Terms & Conditions

Down Under Answers®, a Travel Answers Group Company, facilitates the purchase by customers (“Customers”) of travel related services, accommodations, transportation, entertainment, recreation and travel packages (collectively, “Travel Related Services”), which Travel Related Services are provided by third party providers (“Service Providers”) unrelated to and having no connection to Down Under Answers.

In utilizing the services of Down Under Answers to book, reserve and pay for Travel Related Services, you, the Customer, agree to be bound by these terms and conditions (“Terms & Conditions”) which describe the terms and conditions by which Down Under Answers will agree to provide its services to Customer.

 AGREEMENT

Acceptance: A deposit for a booking constitutes Customer’s acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.

Land Deposit: Effective April 1, 2022, bookings require a US$500 per person land deposit to hold reservations for land services. The Customer will be notified if a larger deposit is required should a Service Provider require additional deposits above the specified amount. Deposits are disbursed to suppliers upon receipt and cannot be recovered from Down Under Answers. Deposits are 100% non-refundable, no exceptions. Travel protection will cover deposits in most instances and Down Under Answers recommends Customers purchase travel protection to cover their deposit.

Customer will be notified if a larger deposit is required at time of quoting. In addition to the land services deposit, airline reservations (where requested) must be paid for in full and ticketed to confirm space and guarantee airfare rate. Airfare payment due dates and ticketing due dates are separate, and in addition to the initial deposit and final payment for land services.

Air Payment: In addition to the land services deposit, airline reservations (where requested) must be paid for in full and ticketed to confirm space and guarantee airfare rate. Airfare payment due dates and ticketing due dates are separate, and in addition to the initial deposit and final payment for land services. Airline regulations require the full name, date of birth and gender for all passengers as it appears on their passports. Customers must provide a copy of each passenger's passport photo page. A US$250 per ticket change fee, plus any applicable airline fees, will apply for incorrect information should the Customer fail to provide a copy of the passport photo page. Airfares are not guaranteed until full payment has been received and processed by Down Under Answers. Airfares have different terms and conditions, and you will be advised of these at time of booking.

Airline Seats: Seats will be assigned at airport check-in at no charge. Check in for international flights starts about 3 hours prior to departure, for domestic flights about 2 hours prior to departure. Most airlines charge an additional fee for seat requests ranging from $10 & up per flight. Down Under Answers can help with pre-assigned chargeable seats or Customers may book direct via Airline’s website once tickets are issued.

Changes: Once a deposit has been received, a US$50 per booking change fee will apply. Other fees are at the discretion of the hotels, tour operators, rental car agencies and other Service Providers.

Payment: Before final payment, you will receive a final invoice that has been updated to reflect any currency fluctuations. Prices are not guaranteed until full payment has been made.  In some cases, prices may be adjusted as described elsewhere in these Terms and Conditions.

Final Payment: Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure unless early booking discounts or advance purchase rules apply.

Cancellations: Cancellation penalties may vary depending on the products booked. Cancellation fees are as follows:

•              Prior to final payment: loss of deposit.

•              After final payment: 100% of total booking cost.

Final payments are disbursed to Service Providers upon receipt and cannot be recovered from Down Under Answers. Final payment is non-refundable under any circumstance and travel protection is recommended to cover cancellation covering unforeseen circumstances.  Hotels and services arranged by Down Under Answers may have their own cancellation fees.  Such fees are in addition to any cancellation fees imposed by Down Under Answers and may not always be disclosed by the hotel or service provider until the time of cancellation. All cancellation fees are the sole responsibility of the Customer.

Air Cancellation/Change Penalties: Airline tickets are non-refundable once issued. Changes may be made depending on the fare purchased and fees will apply. Any fees will be advised when the changes are requested and can vary by Airline. It is the passenger's responsibility to provide Down Under Answers with the correct passport name for airline tickets. Some fares may permit changes upon payment of change fees, penalties, and possible additional fare collection. In addition to these fees, Down Under Answers reserves the right to assess a US$250 ticket re-issue for changes such as, but not limited to, name change, date or flight change and cancellation.

Cruise Cancellations:  Cancellation policies for cruises vary by cruise line and may be in addition to those charged by Down Under Answers.  You will be notified of the cancellation penalties at the time of booking.  Note that most cruises are non-refundable. 

Rail Cancellations: Once payment is received for full rail passes and tickets, if the price of the ticket increases, Down Under Answers will contract the Customer for approval to charge the new price and issue the tickets.  Rail pricing is subject to change until ticketed and all rail is non-refundable once the ticket is issued.

Hotels/Accommodations:  Hotel rates may not include local taxes in some cities and resorts and shall be paid locally by the Customer.  Down Under Answers does not guarantee specific bed types, air conditioning standards or availability, the absence of unexpected hotel repair or construction activity, or assignment of rooms which are the choice of the hotel management.

Mobility Requirements: Requests for special accommodations and services to meet specific physical requirements must be made at the time of booking specifying the limits of mobility and description of mobility assistance equipment.  Such accommodations are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed.

Car Rental:  Car rental rules apply, including the requirement that drivers are at least 25 years of age (which may vary from country to country), rates exclusive of tolls, gas, overtime, or VAT.

Travel Protection:

We recommend that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Unforeseen events such as flight delays, baggage loss or even a sudden sickness or injury could impact your travel plans. For your convenience, we offer a Travel Protection Plan provided by United States Fire Insurance Company and administered by Trip Mate, Inc; in UT and CA DBA Trip Mate Insurance. To review full plan details online, go to: https://www.tripmate.com/wpUF3530G.

There are certain restrictions, exclusions and limitations that apply to all insurance coverages. Plan benefits, limits and provisions may vary by state/jurisdiction and not all coverage is available in all states/jurisdictions. The cost charged is for the Travel Protection Plan, which includes insurance benefits underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, as well as non-insurance assistance services provided by Generali Global Assistance and FootprintID®.

If you purchased the Travelex travel protection plan prior to April 1, 2022, click here for your state specific policy.

Late Bookings: Any bookings made within 30 days of departure, regardless of value, will incur a $100 Late Booking Fee. This fee is to cover the cost of expediting the confirmation of your booking and processing final e-documents.

Documents: Provided booking is paid in full 60 days prior to departure, documents will be sent electronically and expected to arrive via email within 3 weeks of departure.  Customer is responsible to ensure that all arrangements are booked as requested and that the itinerary contains no errors.  Down Under Answers, its agents, and representatives act as agents only for the purchaser of the packages in making arrangements for transportation, hotels and other services based solely on the information provided by Down Under Answers provide by Customer to Down Under Answers.

Prices: Down Under Answers quotes prices in US currency based on the exchange rates for the respective foreign currency under, as of the date of the quote. Customer's exchange rate is only guaranteed when full payment is made, unless otherwise noted on Customer's itinerary. Any price that Down Under Answers quotes is subject to change without notice until full payment is made.

Children: Please note that some travel products do not allow children below a certain age. If Customer plans to travel with children, Customer must notify Down Under Answers when booking and provide a clear copy of the passport photo page for each traveling child so Down Under Answers can verify ages.

Passports/Visas: A passport valid for six months beyond the date of return travel is required for entry into South Pacific countries. Customers/Travelers should request information regarding any necessary visa requirements from the destination countries' consulates or their travel agents.  Down Under Answers is not responsible for lost or stolen documents, and reissuance of documents may be assessed at their full-face value with a possible of increase in cost.

Limitation of Liability: Down Under Answers shall not be liable for any claims, losses, damages, costs, expenses, delays, sickness, injury, or loss of enjoyment, of any nature or kind whatsoever, resulting from events beyond Down Under Answers' or a Service Provider's reasonable control. In no event will Down Under Answers' liability exceed the total amounts Customer paid Down Under Answers for Customer's travel. Down Under Answers assumes no responsibility for lost tickets, documents, passes, or coupons.  Further, Down Under Answers shall not be liable for any injury, loss, claim, damage or any special, punitive, indirect, consequential, incidental damages of any kind, whether based on contract, tort, strict liability or otherwise, which may arise as a result of the use of Down Under Answer Travel Related Services and those of its Service Providers.

 In the case of Force Majeure, an event beyond the control of the Customer and Service Provider, including:

a.             Act of God (including, but not limited to, fires, explosions, earthquakes, drought, tidal waves, and floods, riots, war, civil disturbance, strikes including strikes by Service Providers);

b.             Plague, epidemic, pandemic, outbreaks of infectious disease or any other public health crisis, including quarantine or other employee restrictions; or

c.              Government acts such as quarantine restrictions, travel bans, denial of entry, or personal history (e.g., court records or travel restrictions).

Acting with the laws governing the travel industry in the state of Washington, in the case of a Force Majeure, Down Under Answers shall not be liable for any claims nor be responsible for retrieving funds from the Service Provider on behalf of the Customer. Down Under Answers may, in its sole discretion, advocate on behalf of the Customer for the return of amounts paid and reserves the right to take any action that Down Under Answers deems appropriate under the circumstances.

In a Force Majeure event, if the Service Provider is prevented from carrying out its obligations, Down Under Answers will not be held accountable for retrieving funds and is entitled to keep no less than the deposit. In no circumstance will Down Under Answers’ liability exceed the total amounts the Customer paid.

Down Under Answers is deemed an independent contractor for all purposes under these Terms & Conditions. Down Under Answers acts solely for the facilitation and reservation of travel services and is not responsible for any fees held by the Supplier. If cancellation of travel falls within the non-refundable dates, Down Under Answers may not be held responsible to retrieve those funds.

Down Under Answers quotes in US currency. In the event of a refund due to a Force Majeure, the Customer will be responsible for any difference in rates due to currency fluctuations.

Down Under Answers is, and has always been, committed to providing the best and most transparent services to our agents and customers. Our perseverance and dedication to our clients and agents during this time of global pandemic reflects our commitment to be one of the strongest client advocates within the travel industry. All current and future relationships with Down Under Answers should be undertaken with the utmost confidence that we will continuously work on behalf of our agents and clients to provide the most fulfilling experiences within the industry.

Relationship of the Parties: Down Under Answers shall be deemed to be an independent contractor for all purposes under these Terms & Conditions. Down Under Answers is acting solely to facilitate the reservation and purchase of Travel Related Services and is not acting in any other capacity with either the Customers or the Service Providers, including, but not limited to, any partnership, joint venture, co-ownership, travel service provider or agency relationship of any kind with any Customer or Service Provider. Down Under Answers does not have any control over the quality, timing, safety, or legality of any Travel Related Service reserved or purchased by or for a Customer. Down Under Answers does not and cannot control whether a Service Provider represents its products accurately or fulfills any agreement or obligation with any Customer.

Disputes and Indemnity: As Down Under Answers is not involved in providing the Travel Related Services for the Customer, any and all disputes between a Customer and Service Provider are solely between that Customer and that Service Provider, and the Customer and Service Provider should handle all such disputes directly with that Customer or Service Provider. If the Service Provider or Customer contacts Down Under Answers relating to any dispute between the Customer or Service Provider, Down Under Answers may, in its sole discretion, facilitate dispute resolution and reserves the right to take any action that Down Under Answers deems appropriate under the circumstances. Customer agrees to release Down Under Answers and its agents and employees from claims, demands and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes. Furthermore, Customer agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Down Under Answers from any liability, loss, claim and expense, including reasonable attorney's fees, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes including on any appeal. Any dispute or claim shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration before a single arbitrator using the rules of the Judicial Arbitration & Mediation Service (JAMS) sitting in King County, WA. The laws of Washington shall apply to these Terms and Conditions.  The prevailing party in any such arbitration or legal suit shall be entitled to all costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees.

Validity: These Terms & Conditions are valid until further notice in writing from Down Under Answers.

 “Down Under Answers” is a registered trademark of Travel Answers Group.