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Important Travel Information for Sunbird Tours Starting in London

This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird. The trip begins in London, and the group flights between London and the tour country are included in the tour cost. We strongly recommend that you join the tour in London, as that removes a range of problems that can arise if you attempt to meet the group in the tour country.

Some of you may still prefer to fly directly to the tour country. This is permitted. The WINGS office can give you details of the group flights and the amount to be deducted from your invoice for the unused group flights.

Please note that Sunbird’s group flight schedule can change at any time (to say nothing of delays!), and participants, whether joining and leaving the group in London or in the tour country, should not schedule their connections to be too tight (see Note 2 and Note 3 below).

Note 1: Pricing Group Fares. The flights arranged by Sunbird are usually at quite inexpensive group fares. However, these fares are not confirmed until Sunbird either buys the ticket or, in some cases, pays a large non-refundable deposit. Both of these actions require that Sunbird give the airline the name of the passenger. Until such actions are taken, the price of the flights may increase above what was costed into the tour price. Please note that Sunbird may be required to make deposits on or to purchase NON-REFUNDABLE air tickets for you immediately. In such a case, we will send you a “flights-only” invoice to cover that cost.

If you make a late request to be included in the group flight from London, it is possible that the lower-priced group fares will no longer be available. If that happens, we may have to add a surcharge to your invoice to cover the increased price of the ticket.

Note 2: Canceling Group Fares. If you request a Sunbird group flight and then change your mind or cancel your participation in the tour, you will be billed for the amount of the non-refundable deposit (if any) paid to hold your seat, regardless of when you change your mind or cancel. These deposits may be as much as 100% of the price of the ticket.

Note 3: Joining the Group in London. If you plan to join the group in London, please wait to book your flights to and from London until the tour and its flights have been confirmed (for most tours, this is 70 days before departure). Note that participants traveling to London to connect with Sunbird-organized tour flights should arrive at least 12 hours before the scheduled departure times. Flight schedules out of London can change significantly, even up to just a few days before departure. Changing the departure leg of flights is often expensive, even assuming that seats are available, and catching up with missed connections is always frustrating and often very expensive. Homeward connections require less of a buffer, in part because return times can be changed with smaller penalties; but all the same, onward connections should not be scheduled to be too tight.

Note 4: Joining the Group in the Tour Country. If you plan to join the group in the tour country, please wait to book your connecting flights until the tour and its flights have been confirmed (for most tours, this is 70 days before departure). Note that participants traveling to the tour country should arrive at least 12 hours before the Sunbird group is scheduled to arrive from London. Flight schedules out of London can change significantly, even just a few days before departure. Changing the departure leg of flights is often expensive, even assuming that seats are available, and catching up with missed connections is always frustrating and often very expensive. Homeward connections require less of a buffer, in part because return times can be changed with smaller penalties, but all the same, onward connections should not be scheduled to be too tight.

Please contact us as soon as possible to advise us which of the following two options you intend to exercise:

  1. I would like to take the group flights organized by Sunbird from London. I understand that Sunbird may be required to purchase these tickets at any time, and that I am responsible for any penalties should I cancel my participation in the tour, irrespective of when I cancel. I understand that these penalties may be as much as 100% of the ticket price.

  2. I plan to make my own travel arrangements to the tour country. Please send me the schedule of the Sunbird flights when it is available and a statement of the amount to be deducted from my invoice.

We would appreciate your keeping the WINGS office apprised of your travel arrangements so that we can make sure that your travel schedule will mesh smoothly with the group schedule at the beginning and end of the tour, whether in London or in the tour country.

Updated: November 2009