GLOBAL SEMINARS Educational Tours

PLANNING - Table of Contents:

DESIGN

BUDGETING

PAYMENTS (See Full Details Below)

REQUIREMENTS

PAYMENTS

Contents Below:

Timing
Bank Transfer Information
Refund in Case of Group Cancellation
Refund in Case of Individual Passenger Cancellation
The relevant portions of the Ten-Step Planning Process:

STEP SIX - 5% Deposit Starts Our Detailed Research
STEP EIGHT - 2 MO PRIOR - Send 15% (20% Total)
STEP NINE - 2 WKS PRIOR - Full Pymt Total)

Timing
Global Seminars asks for payments from you in three transfers:

5% as soon as you are serious about proceeding with us to develop a tour (Step Six below)
15% (for 20% total) two months prior to your arrival (Step Eight below)
80% (for 100% total) two weeks prior (Step Nine below)
We also recommend that you gather and bring with you additional funds as a contingengy fund (see below).

Bank Transfer Information
You or your travel agent can transfer funds to the following bank - while simultaneously faxing Global Seminars (Fax: 1-510-527-9390) a copy of your bank receipt for the transfer so we know to expect it. Global Seminars will acknowledge funds arrival with a receipt to you as soon as it has cleared at our bank:

Account Title: "Global Seminars"
Bank of America
Albany Branch #0702
Address: 1516 Solano Ave., Albany CA 94707 USA
Telephone: 1-520-649-6600
Bank Routing Number 121000358; Account Number: 07021-15248

Refund in Case of Group Cancellation
Global Seminars will refund deposits made after deducting and listing for you any non-refundable deposits Global Seminars has made with your funds - and after deducting US$50 per calendar day for all calendar days between your initial 5% deposit and the date of group cancellation (to cover a small portion of the effort Global Seminars has put into the planning effort - Global Seminars accepting the remainder of the loss).

Refund in Case of Passenger Cancellation
Two Months prior to the beginning of your tour, Global Seminars will need a name roster (with gender, underlined family name, nationality, passport number and date of birth and special dietary or disability requirements).

Replacement by you of one passenger for another typically involves no additional cost (one possible exception would be if US domestic air ticketing requires a fee for the change). Global Seminars will pass any such cost, if any, along to you.

Reduction of the total number of passengers agreed upon and listed two months prior will involve a cancellation fee in two parts. One part will be any non-refundable deposits that Global Seminars has made for which cancellation creates a specific loss - which will be listed and passed on to you. The second part of the cancellation fee will be according to the following schedule:

cancellation two months or more prior: only specific losses
cancellation between one and two months prior: specific losses plus 1/3 of the tour cost as cancellation fee for the cancelling students.
cancellation between two weeks and one month prior: specific losses plus 1/2 of the tour cost as cancellation fee for the cancelling students.
cancellation less than two weeks prior: specific losses plus 2/3 of the tour cost as cancellation fee for the cancelling students.
illness or early return during the tour: specific losses plus 100% of the tour cost as cancellation fee for the effected students.

"Tour Cost" mentioned above refers to the domestic "ground package" in the countries being toured, i.e. the program provided by Global Seminars. Cancellation fees for international airfare, insurance, etc. provided by your travel agent will be determined by your travel agent.

Below are the relevant portions of
the Ten-Step Planning Process:

STEP SIX
Your 5% Deposit Launches Our Detailed Research

The more detailed research by Global Seminars on the specifics of your itinerary and negotiations with suppliers of housing, food and transportation cannot begin until after we have your 5% of the cost we have together determined for the group size projected. For bank transfer and refund information see Planning: Payments.

STEP EIGHT - 2 MONTHS PRIOR
You Send 15% (20% Total)

Two Months prior to the beginning of your tour, Global Seminars will need a name roster (with gender, underlined family name, nationality, passport number and date of birth and special dietary or disability requirements).

At this point we will have agreement on a Detailed Itinerary and many of the major costs of the tour must be paid to suppliers by Global Seminars. Minor itinerary changes often occur in the final two months prior to a tour as you or we have new ideas or as our educational collaborators (who often are volunteering their time) surprize us with scheduling or other issues.

At this point the group size should be determined closely enough that the final per participant cost will be known - although minor group size changes often occur in the final two months prior to a tour. For bank transfer and refund information see Planning: Payments.

STEP NINE - 2 WEEKS PRIOR
Full Payment Due (100% total)

Global Seminars must ask you not to fly and cannot begin your tour unless full payment is in our accounts and has cleared. For bank transfer and refund information see Planning: Payments.

Also at this point, two weeks prior to the tour, proof of full health and accident insurance, including policy numbers and contact information, to cover all travelers should be faxed to Global Seminars.

Also at this point, two weeks prior to the tour, the group escort should fax Global Seminars the Agreement and Medical Authorization forms for all travelers or, for groups over 20, a certified letter stating they have all such forms and will give them to Global Seminars immediately upon arrival. See Planning: Requirements.

Other Planning Topics: