Be an Educated Travel Consumer

Air Travel: Basic Understanding of Terms & Fares

Direct: One or more stops, but no change of plane.

Non-Stop: Self-explanatory.

Non-Refundable: If you need to cancel your scheduled flight, you may apply the value of the ticket for up to one year, from the date of booking, towards another flight, less a minimum change fee of $50 plus any difference in air fare. AND the new ticket must hold similar restrictions as the original ticket.

Non-transferable: You cannot transfer your ticket to another person. Not even for a change fee. Group Bookings: A minimum of 10 passengers flying the exact same schedule. Group tickets are usually Non-Refundable and Non-Transferable. A non-refundable deposit of $50 pp is generally due 25 days from booking. The balance in full is generally due 45 days prior to the date of travel. Some airlines differ.

Fares: Most flights are broken into 6 to 8 booking categories. Each category has X amount of seats dedicated to it. As each category sells out, the fare goes up. Not including special promotions/sales, this is the reason fares can change from day to day or even hour to hour. When quoting a trip, Golf Vacations seeks a combination of the best flight schedule and the lowest available fare. These seats are usually Leisure Travel tickets which means they are Non-Refundable / Non-Transferable.

Rent-a-Cars: Basic Understanding of Sizes and Fees

Size - Don't be misled by the terms rent-a-car companies use. Example a "Full" size car is not a Lincoln or a Cadillac. It is a Chevy Lumina or similar. Here is a reference chart of the various car sizes:

Note - Four adults and four sets of clubs will fit in a full size car. However luggage will either get left behind or put on passenger’s laps. A Premium size car is the smallest size Golf Vacations recommends for a foursome. For the extra $10 - $15 per person, a luxury size car or a mini-van is recommended.

Taxes/Fees - Are levied at the time you return the car and are seldom included in the quoted price. In all cases, the state tax is added to the bill. In many cases, especially in Florida, taxes/fees such as "Airport Access Fee" (a.k.a. Misc. Fees) and "Tire/Battery Disposal Fee" are added to the bill. On average the additional taxes/fees are $5.00 - $10.00 per day.

Insurance - If you intend to decline the optional insurance on your rent-a-car, you must have the name & address of your insurance company and your policy number with you. You should also check with your insurance company to confirm that you are covered when renting a car. Not all policies carry this coverage.

Credit Card Insurance - If you intend to use your Gold Card to cover the insurance, be aware that if there is a claim, the credit card company will first seek reimbursement from your personal insurance company. If there is anything not covered by your insurance company, they will cover the difference. In most cases, you will be responsible to cover the deductible.

Age - You must be 25 or older to rent a car from most companies. However if you are 21 - 24 years old, a few companies will rent to you, but may charge a surcharge.

Driving Record - Most major rent-a-car companies are on-line with the Registry of Motor Vehicles and will check your license for violations. Your reservation will/can automatically be canceled if you do not have a current valid license, if you have two or more convictions for speeding or reckless driving within the past 24 months, or you have been convicted of DWI within the past 72 months.

Fuel Option - Most rent-a-car companies will give you a "Fuel Option." If you accept this option, you do not have to refuel the vehicle before returning it. This is only worth it if you return the vehicle with less than one gallon of gas. By accepting the fuel option, you will automatically be charged the price for a full tank of gas. The price is usually 10¢ - 20¢ more than the average local gas station. If you do not accept the "Fuel Option," you are responsible for refueling the vehicle within a 5-mile radius of the airport and you will be required to present a receipt from the gas station. If you do not refuel the car and you did not take the fuel option, the rent-a-car will charge you approximately $4.00+ per gallon to re-fill the car.