FAQS

The European Union are introducing changes for travel to Europe.
 
- The EES (EU Entry/Exit System) will replace the stamping of passports which currently takes place. From 10th November 2024, upon arrival to an EU country, you will have your photograph taken and fingerprints scanned. There may be a slight wait at immigration the first time you travel to the EU after this date as your images will be added to the database. 

- The ETIAS system (European Travel Information and Authorisation System, similar to the US Esta) is scheduled for mid-2025. Further details on the process for applying for your ETIAS will be updated here once the information is published.

For more information, ABTA have put together a guide which you can access here.

More information on EES can be found here - EES - European Union (europa.eu).

The official ETIAS website is www.europa.eu/etias.

When you call us, you are guaranteed a personalised and high-quality service that is tailored to your specific travel preferences. We ensure your experience is seamless with all details taken care of. We take the time to listen and understand your travel needs to ensure you have the holiday of a lifetime. You can expect a high level of professionalism, personalisation, and a commitment to creating an extraordinary travel experience tailored to you.

Our Personal Travel Planners will share their expert advice about various destinations and recommendations to help you make informed decisions about your travel plans. Based on your preferences our team can design a tailored itinerary that includes flights, accommodation, private transfers and experiences that match your interests. Your Personal Travel Planners will be with you every step of the way to ensure a memorable trip. 

Entry restrictions for our destinations are changing frequently, with many easing their restrictions all the time. For the most up-to-date information we will get in touch with you by phone 7-10 days prior to your departure. You can also check our Travel with Confidence page for more information in the meantime.

Your balance can be paid in full or by instalments here Pay your balance online.
 
To make a payment you will require:

• Booking reference
• Lead passenger surname
• Departure date

You can also make a card payment by calling 01293 699990.

 The full balance of the holiday must be paid no later than 14 weeks prior to departure. Failure to do this may result in your holiday being cancelled and charges made accordingly.

For customers where travel is within 14 weeks of the booking date you will need to pay the full cost of the holiday at the time of booking, by debit or credit card.

Your Personal Travel Planner will confirm your final balance due date.

Instalment Payment

You now have the option to pay for your holiday in monthly instalments using your debit or credit card. You will be able to select which day of the month to set as your scheduled monthly payment date, then sit back and wait for the arrival of your travel documents. If you wish to enrol at a later date please call us on 01293 699990. Full balance must be paid no later than 16 weeks prior to departure. There is no additional charge for this service.

We offer a deposit scheme on many of our bookings. If a deposit is payable your Personal Travel Planner will advise the amount to secure your holiday.

Once you have confirmed your booking either on-line or with your Personal Travel Planner, you will receive your Booking Confirmation & Invoice from us within 24-hours.

Your itinerary and final travel documentation will be sent via email a minimum of 10 days prior to your departure.* 

Please note that all flights now operate an e-ticket system, and most accommodations and transfers no longer require vouchers.

We do recommend that you keep a copy of your document handy when you travel in case you need it at the airport or on arrival at your hotel.

*As we step up our efforts to minimise our paper usage and carbon footprint, we are no longer sending correspondence by post.

Your Personal Travel Planner will call you by phone 7-10 days before you travel to check we have the correct mobile number you are taking abroad.

For arrival transfers, please view your itinerary for specific information on pick up points.

For holidays to Greece, you will be handed a welcome letter by your driver which details your return transfer information. Where we have your mobile number, we will also send your departure pickup time via SMS message to you.

For holidays to Spain or Cyprus, your departure pickup time will be sent to you via SMS message where we have your mobile telephone number. You will also receive this information delivered to your hotel 24 – 48 hours before your departure.

For any other destination, for onward and/or return transfers, where we have your mobile telephone number, we will text you with your departure pick up information. You will also receive this information delivered to your hotel 24 – 48 hours before your departure

All relevant contact details, including emergency contact, will be found in your final travel documentation which you will be issued a minimum of 10 days prior to departure . Your Personal Travel Planner will also run through this information with you on the phone when they call you 7-10 days before you travel.

Certain destinations around the world require airlines to disinfect the passenger cabin with insecticide sprays prior to arrival and/or departure. This is to prevent the spread of insect related diseases such as Malaria and Dengue fever.

Depending on the routing; this may take place with passengers on board the aircraft. Cabin Crew should announce this prior to any spraying commencing.

Should you have any medical condition please alert the cabin crew upon boarding the aircraft .

As many airlines operate different policies regarding hold baggage, we have provided the information below as a guide (updated May 2022). Should you wish to enquire about opportunities to upgrade your flight in any way, please do not hesitate contact our Customer Service department on the number stated on your itinerary.

Unless otherwise stated on your itinerary, your flight will consist of the following:

Yes, most airlines allow you to check-in online. Please see below information on how to check-in online for individual airlines (updated May 2022).

Seats with extra space can be pre-booked on a number of airlines for an extra charge, however these are subject to availability and some airlines do not allow you to prebook. These seats are often close or next to emergency exit doors, behind a bulkhead or behind a dividing wall. They may therefore have additional space in front of the seat, but not always additional room to stretch your legs out. To check availability and book extra legroom seats please call our Customer Services Team.

Emergency exit row seats are only available to passengers who are able to move quickly and operate the emergency exit without difficultly if necessary, in line with European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) regulations. These regulations have been put in place by the EASA and are for the safety of all passengers. The cabin crew have the final say and we kindly ask that their decisions are respected.

Some factors can restrict passengers from using exit seats:

• physical or mental impairment or disability
• age or sickness
• physical size
• who requires an extension seatbelt
• passengers who have difficulty moving quickly
• anyone under the age of 14 (whether accompanied or not)
• those under the influence of alcohol
• travelling with an assistance animal

Cabin / Hand / Carry On Baggage - All Airlines

All airlines have differing specifications for cabin baggage. Due to the nature and the number of restrictions, which may be destination specific, we advise all passengers to check the relevant airline's website for full comprehensive details.

Please note that on some of our British Airways routes, there may be restrictions on the benefits that you would normally receive as an Executive Club Member. These restrictions occur when the seats are bought from an allocation we have on certain routes. If you would like clarification on whether these restrictions occur on the flights you would like to select, please call us and one of our Personal Travel Experts will be able to detail any restrictions or find alternatives for you where there are no restrictions.

If you or any of your party have a Special Assistance request, please call our team on 01293 762402 with your quote reference to hand. 

If you have already made a holiday booking with us, we will endeavour to make sure your requirements are met.

Wheelchair and special assistance for passengers with reduced mobility and/or sensory impairments can be provided at most airports. It is essential that you arrange this with us at the time of booking to avoid disappointment. If you do not make this request in advance, we cannot guarantee that the service will be available. Simply contact us on 01293 762402 for all new enquiries and existing bookings and tell us the type of assistance required.

If you are planning on taking your own wheelchair we will need to notify the airline of your wheelchair and its dimensions and weight and request for you to use it through the airport; however the final decision lies with the airport staff upon check-in. We would recommend that you also request for airport assistance at the time of booking in case the airport staff does advise you to check-in your own wheelchair, you will get an airport wheelchair to use.

You will need to inform us of any medication if you are travelling to the United Arab Emirates.

All Travellers to the Emirates are advised to check whether their medication is on the approved drugs list provided by the Ministry of Health on the following website address http://www.uaeembassyuk.net/ or contact via the telephone on 0207 581 1281.

For any other destinations, it is recommended that you carry a repeat prescription with the medication in its original pharmacy packaging or a doctor's letter confirming any liquid medication that exceeds the 100ml per bottle limit.

Please inform us of any medical equipment, including medication you will need to use onboard your flight as it may need to be cleared with the airline.

Yes, majority of our Suppliers will have these and we would need to contact them for availability and costs for your dates. Please contact us on 01293 762402 for new enquiries and existing bookings to make arrangements.

This will depend on your party size and the size of vehicle used by our Suppliers in Resort. We would need to contact them to advise of any mobility aids to check and/or arrange vehicle size if needed. If a larger vehicle is required, there may be additional charges incurred.

Some of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: caa.co.uk/home/.

Please see our booking conditions at https://www.sovereign.com/about/terms-and-policies/. For more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk. We will provide you with financial protection for any package holidays you buy from us that do not include travel by air by way of a bond held by ABTA. For further information, visit the ABTA website at https://abta.com/. If you book arrangements other than an ATOL protected flight or a package holiday, the financial protection referred to above does not apply. Our ATOL number is 0285 and our ABTA number is V4068.

If you made your booking through a Travel Agent your certificate will be handed to you at the agency.

If you made your booking online direct with us, a certificate will be sent to you via email shortly after your complete your booking.

If you made your booking direct with us via our Call Centre, your certificate will be emailed to you shortly after we complete your booking, or if you do not have an email address your certificate will be posted to you within 24 hours Monday-Friday / 48 hours Saturday-Sunday.