• Brochure -- A printed folder describing a tour or a package and specifying the conditions of the offering.
• Carrier -- Any organization that deals in transporting passengers or goods.
• Commission -- The amount paid by the supplier (carrier, hotel, tour operator, etc.) to the travel agent for selling transportation, accommodations, or other services.
• Conditions -- The section or clause of a transportation or tour contract (often the last page of a brochure) that specifies what is offered to the purchaser. A condition clause often specifies what is not offered and may spell out the circumstances under which all or part of the contract may be invalidated. (Also referred to as the participants' agreement, terms and conditions, or responsibility clause.)
• Confirmed Reservation -- An oral or written confirmation by a supplier that it has received and will honor a reservation.
• Escort -- A person who accompanies a tour from departure to return, as guide, trouble shooter, etc., or a person who performs such factions only at the destination (also known as a "host").
• Escorted Tour -- Prearranged travel program, usually for a group, with escort service or sightseeing program conducted by a guide.
• Escrow or Trust Account -- Deposit account in a bank maintained by the charter operator that protects passenger funds until services are performed.
• Extension -- A fully arranged subtour offered optionally at extra cost to buyers of a tour or cruise. Extensions may occur before, during, or after the basic travel package.
• Gateway -- City, airport, or area from which a flight or tour departs.
  Group Inclusive Tour (GIT)--A prepaid tour of specified minimum group size, components, and value.
• Guaranteed Tour -- A travel program guaranteed to operate unless cancelled before an established cutoff date (see Conditions)
• Australian Federation Travel Agents (A.F.T.A) -- An organization concerned with developing and administering educational programs for travel agents.
• No Show -- A passenger or guest who fail to use or cancel his or her reservation.
• Overbooking -- The practice by a supplier of confirming reservations beyond capacity in expectation of cancellations or no shows; or, the same result due to error. Many carriers have admitted that they intentionally overbook their flights because of the high number of passengers who are no shows.
• Package or Package Tour -- Any advertised tour. Often a tour to a single destination that includes prepaid transportation, accommodations, and some combination of other tour features--meals, transfers, sight-seeing, car rental, etc.
• Tour -- Any prearranged (but not necessarily prepaid) journey to one or more places and back to the point of origin.
• Tour Operator -- A company that creates a package tour and/or performs tour services. Most tour operators sell both through travel agents and directly to clients.
• Travel Agent -- A person or company that promotes and sells transportation and related services, including
  travel packages.

• Fed -- The Australian federal agency that regulates air transportation to and
  from the as well as within Australia.
• Charter Operator -- A company that makes all the arrangements to permit individuals to participate on a single itinerary in a public charter and that is directly responsible to the charter participants (see Public Charter).
• Direct Flight -- Air transportation on which the passenger does not have to change planes. Not necessarily nonstop.
• OW -- One-way airfare.
• Public Charter -- Air transportation alone, or air transportation together with hotel and other land arrangements, organized by a charter operator and generally priced below regularly scheduled air service.
• RT -- Round-trip airfare.
• Standby -- A conditional status. The holder of a standby ticket is not eligible to board his or her flight until all passengers who have or want confirmed reservations have been accommodated.

• Land Terms -- includes those services available to a traveler after he or she has reached his or her destination.
• Bed and Breakfast -- Overnight accommodations usually in a private home or boarding house with breakfast included in the rate.
• Continental Plan (CP) -- Hotel rate that includes bed and continental breakfast (usually at least a beverage and rolls or toast, sometimes juice).
• Double -- Any hotel plan for two persons; more specifically, a room with a double bed.
• Double Room Rate -- The full price of a room for two people. (Be careful: Some say double and mean double occupancy.)
• European Plan -- Hotel rate with bed only; meals extra.
• Family Plan -- A discount schedule offered by some hotels and resorts to second and successive members of families who travel together.
• Guaranteed Payment Reservation -- A hotel reservation secured by the guest's agreement to pay for his room whether he uses it or not. Payment is usually guaranteed by a company, travel agent, or tour wholesaler who has an established credit rating with the hotel, or by use of a credit card as a guarantee.

The following are generally understood throughout Australia, and to an extent, the world, but it is sometimes difficult to know whether a hotel is being described by a reliable source. There is neither an official nor universally accepted rating system for Australian hotels.

• Deluxe -- Top-grade hotel; all rooms have private bath; all the usual public rooms and services provided; high standard of decor and services maintained.
• 1st Class -- Medium-range hotel; at least some rooms with private bath; most of the usual public rooms and services are provided.
• Tourist (Economy or 2nd Class) -- Budget operations; few or no private baths; services may be very limited.

The Official Hotel & Resort Guide (OHRG), which is often referred to by travel agents, further subdivides these three categories into three groups: superior, average, and moderate. Thus, a deluxe/superior hotel rates with the best in the world and a 1 st class/average hotel is about midrange. In Australia many hotels are rated according to the international five-star system under which a five-star hotel is best. In general, three-star and better hotels (and a few two-star properties) would be suitable for Austalian travelers.

• Per Person Double Occupancy Rate -- The price per person for a room to be shared with another person; the rate most frequently quoted in tour brochures (often abbreviated: pp. dbl. occ.).
• Single Supplement -- An extra charge assessed to a tour purchased for single accommodations.
• Transfer -- Local transportation and baggage handling service, as from one carrier terminal to another, from a terminal to a hotel or from a hotel to a theater. The conditions of a tour contract should specify whether transfers are private car or motorcoach and whether escort service is provided.

Pay particular attention to the following:

• Small Print or Asterisks -- Asterisks are commonly used to indicate restrictions --required length of stay, particular days and/or time of departure, or additional charges.
• Availability -- When you make your booking Holidays Allover will confirm that the travel services are currently available at advertised prices. If the travel service at the advertised price is not immediately effective, you will be told.
• Extra Charges -- Any extra charges such as port taxes, service charges, or single supplement charges will be disclosed before you book.
• Features -- If the brochure/advertisement states, for example, you can play golf or you will be able to visit an amusement park, it does not necessarily mean that these attractions will be included in the travel program for the advertised price.

• What features are included in the package price:
  • airfare
  • hotel
  • transfers
  • sightseeing
  • gratuities
  • baggage handling
  • meals
  • mileage charges (where a car rental is involved)
  • The total number of nights in each city and hotel, as well as the amount of free time you will have on the tour.
  • The daily itinerary/schedule of events.
  • The name of each hotel and the type (grade) of accommodations offered by each.
  • Whether the tour is escorted and, if so, to what degree.
    
• Conditions -- You should pay special attention to the contents of the "conditions" clause, which you will need to accept before your booking with Holidays Allover can be accepted.
• What are the cancellation penalties? What is considered a valid reason for either you or the tour operator to cancel the trip
• What are the "major changes" under which a tour operator will give you a full refund?
• Abbreviations -- Common abbreviations used in our web site.
  o CP -- Continental plan
  o dep. -- departure date
  o FIT -- foreign independent travel
  o GIT -- group inclusive tour
  o OW -- one-way
  o pp. dbl.occ. -- per person double occupancy
  o RT -- round-trip
  o single supp -- single supplement

When booking reservations through Holidays Allover you will be told:

1. The name and address of the tour operator
2. Has the advertised price a changed? Do the charges you pay match the charges you expected?
3. How far in advance s full payment required?
4. How much deposi is required?
5. What is the confirmation procedure? (Warning: Confirmations have limitations??for example, a hotel is not
obligated to honor a reservation if the guest arrives after 6 p.m., unless late arrival is specified. However, if the reservation is guaranteed, then that hotel is obligated to honor it.)

Remember -- Purchasing a travel package has the advantage of convenience and, in many cases, value--but you must do your homework. Use the Glossary of Travel Terminology and Buyer's Checklist to help you understand what the various packages have to offer, and whether they are right for you. Bon voyage!