consideration before deciding to join a tour.
BAGGAGE Travelers are limited to one large suitcase per person on all of our tours, plus a carry-on. Airlines are constantly updating their luggage requirements and policies, and we strongly advise that you check with your airline(s) before packing for your tour in order to avoid additional charges.
SATURDAYS AND JEWISH HOLIDAYS We schedule appropriate walking tours; otherwise Shabbat and Jewish holidays are generally days at leisure.
MOTORCOACHES We utilize luxury, air conditioned vehicles wherever possible. In many countries, motor coaches do not have toilet facilities, and the bus will make frequent stops. We do not permit smoking on any of our buses. For smaller groups, we utilize smaller, air conditioned, well-maintained vehicles.
PASSPORTS Please check your passport expiration date and please be sure that your passport contains at least one blank page for VISA stamps. Regulations state that you may not be permitted to depart the U.S. if your passport does not have space for the new VISA stamps, or if your passport expires within 6 months of your travel dates.
Notice for Israeli Passport Holders: Please note that VAT will be charged to any traveler holding an Israeli passport. VAT is charged to anyone holding or who has held Israeli citizenship or was ever a resident for more than 90 days according to the B2 visa provided at passport control upon entering Israel. VAT will be charged to your credit card upon request by suppliers. Non-Israeli citizens should retain the B2 visa to present, as needed.
VISAS American citizens don’t need visas for most countries. For tours to countries for which Americans require a visa, we’ll include instructions and application forms will be included with your confirmation information. When entering Israel, you will receive a small blue slip called the B2 Entry Visa. This MUST be retained, as hotels may charge you VAT tax unless you present this slip when requested. It may also be requested at the time you exit the country.
ABOUT YOUR HEALTH Passengers should be in stable health and confident of their ability to undertake the tour chosen. Each tour includes substantial amounts of walking. Those who require assistance must be accompanied by a companion capable of, and totally responsible for, providing such assistance. Please consult our Reservations Staff, as well as your physician.
Here are some tips for staying healthy while you travel.
COVID-19 Risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are or have been present. COVID-19 is a contagious virus which can lead to severe illness or even death. Senior citizens and guests with underlying medical conditions are particularly at risk according to the CDC.
By participating, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19. Ayelet Tours expects all participants to comply with any Covid related travel requirements, set forth by the either US or destination governments, or any tour service providers. Any separate cost for doing so is not included.
Vaccination requirements vary by destination and tour type. Contact our office for details.
IMPORTANT CONDITIONS
TRANSFERRING TOURS For the most part, you can transfer your reservation from one tour or date to another, without penalty up to 60 days prior to departure. Thereafter regular cancellation fees may apply.
FULL PAYMENT/CANCELLATION FEES/REFUNDS Full Payment is due 90 days before departure.
CANCELLATION POLICY If special cancellation penalties have been arranged for your tour and your tour registration form and confirmation letter list different terms, those terms supersede the general terms listed here.
Individual Cancellation:91 or more days before departure: Refundable minus $250/person or 3% of total charged, whichever is higher, plus applicable airline penalties. Non-refundable portion can be applied to a future group tour booking within two years of original travel date (non-transferrable).90 to 46 days prior to departure: Refundable minus $750/person plus applicable airline penalties. No future credit.45 days or less before departure: 100% non-refundable. No future credit.In case of Group cancellation by Ayelet Tours in consultation with group leader, or cancellation by individual participant due to political instability, pandemic, acts of terrorism, government intervention, security concerns or US State Department warning, participants remain subject to the above cancellation penalties and terms. Should Ayelet Tours make the decision to cancel a departure for any of these reasons or other situations outside our control, we will make our best effort to obtain refunds from suppliers, however credit card fees are always non-refundable and any supplier penalties will be passed along to participants.
Group insurance is offered and recommended. If purchased, group travel insurance policy becomes non-refundable 90 days before departure.When offered, space on group air allotments can be reserved by checking the box that indicates “Land & Air” on your paper registration form, selecting Land & Air when making an online booking, or by emailing a request to our office to hold group air space for you. If you confirm a seat on our group air allotment, and then cancel that space within 90 days of departure (even if still traveling on the land portion of the tour), airline penalties will apply.
REFUND POLICY Refunds for cancellations received more than 3 months prior to group departure will take a minimum of four weeks to be processed. Refunds for cancellations received less than 3 months prior to group departure will not be processed until after the group returns.
ABOUT GROUP FLIGHT OPTIONS:
Ayelet Tours is a full-service IATAN certified travel agency that assists with booking flights for individuals and groups. While individual seats may have lower rates online, the rates are subject to frequent changes. Group airfare may not always be the least expensive option, but it offers several advantages. With group air, you can secure a rate for a block of seats without immediate full payment or assigning names until closer to departure. You can cancel seats with only a nominal penalty until about 90 days prior to departure (depending on airline). Group seats are typically scattered throughout economy class and cannot be upgraded. A minimum of 10 people must travel together on the exact same flights in economy, paying for the tickets (to Ayelet Tours) without using points, vouchers, or miles. For groups that choose not to offer group flights, we recommend suggesting a specific flight on the tour website and clarifying that arrival and departure transfers are included if taking those suggested flights. Alternatively, private transfers can be arranged and paid for separately.
INDIVIDUAL AIR:
Individual airfare requires full payment at the time of purchase.
These tickets are often non-refundable 24 hours after purchase.
Low rates for individual tickets are sometimes available, especially when booked well in advance.
Until tickets are actually purchased and the price locked in, rates can change frequently. As more seats are purchased on a given flight, prices tend to increase.
Ayelet Tours charges a service fee for assistance with ticketing individual flights, which is non-refundable once ticket is issued.
GROUP AIR:
Group air may be booked up to 11 months in advance of departure.
Group airfare allows you to reserve a block of 10 or more seats with minimal financial risk (usually $500 or less lost if block is dropped before the deadline).
The rate is locked in for the entire block, eliminating price fluctuations.
The deadline to reduce group space with minimal penalty is usually 90 days before departure. After that, a penalty per seat will apply, varying by airline.
After this deadline, seats can still be canceled with a per seat penalty. Tickets become non-refundable usually 30 – 60 days before departure, depending on airline.
The ticket generally does not need to be paid for until 90 days prior to departure.
If fewer than 10 people choose the group flights, the rate becomes invalid, and individuals would need to purchase instant purchase flights at the prevailing rate. In this case, the client is liable for any group booking cancelation fee as noted above.
Therefore, group air makes sense only if the group is confident that more than 10 people will opt for the group flight option.
NOTICE REGARDING AIRLINE TAX AND FUEL SURCHARGE Ayelet Tours has NO CONTROL over the airline tax and fuel surcharge. They are set directly by the airlines and government regulations. These costs are subject to change with no notice, and are finalized only at time of ticketing, not at time of booking. For groups, ticketing is done only after all travelers in a group have paid in full. In recent months, the airlines have been raising the tax and fuel surcharges regularly as fuel pricing has continued to fluctuate. While we try our best to estimate the tax and fuel surcharge as closely as possible, we have no control over this final amount. Ayelet Tours will send an updated invoice shortly before final payment is due with the correct fuel surcharge and tax amount. IT WILL IN MANY CASES INCREASE FROM YOUR INITIAL INVOICE. We thank you for your understanding of what has become a challenging part of group tour coordination.
RESPONSIBILITY/DISCLAIMER Ayelet Tours, Ltd. acts only as an agent for the tour members in making arrangements for hotels, transportation, touring, restaurants or any other services in connection with the itinerary. We will exercise reasonable care in making such arrangements. However, we do not assume any liability whatsoever for any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity to person and property because of an act of default of any hotel, airline carrier, restaurant, company, or person rendering any of the services included in the tour. The right is reserved to cancel or change itineraries, speakers or scholars or operations staff or to substitute comparable service without notice. The right is reserved to decline to accept or retain any tour passengers should such person’s health or general deportment impede the operation of the tour to the detriment of the other tour passengers.
EXCHANGE RATE When quoted, prices are based on exchange rate stability.