IMPORTANT: These Terms & Conditions form part of your travel agreement with Authentic Travel Connections ("ATC"). By submitting a payment, signing or electronically accepting a proposal, invoice, authorization, or traveler agreement, or allowing ATC to make arrangements on your behalf, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and accepted these Terms & Conditions for yourself and each traveler included in your reservation.

 

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1.Reservations and Acceptance

Reservations may be requested through www.authentictravelconnections.com, an ATC booking page, a proposal or invoice link, by telephone at 817.799.7030, or through an authorized ATC travel advisor. A reservation is not confirmed merely because a proposal, invoice, or payment link has been issued.

A reservation becomes confirmed only after ATC has received all required deposits or payments for every traveler assigned to the room, cabin, villa, or other shared accommodation and the applicable supplier has confirmed the services. If one roommate has paid and another has not, the shared reservation cannot be confirmed until all required deposits are complete.

ATC may decline or cancel a booking before confirmation if supplier space is unavailable, required traveler information is incomplete, payment cannot be processed, or the booking presents legal, safety, fraud, or operational concerns. If ATC cannot confirm requested services, any refundable amount received for those unconfirmed services will be returned, subject to payment-processor and supplier rules.

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2.Traveler Names, Identification, and Contact Information

Each traveler must provide their complete legal name exactly as it appears on the government-issued identification or passport that will be used for travel, together with accurate date of birth, gender marker where required, citizenship, address, telephone number, and email address. Travelers must review all invoices and confirmations immediately and report any error in writing.

Name corrections or changes may require cancellation and rebooking and may be subject to ATC service fees, airline or supplier penalties, fare differences, and loss of availability. A substitution of one traveler for another is treated as a cancellation and new booking unless the supplier expressly permits a name replacement.

Travelers are responsible for keeping their email address and mobile telephone number current. ATC is not responsible for missed notices, documents, WhatsApp invitations, payment reminders, or schedule updates caused by inaccurate, blocked, or outdated contact information.

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3.Prices and Availability

All prices and availability are subject to change until the required deposit or full payment has been received, applied, and accepted by the supplier. Unless otherwise stated, prices are per person and based on the occupancy shown in the proposal or invoice, commonly double occupancy.

Quoted prices may change because of airfare fluctuations, exchange rates, taxes, fuel surcharges, resort fees, government fees, supplier repricing, inventory changes, or corrections of clerical, human, or system errors. ATC reserves the right to correct pricing or description errors before final confirmation. If a supplier increases

 

 

a confirmed price as permitted by its terms, the traveler may be required to pay the increase or cancel subject to the supplier’s cancellation rules.

Items not specifically listed as included are excluded. Common exclusions include passports, visas, travel protection, baggage fees, seat assignments, gratuities, meals and beverages, resort or destination fees, optional activities, personal expenses, medical expenses, and transportation outside the confirmed itinerary.

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4.Deposits, Payments, and Automatic Payment Plans

The required deposit and final payment date are stated in the proposal or invoice. All deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable unless a supplier’s written terms expressly provide otherwise.

Travelers may pay in full or select an available payment plan. When a payment plan is selected, the traveler authorizes ATC and its payment processor to charge the card or account on file according to the schedule shown on the invoice. Travelers must contact ATC before a scheduled payment date to request a permissible change. A request is not effective until ATC confirms it in writing.

A declined payment does not extend any deadline. The traveler remains responsible for ensuring that sufficient funds and a valid payment method are available. ATC may suspend services, cancel the reservation, or release inventory when required payments are not received.

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Late Payments and Reinstatement

A $25 late fee may be assessed when a required payment is not made by its due date. A reservation with three consecutive months of missed or insufficient payments may be canceled. Supplier-imposed cancellation penalties will apply, and prior payments may be forfeited.

When permitted by the supplier, a canceled reservation may be eligible for reinstatement if the traveler contacts ATC within seven days. A $100 ATC reinstatement fee applies in addition to all supplier fees, fare increases, and availability changes. Reinstatement is never guaranteed.

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5.Forms of Payment and Chargebacks

ATC may accept major credit cards, debit cards, electronic payments, financing services, or other approved methods. A traveler using a card or account represents that they are an authorized user and authorizes ATC and its suppliers or processors to charge the amounts shown on the invoice or payment authorization.

Travelers agree to contact ATC promptly to attempt good-faith resolution before initiating a chargeback or payment dispute. A chargeback does not eliminate the traveler’s contractual obligations. Improper or fraudulent disputes may result in reservation cancellation, collection activity, recovery of chargeback fees and costs where allowed, and refusal of future service.

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6.Cancellations, Refunds, and Unused Services

Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing using ATC’s cancellation process and must identify the traveler, reservation, and travel dates. A cancellation is not effective until ATC confirms receipt and completion of any required cancellation form.

Unless expressly stated otherwise in writing, all payments are non-refundable and non-transferable. ATC arranges travel through independent suppliers whose contracts frequently impose non-refundable deposits, progressive penalties, and final-payment restrictions. Refunds, credits, or changes are governed by the most restrictive applicable supplier terms, the proposal or invoice, and these Terms & Conditions.

When a traveler has qualifying travel protection, any claim must be made directly with the insurer or plan administrator and is subject to the policy’s coverage, exclusions, documentation, and claims decision. ATC does not determine claim eligibility or guarantee reimbursement. ATC’s cancellation fee is $200 per reservation or traveler, as specified in the proposal, and may be deducted from any supplier-approved refund or credit where permitted.

 

No refund or credit is provided for missed flights, no-shows, early departure, unused hotel nights, meals, excursions, transfers, cruise days, or other services voluntarily declined or missed because of late arrival, documentation problems, illness, conduct, or changes made directly with a supplier.

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7.Travel Protection

Travel protection is strongly recommended to help protect the traveler’s vacation investment from eligible trip cancellation, interruption, medical emergencies, evacuation, delays, baggage loss, and other covered events.

Coverage varies significantly by policy and destination.

The traveler is responsible for reviewing policy terms, purchasing coverage by any applicable deadline, accurately answering eligibility questions, and confirming whether pre-existing conditions, supplier default, epidemics, war, civil unrest, terrorism, hurricanes, or other concerns are covered. The insurance premium is generally non-refundable after the review period stated in the policy.

If a traveler declines travel protection, the traveler accepts the financial risk of cancellation, interruption, medical care, evacuation, delay, and other losses that may be non-refundable under supplier terms.

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8.Passports, Visas, Entry Rules, and Health Requirements

A valid passport is required for international travel and is strongly recommended for cruises. Many destinations require a passport to remain valid for at least six months beyond the return date and to contain blank visa pages. Entry rules may differ by citizenship, residency, age, itinerary, transit point, and criminal history.

Each traveler is solely responsible for obtaining and carrying all required passports, visas, permits, vaccination or health certificates, parental-consent documents, and other entry or transit documents. Information supplied by ATC is general guidance for convenience and may change without notice. Travelers should verify current requirements with the relevant government, embassy, consulate, airline, cruise line, and health authorities.

A traveler denied boarding or entry because of insufficient or inaccurate documentation is responsible for all resulting losses and expenses. Such denial does not create a right to refund from ATC.

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9.Minors

Travelers under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult unless a supplier expressly permits otherwise. A minor traveling with only one parent, a guardian, or an adult who is not the minor’s parent may be required to carry notarized consent, custody documentation, and a copy of the minor’s birth certificate. Requirements vary by destination and carrier.

The accompanying adult is responsible for the minor’s supervision, safety, conduct, and compliance with supplier and destination rules. Adult-only resorts, cruises, excursions, and venues may impose higher minimum ages.

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10.Travel Documents and Pre-Departure Communications

Provided that full payment and all required traveler information and forms are received on time, electronic travel documents are generally issued approximately 30 days before departure, although airline, cruise, and supplier timing may vary.

Authentic Talk pre-departure Zoom calls are generally held approximately 30 days before departure. The Zoom link is typically emailed about one week before the call. A private WhatsApp group is generally created approximately 45 days before departure, and invitations are sent using the email address or mobile telephone number on file. These timelines are estimates and may vary.

 

Travelers remain responsible for reviewing final documents, reconfirming schedules, monitoring airline or supplier notifications, and arriving on time. ATC communications supplement, but do not replace, the traveler’s responsibility to monitor the trip.

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11.Airlines and Air Travel

Airlines are independent suppliers and control schedules, routes, aircraft, connections, baggage, seating, upgrades, ticketing, accessibility, refunds, and operational decisions. Flight schedules and seat assignments may change without notice. ATC is not responsible for airline cancellations, delays, schedule changes, missed connections, denied boarding, baggage loss or damage, seat changes, or compensation decisions.

Airline tickets are generally non-refundable and non-transferable once issued. Airlines may require ticketing or full payment earlier than the date shown on an ATC invoice. If the traveler does not meet the airline’s accelerated deadline, seats may be canceled and replacement airfare will be subject to current availability and price.

Seat requests, frequent-flyer numbers, special meals, mobility requests, and upgrades are requests only unless confirmed by the airline. Travelers must verify baggage allowances and fees directly with each operating carrier and file baggage claims with the carrier before leaving the airport when required.

Travelers who purchase their own flights are responsible for ensuring arrival and departure times are compatible with transfers, cruises, tours, and hotel arrangements. ATC is not responsible for missed or additional land services caused by independently purchased or changed flights.

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12.Hotels, Villas, Resorts, and Room Assignments

Hotel and resort descriptions, photographs, amenities, construction information, and star ratings are supplied by third parties and may change. Ratings and standards vary by country. ATC does not guarantee that a property, room, view, amenity, air-conditioning system, or service will match standards familiar to the traveler.

Bed type, adjoining rooms, floor, view, location, accessibility features, early check-in, and late check-out are requests unless specifically guaranteed in writing by the supplier. Final room assignments are controlled by the property. ATC may substitute accommodations of a reasonably comparable category when necessary, subject to supplier terms.

Travelers are responsible for incidental deposits, local taxes, resort fees, damages, minibar charges, and other property charges not included in the package.

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13.Cruises

Cruise lines control ships, ports, itineraries, embarkation requirements, onboard policies, medical facilities, dining, entertainment, cabin assignments, gratuities, and schedule changes. A cruise line may substitute a ship, omit or change a port, alter arrival times, or cancel a sailing. Any refund or credit is determined by the cruise line’s contract of carriage and policies.

Travelers must comply with online check-in, boarding, passport, visa, vaccination, prohibited-item, and arrival deadlines. Missing embarkation or a port departure is the traveler’s responsibility. ATC is not liable for costs associated with joining the ship at another port or returning home.

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14.Transfers, Excursions, and Itinerary Changes

Excursion schedules, pickup times, routes, sequence of activities, transportation type, guides, venues, and operating days are subject to change because of weather, safety, traffic, holidays, closures, local operating conditions, group size, or supplier decisions. Published times are estimates unless expressly stated otherwise.

 

Travelers must arrive at designated meeting points on time. Late arrival may be treated as a no-show with no refund. When a flight, customs delay, baggage issue, or traveler action causes a missed transfer or excursion, the traveler is responsible for arranging and paying for alternatives unless the supplier agrees otherwise.

ATC and its suppliers may modify or substitute an itinerary component with a comparable service when reasonably necessary. Renovations, partial closures, weather, or local events do not automatically entitle travelers to a refund.

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15.Accessibility, Mobility, and Special Assistance

Travelers requiring mobility assistance, medical accommodations, dietary arrangements, accessible rooms, service animals, or other special support must notify ATC before booking and provide sufficient information for ATC and suppliers to evaluate the request. Requests may be submitted, but accommodations cannot be guaranteed.

International destinations, hotels, transportation providers, sea cruises, and river cruises outside the United States may not comply with Americans with Disabilities Act standards and may offer limited accessibility features. Tours may involve uneven terrain, stairs, extended standing, cobblestone streets, inclines, and boarding smaller boats or vehicles. Wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, and other mobility devices may not be accommodated on some transfers, excursions, motor coaches, aircraft, or cruises.

ATC personnel, tour hosts, guides, drivers, and supplier staff are not personal-care attendants and cannot provide lifting, feeding, medication administration, continuous supervision, or other individual assistance. A traveler who requires personal assistance must travel with a qualified companion responsible for providing it.

For safety and group operations, ATC or a supplier may deny or discontinue participation when a traveler cannot safely participate, fails to disclose a material need, or substantially disrupts services. All resulting costs are the traveler’s responsibility, subject to applicable law.

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16.Health, Medical Care, and Personal Responsibility

Travel may involve illness, communicable disease, heat, altitude, wildlife, water activities, physical exertion, unfamiliar food, limited medical facilities, and delayed emergency response. Travelers should consult an appropriate healthcare professional regarding fitness to travel, medications, vaccines, pregnancy, chronic conditions, and destination-specific risks.

The traveler is responsible for all medical, evacuation, quarantine, testing, medication, lodging, and transportation expenses. ATC does not provide medical advice and cannot guarantee the quality or availability of medical services.

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17.Traveler Conduct and Group Harmony

Travelers must comply with laws, supplier rules, instructions, safety requirements, and reasonable directions from ATC hosts and local operators. Abusive, threatening, discriminatory, dangerous, intoxicated, illegal, or materially disruptive conduct may result in removal from an activity or trip without refund.

A removed traveler is responsible for alternate accommodations, transportation, legal expenses, and return travel. ATC may refuse future service to travelers whose conduct threatens safety, disrupts the group, damages supplier relationships, or results in unpaid balances or disputes.

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18.Force Majeure and Events Beyond Control

ATC and its suppliers may be unable to perform or may need to modify services because of events beyond reasonable control, including severe weather, hurricanes, earthquakes, fire, flood, epidemic, pandemic, public-health measures, strikes, labor disruption, cyberattack, supplier insolvency, mechanical failure, government

 

action, border closure, visa restrictions, war, armed conflict, civil unrest, terrorism or threat of terrorism, crime, transportation interruption, or other emergency.

When such an event occurs, ATC will communicate available options based on the applicable supplier contracts, the proposal or invoice, and these Terms & Conditions. A force majeure event does not automatically require ATC or a supplier to issue a cash refund. Available remedies may include itinerary changes, postponement, future travel credit, supplier refund, insurance claim, or cancellation penalties.

ATC is not responsible for consequential losses such as missed work, replacement travel, independent airfare, visas, clothing, event tickets, or other expenses not purchased through ATC.

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19.Independent Suppliers and Limitation of Responsibility

ATC acts as an advisor and intermediary for independent airlines, cruise lines, hotels, resorts, tour operators, transfer companies, excursion providers, insurers, payment processors, and other suppliers. ATC does not own, operate, manage, or control those suppliers and is not responsible for their acts, omissions, negligence, insolvency, schedule changes, service quality, representations, or failure to perform.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ATC is not liable for injury, illness, death, delay, inconvenience, property loss, emotional distress, or financial loss caused by an independent supplier or by circumstances beyond ATC’s direct control. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot legally be excluded.

If ATC is found liable for a claim arising from its own services, ATC’s aggregate liability will not exceed the amount of professional service fees actually paid directly to ATC for the affected reservation, excluding amounts passed through to suppliers, except where a different limitation is required by law.

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20.Assumption of Risk and Release

The traveler understands that travel and recreational activities involve inherent and unforeseen risks, including transportation hazards, water activities, wildlife, weather, crime, illness, limited medical care, uneven terrain, and acts of other travelers or third parties. The traveler voluntarily accepts these risks and is responsible for deciding whether each activity is appropriate for their health, experience, and abilities.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the traveler releases and agrees to hold ATC, its owners, employees, contractors, hosts, and agents harmless from claims arising from risks inherent in travel, acts or omissions of independent suppliers, or circumstances outside ATC’s direct control. This provision is not intended to waive rights that cannot lawfully be waived.

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21.Photographs, Video, and Promotional Use

During hosted trips or events, ATC or other participants may capture photographs, video, or audio. Unless a traveler provides written notice to ATC before the trip that they do not consent, the traveler grants ATC permission to use images or recordings in which they appear for lawful promotional, social-media, website, and marketing purposes without compensation. ATC will make reasonable efforts to honor a timely opt-out, but cannot control images captured or shared by other travelers or suppliers.

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22.Privacy and Electronic Communications

ATC may collect and share traveler information as reasonably necessary to arrange travel, process payments, communicate updates, comply with law, and support insurance or supplier services. Information may be transmitted to suppliers and processors in the United States and other countries with different privacy protections.

By providing an email address or mobile number, the traveler consents to receive transactional communications by email, telephone, text message, WhatsApp, and video-conference invitation. Standard

 

carrier charges may apply. Marketing communications may be declined through the method provided, but operational trip communications may still be sent.

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23.Website and Third-Party Links

Information on ATC websites, booking pages, social-media accounts, proposals, and electronic communications may contain typographical errors, supplier-provided content, or outdated details. ATC may correct or update content without notice. Third-party links are provided for convenience, and ATC does not control or endorse the security, accuracy, or practices of third-party websites.

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24.Complaints and Problem Resolution

Travelers must promptly report a service issue to the supplier and ATC while traveling so there is a reasonable opportunity to investigate and seek a solution. Failure to report an issue during travel may limit available remedies. Supporting documents, photographs, receipts, and supplier reports should be retained.

A written post-travel complaint should be submitted to ATC within 30 days after the trip ends. ATC will assist with supplier communication but cannot guarantee a refund, credit, or particular outcome.

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25.Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Before filing a formal claim, the parties agree to make a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute informally through written notice and discussion.

Any lawsuit that is not subject to a valid arbitration agreement must be filed in a court of competent jurisdiction located in Tarrant County, Texas, unless applicable law requires another venue. EACH PARTY KNOWINGLY WAIVES THE RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

ATC may use a separate traveler agreement containing a binding arbitration provision. If such an agreement is signed or electronically accepted, that arbitration provision controls over this section. Because enforceability depends on specific wording and law, ATC should have Texas counsel approve any arbitration clause before use.

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26.General Provisions

Supplier terms, the confirmed proposal or invoice, payment authorizations, travel-protection documents, and any signed traveler agreement are incorporated into the travel contract. If terms conflict, the supplier’s mandatory terms control the supplier service, and the more specific written ATC term controls over a general term.

No oral statement changes these Terms. A modification must be in writing and authorized by ATC. If any provision is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. ATC’s delay in enforcing a provision is not a waiver.

Headings are for convenience only. Electronic signatures, checkboxes, typed names, and electronic acceptance have the same effect as handwritten acceptance where permitted by law.

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27.Traveler Acknowledgment

By submitting payment or accepting the reservation, the traveler confirms that they have reviewed the proposal or invoice, supplier terms, cancellation policy, travel-protection decision, and these Terms & Conditions; that they are authorized to act for all travelers included in the reservation; and that they will provide these terms to every traveler in the party.