altituder

booking terms & conditions

ALTITUDE MISSION ALTITUDER BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Definitions  

In these Terms, the following definitions apply: “Confirmation Letter” means the letter from us confirming your booking and sent by post, email or other electronic means; “Contract” means the contract for the provision of the Services; “you” or “your” means the person named as the lead name on the Confirmation Letter; “we” or “us” or “our” means Altitude Mission; “Services” means the provision of catered chalet accommodation to include such additional extras as specified in the Confirmation Letter; “these Terms” means the terms and conditions as set out in this document.   

2. Formation of the Contract 

2.1 These Terms and the Confirmation Letter form the basis of the Contract between you and us. Any changes or alterations to these Terms must be agreed in writing between you and us. 

2.2 Once you have accepted our offer of a place on Altitude Mission for the season, we will send you a Confirmation Letter and separately a mission contributuon request of a non-refundable deposit of £500 which will secure your place.    See clause 3.5 below for available payment methods. Once we are in receipt of cleared funds, the booking will be confirmed.   Please let us know immediately if any of the details contained in the Confirmation Letter are incorrect. The Contract is not made until the date of receipt of your deposit. 

2.3 By making a deposit payment to us, you are deemed to have accepted these Booking Terms and Conditions.

2.4 The contract will be between us and one person travelling.  If there are more than one of you travelling together, we will require each person to apply separately, and we will send a Confirmation Letter, and enter into a Contract with each individual applicant.  

2.5 We reserve the right to not offer you a place at Altitude Mission, should we feel you are not suitable for the course.  If this is the case, we will fully refund any monies paid by you.

2.6 You must be 18 or over at the start of November 1st for the upcoming winter season.

3. Contribution towards Mission

3.1 The minimum contribution required is specified on the website and will be specified in the Confirmation Letter. 

3.2 Whilst we would not anticipate any errors in the amount stated in the Confirmation Letter, in the event of an obviously incorrect amount we reserve the right not to be bound by this and will issue a revised Confirmation Letter showing the correct amount.

3.3 Balance contribution payment is due October 31st for entry into the winter season beginning in November. If you book on Altitude Mission after this date then the total contribution payment will be due at the time of acceptance onto the course.

3.4 We can offer a flexible or deferred payment plan, to help spread the payment.  Please contact us for details.  Please don’t let the payment date stop you from applying, and also please talk to us before your payment becomes overdue.

3.5 We accept payment in pounds sterling by credit or debit card, by bank transfer to our specified bank account, or by sterling cheque made payable to Altitude Mission.  

3.6 If full payment is not received within 15 working days of the due date following one reminder phone call or email to you, we shall have the right to terminate the Contract.  You risk losing your place on the course and forfeiting your deposit.  Please contact us before this happens.

4. Cancellation 

4.1 If you choose to cancel your booking, you must notify us immediately in writing by email or letter. Upon receipt of cancellation, the following charges will apply:

  • Before October 1st for the upcoming winter season: Your deposit will be lost.

  • October 1st – November 1st for the upcoming winter season: 80% of course cost

  • After November 1st for the upcoming winter season: 100% of course cost

Please also see Clause 4.6 and please note that depending on the circumstances of your cancellation, you may be able to claim under your insurance policy. 

4.2 Should you decide to curtail your stay with us, due to injury, or any other reason, we will not refund any part of the season.  You should however, be able to claim under your insurance policy, and we will provide appropriate documentation that you require from us for this purpose.

4.3 In the very unlikely event that we have to cancel your booking due to matters within our control, you will be offered a full refund of any monies already paid or a suitable alternative. This however will be the full extent of our liability to you in such circumstances.

4.4 We cannot be held responsible for weather, or for forecasts, or for snow conditions.  Should skiing not be possible at certain times of the season due to snow conditions we will not be liable, and no refunds, in part or full will be offered, although please see Clause 4.6.

4.5 We have no control over resort facilities such as ski lifts and/or ski areas, swimming pools, saunas, ice rinks, bus services, après ski activities etc and we will not be liable if some or all of these are closed due to maintenance/refurbishment, adverse weather conditions, lack of tourists, health pandemics or otherwise. We cannot accept any responsibility should such facilities be withdrawn, curtailed or moved at any time, and no refunds, in part or full will be offered, although please see Clause 4.6

4.6 PANDEMIC CLAUSE.  Due to the recent Covid 19 pandemic, we have adapted and amended our pandemic clause to cover most possible scenarios.  We would advise that you have robust travel insurance in place as we cannot offer refunds except in the circumstances detailed below.  Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any concerns about booking with us at this time.

 In the event of a local or global pandemic prohibiting your travel, or causing the ski lifts of Meribel to close, you will be entitled to a full or partial refund in the following circumstances:

  1. If non-essential travel restrictions out of your home country or into France delay your arrival in Meribel you are entitled to a pro-rata refund from December 1st up to the date when travel restrictions are lifted.  

  2. We may delay your arrival in resort until we have confirmation that the ski lifts in Meribel are planning to open as scheduled. In this case, you will be entitled to a pro-rata refund from December 1st until the date when you are allowed to arrive in resort.  The cost and responsibility of changing your flight booking is yours.  Please do not book your outbound travel until confirming dates with us.

  3. If the ski lifts of Meribel fully close due to a pandemic for a period during the middle of the season,  we will continue to run the Altituder season, and concentrate on discipleship and outreach where appropriate.  We reserve the right to move you to alternative accommodation if necessary.  If we are asked by the authorities to leave the ski resort for a number of weeks in the middle of the season, we will arrange an airport transfer for you at our cost.  Your flight home will be at your cost.  You will be entitled to a pro-rata refund for the weeks when the resort is closed.  When the resort re-opens, your flight back out will be at your cost, and we will arrange an airport pick-up at our cost.  If you choose not to return to resort, you will not be entitled to a refund for any remaining weeks that the resort is open. 

  4. If the lifts close earlier than the advertised end-of-season closing date due to a pandemic, we will continue to run the Altituder season, and concentrate on discipleship and outreach where appropriate.  We reserve the right to move you to alternative accommodation if necessary.  If we are asked by the authorities to leave the ski resort more than 3 weeks earlier than our planned departure date (towards the end April), we will arrange an airport transfer for you at our cost.  Your flight home will be at your cost.  You will be entitled to a pro-rata refund for the weeks when the resort was closed.  Please do not book your homeward travel until you have confirmed season end dates with us. 

  5. In all circumstances, the decision to allow Altituders into the chalet or to repatriate them will be the decision of the management of Altitude Mission, based on current advice and regulations of the local and national authorities.  Should you make the decision not to come to Meribel, or to return home early this will be at your cost, and you will be entitled to a pro-rata refund as detailed in the sub-clauses 4.6.1 to 4.6.4. 

    Clause 4.6 only applies to a pandemic closure of the ski resort, and not closure due to poor snow conditions (see Clause 4.4).

5. Accuracy of Information

5.1 To the best of our knowledge the information contained on our website and in our marketing materials is correct at the time of publication. However, we reserve the right to make changes after publication and cannot be liable for inaccuracies. We will however endeavour to inform you of any material changes at the time you book. Pictures shown on the website and in marketing materials are intended to give an indication only of the general appearance and standard of the accommodation and resort.

5.2 Verbal descriptions, assurances and agreements can seldom be confirmed or amicably clarified in subsequent disputes and for this reason we do not accept liability for them. If you wish to include such items within the Contract you should request them in writing and acceptance will be established only on dispatch of written confirmation by us, separate and additional to the Confirmation Letter.

6. Your responsibilities to us

6.1 Please specify any special requests you may have (such as particular dietary requirements or special facilities needed) or any other requirements you consider important, at the time of application.

6.2 We will try and meet any special requests but cannot guarantee to do so. Special requests do not form part of the Contract and we will have no liability if they are not met.

6.3 Please let us know of any pre-existing medical conditions that may affect your ability to complete the season.  We will keep this information strictly confidential.  We cannot offer a refund should your medical condition necessitate non-completion of the season.

6.4 You must have a valid passport for the entire duration of the course, and any necessary visas.  If you are refused entry into France for any reason, your course fee will not be refunded.

7. Damage and Behaviour 

7.1 We reserve the right to recover the cost (or estimated cost if an actual cost is not yet known) of any loss, damage or breakage of anything belonging to or contained within the chalet caused by you, either before you depart from the chalet, or retrospectively. In order to indemnify ourselves against unwanted or unneeded charges from the chalet owner, we will automatically charge this amount to your payment card, with no obligation to notify you prior to this happening.

7.2 There will be a code of conduct document that you will need to sign at the start of the season.  Should your behaviour not comply with this code of conduct we will sit down with you and discuss the actions you need to take to comply.  Should you continue to fail to comply with this code of conduct, or if your behaviour is unsociable, abusive or in any other way unacceptable to ourselves, our staff or any other resident or guest in the chalet, we reserve the right to terminate the Contract without compensation or further obligation.

7.3 No pets are allowed. There will be a chalet dog living with us for the season.

7.4 Smoking is only permitted on chalet balconies.

7.5 You will obey the rules of the land, and we reserve the right to terminate the Contract should you not do so.

7.6 If you feel you are being treated unfairly, you must contact the Altitude Mission resort management immediately.  If the situation is not resolved satisfactorily, you must put it in writing within 10 days, by email.

8. Insurance

8.1 You will be required to take out Carte Neige mountain rescue insurance for the season.  

8.2 We require you to have full multi-trip travel cover in place from before you book until after the end of the ski season and you must provide us with a copy of the insurance schedule at the time of booking. In the event that you already have annual multi-trip cover which will expire during your time at Altitude, then you will need to provide us with proof of renewal of your insurance not less than 7 days before expiry of your existing policy.

9. Liability

9.1 We shall have no liability to you for any loss, damage, costs, expenses or other claims for compensation arising from any information or instructions supplied by you which is or are incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate. 

9.2 We will take all reasonable actions and precautions to ensure your safety, but you acknowledge that skiing is an activity that carries a risk of accident or injury.

9.3 We shall not be liable to you for any unforeseeable loss or damages arising from the provision (or non-provision) of the Services, if the delay or failure was due to an act of God, war, terrorism, power failure or any other cause beyond our reasonable control.

9.4 We accept responsibility for any loss or damage to you, that results from our failure to perform.  Our liability will be limited to the cost of the season.

9.5 We cannot accept responsibility for costs incurred by you as a result of your unsuitability for the season (for example fitness levels).

9.6 For the purposes of all of clause 9, “We” includes our employees, sub-contractors, licensors, and suppliers, who shall therefore have benefit of the limits and exclusions of liability set out in the Clause in the terms of Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

9.7 We cannot accept responsibility for any delays you incur whilst travelling to Meribel. 

9.8 All personal effects belonging to you and any ski equipment hired or belonging to you, are your sole responsibility. We will accept no liability for any loss or damage to such items. 

9.9 Nothing in these Terms affects any liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or for fraudulent misrepresentation, or your statutory rights as a consumer.

10. Complaints Procedure

10.1 Should you have any reason to complain about our performance, or the services we are offering, in the first instant please talk to the on-site management, and we will endeavour to resolve the issue quickly.

10.2 If a problem still persists, please write or email us, at the time, and no later than 30 days after the end of your season.

10.3 If we cannot resolve a dispute reasonably, you can call upon a scheme administered by the United Kingdom’s Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (www.ciarb.org). 

11. Data Protection

We will only use personal information provided by you for the purpose of providing the Services, or for informing you of the availability of similar services, unless you agree otherwise.  

12. Use of images

12.1 We reserve the right to take photo and video footage of you during the season, and to use this for no other reason than to promote, publicise and fundraise for Altitude Mission.  Should you not wish to be included in photos or video footage, please let us know in writing before the start of the season. 

12.2 Should you provide us with any photos or video that you have taken on the season, we would only use this to promote, publicise and fundraise for Altitude Mission, and we will use any images on the understanding that they are royalty-free.

13. General 

13.1 Nothing in this Contract gives any right to any third party to enforce any provision under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 or otherwise.

13.2 This contract is subject to English Law, and is subject to exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.