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BOOKINGS MADE ON THE WEBSITE BOOKING ENGINE

There are different types of bookings that can be made on the website, and all are commissionable at different levels. There is a minimal service fee assessed on every airline reservation booked through the booking engine. Airline reservations confirmed on the booking engine will be assessed a $17.00 service fee. YTB does not pay commission on the service fees. In the event that a carrier still pays commission on international airline reservations, you will receive commission on the base airfare, if the reservation is booked on your website. It is your responsibility to verify a carrier's commission payment policy. If an international reservation is confirmed and the carrier still pays commission, you will also receive commission on the base airfare. It is your responsibility to verify whether or not a carrier pays commission. Other bookings made on your website (hotel, car, tour, cruise) are commissionable at 60%. Commission is calculated on the commissionable amount of the total price. For instance, cruise costs include port charges and fees, and these items are not commissionable. You would receive commission on the cruise fare, not the miscellaneous charges. The same would apply to hotel, car and tour reservations. The commission is calculated on the base rate, not the total rate including the taxes and fees.

BOOKINGS MADE DIRECTLY WITH VENDORS

These types of bookings are commissionable to you at 60%. In order for direct bookings to be commissionable, you must provide the agency's ARC number, 14564793, at the time of the reservation. As the booking RTA it is your responsibility to verify that a reservation is commissionable and provide the agency information when requested. If the vendor does not ask for the ARC number, be sure to ask if it is needed, and make sure it is added to the reservation. If you do not provide the ARC number, the reservation will not be a commissionable booking and you will not be paid.

Each and every time you make a direct booking you must submit a Commission Claim Form. Failure to do so will result on forfeiture of the commission. Without this form to track the booking we have no idea to whom the booking belongs or whom to pay. Completion and submission of the form should be the final step in the booking process. Forms must be received prior to the departure date in order for the commission payment to be processed. The Commission Claim form is available from your Travel Portal and can easily be filled out online.

TRAVEL CANCELLATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Every type of travel component available has a cancellation policy. Some may have very strict penalties while others may allow cancellation without any penalty. As the RTA it is your responsibility to ascertain the vendors’ cancellation and refund policy and to make your clients aware of those policies. Cancellation policies and penalties are always listed on the website booking screens as well as being listed on the vendor website and brochures. While we wish that clients never had to cancel, the fact remains that cancellations do occur. In order to provide the highest level of service you must provide your clients with this information. When presenting the cancellation penalties use that as an opportunity to offer cancellation insurance. You will help your clients protect their investment, increase your sales, and have the piece of mind that you provided the best service to your clients.

TOUR AND CRUISE BOOKINGS:
When cruise or tour reservations are confirmed and documents are issued the vendors always send them to the home office address. Once they are checked and verified, we will send them to the RTA who can then distribute them to the clients. Documents are sent from the home office via UPS and the charges are billed either to your customer’s credit card or to your personal credit card. The home office does not pay for document shipping charges. If time does not allow for regular shipping, we send individual documents second day air. The charge for second day air normally runs from $12.00-$17.00 with group document mailing being slightly higher. Our Document Specialists will be able to quote shipping prices for each shipment. Shipping and billing information can be provided to DocumentsInfo@ytb.com.

AIRLINE RESERVATIONS:
Whenever possible, air tickets are issued as E-tickets and there is no additional fee for shipping. If a passenger requests a paper ticket there will be an airline assessed paper ticket fee of $50 to $100 depending on the airline plus any shipping fees that may incur. These charges will appear on your invoice. Paper ticket fees and delivery fees are non-commissionable. It is the airlines goal to distribute only e-tickets when they can and paper ticket requests are strongly discouraged.

INITIAL GROUP BOOKING / POSTING INFORMATION
An RTA requesting a group posting must adhere to the following group guidelines and complete an information sheet (download here). Completed information sheets may be filled out on-line and emailed either via the form itself*, saved and attached to an e-mail to groupcruise@ytb.com or faxed to 618-659-9675 Attn Group Dept.

*Please note, that if your main email account is with AOL, Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo or other web based service, the in-document email button will not work. You must instead save your document and attach it to your email if using these services.

At time of holding space, the RTA must use correct CLIA/ARC/PHONE to book the group. You must give your name and your YTB ID number when booking a group. ARC #: 14564793, Phone 618-655-9520. Cruise posting requests must be submitted at least 3 weeks prior to the first deposit date and must be at least 45 days prior to sail date. Groups are cruise only; airfare is not included and must be scheduled separately by the purchaser or the RTA.

Group postings can take up to 5 business days to be posted to the website (booking engine). Groups that have deposits applied to them prior to posting will not be eligible for group posting. RTA must provide all requested information for posting in writing. YTB guidelines supersede all cruise line guidelines in accordance with the website additions.

Holland America has requested that all RTAs traveling in or participating in group cruises on an HA ship must fill out and turn in a Code of Ethical Conduct form at the time of boarding. The pdf of the form can be found here.

DEFINITION OF GROUP
A group must hold a minimum of 20 cabins or more. Cruise lines consider a group to be 8 cabins or more, however to hold a group and enlist YTB RTAs to help and post your group, it must be 20 cabins or more. YTB can only post the cabin categories that are listed on the cruise contract. Example; if there are not any triple or quad cabins that are held with the cruise line, then only double cabins will be posted. Please determine the space that your group will need by the approximate number of travelers you are promoting to. Typically families will need more than a double occupancy cabin. Single travelers cannot be booked into a double occupancy cabin; they will require a single cabin. Cruise lines may only allow you to hold 50 cabins. Group space availability is determined by the cruise line.

A posted group which does not have any cabins booked by the first deposit may risk being removed from the site and turned over to the RTA for processing. If a group does not materialize into a “true group” of 8 cabins or more within 2 weeks after the first deposit is made, the booking will be turned over to the RTA for processing.

An RTA who continues to post a group that does not materialize into a “true group” may be banned from initiating a request for future group cruise postings per management’s discretion. If for any reason a group cannot materialize, please note it is the responsibility of the RTA to cancel the group with the cruise line prior to the penalty date. (RTA needs to cancel any unsold cabin space 5 days prior to the final payment to avoid penalties.)

DEPOSITS / PAYMENTS
RTA agrees that ALL bookings for a posted cruise will be made through the website (booking engine).
All payments must be made on the group website prior to 4:00 pm central time day of scheduled payment/deposit due date. YTB will not be held responsible for any cancellations of a group or a cabin due to unpaid or late payments.

RTA is responsible to assure that all pricing is correct. All cabins will be paid by the gross balance. Paying net pricing will not be allowed. No exceptions. Group documents will be held until all gross balances are paid. RTA needs to cancel any unsold cabin space 5 days prior to the final payment to avoid penalties.

YTB will set the deposit amounts on all cruises. A group’s first deposit date will be scheduled a minimum of 72 hours prior to the actual cruise line due date. The group’s final deposit date will be scheduled 7 days prior the cruise line’s final due date to allow time for processing and finalization.

All payments are processed exclusively by YTB. Any payments to the cruise line made by the RTA violate the guidelines and may result in YTB placing a password on the group directly with the cruise line. Continued violations may also result in the group’s removal from the website and all booking and processing responsibilities will be turned over to the RTA. Please be advised failure to adhere to group guidelines may result in forfeiture of commission.

Credit or Debit cards are the only form of payment accepted. (Please note: most debit cards have limitations on the amount allowed to be charged per day). Declined or invalid credit card notification will be sent to the booking
RTA to contact the travelers and obtain alternative form of payment. Declined or invalid credit cards may result in cabin cancellation; YTB does not assume responsibility for these cancellations.

Payments are only charged on the scheduled dates set up by YTB. Deposit payments can be scheduled up to 3 payments. Each payment schedule will be determined by the cruise line contract and YTB’s determination acting in the best interests of the group. Payments for existing bookings will continue to be made by YTB RTAs.

YTB is not responsible for group space cancellation due to failure to secure deposits. A posted group will be allowed to extend the first deposit date one time; if the group still does not materialize into a “true group,” your group cruise will be returned to the RTA for handling, the group site removed, and no further extensions will be permitted. If a group receives an extension, an email must be sent to YTB requesting a site update. All changes must be sent to YTB in writing. Only one change per group will be allowed.

PASSENGER INFORMATION
All cabin mates must have valid names, birthdates, and credit cards at time of booking. TBA’s and duplicating one name several times is not allowed.

Insurance for groups booking outside of Carnival will need to purchase insurance protection on the RTA’s website.

It will be the RTA’s responsibility to adhere to all policies of the cruise line in regards to passports, minor requirements, cabin capacity, and credit card authorization. Please make sure that you research this information in plenty of time to advise all your clients of any requriements needed.

Past guest numbers, dining preferences, meetings space, special group requests, tour conductor, and amenity points must be addressed to the cruise line directly.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
YTB reserves the right to review and approve or reject all advertisements for any group cruises. Advertisements should not be printed until the group is posted on your website.

If groups want to overcharge for a fundraiser, the overcharge must be approved by the cruise line prior to posting. Any disputes or charge backs regarding this overcharge will be deducted from the RTA's commission. YTB will not be held responsible for any fees associated with overcharges.

Due to confidentiality, group questions or changes can only be requested by the booking RTA in charge of the group posting.

IMPORTANT: In requesting a group contract or information about your cruise, you will need to follow these two steps:

Call the cruise line and request your information be emailed to documents@ytb.com.
Email documentsinfo@ytb.com requesting that the information received from the cruise line be forwarded to you. Include your reservation number and group name.

I acknowledge and agree to adhere to the YTB Groups Guidelines.

Signature__________________________________________________ Date_____________________

Completed information sheets may be submitted via the document itself, e-mailed to groupcruise@ytb.com or faxed to 618-659-9675 Attention Group Dept.