Frequently
Asked Questions
- Q. What is the difference between a charter and scheduled flight?
- A.
Charter flights are organised by tour operators to supply cheap available transport to their holiday destinations. Charter flights tend to run for short seasons, summer months to the summer sun holiday destinations and winter months to Ski or winter sun destinations. They also tend to operate on a weekly rotation and are generally only sold as one or two week durations, however some operators will sell odd durations and one ways close to the departure date depending upon their availability. The seats we sell are the operators excess availability or spare seats. The rules for charter flights are very strict once booked they can\'t be changed amended or canceled without a charge or cancellation charge of up to 100 percent. Charter airlines are like bus companies who supply the equipment and staff to the tour operators who organise the route and also the selling of the seats on the aircraft. Small operators that can\'t afford to charter a whole plane will often group together with other small operators and share the chartering of an aircraft for their chosen route. Charter fares tend to vary depending on supply and demand, to keep the costs to a minimum tour operators will always try and fill their aircraft and will discount to the extent of selling below cost to fill their allocations. Prices can soar at certain times of the year when many people want or need to travel e.g.. school holidays, Bank holidays and Christmas are all popular times. Operators that have availability when most are full will increase their prices. Scheduled flights are organised by airlines who look after the whole process . Scheduled flights operate throughout the year and are given fixed or "scheduled" departure times. The cost of a scheduled ticket is calculated over the year and will take into consideration factors such as time of year and demand, because scheduled flights run all year the don\'t expect to fly full all year, this means that scheduled fares must be higher to pay for the empty seats. Scheduled airlines do not discount last minute like charter flights but will tend to offer restricted fares or advance purchase special offers. They also supply a proportion of their seats to "consolidators" who take on the administration from the airlines and impose heavy restrictions in exchange for fares below those the airlines publish. These fares are known as consolidated fares.
- Q. What is the standard luggage restriction for Charter flights?
- A.
Several airlines have recently altered luggage allowances. Most airlines now include 15 or 20kgs + 5kgs hand luggage allowance. However some airlines do not include any hold luggage in the quoted price. In this instance, it will be clearly displayed in the time of booking. Please check at time of booking. Infants in general are not entitled to a luggage allowance, Children and adults are given the same allowance.
- Q. What is the standard luggage restriction for Scheduled flights?
- A.
20 kgs or 44 pounds plus 5 kgs hand luggage is the average however the allowance can vary between 15 and 30 kgs plus 5 kgs hand luggage the only exception is that flights to and from the United States of America allow two pieces of luggage up to 30 kgs each. Please check at time of booking. Infants in general are not entitled to a luggage allowance, Children and adults are given the same allowance.
- Q. How long before my flight am I recommended to check in?
- A.
Flights under 4 hours You are recommended to check in at least TWO HOURS prior to departure except when travelling to or from Israel when the minimum is three hours.
Flights over 4 hours You are recommended to check in at least THREE HOURS prior to departure - Q. I need to cancel my flight, what is the procedure?
- A.
Please contact our reservations department to check the cancellation conditions of your chosen airline or operator. Once you have the cancellation fees confirmed your cancellation will then need to be sent in writing to Charter Flight Centre. On receipt of your letter we will effect the cancellation and send out a cancellation invoice.
- Q. When will I get my tickets?
- A.
Tickets are issued 14 days prior to departure and posted by first class mail. They should arrive between a week and ten days before you leave. Tickets booked within 14 days of departure are usually organised as T.O.D\'s (Ticket On Departure) Airlines and operators usually apply a charge for this service between £3.00 and £30 per ticket. If you have any ticketing queries then our administration department is open from Monday to Friday from until call or send an e-mail.
- Q. Do I need a visa?
- A.
It is your responsibility to check that you have the required documents for your destination. The best source of information is usually the country\'s foreign office.
- Q. When is my balance due?
- A.
Your Balance is due 10 weeks prior to departure unless the tickets you are buying are instant purchase fares in which case full payment is required at time of booking. Bookings made within 10 weeks of departure must be paid at time of booking.
- Q. I have lost my Tickets, what do I do?
- A.
Please wait until 7 days prior to your departure date and then contact our administartion department on between and Monday to Friday. Just quote your name and departure date and explain the problem, for most charter flights new tickets are easily reissued at the airport. Scheduled tickets have more complex rules and may require some form filling before they are reissued and in both instances may result in a charge.
- Q. If I book a flight online with you, what security do I get in event of fraud or bankruptcy etc.?
- A.
This is quite a broad question so I will break the answer to relate to each stage of the booking. All transactions on our website take place over a secure encrypted connection that is verified by Thwate www.thwate.com Although we require your credit card details to complete the booking we only store the last five numbers as a reference. There is no record of your complete card details that could be exploited. Once your booking has been made then an ATOL invoice will be sent out to you. There are two possibilities here; 1. Where we act as a retail agent the money you pay for flights will be covered by the tour operators ATOL 2. Where we are the principal the the money you pay for your flights will be covered by our ATOL 2740 More details on the Civil Aviation Authorities ATOL scheme can be found here. http://www.caa.co.uk One thing to note with the CAA is that if you pay for your flights using a Credit card then your credit card company will refund your money in the case bankruptcy of either our company or the tour operator. If you pay by cash or debit card you are still covered but the procedure tends to be far more drawn out. Again full details are on the ATOL website.
- Q. I have lost my Insurance certificate, what do I do?
- A.
Please e-mail our ticketing and administration department and request a duplicate to be sent, include your Name, Address, Departure date, policy number and invoice number if known.
- Q. I have lost my Invoice, what do I do?
- A.
Please call or e-mail our administration department and request a duplicate to be sent, include your Name, Address, Departure date and invoice number if known.
- Q. What should I do if I have a complaint
- A.
We hope that your holiday goes smoothly and to plan, however if there is a problem then please write in to our customer services department. Your letter will need to include a detailed description of your problem and also any supporting documentation such as receipts. A letter confirming your complaint will be sent to you by return outlining the procedure and time frame for dealing with your complaint.
- Q. I booked my insurance through you, where do I get a claim form?
- A.
Please call AH Risk Services on 0207 377 2700.
- Q. Can I buy a return ticket from you and only use the return part.
- A.
No, charter flights are subject to very strict rules and if the outbound flight is not used the return portion of the ticket is automatically cancelled. In some cases we may be able to supply an inbound only ticket to British passport holders who travelled out from the UK on a charter flight. However the rules are complex so it is best to phone us on for advice.
- Q. Can I but a flight that originates outside the UK to travel to the UK?
- A.
Yes, but only in very specific cases. The rules for charter flights are very strict. If you hold a British passport and wish to fly to the UK on one of our charters then you will need to call our reservation staff on
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