Terms & Conditions

For Ad Astra Travel

License and guarantee 

Ad Astra Luxury Travel is a registered company with the Icelandic tourist board. We uphold a bankruptcy guarantee as required by Icelandic law. The contingency plan is outlined HERE

Contract 

The buyer agrees to these terms and conditions of Ad Astra Luxury Travel when a customised travel plan has been created for the buyer, but the contract becomes legally binding only when the first payment is arranged and an invoice issued for all services listed in your itinerary/package.

The client shall receive the sum of total cost for the package, or before payment. Before payment, the client shall receive detailed information on all services of their package, including the quality of accommodation, information, if activities are private or with a small group. Furthermore, the client will receive information about the equipment provided for that activity, what expertise the client needs to have, which licenses the client needs to carry and so on, and any relevant information needed on inclusives, arrangements, coordination, locations et cetera, as is necessary.

Deposit 

Ad Astra Luxury Travel requires a 30% deposit at the time of booking. Half of the aforementioned deposit  is charged by Ad Astra Travel consulting for the pre-consultation and tailoring of your travel plan, and is non refundable. The other half of the deposit is down payment for the trip. Full payment is requested 45 days before the starting date of your trip. If your booking is placed within 45 days of its commencement, full payment is required to validate the booking. Bookings that cost less than 1 million ISK shall be paid in full at the time of booking.

Money / Payment 

All packages will be quoted in Icelandic Króna, and paid by a bank transfer or via Paypal, in Icelandic Króna. All currency conversions to non-icelandic currencies are estimates. The amounts are fixed in Icelandic Króna, but may fluctuate when calculated into other currencies. The currency conversion is performed by an intermediary, paypal or the client’s banking institution. Ad Astra Travel does not actively monitor these calculations, the responsibility of confirming the final amount after exchange amount, at time of payment, resides with the client.

Any possible additional transfer fees or banking cost will be your responsibility. Any flux in exchange rate before your first and second payment is at your own risk or your gain. Ad Astra Luxury Travel provides prices/offers in ISK and does not change the price of the package due to exchange rate fluctuation. We reserve the right to adjust pricing due to an increase of cost that is beyond our control. Misconceptions about the pricing made while you translate amounts into another currency do not give you the right to receive any refund nor withhold payments.

Cancellation by client 

A cancellation made by the client is only valid from the date of a written cancellation request. The client shall be liable for the following charges : 

  • Cancellation date more than 45 days prior to arrival shall result in 15% loss of total cost of services. 
  • Cancellation between 45 and 15 days prior to arrival shall result in the loss of 50% of total cost of services. 
  • Cancellation date less than 15 days prior to arrival shall result in 100% loss of cost of services. 

In any case where our suppliers terms are more rigorous than ours then their cancellation terms shall be the ones to adhere to. 

If the cancellation is due to unforeseeable or uncontrollable events that prevent you from using your package then Ad Astra Luxury Travel is not entitled to withhold any part of the payment from the client. 

Travel insurances 

Ad Astra Luxury Travel does not offer personal travel insurance, but will provide any relevant documentation and support for an insurance claim, should your insurance cover the rupture of your travel plans and related costs. We highly recommend that you make sure your travel and luggage insurances are in order before placing a booking.

We carry insolvency insurance and coverage for our business as required by law.

Visas and passports

Iceland is a member state of the Schengen Area. HERE you will find lists of countries whose citizens need to obtain a visa for travel to Iceland, and other information regarding travel documents needed to enter Iceland. You can also find a list of countries which do not need a visa, including Canada and The USA. We will assist you with any information required for your travel, but it is your responsibility to obtain any necessary documents or visas in time for your travel dates. We recommend that before you purchase your tickets, you make sure that necessary visas and travel documents are already secured.

Booking guarantee

All our tours are tailored to your personal likings and requests. During the creation of your itinerary and until it is confirmed with a financial commitment, all bookings are subject to availability. Before any deposits are made, all services will be booked and secured as per your detailed offer.

Booking errors

If any errors occur in your bookings then we are responsible for that, whether it is a fault made by our staff or our systems. We are not responsible for booking errors if they occur due to a lack of information or misinformation from you. If the fault is due to uncontrollable or unavoidable circumstances then we are not responsible for errors in your bookings.

Client changes of contract prior to arrival

Any changes of services made between the booking confirmation / deposit and the arrival of the client, due to a request from the client, shall be arranged if possible. Any additional costs will be paid by the client before arrival. Requests for such changes shall be made in writing by the person who made the booking and will be dealt with as soon as possible. The results are subject to booking situations with suppliers, and general demand at the time of the change being made. If the changes are not possible and you decide to cancel your services then our “cancellation by client” section applies.

Client changes of contract during the trip

Any changes requested by the client during the trip will be handled as soon as possible and with regard to the request, booking situation and conditions at the time. All requests shall be made in writing/email by the client. Any additional costs generated by ad hoc changes fall upon the client. Excessive overtime that may be necessary due to short notice changes, can be calculated into added costs, along with other elements. In such cases Ad Astra will only ask for an appropriate amount, based on actual costs.

Ad Astra Luxury Travel is not liable to refund unused services, should the client choose not to do any contracted activities or tours during their trip.

Changes made by Ad Astra Luxury Travel prior to your arrival

Ad Astra reserves the right to make minor changes to your contract should circumstances demand. We will notify you immediately and propose the best solution or replacement available.

If significant changes to the outline of your itinerary are necessary due to unforeseeable circumstances we will notify you without delay. We may offer to move your travel arrangements to a later date, but if that is not possible on your end, we can offer a substitute package that may be adjusted to the relevant dates.

Should that package be of lower quality or cost – due, for example, to fewer days travelled with us – then we will adjust the pricing accordingly. If changes to your contract constitute what is considered significant changes or constitute a significant augmentation of cost (more than 8% increase of total cost) then you are also entitled to choose to cancel your trip.

Should you use your right, due to significant changes, to terminate the contract with us, then you can do so without any penalties to the cost of your travel package. Your refund for all travel arrangements minus the non-refundable 15% consultancy charge will be made within 14 days from notification of cancellation.

Changes made by Ad Astra Luxury Travel during your trip

The Icelandic weather changes very quickly and is the most common reason why tours and activities may need to be moved or changed. Your guide will be constantly monitoring the weather and will keep you informed should any changes need to be made for your safety, or the quality of your experience, either doe to ongoing weather problems or forecasts predicting them. Your guide, in collaboration with the back office, will then provide alternative options / plan B in order to keep the flow of your trip uninterrupted, or propose new timing of that activity/tour if possible.

Ad Astra Luxury Travel is highly concerned about our client's safety and overall contentment, and we rely on our experts in each area of the country to provide accurate and reliable information. We reserve the right to adjust tours or activities when deemed necessary.

In case of unavoidable and unforeseen events / force majeure Ad Astra is not liable for damages or amends. But we will do our very best to assist you in such cases.

Health

Ad Astra cannot be held responsible if you are unable to participate in some of the tours or activities due to any physical restrictions. Please provide any relevant information that may be necessary for us to create and perform the perfect program for your condition, should that be necessary.

In case of any allergies or specific food needs, please notify us while tailoring your program so we can arrange the food plan or propose restaurants to accommodate that.

Assistance in case of health problems

In case of an unforeseen health emergency or need of a doctor Ad Astra will assist you in getting in touch with the appropriate doctor or hospital as soon as possible and provide transfer as needed. If there is a significant cost that derives from a case where assistance is needed then we are allowed to charge an amount that is in accordance with that cost.

Any cost for health assistance in Iceland is not the responsibility of Ad Astra.

Should you contract covid19 virus during your stay, Icelandic authorities have the right to quarantine you, and that is out of our control. Ad Astra does not have any say against any actions required to contain the spread of the virus nor covers any costs.

Personal information and privacy

Ad Astra Luxury Travel respects and does not collect any personal information from our clients unless it is voluntarily offered in order to better tailor your trip. All information that you provide us with will solely be used to make sure that the people and suppliers that are providing service to you may do so perfectly. No information is provided to any third party that is not involved with your tour or services needed to complete your package.

We operate under the national data protection law that controls the use and protection of data. Should you submit your credit card information to Ad Astra Luxury Travel then it will only be used in order to pay for additional services requested by you or changes of services requested by you that entail more cost than originally quoted in your contract.

Liability of Ad Astra Travel to clients

We are liable to provide services as promised in our contracts and make any amends for those services, should you have the right to compensation.

If you, during your stay, find that there is any lack of quality / conformity in the performance of your package versus what is listed in your contract, you need to notify us without any delay so that we may either offer you a solution or compensation should our solutions not be acceptable. The cost of such remedy can not be disproportionate but all effort will be made to provide equally good or better services instead of the lacking ones.

If we are not able to perform a significant portion of your trip while you are touring with us then we will offer an alternative program, given that you would accept such a program. Should that program be of lower quality, an appropriate price reduction will be offered. If we are unable to provide an alternative program or our substitutes are unacceptable then you are entitled to a price reduction taking into account the lost portion of the trip and the effect on the whole arrangement.

You are allowed to reject the alternative arrangements we offer, only if it is of lesser quality then the original package.

Where lack of conformity is the result of your actions, of a third party unrelated to your trip or extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances then you are not entitled to compensation

Uncontrollable and unavoidable circumstances

Uncontrollable Circumstances means any act or event that prevents a party from performing its obligations, or complying with any conditions that it must comply with, under this Agreement if such act or event was not caused by and is beyond the reasonable control of the party relying thereon as justification for such nonperformance or noncompliance. Such acts or events include, without limitation but only to the extent not caused by and outside the reasonable control of the applicable party, acts of God, explosion, fire, epidemic, earthquake, flood or similar cataclysmic occurrence, act of the public enemy, war, blockade, insurrection, riot, civil disturbance, or restrictions or restraints imposed by law or by rule, regulation or order of governmental authorities, whether Federal, state or local.

Hotel in case of rupture of contract

In the case where a client uses their right to terminate a contract, but can by no means return home, then Ad Astra must pay for up to three nights of accommodation of similar quality for the client.

In case of pregnant women, children traveling on their own, handicapped or disabled persons and their assistants, the three day restriction does not apply if Ad Astra Luxury Travel has been informed about their condition in less than 48 hours before start of services.

If extraordinary and unforeseeable conditions prevent you from returning home then Ad Astra is not obligated to pay for the accommodation. Those conditions could include as examples acts of terror, weather, volcanic eruptions, political crises, pandemics etc.

Name changes

You have a right to change the name on the contract with seven days written notice, should you not be able to use your travel arrangements with us. Any additional cost that comes from such a change falls on you. You and the person that will use your contract are jointly responsible for the financial obligations to Ad Astra Luxury Travel. It is also your duty to inform of any physical problems that could prevent the new party to fully enjoy and participate in every aspect of all components in the contract. We try to provide minor changes to meet the needs of the new party as much as possible, depending on availability. The new party is STRONGLY advised to read the terms and conditions before entering the contract.

In regard to name changes, Ad Astra does not accept minors under 18 years old traveling alone since in Iceland they are not able to make legally binding contracts.

Jurisdiction

Any disputes will be resolved in the Icelandic court of law.

Information

Ad Astra Luxury Travel does not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of this site. Our terms and conditions are subject to Icelandic Act on Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements no 95 from 2018.