If you are booking a Square Deal holiday with Inghams we would ask you to read this information sheet very carefully before you depart. If you have any queries please contact your travel agent or our Administration Department on 020 8780 4455, or 020 8780 8800 if you have booked a Chalet or Chalethotel Square Deal.
What is a Square Deal?
"Square Deal" is the name we give to our late availability holidays. They are usually only bookable within a few weeks of departure and are usually only available for travel on charter flights or charter rail services. In return for flexibility with your plans you will usually benefit from a reduced price holiday although no specific price savings are guaranteed. It is important however, to note that, although you will be travelling on an Inghams holiday, certain conditions and exclusions apply to Square Deal holidays as detailed in this leaflet. Any reference to a chalet should be taken as referring to a chalet or a chalethotel.
What can I choose?
You choose the date you wish to travel, the airport of departure and your holiday duration. On some offers your resort will be allocated by Inghams. On others you can choose your resort or an area within a country (for example, the Trois Vallees) where you will be accommodated. Your actual hotel, apartment or chalet/chalethotel will however, always be allocated by Inghams on arrival at your destination airport.
Will a Square Deal be suitable for me?
Square Deals are only suitable for those skiers who can book late and are flexible enough to allow us to choose their accommodation - and sometimes their resort. If it is essential that you are in a particular resort - to link up with friends who have booked with another operator perhaps - or that your accommodation must have certain facilities (eg. en suite facilities, skiing from the doorstep or a swimming pool) you should book a holiday from our brochure to a named resort and accommodation and not leave it to chance.
Will I stay in accommodation featured in the brochure?
Usually, but not always. We do from time to time use accommodation that is not shown in our brochure. Please remember that, even if you are allocated accommodation from our brochure, certain special offers such as free welcome drinks, free health centre facilities shown in the Inghams brochure hotel description, may not be offered to Square Deal clients. A central location cannot be guaranteed.
What about special requests?
In view of the late nature of these holidays and because it is not known where you will be staying at the time you book, we regret that we are unable to accept any special requests on Square Deals. We do not recommend Square Deals for clients with disabilities or those with special dietary requirements (other than vegetarian meals) as we cannot guarantee that the property offered will be suitable.
Please let us know at the time of booking if you require vegetarian meals. Please note if you book close to the departure date it may not be possible for special diet in flight meals to be provided.
Children & Infants
Children and infants are accepted on all hotel and apartment based offers. However, with the best will in the world, we do not recommend that you take very young children on these offers as no guarantees can be given that suitable facilities (cots etc) can be provided. Please note that access to the kitchen areas for children’s meal preparation is not allowed in our chalets/clubhotels. There is an administration charge of £32 (£85 on holidays to Canada) for infants under 2 years of age on the date of return. No aircraft or transfer coach seat is provided and any charges for cots or food consumed are payable locally in resort.
What type of accommodation could it be?
Self-catering. The accommodation will be a unit to match your party size and may be a studio and not necessarily an apartment with separate sleeping areas. Prices for self-catering holidays are based on 5 sharing and there will be an under-occupancy supplement for 2, 3 or 4 persons sharing. This supplement applies for example, even if you are a party of 2 and are subsequently allocated a studio sleeping only 2 people. A security deposit per unit is usually required at the start of your holiday which is returned when you leave less any deductions for breakages, damage or cleaning required. We recommend this deposit is paid by credit card rather than cash. In some properties there may sometimes be a small charge for linen and towel hire. In France, a small resort tax of approximately €1 per person per day is payable locally.
Half Board Hotel. We guarantee that your accommodation will have a minimum 2 star rating unless a higher rating is advertised under the terms of the offer. Dinner may also be served away from your accommodation in a nearby restaurant or hotel.
Bed & Breakfast. Where accommodation is offered in a bed & breakfast establishment, facilities are likely to be more limited than those offered in an hotel.
Room Only. This arrangement usually applies if you are travelling to Canada. No meals are included. Prices are usually based on 4 sharing a room with two beds with an under-occupancy supplement for 2 or 3 sharing. This supplement applies even if you are a party of 2 and are subsequently allocated a room sleeping only 2 people. Rooms in Canada usually have two queen (large double) beds and therefore may not be suitable for two couples or same sex groups. We recommend that in such cases, that you book two rooms and pay the under-occupancy supplement. Rollaway beds cannot usually be provided by hotels in Canada.
Chalet/Clubhotel. These are properties operated by Inghams and staffed by our own personnel. When a chalet Square Deal is booked, accommodation will be in either a Chalethotel or a chalet. In both of these the atmosphere is more informal than in an hotel.
Your chalet/chalethotel will have a minimum Grade 2 or 3 rating depending on the resort although it is sometimes possible to upgrade to a higher rated chalet on payment of a supplement. Meals include breakfast, afternoon tea (7 days) and dinner (6 nights per week) with free house wine until coffee is served.
Clients who have paid a single or sole occupancy supplement may sometimes be allocated a room with bunk beds. For details of our chalet gradings see page 311 of our paper brochure or go to our ski home page on our website at www.inghams.co.uk and click on “Chalets”. Please note that the chalet/chalethotel grading system is completely different from hotel star ratings and is therefore not comparable.
When will I be told where I am staying?
Before proceeding to the coach park on arrival at your destination airport/station you should report to an Inghams representative who will advise your resort and accommodation. Before you travel no travel agent or member of Inghams staff has any authority to make any promises or suggestions as to where you may be staying. It follows that we are unable to advise you of a telephone number to leave relatives in the U.K. or Ireland before you travel.
Are transfers included?
Yes. Unlike many operators, transfers to and from your resort are included in Inghams Square Deal prices. However, on some offers (particularly in France and Austria), the transfer will be to a central point and it may be necessary for you to take a local taxi (at your expense) to your allocated accommodation.
What does the Square Deal price include?
• Flights (or rail travel if applicable), to and from the U.K.
or Ireland.
• Return transfers to your allocated resort - sometimes to a central point (see above).
• Baggage allowance as shown on your tickets.
• Accommodation & meals as specified on your confirmation/ invoice.
• Services of Inghams representative(s).
What is not included?
Holiday Insurance. This must be arranged before you travel. If you decide not to take the Inghams policy, it is vital that your own policy offers at least the same level of cover. Many policies (including annual policies with ski extensions) do not offer the same benefits particularly in the event of delays or piste closure.
Ski carriage. A charge of £15 per pair of skis is made for the carriage of your own skis. (This facility must be pre-booked as otherwise acceptance of your skis at the airport cannot be guaranteed. Purchasing ski carriage at the airport from our representative costs £20. If you have not already pre-booked ski carriage please telephone our Administration Department on 020 8780 4455 (hotel & apartment guests) or 020 8780 8800 (chalet/clubhotel guests) quoting your booking reference number. (This does not apply for those travelling from Ireland as carriage of skis is included in your baggage allowance. We cannot however, guarantee that your equipment will be carried by the airline.)
Ski packs & Lift Passes. On some offers where your resort is named, we are able to offer pre-booking of ski equipment, tuition and lift passes. On other offers we cannot offer this service as, at the time of booking, we do not know to which accommodation your reservation will be allocated. However, our resort representatives will be pleased to make arrangements on your behalf and will usually accept payment by debit/credit card.
Airport Car Parking & Airport Hotels
For the best prices for car parking and hotels at all major U.K. airports we recommend you contact Holiday Extras on 0871 3650 2641 or visit their website at www.holidayextras.co.uk/inghams
If you have any queries about Square Deals please e-mail us at lates@inghams.co.uk. |
