Frequently Asked Questions

Passports, Visa’s, and Vaccinations 

Passports 

You need a passport to travel and will be prevented from boarding your flight if you do not have one. Some countries will require you to have a valid passport for 6 months after your return date. Please also note that some countries require 2-3 blank pages at the end of your passport. 
This does vary from country to country, and we recommend that you check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website www.gov.uk/fco. for advice for the specific country, you are travelling to. If you need to organise a new passport, please allow plenty of processing time before your departure. Non-British citizen passport holders, British citizens holding a UK Passport issued abroad or holders of British Subject Passports should contact the appropriate consulate or embassy for advice. More information can be obtained via the following website https://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports. To contact the Passport Office: General passport enquiries should be directed to the Passport Office. Visit: www.direct.gov.uk/passports or telephone: 0300 222 0000. 

What name should I book under for a honeymoon if I plan to change to a married name? 

You will need to travel in the name that will be on your passport when you go on holiday. This will usually be your maiden name. 

I am a British citizen; how do I check if I need a Visa to travel?  

Visa requirements vary from country to country. For information on passport/visa requirements and other general travel requirements, please visit: www.gov.uk/fco  Alternatively, e-mail traveladvicepublicenquiries@fco.gov.uk, or ask your Travel Consultant. Please note, it is your responsibility to make sure you have the correct documentation to allow entry, and travel to and from, the country you are visiting. 

Failure to have the correct documentation or submitting incorrect details on Advance Passenger Information form or visa applications may result in refusal of carriage or entry to a country. We, nor the airline will accept liability if this transpires. 
In the case of the above, you may be liable to pay fines, surcharges, any other financial penalties, costs (including the cost of an immediate return flight) and any other sums of any description, which will be incurred or imposed by either the airline or by us. 

Up to what age are my children classed at the ‘child’ rate? 

Young passengers are generally classed as follows, but may vary according to airline and hotel policy: 
(*) Infants: Under 2 years old on the return date of travel. If your child celebrates his or her 2nd birthday while on holiday, you must book and pay the appropriate child fare. 

(*) Children: 2 - 16 years old on return date of travel. 

When booking a flight-only, young passengers are classed as follows: 

(*) An infant must be aged less than 2 years on the day of travel and must be older than 14 days for health and safety reasons. Charges for infants vary depending on the route and length of flight and will be detailed in the booking process. 

(*) Children aged 2 years and older pay the full fare and have their own seat and have a full baggage allowance, (some airlines offer modest child reduction on airfares) 

Each infant must be accompanied by at least one adult. Please note there is a restriction on how many infants can travel on each flight. Infants are not entitled to their own seat or to a personal baggage allowance. 

Will I need vaccinations, how do I know?  

Clients travelling outside the UK may need to be vaccinated against some of the serious diseases found in other parts of the world. Some countries require you to have an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) before you enter. For additional information on this, please refer to the following website: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations.aspx 

Can I take my medication abroad with me?  

If you are prescribed medication for a health condition, which you need to carry with you, you should speak with your GP or Practice Nurse about travelling before your holiday, they will be able tell you if you need to make any special arrangements. Medication should always be carried in a correctly labelled container, as issued by your pharmacist. It is recommended where possible to carry your medication in your hand luggage (airline regulations permitting), accompanied by a copy of your prescription. It is also recommended to pack a spare supply of medication in your suitcase or hold luggage where possible, in the unlikely event you lose your hand luggage. Some airlines require a letter from your GP giving details of your medication, as well as the name of the health condition that you require the medication for. 

Protection 

Should I take out Travel Insurance for my holiday 

Adequate travel insurance is a condition of your contract with either The New Travel Group or the supplier in question, as applicable. You must take out a policy of insurance to cover you and your fellow travellers against the cost of cancellation by you; the cost of assistance (including repatriation) in the event of accident or illness; loss of baggage and money; and other expenses. The cost of travel insurance is based on the type of cover requested, the age of the insured, the destination of travel, length of stay and any pre-existing medical conditions. 

We recommend checking the latest guidance before you take out a policy, as information can change quickly. Government enforced bans are different from FCDO travel advice. Some insurers are offering Covid-19 cover, so please ensure you research the best cover for you and your travelling party.  

How can I find out if it is safe to travel to a particular country?  

The FCO (Foreign & Commonwealth Office) is the British government department that issues advice as to whether a country is considered unsafe to travel to. UK Airlines and Tour Operators will generally follow advice given by the FCO regarding travelling to and from a country. We will endeavour to alert you to anything that is reported. The FCO website www.fco.gov.uk also has information on a variety of subjects that are useful to anyone looking to travel abroad. 

We encourage you to be travel aware and visit the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s Travel Aware site for foreign travel advice before you book, where you can sign up to email alerts and follow the FCDO on social media for updates. 

Where can I find the latest Covid-19 (Coronavirus) travel advice? 

Travel Advice is changing all the time, to make sure you have the latest and most up to date information go to: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice 

Booking 

Is my holiday protected?

When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us you will receive an ATOL certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. 
We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable 

Payments  

How much is the deposit?  

A deposit of 20% of the total value of the holiday will be taken at the booking stage plus any advance payments that need to be made to airlines, hotels, etc. The balance of payment for your holiday is due a minimum of 12 weeks prior to your departure date from the UK. If your booking is made less than 12 weeks prior to arrival, we will require full payment at the time of booking. On occasion, a deposit or earlier payment may be required for certain accommodation or services and we will advise this on confirmation. 

What payment methods do you accept? 

All payments must be made in pounds sterling and all cheques must be drawn on a UK bank. Credit card and Bank transfers are accepted and do not incur any fees from us. 

Do you charge for credit card payments? 

No, we do not charge for credit card payments. 

What if I want to amend my holiday? 

If, after our confirmation invoice has been forwarded to you, you wish to change your holiday in any way, we will do our best to meet your request, but it may not always be possible.  Any such request must be in writing from the person who made the booking. There are no administration charges, but sometimes suppliers’ charges may apply but any further costs we incur in making the changes, such as extending the number of days or upgrading the hotel(s) will be passed on in the re-costing process. Once airline seats have been paid for, often before your final balance has been paid to us, it may not be possible to change without cancelling the seat with full charges and re-booking a new one. 

Cancelling my booking 

If the holiday is cancelled by you, for any reason, the following charges will apply: 

Up to 70 days prior to departure: deposit 

70-55 days prior to departure: 10% of remaining holiday cost plus deposit 

56-42 days prior to departure: 30% of remaining holiday cost plus deposit 

41-32 days prior to departure: 50% of remaining holiday cost plus deposit 

31-0 days prior to departure: 100% of remaining holiday cost plus deposit 

In all the above cases, the deposit will always be retained by us. Also, any payments or deposits already made to airlines or hotels will also be charged / retained. 

There may be circumstances when these conditions do not apply (they could be stricter than the above or more flexible) and we will advise this on a case-by-case basis. 

Will there be any resort fees while on holidays? 

Some destinations around the world charge a small resort fee, we will advise at the time of booking what this is and if it should be paid locally 

Data protection 

Is it safe to book a holiday on your website?  

Travel Seen is concerned about internet security and takes care in ensuring all personal information is submitted securely. All our online credit card payment is processed using the latest e-commerce security.  

All information submitted on the Travel Seen website is transmitted using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption which automatically scrambles data before it is sent.  

Is my personal information protected? 

We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. When you make a booking with us, you agree to us using and disclosing that information to enable us to process your booking, which will include the information being passed on to our third-party suppliers (such as hoteliers and airlines), wherever they may be based, and may involve sending your information to countries that do not have an equal level of privacy legislation to that in the UK. Full details of our Data Protection Policy can be found in our Booking Conditions. 

Flights  

When will I receive my flight tickets? 

With the majority of airlines, you will be issued with a flight voucher, or e-ticket, within 48 to 72 hours of booking. These will be available for you to download at your leisure. Some airlines still issue traditional tickets which we generally receive between 7 and 21 nights prior to your departure, but this is extremely rare. 

Do I need to print my boarding cards? 

You will need to print each boarding pass clearly on an individual piece of A4 paper. The barcode on the pass will need to be scanned at the airport, so the page must not have any rips or tears. Your boarding pass is an official security document, so you will need to keep it safe until you reach your destination. You can also download the carriers APP and once you have checked in online, your boarding card will be saved via the APP and can be presented on your phone.

Will I have to submit Advanced Passenger Information when travelling in Europe? 

You need to provide Advance Passenger Information (API) before you go on holiday for many countries. This is also called APIS, Secure Flight or e-Borders. This is information from your passport that's required by the government of the country you're travelling to. 

Contact Travel Seen  

You can contact us by completing the Contact Us form and submitting it. You can email us on Contactus@travelseen.co.uk and you can call us on 0333 305 9912