PAYMENT & GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ALL EXPERIENCES                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

EXPERIENCE PRICE

The Experience price is based on the projected number of participants, package inclusions and Experience dates as indicated on the Experience Agreement or Parent Letter. Experiences which operate below the projected number on the agreement are subject to price adjustments based on fixed costs. You will be notified of any surcharges in advance of final invoicing.

FIXED GROUP COSTS

Each Experience contains fixed costs that must be paid no matter the size of the group. Fixed costs can include motorcoaches, guides, security guards, prepaid non-refundable costs (i.e. theatre tickets), etc., and the expenses of non-paying Experience participants.

EXPERIENCE ARRANGEMENTS

Hotel space, ground and /or air transportation, attractions, and/or services are being booked for your group as outlined in your Experience Agreement or Parent Letter. Changes to your itinerary are likely in the booking process because of availability for some attractions at certain times. Some Experience activities cannot be booked until the group’s first payment is received. Approximately sixty (60) days prior to your departure date you can expect to receive a proposed itinerary including hotel and transportation arrangements. Your First Class Student Tour representative will contact you to review the proposed itinerary and document any changes. At twenty (20) days prior to your departure date you can expect to receive your final itinerary.

FUEL SURCHARGES, TAXES AND OTHER FEES

The Experience price includes all known surcharges (fuel, taxes and other fees) known at the time the group contracted with First Class School Tours . However, given the volatile nature of fuel prices, suppliers (for example, airlines and coach carriers) we at times must assess a fuel surcharge which is not known by any party at the time of contracting service. You will be informed of any fuel surcharge prior to your final payment due date. No surcharge will ever be assessed after the final payment due date.

Additionally, for air tours, airline bag fees, unless otherwise indicated on the Experience Agreement or Parent Letter, are NOT included in the price of the Experience and are the responsibility of the individual or group checking bags or instruments.

Occasionally a governing body will add a tax after transportation has been contracted. Any taxes not in existence at the time the Experience was contracted will be assessed back to the group.

It is important to know that First Class School Tours works closely with all its suppliers to eliminate or minimize any surcharges related to fuel, taxes or fees. In recent years we’ve been able to absorb many small increases and not pass them back to our travelers. Given the rising price of fuel, it’s important to know a fuel surcharge could be assessed if the price of oil continues to increase.

EXPERIENCE GUARANTEE PROTECTION (EGP) FOR US DOMESTIC AND CANADIAN DESTINATIONS ONLY

First Class School Tours offers a cancellation protection program that covers Experience payments should the passenger not be able participate for any reason EGP is a highly recommended optional program at an additional charge. EGP must be paid at the time of the initial Experience registration. The price of EGP can be found on the Experience Agreement and the Parent Letter.

If you have purchased EGP and cancel, all payments made by you over and above the cost of the protection are 100% refunded.

PAYMENTS

A payment schedule has been laid out on the Parent Letter and Experience Agreement. Payments are accepted from via check, credit card(online only) or organization Invoice. You will have the option of paying in installments or paying for the Experience in full in one payment.

INITIAL REGISTRATION FEE

A non-refundable registration fee per passenger plus the cost of the elective Refund Guarantee Protection Program, if selected, (for US Domestic and Canadian Destinations only) will be required to register for an Experience. The cost of this registrant fee can be found on the Experience Agreement and Parent Letter. This registration fee will be applied to the cost of your Experience. If the Experience is cancelled by the Trip Sponsor within 30 days from the initial payment due date, then the full amount of the registration fee (and EGP, if applicable)will be refunded.

FUNDRAISING PAYMENTS

All fundraising payments must be provided to First Class School Tours two weeks before all final installments are processed. This will allow passengers to pay only what is due on their final account. Any group fundraising that is sent in after this date will be charged a $75 flat processing fee per fundraising campaign (to be paid by the organization).

LATE PAYMENTS

All accounts must be up to date and paid in full 60 days prior to departure. Each installment that is late will be charged $15 per passenger or $60 per passenger for the final installment. Passengers will not be permitted to participate in the Experience if their account is not paid in full. First Class School Tours reserves the right to cancel an Experience or Experience participant due to insufficient funds or non-payment.

NSF CHECKS

A $35 fee per each non-sufficient fund check will be applied. Should your final installment check be returned NSF, we will require guaranteed payment for that installment plus the fee immediately. Passengers will not be permitted to participate in the Experience if their account is not paid in full.

LATE REGISTRATION FEE

A fee totaling 10% of the Total Experience Package Price will be assessed for an individually billed participant registering within

60 days of departure.

RE-INSTATEMENT FEE

A $50 fee, plus any additional airfare costs, will be assessed if you cancel your reservation and choose to re-instate at a later date.

NAME CHANGE FEE FOR AIRLINE TICKETS

For Domestic Tours, a $150 fee will be assessed for any changes requested within 21 days of departure. For International Tours, a $200 fee will be assessed for any changes requested within 21 days of departure.

MANUAL INSTALLMENT FEE

If you utilize a manual installment process to pay for your tour, installment payments must be made by the dates note don your Registration Information and there will be a $5.00 fee levied for each installment.

SOLD OUT TRIPS/WAITING LISTS

In the case of trips that are soldout, additional participants will be entered onto a waiting list and added to the Experience as space permits. Participants on the waiting list will be informed of their status as follows:

Individually Billed Accounts – by First Class School Tours via an email indicating status after consulting with trip Group Pay Accounts – by the trip sponsor

ROOMING LIST

The organization will be required to submit a rooming list 60 days prior to departure to ensure the group is appropriately accommodated. Should the organization submit this late, a $75 penalty will be charged to the organization.

REQUIREMENTS

For the protection of the sponsoring organization and its leaders as well as First Class School Tours, the following applies on all Experiences that First Class School Tours coordinates:

Experience rules must be adopted and shared with all Experience participants. Experience rules are at the discretion of the trip sponsor and must not violate any local health or safety regulations.

Medical Release and Proxy form must be signed by participants parents/guardian and carried on by the sponsor. First Class School Tours cancellation policy for Individual Participants must be distributed to all paying participants so they know what to expect if they cancel from a Tour.

ACCIDENT AND ILLNESS PROTECTION FOR: US DOMESTIC

Accident, illness and accident-related dental insurance coverage is encouraged for all participants.

Any charges not covered by this insurance are the responsibility of the participant. Pre-existing conditions are not covered under this policy. Complete terms and conditions of insurance are available from the insurance provider.

CANCELLATION POLICY FOR ORGANIZATIONS

If the sponsoring organization or trip sponsor cancels the entire Tour, the following penalties apply:

DOMESTIC TOURS

Within 30 days of deposit date note down payment schedule, no penalty or cancellation fees will be incurred. However, group is responsible for any non-refundable vendor payments made on behalf of the group price. 31 days from initial payment due date to 81 days prior to departure, 15% of Total Experience Package

80-61 days prior to departure, 25% of Total Experience Package Price 60-46 days prior to departure, 50% of Total Experience Package Within 45 Days Prior to departure, 100% of Total Experience Package Price.

INTERNATIONAL E X P E R I E N C E S

More than140 days from departure, no penalty or cancellation fees will be incurred. However, group is responsible for any non-refundable vendor payments made on behalf of the group

140 to100 days prior to departure, 15% of Total Experience 99-61 Package Price days prior to departure, 25% of Total Experience Package Price

60-46 days prior to departure, 50% of Total Experience Package Within 45 Days Prior to departure 100% of Total Experience Package Price.

ONE-DAY DOMESTIC TOURS

Before 60 days from departure, no penalty or cancellation fees will be incurred. However, group is responsible for any non-refundable vendor payments made on behalf of the group

60-31 days prior to departure, 25% of Total Experience Package Price. 30-15 days prior to departure, 50% of Total Experience Package Price

Within 15 Days Prior to departure, 100% of Total Experience Package Price

CANCELLATION POLICY FOR INDIVIDUALS

The registration fee is non-refundable (except if the Trip Sponsor cancels the trip within 30 days from the initial payment due date or the participant selects RGP). In addition to that fee, cancellation penalties will be calculated based on the total Experience cost as follows:

DOMESTIC TOURS

Within 30 days of deposit date noted on payment schedule, Registration Fee only

31 days from initial payment due date to 81 days prior to departure, 15% of Total Experience Package Price plus Registration Fee

80-61 days prior to departure, 25% of Total Experience Package Price plus Registration Fee 60-46 days prior to departure, 50% of Total Experience Package Price plus Registration Fee Within 45 Days Prior to departure, 100% of Total Experience Package Price

INTERNATIONAL T O U R S

More than 140 days from departure, Registration Fee only

140 to 100 days prior to departure, 15% of Total Experience Package Price plus Registration Fee 99-61 days prior to departure, 25% of Total Experience Package Price plus Registration Fee

60-46 days prior to departure, 50% of Total Experience Package Price plus Registration Fee Within 45 Days Prior to departure 100% of Total Experience Package Price

ONE-DAY DOMESTIC TOURS

Before 60 days from departure, Registration Fee only

60-31 days prior to departure, 25% of Total Experience Package Price plus Registration Fee 30-15 days prior to departure, 50% of Total Experience Package Price plus Registration Fee Within 15 Days Prior to departure, 100% of Total Experience Package Price

NOTICE OF CANCELLATION

All passengers cancelling from an Experience must notify First Class School Tours in writing. Cancellations are accepted via email all cancellations must be received 60days in advance. Email: info@firstclassschooltours.com

REFUNDS FOR CANCELLATIONS

Refunds are issued for cancellations in the same manner as payment was received. Checks are issued for check payments and credits on debit/credit accounts. All cancellations must be in writing. Refunds may take 4-6 weeks to process.

For group pay accounts refunds are issued directly back to the organization unless otherwise directed by the organization.

For individual billing accounts refunds are issued directly back to the payee (generally a parent or guardian) except for fundraising monies or payments made on behalf of the individual by the school or organization, in which case those monies will be refunded back to the school or organization unless directed otherwise by the Trip Sponsor.

Additionally, participants traveling to International Destinations (not including Canada) must file a claim directly with Travel Guard for any refund due to an accepted reason for cancellation. Please refer to the Travel Guard policy for further detail.

PASSENGER NAME CHANGE ON TRIPS WITH AIRFARE COMPONENT (FOR ORGANIZATIONS ONLY)

First Class School Tours will process a name change on an air ticket if the airline allows for it. All fees assessed by the airline to

process the name change will be passed on to the Organization. The latest name change on an airticket will be processed by First Class School Tours is 30 days prior to departure.

GENERAL

First Class School Tours reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary whenever, in its sole judgment, conditions warrant, or if it deems it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the Tour.

First Class School Tours has permission to use, without compensation, any photo, film or video likeness taken of a participant as well as any comment or statement made by him/her while taking part in a First-Class School Tours Experience in materials published by First Class School Tours.

First Class School Tours will work to accommodate all persons with disability needs. If you have a disability and require assistance when traveling, notify us as soon as possible. Please note that payment for contracted services such as interpreters, one on one aides and so forth are the responsibility of the parents or sponsoring organization and not First Class School Tours.

The traveler is responsible for obtaining the appropriate identification and documentation to travel by air domestically or internationally. First Class School Tours cancellation penalties will apply if the traveler cancels the trip because they are unable to obtain the appropriate identification (e.g. passports, visas).

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

First Class School Tours purchases transportation, hotel and other services from various independent suppliers that are not subject to its control. Neither First Class School Tours its affiliates, owners, officers, agents, employees, nor any associate organization shall be held liable for any act, default, injury, loss, expense, damage, deviation, delay, curtailment or inconvenience caused to or suffered by any person or their property, howsoever arising, which may occur or be incurred by any organization or person, even though such act, default, injury, loss, expense, damage, deviation, delay, curtailment or inconvenience may have been caused or contributed to: (a) by the act, neglect or default of First Class School Tours, or of any persons for whose acts it would otherwise be responsible, or (b) defects or failures of any aircraft, vessel, automotive vehicle or other equipment or instrumentality under the control of independent suppliers. You further understand that First Class School Tours neither owns nor operates such third party suppliers and accordingly, agree to seek remedies directly and only against those suppliers and not hold First Class School Tours responsible for their acts or omissions. In no event will First Class School Tours be responsible for incidental, consequential, or special damage or loss suffered by any person. First Class School Tours maximum liability, for any reason whatsoever, will be limited to the amount paid to First Class School Tours for its services.

FORCE MAJEURE

Without limitation, First Class School Tours will make no refund for and is not responsible for any matter beyond the control of First Class School Tours, including but not limited to the negligent or willful acts of others; acts of God or force majeure, weather emergencies, breakdown, or failure of diving or mechanical equipment, government actions, inclement weather, sickness, attacks by animals, availability of medical care or the adequacy of the same, criminal activity of any kind, terrorism, war, civil disturbance, sanitary conditions, quality or sanitation of food, quarantine, customs, regulations, epidemics, strikes, hotel overbooking, safety and/or security standards at hotels or other accommodations, or for any other reason beyond the control of First Class School Tours. You understand, agree with, and agree to be legally bound by the terms of the release and waiver of liability set for therein.

ARBITRATION

Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms and Conditions or the performance thereunder, including without limitation any claim related to bodily injury, property damage or death, shall be settled by binding arbitration in Atlanta, Georgia USA in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association then existing, and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction over the subject matter of the controversy. This agreement to arbitrate does not waive or modify the liability release contained in this document. Such proceedings will be governed by substantive Delaware law. This dispute will be resolved by a single arbitrator who must be a lawyer admitted to practice in the courts of at least one state in the United States and have a minimum of fifteen years of experience in civil litigation. The arbitrator so described will be selected by the American Arbitration Association. Each party to the dispute shall have the right on a single occasion to veto the designation of an arbitrator so selected. The parties waive the right to rely on any state law or stature which creates an exception to enforcement of the requirement that disputes be resolved pursuant to arbitration in the manner set forth herein.

GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

These Terms and Conditions and any actions and proceeding brought hereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of Georgia without regard to conflict of laws principles. If the right to seek arbitration is for any reason waived by both parties, or if judicial review of any arbitration decision is sought, any action or legal proceeding to enforce any provision hereof, or based on any right arising out of, these Terms and Conditions shall be exclusively in the courts of the State of Georgia, or if it has or can acquire jurisdiction, in the United States District Court for the District of Georgia, and all of the parties hereto hereby consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts and of the appropriate appellate courts in any such action or legal proceeding and waive any objection to venue or jurisdiction in connection therewith.

WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL

In connection with any action or legal proceeding arising out of this agreement, the parties hereby specifically and knowingly waive any rights that either party might have to demand a jury trial.

SEVERABILITY

The invalidity or unenforceability of any part of these Terms and Conditions, or the invalidity of its application to a specific situation or circumstance, shall not affect the validity of the remainder of these Terms and Conditions, or its application to other situations or  circumstances. Any provision of these Terms and Conditions held invalid or unenforceable only in part or degree will remain in full force and effect to the extent not held invalid or unenforceable.

WAIVER

Any failure by either party at any time, or from time to time, to enforce or to require the strict keeping and performance of any of the Terms and Conditions shall not constitute a waiver of any such Terms and Conditions and shall not affect or impair such terms and conditions in any way or the right of such party at any time to avail itself of such remedies as it has for the breach or breaches of such terms and conditions.

EXCLUSIVITY

Except as otherwise expressly provided to the contrary, the rights herein granted and these Terms and Conditions are for the benefit of the parties hereto. The Terms and Conditions shall be exclusive of any advertising, marketing or other sales literature or activities of First-Class School Tours and nothing contained in any of such materials shall be construed to create any rights as a result of or in connection with these Terms and Conditions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RISK

You understand and acknowledge that your travel in connection with and participation in the Experience arranged at your request by First Class School Tours may involve risk and potential exposure to injury. You also realize and acknowledge that risk and dangers may be caused by the negligence of the owners, directors, employees, contractors, officers or agents of First-Class School Tours or the negligence or participation of other participants, contractors and/or subcontractors to First Class School Tours. You also recognize and acknowledge that risk and dangers may arise from foreseeable and unforeseeable causes, including weather and other acts of nature. You fully understand and acknowledge that the aforementioned risks, dangers and hazards are a potential in connection with recreational activities which may take place during your journey.

EXPRESS ASSUMPTION OF RISK AND RESPONSIBILITY/PARTICIPATION

In recognition of the inherent risk of the travels and related activities in which you are intending to engage, you confirm that you are physically and mentally capable of participating in the activity, that you are willingly and knowingly electing to participate in this Experience in spite of the potential risk of danger, and you willingly and voluntarily assume full responsibility for any injury, loss or damage suffered by you or caused by you, whether caused in whole or in part by the negligence of the owners, directors, agents, officers, employees, or contractors of First Class School Tours. You understand and acknowledge that First Class School Tours reserves the right to accept or reject any participant for any reason, and First Class School Tours or its guide has the right to disqualify you from any trip activity, if in First Class School Tours or such guide’s judgment, you are incapable of that activity and/or your continued participation in the Experience will endanger yourself or the safety of the group. It is your responsibility and obligation to inform First Class School Tours, at the time your reservation is made, of any medical or physical disability or limitation that might disable you or render you unable to perform or safely complete the Experience or any activity on the tour. You further acknowledge that you are the best judge of your own conditions and limitations and that it is incumbent upon you to fully disclose the full extent of any such conditions or limitations to First Class School Tours.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY

In consideration of the services and arrangements provided by First Class School Tours, you, for yourself and for your heirs, personal representatives or assigns, do hereby release, waive, discharge, hold harmless and agree to indemnify First Class School Tours, and its owners, officers, directors, employees and affiliates from any and all claims, actions, or losses for bodily injury, property damage, wrongful death, loss of services, lost profits, consequential, exemplary, indirect or punitive damages or otherwise which may arise out of or occur during your travel in connection with the scheduled travel package and any activities conducted in conjunction therewith. You specifically understand and agree that you are releasing, discharging and waiving any claims or actions that you may have presently or in the future for the negligent acts or conduct of the owners, directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates of First Class School Tours

EXPRESS WAIVER OF CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES

Regardless of the situation or circumstances giving rise to a claim, you waive any right to seek consequential, punitive or exemplary damages against First Class School Tours its owners, officers, directors, agents, contractors and employees, for any reason whatsoever. 

“FIRST CLASS SCHOOL TOURS LLC is registered with the State of Florida as a Seller of Travel.

Registration No. ST43952.”