Essential information.
Transfers, coaches, accommodation, lift passes, cashless wristbands. The practical detail that sits alongside your Travel Package Conditions and forms part of your contract with SBH Events Limited.
FULL DOCUMENT — ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
This information forms part of your contract with SBH Events Limited ("us") and should be read in conjunction with our Travel Package Conditions. All definitions within this information have the meaning given to them in the Travel Package Conditions unless the context suggests otherwise. When you make a purchase via the Snowbombing website, all transaction details that you provide to us (including your name and card details) will be held and used in accordance with our Privacy & Cookies Statement.
01 — AIRPORT TRANSFERS
1.1 In order to maintain economic viability and still offer as many airport transfers as possible, we often need to combine airport transfer routes to and from the resorts for passengers on arriving and departing flights for the outbound and inbound journey of the airport transfers.
1.2 This means that you could incur additional waiting time on arrival and return to the airport for transfers. In each instance, we will do our best to keep waiting times to a minimum. If you experience any flight delays we cannot guarantee availability on alternative transfers however we will endeavour to accommodate flight delays wherever we can. Please note our transfer service is only operational during set times.
1.3 Whilst rare, airport transfers that involve crossing national borders may be subject to delays as a result of immigration control and customs. Therefore, should approximate timings be given, these may sometimes be longer than anticipated and are given as a guideline, we cannot guarantee journey times.
1.4 Please bear in mind that the transfers may stop to allow a driver break or to change drivers in order to comply with the driving hours' legislation.
1.5 It may be necessary for you to change transfers at a central transport hub should the conditions and operational logistics require such a change of vehicle.
1.6 If we are unable to drop you directly at your accommodation, as some roads are very narrow and cannot accommodate e.g., a coach, you will be dropped as close as feasibly possible.
1.7 We cannot guarantee a representative will be on board each individual airport transfer. However, reps or our staff will always be on hand to show you to your respective airport transfer on the outbound and inbound leg of your transfer.
1.8 It is your responsibility to be at the location at the time and date specified to board your transfer. Should you miss your airport transfer we will not provide a refund and are not liable for any additional costs for alternative travel.
1.9 The driver of the airport transfer has overall and sole responsibility for the safety of the passengers and vehicle at all times. The driver may eject any passenger from the vehicle at the closest safe location if they believe their behaviour may risk the safety of themselves or other passengers or is in breach of Public Service Vehicle (conduct of drivers, inspectors, conductors and passengers) Regulations 1990 or such other applicable law or regulation. The driver may refuse to allow a passenger to board the vehicle or eject them from the vehicle if in their sole discretion he/she considers them unfit to travel for whatever reason (for example, being drunk or abusive). The driver may refuse to continue a journey if in his sole discretion he/she considers any passenger to be behaving in such a way as may put the safety of other persons and/or the contents of the vehicle and/or the vehicle itself at risk.
1.10 If any damages or loss is caused, the individual or group is responsible, and charges must be paid at the time directly to the supplier. If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claim subsequently made against us as a result as well as our own and the supplier's legal costs.
1.11 At any time if 1.9 and 1.10 are not adhered to, at our total discretion, we reserve the right at all times, without prior notice to, refuse travel outbound or inbound, deactivate your wristband, restrict access to the Event or terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned without prejudice to any other rights we may have against you.
1.12 In any of the above circumstances no refunds will be made or compensation paid. We may also make a claim against you (and/or instigate criminal proceedings) if your behaviour has resulted in additional costs to us. You will become responsible for sourcing alternative arrangements and onward travel.
1.13 Airport transfers are offered as a standalone option and are sold in time slots, which are based on published flight times. We will not, in any case, accept any responsibility for cancelled, delayed, re-scheduled flight times or re-routed flights purchased through a third party that impacts on the booked airport transfer. Should a booked flight be cancelled, delayed, have its flight times re-schedule or should the flight be re-routed by the airline, we cannot amend published airport transfer schedules in order to accommodate such changes as airport transfers provide transport for passengers to meet multiple inbound and outbound flight.
1.14 We will not monitor any changes to the flight details that are noted to meet airport transfers once the original flight times have been published on www.snowbombing.com. Should any flight be cancelled, delayed, have its flight times re-schedule or should the flight be re-routed by the airline after an airport transfer has been booked, it is the responsibility of the individual that has made the booking to make us or our agent aware of any such flight changes.
1.15 Should a flight change occur and any booked airport transfer need to be amended then this will be viewed as an amendment and administration fees will apply as outlined in clause 9 of our Travel Package Conditions.
1.16 There are limitations to our schedule and the times we run airport transfers to and from the airport. If you notify us of any changes to your arrival or departure time (including but not limited by reason of flight delay), we will try to accommodate you on the next available transfer where possible (subject to availability). However, there is no guarantee and we will not be responsible for additional costs incurred by you should you need to arrange alternative travel or miss onward travel as a result.
02 — COACH TRAVEL
2.1 When travelling by coach from the UK to the resort you must be at your specified pick-up point at the time stated, final details of which, including the location of the pickup point can be found on your e-ticket.
2.2 Coach pick-up times are subject to change. Your confirmed departure times will be shown on your e-ticket which will be emailed to you before travel.
2.3 Your UK pick-up point and drop off point must be the same location. Coach pick-up (on the way to the Event) & drop off (on the way back from the Event) points are offered throughout the UK from specific locations, which are shown at the time of booking.
2.4 Should a pick-up / drop off point be cancelled by us, passengers will be offered either:
a) If available, places on a coach from an alternative, suitable pick up/drop off point within relatively easy access of the original, cancelled pick up/drop off point. This alternative pick-up location will be the default drop off point on the return.
b) A full refund of the coach travel cost only, thereby allowing passengers to use this refund towards making their own travel arrangements to and from the Event.
2.5 Coaches are not necessarily assigned to a specific group of individuals nor are coaches necessarily assigned to only one pick-up point. We reserve the right to route coaches according to passenger pick up requirements therefore necessitating a possible number of pickups from various departure locations on the journey to and the journey back from the Event. No one group should assume they have exclusive use of a coach(s). Specific seats on a specific coach cannot be pre-booked. Seating is based on a first-come, first-served basis.
2.6 All passengers travelling aboard coaches provided by us and operated by our contracted suppliers agree to abide by all current legislation when on board. The consumption of alcoholic drinks, smoking and drug use is NOT permitted. All of the above are illegal and the driver and/or rep have the right to eject you from the coach. Failure to comply with this clause will be viewed as a breach of your contract with us.
2.7 If we fail to carry passengers to the destination for any reason such as, in the event of a delay due to mechanical failure, an accident/incident or force majeure we undertake to do our utmost to remedy the problem or to arrange an alternative vehicle or mode of transport at our expense as soon as reasonably possible. The time frame of this will be dependent upon the circumstances around how the delay occurred, operating hours of coach supply companies and availability over weekend and bank holidays where a replacement vehicle is required. We shall have no other liability as a result of any delay in performing our obligations.
2.8 We will make every effort to operate coaches of the standard described but cannot accept a claim on the basis of an inferior vehicle being used as a relief or replacement or in cases of force majeure. A delayed coach may necessitate reduced meal and comfort stops.
JOURNEY BREAKS
2.9 If a rest break is included on a journey, then it is the responsibility of the customer to return to the vehicle by the time stated by the driver. It is the customer's responsibility to speak to the representative or the driver to ascertain the time and location by which they must return to the vehicle. We shall not be liable if you miss the coach as a result of returning after this time or to the incorrect location. We will not reimburse any additional costs you may incur as a result of you missing the coach.
You may not board or disembark from a service except at the stated departure and arrival points on your ticket, except for any journey breaks deemed necessary by a representative or the driver.
DRIVERS' HOURS
The hours of operation for the drivers are regulated by law. Neither us nor any passenger shall delay or otherwise interrupt the journey in such a way that the driver is at risk of breaching regulations relating to driving hours and duty time.
YOUR LUGGAGE
Each passenger has a permitted luggage allowance of one soft shell (fabric) main bag up to 50cm x 50cm x 100cm and one item of hand luggage that may consist of a small bag and must be stored in the overhead storage or below your seat. No luggage can restrict aisles. All baggage remains the responsibility of the individual passenger at all times. Passengers are responsible for ensuring their luggage is loaded on and off their coach at the correct pick up and drop off points be it by the driver or the individual. We accept no responsibility for luggage left at pick up points. At all times the luggage that can be carried shall be at the sole discretion of the driver and of representatives of Snowbombing.
We will not take responsibility for any passengers' belongings whilst on the coach or in resort and this remains the sole responsibility of the passenger at all times. We do not accept any liability or lost luggage. We cannot be held liable for any luggage miss loaded or left behind or on board.
For safety reasons there are restrictions on what passenger property can be carried as luggage on our service. The following items are all prohibited from being carried on our service — any weapons, drugs or solvents (other than medicines) or any items which are in our opinion unsafe, or may cause injury or damage to property, or which are in considered by us to be unsuitable for carriage by reason of their weight, size, shape or character, or which are fragile or perishable, or items with sharp or protruding edges, or any items over 20kg in weight.
If you are found to have any of the above, prohibited items in your possession or within your luggage, we reserve the right to refuse travel and/or remove the items from the coach immediately. If you require confirmation as to whether a particular item may be carried, then you should obtain our written confirmation before processing your booking.
Ski or snowboard equipment taken on board is considered excess luggage and you will need to purchase carriage at the time of booking. If this is not purchased, we have the right to refuse to take equipment on board. This has to be booked in advance so we can consider loading factors. It is essential that you purchase in advance as there will be restrictions to adding items to your booking after the balance due date which can be found on your booking confirmation, this can be done online or by contacting our customer service team.
03 — ACCOMMODATION
3.1 All accommodation is as per description at the time of booking.
3.2 If you are arriving at your hotel or apartment by car or on a flight with a transfer not booked through us, it is very important that you notify us of your estimated arrival time prior to leaving the UK. Should you fail to do this in advance, we cannot guarantee that your accommodation will be open or available for check in.
3.3 Check-in is between 15.00 and 23:00 and check-out of rooms is between 10.00 and 11.00 irrespective of your time of departure. These times are a guideline only, please check with your accommodation directly. Not all accommodation will have 24-hour check-in facilities, if you're arriving outside the specified check-in times please contact customerservice@snowbombing.com. Some hotels/apartments are able to provide a room for bags/cases etc. but please check with the reception on your arrival. Such facilities may be shared with other guests.
3.4 There may be specific times your apartment or hotel reception is open, and we cannot be responsible if you fail to obtain your keys before the reception closes. Many hotels ask for a credit card imprint when you check-in to cover accidents.
3.5 In Austria and some other European countries, 'Austrian twins' are one large base with 2 mattresses and 2 quilts.
3.6 Most 2-person rooms are sold as 'Double/Twin' rooms and sleep 2 people. These could be a double bed, an Austrian twin, or a standard twin room.
3.7 Due to the quantity and variety of accommodation on offer there is no guarantee of the room sizes and/or layout. Occupancy can be accommodated in a number of ways, including but not limited to; Austrian twin, single, double, sofa bed and/or bunk beds.
3.8 We cannot guarantee room requests, and whilst we will try our utmost to adhere to requests — these may not be possible in every case and cannot be certified.
3.9 Not all accommodation will accept credit card payments — please check at time of booking.
APARTMENTS
Prices for apartments are based on the number of people specified to fully occupy an apartment.
All apartment bookings will be subject to a cleaning fee.
All apartments are allocated up to 1 week before the Event.
Our apartments may not be in the same building or next to each other and we cannot guarantee that groups booking will have apartments close to each other or even in the same building, although we will do our utmost to accommodate groups together. Apartments are often privately owned and even in the same block vary in layout and size and in the actual facilities and furnishings they offer.
Due to demand and variation of layout, if larger apartments are booked and at the time of allocation, we are unavailable to accommodate your group size, you will be allocated separate apartments.
All apartments include towels and bed linen.
All apartments have kitchenettes, which are compact and equipped with basic equipment and 2 or 3 hobs. Some also have worktop ovens. Guests are normally expected to make their own beds on arrival. As there is such a variety, please check at the time of booking.
On arrival in your apartment, please check everything is present and in working order. Anything missing or broken must be reported to reception immediately or you may be charged for it. Please leave your accommodation as clean as you found it.
Apartments require a returnable deposit on arrival (approx. €200 – €300 per apartment, or €50 per person, according to type). Your deposit is held in case of extra cleaning, lost key or damage charges, or incidentals and refundable by the agency after you depart. This can usually be paid by credit card (Hotels) and is returned minus any charges incurred, after your apartment has been checked and/or your bill finalised. This may be after your return.
HOTELS
Prices in hotels are based on twin or double rooms (unless otherwise stated). All of our hotel prices are based on bed & breakfast.
Some Austrian saunas have a strict 'no clothing' rule when using the facilities, failure to adhere to this rule may result in you being asked to leave the facility.
We cannot guarantee that fitness suites provide the same range or type of equipment as a purpose-built gym.
Any hotels that have annexes which are sometimes in a separate building a short walk away. Please bear in mind that whilst many annexes provide access to the facilities of the property through which they are sold, rooms may not be of the same standard as the main property. This is usually reflected in the price reduction.
Hotels will require a copy of your credit card as a deposit in case of extra cleaning, lost key or damage charges, bar charges, or incidentals will be charged to you when you check-out.
Hotels may lock their main doors at a specified time. Please check with the hotel what time this is — especially if your arrival is likely to be late or you are delayed en route.
DEPOSITS
Upon checking in to your accommodation you may be charged a deposit, usually €50pp but this is dependent on the accommodation. This arrangement shall be strictly between the customer and the apartment or hotel owner/management.
You and your party will be liable for any cost incurred for damages and deposits will not be refundable unless the accommodation is left in the same standard found on arrival. We reserve the right to charge you for the full cost of any malicious damage you cause if it exceeds the amount of deposit held by the hotel.
We cannot accept responsibility or liability for the return or loss of such monies.
04 — OPTIONAL EXTRAS
4.1 We aim for the prices of pre-booked items to be less than those in resort, but we cannot guarantee this. Purchasing in advance however always allows you to spread the cost of your holiday more effectively and also saves you time on your arrival in resort.
4.2 Equipment hire, ski/snowboard lessons and lift passes are sold separately (we act as an agent for the suppliers of these services) and they are an extra cost to your holiday. Suppliers booking conditions apply and all equipment hire and lessons are subject to availability.
INSURANCE
It is essential that your insurance covers you for hired equipment. Many shops offer top-up insurance, and we recommend you take this. Details of this will be displayed in the shop and we recommend you read this. We will not be liable for any damage or theft of hired equipment. Any such matter will be to be resolved between you and the hire shop and your insurance company.
CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS
Once you have booked your equipment, lessons and lift passes, charges will apply to remove or downgrade these as outlined in our Travel Package Conditions. Once within 28 days of the event start date no refunds will be issued for cancellation of these optional extras.
LIFT PASSES
We offer a selection of durations based on customer demand from 3 day – 7 days (subject to variation), all lift passes are consecutive days. E-tickets will need to be exchanged at the lift pass office and are valid for use at the Penkenbahn, Ahornbahn and Horbergbahn. ID may be required along with a €2 refundable deposit on return of your lift pass. Lift operating hours can be found at the lift pass office.
SKI OR BOARD LESSONS
We will make the necessary introduction to SMT, our ski school provider who will be based in the Europahaus on arrival days, where you will need to present your e-ticket. Your lessons will always start the day after you arrive. You will then make arrangements directly with the supplier regarding lessons, meeting points and times.
EQUIPMENT
A scan of your e-ticket is required in exchange for your equipment which will be pre-allocated, and details can be found on your e-ticket. Please note we do our utmost to allocate shops based on location of accommodation however dependent on purchase, stock and availability we are not always able to allocate in the most convenient location to you. Due to size requirements and demand in resort during Snowbombing, there may be the seldom occasion that the store allocated does not have the suitable equipment i.e., size of boots, board, skis required, or quality purchased, in this case you will be directed to the nearest store to collect your equipment.
MOUNTAIN TOP BRUNCH
Your e-ticket is required to access this event and will need to be shown to a member of the Snowbombing team on arrival. You will also need a lift pass in order to use the Ahorn lift and access this event. Prompt arrival is recommended, with food service starting soon after. We reserve the right to refuse admission and entry. This event is non-refundable and non-transferable. If you have booked a brunch ticket and have any specific allergies or dietary restrictions, please let Customer Service know in advance or notify the venue on arrival.
Please note that we cannot refund any part of your pre-booked service should you not use all or part of what has been booked.
05 — LOST PROPERTY
5.1 Whilst we do everything possible to locate lost property, we cannot guarantee to do so or to be able to arrange for your property to be returned. Customers will need to contact our customer service team in resort or on return. If we are able to locate lost property it will be stored at our Head Office for 1 month on return from the Event and we can arrange for its return with proof of owner, all costs of doing so must be paid in advance along with an administration charge.
5.2 We cannot be held responsible for lost property whilst in transit to the UK however this is arranged. We reserve the right to increase the administration charge for the return of lost property for bulky items with special dispatch costs.
5.3 Any property lost in resort or in venues will be handed in at the Europahaus in Mayrhofen. You will need to report lost or stolen property to a member of staff in resort. If we are not in receipt of the item, we will log information and provide a report. You will also need to get a police report. Without this documentation, if you were to process a claim, the application would be void.
06 — CASHLESS
6.1 Snowbombing is a Cashless festival. You will be given a festival wristband with an RFID chip that can be pre-loaded with funds, either via an online Snowbombing Cashless account, or in person via cash at Europahaus or card at the Top Up Points. This pre-loaded credit can be used at Snowbombing venues and merchandise stands. Please note it is the only method of payment accepted at most Snowbombing venues.
6.2 A small number of on-mountain Snowbombing venues, as well as unaffiliated local Mayrhofen bars and restaurants do not accept Cashless. Please ensure that you are carrying alternative payment methods (e.g. cash and card) to make payments in these venues.
6.3 Exit and entry to all in-town Snowbombing venues is controlled via RFID technology; you will need a wristband with an activated RFID chip to gain access.
6.4 Your Snowbombing Cashless account will be set up in Euros, and any top-up funds you add to your account will be deposited in Euros. If topping up from a GBP debit or credit card, your bank's exchange rate will apply. All payments made in Mayrhofen are in Euros.
6.5 In cases of lost wristbands we can block the wristband and credit any existing balance to a new wristband, but only if the wristband has been linked to a Cashless account or have a record of the 6-digit code from the back of the original wristband chip. If you do not create a Cashless account, or have this 6-digit code then blocking your lost wristband is not possible. As such, we highly advise that you create your Cashless account in advance.