As a result of COVID-19 we currently assisting a high volume of customers with their travel bookings. We apologise in advance for any delays that you may experience. If you are seeking a refund or change of booking from a hostel or tour operator, you should be aware that a high number of hostels and tour operators have either closed or are unable to respond immediately to these requests.
AIFS Travel Terms & Conditions
Travel Services are offered to AIFS participants by the American Institute for Foreign Study (Travel) Pty Ltd (AIFS TRAVEL) Any person purchasing a product or service purchased from AIFS is legally bound to these Terms and Conditions (Terms).
Service Providers are defined as any tour operator, accommodation provider, or other travel product offered by AIFS Travel.
AIFS may amend these Terms from time to time, by providing reasonable notice on this page.
Booking Changes
Amendments to bookings are subject to availability. Amendments made greater than 14 days from the scheduled start date of the booking will incur a $50.00 date change fee in addition to any additional fees charged by the Service Providers. We are unable make date amendments within 14 days of the schedule start date of the booking.
Cancellations by Service Providers
If a Service Provider, or providers cancels your booking for any reason, AIFS Travel will withhold 12.5% of the total value of the booking plus any additional fees charged by the Service Provider. Any remaining refund by the Service Provider will be paid to you within 28 days of receipt by AIFS Travel.
Cancellations by You
Cancellations made greater than 14 days from the scheduled start date of the booking will incur a 12.5% cancellation fee based on the total value of the booking. Any refund offered by the Service Provider will be paid to you within 14 days of receipt by AIFS Travel.
No refund will be payable for bookings made less than 14 days prior to the scheduled start date.
Force Majeure
If you are required to cancel or make changes to your booking due to Force Majeure we will try our best to provide alternate arrangements however AIFS Travel will not be liable for refunds or pay any compensation to you.
Force Majeure is included but not limited natural disasters, acts of government or authorities, war or the threat of war, pandemics, acts of terrorism, airline strikes or any other major event which is out of our control.
Liability
AIFS Travel is not any liable for any personal injury, death, damage, loss, accident or delay which may be occasioned as a result of a tour or other service either by reason of any defect in any vehicle, or through the acts of default of any company or person engaged in conveying you or carrying out the arrangements of the tour or otherwise in connection therewith.
Risk
The nature of some travel is adventurous and participation involves a degree of personal risk. In some cases, you may be visiting places where the political, cultural and geographical attributes present dangers and physical challenges. AIFS Travel uses all available information in offering travel services however there may be inherent risks due to the nature of the activity. You acknowledge that your decision to travel is made in light of consideration of this information and you accept that you assume the personal risks.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is required for all bookings made with AIFS Travel. Please check your policy documents thoroughly to ensure you are adequately covered for the duration of your time overseas.
Travel Documentation
It is your responsibility to ensure you have the necessary travel documents for your trip, including a valid passport and visa. For entry into most countries you will need to have at least 6 months of validity left on your passport from the date you intend to leave that country.
Privacy Policy
The American Institute for Foreign Study (Travel) Pty Ltd trading as “AIFS TRAVEL” is a privacy conscious organisation and so we want to explain how we protect the information we gather from you and what we do with that information. This Privacy Policy applies to all information supplied to AIFS, including via this website.
By using our travel services you agree to the use of such information in accordance with this privacy statement.
AIFS Travel operates under the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) as amended from time to time. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this privacy statement, please contact us using the contact details below.
Your Information
AIFS Travel collects all personal information directly from you, except in the case of references. Such information may consist of, but is not limited to, your name, company, email address and other contact details. The information is used for the purpose of providing travel services, cultural exchange programs and associated services, including:
We only ask for information that is necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy.
You may opt-out of these communications at any time. If you do decide that you no longer want to be contacted by us or to receive information from us, please contact us and we will remove you from our mailing list.
For other forms of communication you may also contact us by post, fax or telephone.
Instructions on how to remove yourself securely from our email list can also be found at the end of every email you receive from us.
In order to undertake the necessary assessments to enable you to be placed in an environment where you will be working with children, we will ask you to provide some sensitive information, but we will, when collection is necessary, obtain your explicit consent to collect and use such information.
User Profiles and the Contact Form
We may also use your personal information for marketing purposes, or to send you promotional materials or offers that we think you would find interesting.
Your personal information may also be used to protect our rights or property and that of our users and, where appropriate, to comply with legal process.
At any time, you can ask us to stop sending you emails or other communications.
Disclosure of Information to third parties
At present, we use third party booking platforms for travel bookings and some records of personal information, will be recorded on these platforms. AIFS Travel will protect your personal information no matter where we process or store your data by following the privacy laws and regulations of the relevant jurisdiction.
These disclosures may involve the transfer of personal information to states, regions or countries with different data protection rules than those under the Privacy Act. By providing your information to us through this website, you consent to the disclosures described above.
Note: By submitting your personal data to AIFS Travel, you hereby consent to this transfer of your personal information.
We will not sell, rent, share, trade or give away any information we hold about you to anyone outside AIFS Travel and our recognised partners and service providers. We will only disclose personal information if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to:
Personal information may also be disclosed to law enforcement, regulatory, or other government agencies, or to other third parties, in each case to comply with legal or regulatory obligations.
Access to information
You may access and modify your user profile or unsubscribe at any time. You can also request a copy of your personal information from our Privacy Officer (see contact details below).
In all cases we will treat requests to access information or change information in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
Information Security
Personal information collected by AIFS and our websites is stored in secure operating environments that are not available to the public.
We have in place reasonable commercial standards of technology and operational security to protect all information provided via this website from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
Changes to our privacy statement
We may modify or amend this privacy statement from time to time at our discretion.
Questions
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your privacy, please contact:
Privacy Officer
10-14 Oxford Square
Darlinghurst
NSW 2010
Australia
Tel: 02 8235 7000
If you believe that we have not adequately handled your complaint, you may complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner whose contact details are as follows:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001
1300 363 992
Additional Information
For further information about privacy and the protection of privacy, visit the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s website at www.oaic.gov.au.