BOOKING TERMS
The terms and conditions of travel and instructions described below apply to travel purchases and bookings made via online self-booking service of Amerian Express Global Business Travel's Finnish office (GBT Finland Ltd, later "GBT").
GBT acts as the broker of the system. GBT acts as a broker for different travel services that are the responsibility of the service provider in question. GBT is only responsible for the correctness of the travel documents it provides. GBT's liability for compensation for an accident due to incorrect documents shall be equal in amount to the direct costs incurred by the Client; however, the maximum amount shall be the total sum of the tickets and other fees related to the trip in question and the travel services provided. The claim for compensation must be made within one year of completing the trip, or the right for compensation is forfeited.
The purpose of the online self-booking service is to enable the Client's personnel and any other persons authorised by the Client to carry out their duties. The use of the service shall be agreed in a travel service agreement between the Client and GBT. The service offering (service providers and rate types) shall be defined together with the Client.
The self-booking service is intended for making simple travel bookings on frequently occurring routes. To ensure the best rates and the most functional connections, we recommend that tours and complex travel be booked from the service team as we cannot guarantee relevance of the offering given for complex travel (ie. multi-leg trips). User support for the online self-booking service is available via the service team telephone number during the service team business hours. User support helps in case of errors and provides navigation assistance. User support will not assist in interpreting booking rules or choosing between different travel options.
The system is available to the Client 24/7, except for maintenance outages, updates and any service downtime. Whenever possible, GBT will notify in advance of any update and maintenance outages that impact service availability.
Travel Arranger's responsibilities
The Travel Arranger carries out the rate comparisons by using the service and shall be responsible for his or her bookings, cancellations, changes, no shows and any other applicable costs. In case GBT carries out any booking changes, cancellations or rate comparisons at the Travel Arranger's request, the fees according to the valid service price list are due.
The Travel Arranger shall keep the traveller profile information up to date and correct. The names in the traveller profile must be correct and match the names in the passport. Passenger information is printed on the travel documents and relayed to the service providers.
The Travel Arranger shall verify the correctness of the travel information before confirming the booking. Furthermore, the Travel Arranger shall verify the contents of the travel confirmation sent by email. If the information in a booking is incorrect or incomplete, the Travel Arranger shall correct such information in the online self-booking service before ticketing.
If the travel documents have already been issued, the Travel Arranger shall immediately notify GBT's service team of any necessary changes. If the service provider approves the change, GBT will charge the Client a modification fee according to the valid service price list for reissuing the travel documents as well as any additional costs charged to GBT by the service providers.
The Travel Arranger shall notify GBT in case he or she has not received the travel documents before the trip is due to begin.
Before leaving for the trip, the Traveller shall verify that he or she has a valid passport or other required travel document as well as the necessary visas, insurances and vaccinations for all destinations. Furthermore, the Traveller shall review the flight schedule and any requirements by the airline regarding, for example, baggage and advance passenger information on the airline/airport website and provide the advance information that is required for entry to the destination country. In case the Traveller/Travel Arranger purchases a one-way flight ticket, he or she shall verify whether a valid inbound ticket is required for entry to the destination country.
When making third-party (service provider) bookings, the Traveller/Travel Arranger agrees to the terms and conditions of service and business of the service provider in question. GBT is not responsible for the Internet airline fares booked by using the service or for any other services, booking sites or fees of third-party service providers. By booking, the Travel Arranger authorises the transfer of passenger information to the website of the service provider.
Profiles and privacy
The online self-booking service acts as a traveller profile database for bookings made from the service team as well as online bookings. The Client company shall ensure that the profiles are up to date. The Client company shall ensure that all the unnecessary profiles are removed, new ones are added and the data is maintained up to date.
If an agreement has been made with the Client concerning special references or other information that must be stored in the traveller profile, the Client shall ensure that such information is available for all profiles and that the information is appropriate. If the profiles do not contain all the information required for invoicing, for example, GBT will charge a separate service fee for collecting the missing information.
The profile information is confidential and only used for performing the tasks required by this booking service. The profile information is only available to GBT's offices. For the purpose of fulfilling the obligations set out in this agreement, GBT is, however, entitled to disclose profile information to GBT's partners, as necessary. If the collaboration ends, the Client and GBT shall agree separately on how the profile information is handled.
By agreeing to these terms and conditions, the Travel Arranger also agrees to GBT's Traveller Profile Terms.
Provider rates and payment
The service rates are based on the current exchange rates, price lists and regulations. In case changes occur before ticketing, the price of the trip will change accordingly. The prices are not binding. Any credit card surcharge by the airline is added to the booking at the time of ticketing.
The price of the airline ticket includes all taxes payable before the trip at the time of ticketing. The Traveller shall be responsible for any other taxes due on site in other countries. Airport taxes are bound to exchange rates and subject to constant fluctuation.
For some airlines, checked baggage, for example, is not included in the ticket price. The surcharge for checked baggage or other services must be paid directly to the airline. Prices and further information are available from the airline in question.
The Travel Arranger shall review the terms and conditions of change, cancellation and payment of each service.
The service fee is paid as set out in a travel service agreement between the Client and GBT. Flight bookings made using Internet airfares are subject to the pricing, price rules, terms and conditions and other stipulations that are available on the airline's website. Flight bookings made using Internet airfares are immediately binding and paid by the Client with a credit card. The airline will immediately charge the card for the airfare, related taxes, fees and compensations, as well as any other handling fees, etc. Any enquiries, changes and cancellations related to these bookings must be directed to the airline.
Hotel and car bookings are confirmed by providing a credit card number and expiration date. Payment is carried out at the destination. Hotels and car rental agencies are entitled to collect the cancellation costs from the credit card used for the booking in case the booking has not been cancelled according to the applicable terms.
Ticketing and travel documents
Flight tickets are issued according to airlines' ticketing rules. The ticketing time depends on the airline, time of booking, ticket type and the service level agreement between GBT and the Client. The airline is authorised to request ticketing earlier than stated in the price rules, and in this case, GBT will issue the tickets in accordance with the airline's request. If ticketing is brought forward, GBT aims to notify the Client, who shall notify GBT, at the latest on the date of ticketing, if the ticket is no longer required or the itinerary has changed.
For bookings made immediately before the end of day, it should be noted that ticketing might only take place on the next day. The price of the ticket is determined by the currency exchange rates, price lists and regulations that are in effect on the ticketing day.
If the service allows for delayed ticketing, the tickets are issued, at the latest, on the last business day before departure according to the airlines' ticketing rules; otherwise, ticketing takes place immediately after the booking is confirmed.
Airline tickets are delivered as electronic tickets (e-tickets) to the email address provided in connection with the booking. We recommend that you print out the e-ticket and take it with you. Hotels and rental cars are included in the travel confirmation, which is delivered by email to the address provided in connection with the booking. No separate vouchers are provided.
Please note that several airlines employ stricter measures for tracking double bookings and unused inbound tickets. Double bookings refer to multiple bookings made for the same passenger on days that overlap or are too close to each other. Travellers have attempted to utilise unused tickets for cross-bookings, for example.
Airlines might automatically cancel overlapping bookings before ticketing. Please also note that if the first flight of a round-trip ticket is not used, the second flight is automatically cancelled. Double bookings and unused tickets may incur additional fees depending on the airline. The Travel Arranger shall be liable for any violations of the rules set by airlines as well as the related damage and additional fees.
The airline is not responsible for connecting flights on different tickets. Airlines are not responsible for connecting flights on other airlines in case they are booked on separate tickets. Any baggage must also be checked at the location where the ticket changes.
Changes and cancellations
The cancellation, modification and refund of travel services are subject to the terms and conditions imposed by the carrier, hotel broker or other similar party. Any communication and banking fees as well as GBT's service fees also apply.
The provider regulations always apply to changes and cancellations. The Client may change or cancel the booking before travel documents are issued. In case changes or cancellations are carried out by GBT, fees according to the valid service price list are due. Once travel documents are issued, the booking cannot be changed or cancelled by using the online self-booking service. In these cases, GBT will charge a change or cancellation fee according to GBT's valid service price list as well as any other costs charged to GBT by the providers.
Airlines are entitled to change flight schedules and routes before and during the trip. The Travel Arranger/Traveller shall review the current flight information before departure. More information on the EU decision is available on the EU website.
Any complaints or compensation claims for delays or other shortcomings in the services during the trip shall be directed to the service provider in question.
GBT or service providers are not liable for providing the trip when a force majeure condition prevents it or makes it unreasonably difficult. The flights and hotel services booked at separate rates via the online self-booking service are not covered by the Package Travel Act or the General Terms and Conditions of Package Travel and, therefore, their provisions do not apply to the cancellation of or force majeure conditions related to such bookings.
Additional services in online bookings
Some airlines may offer paid additional services for flights, which must be purchased and booked in advance. These include paid seating, baggage and meal services, for example. The services can be booked via online self-booking service depending on the airline, provided that the Client company has authorised enabling this functionality in the online service.
For special requests related to bookings (e.g. pets, skis, wheelchair etc.), please contact our Customer Service. An additional fee according to our valid service price list is due for any additional services.
Miscellaneous
Airlines may provide part of the route as land transport (train or bus). The operators of the flight or land routes are listed in the details of each route.
The seating and meal requests provided when making a booking are not binding. Airlines reserve the right to change them subject to availability.
Airlines will primarily use the passenger information in their own loyalty programmes. Not all airlines offer free food or drinks on board, and not all airlines accept special meal requests. Any applicable loyalty cards must be presented during check-in.
Airline rules prohibit making overlapping bookings for the same passenger and dates. Airlines are entitled to cancel all overlapping bookings that they detect.
User support
The self-booking service is intended for making simple travel bookings on frequently occurring routes. To ensure the best rates and the most functional connections, we recommend that tours and complex travel be booked from the service team. User support for the online self-booking service is available via the service team telephone number during the service team business hours. User support helps in case of errors and provides navigation assistance. User support will not assist in interpreting booking rules or choosing between different travel options.
In case GBT carries out any booking changes, cancellations or rate comparisons at the Travel Arranger's request, the fees according to the valid service price list are due.