Remember to check if you need a visa for the country you are flying to. The passport, visa and health requirements applicable to British citizens holding a British passport departing from and returning to the UK are shown in the Valid documentation for travel section of our online self help. If you need to apply for a passport or renew an expired passport, you should do so well in advance of travel and at least four weeks before. (If you are 16 or over and have never had a passport in your own name, you should apply for one at least six weeks before your holiday. The UK passport service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and will ask you to attend an interview in order to protect your identity). Visit www.ips.gov.uk. Requirements may change and you should check the up to date position in good time before departure.

It is the responsibility of passengers to ensure they have valid, acceptable passports and any required visa or any other documentation, for the travel they are to undertake. The passport, visa and health information we provide at any stage only applies to British citizens holding a full British passport issued in the UK departing from and returning to the UK. It does not apply to any other passengers. All passengers, including British citizens, are solely responsible for checking and complying with all relevant passport, visa and other travel/entry requirements. Any information we provide is for guidance only.

Some countries have an immigration requirement for a passport to remain valid for a minimum period after the date of entry to that country (typically 6 months). If your passport is in its final year of validity, you are advised to check the requirements of the destination before you make your final travel plans.

Passengers without the correct documentation may be refused carriage by the airline or entry into any country. Where entry is refused, fines or other financial penalty will be imposed on or by the airline and the passenger(s) concerned will be required to immediately return to their country of departure. Any passenger who travels without the required passport/visa/other documentation is solely responsible for and must immediately pay all fines, surcharges, other financial penalty, costs (including the cost of their immediate return flight) and any other sums of any description which are incurred or imposed by the airline or incurred by ourselves. This will be the case regardless of whether the lack of correct documentation is spotted at the departure airport. We can accept no liability in this situation and no compensation, expenses, refund or other sum will be paid.

Your flight ticket will not be honoured and will lose its validity if the flights are not taken in the sequence provided in the ticket, and we will not be held liable for refunds or compensation in this case.

If you have pre-booked car hire or intend to hire a car whilst at your destination you will be asked to present your driving licence and credit card when you go to collect your car. Further identification, such as a passport may also be required. Please check the following link for further details, AVIS terms and conditions

Passenger holding a one-way ticket to The Gambia or Tunisia may be asked to produce proof of return or onward travel. Boarding or entry to The Gambia or Tunisia may be refused if this cannot be provided when requested and alternative travel arrangements and any costs associated would be the responsibility of the passenger. Passengers who hold a return ticket from the UK to The Gambia or Tunisia, but do not use the outbound portion of the ticket, will cause the inbound flight ticket to become invalid and carriage from The Gambia or Tunisia will be refused.

Conditions of airlines and service providers

The arrangements we offer are provided by various airlines/service providers. These airlines/service providers have their own conditions and you will be bound by these. Copies of these conditions are available on request by contacting us, or alternatively ask your travel agent, airline or service provider concerned .

The airline's conditions also apply to and form part of your contract with us. In the event of any conflict or difference between the airline's conditions and our conditions, our conditions will apply in respect of the conflict or difference. This means we are entitled to rely on any provision(s) in the airline's conditions as if they were written down as part of these conditions unless these conditions say something different on the same point. In this case what it says in these conditions will apply.

DENIED BOARDING: Flights may be overbooked, and there is a slight chance that a seat will not be available on a flight even if you have a confirmed reservation. In most circumstances, if you are denied boarding involuntarily, you are entitled to compensation. When required by applicable law, the carrier must solicit volunteers before anyone is denied boarding involuntarily. Check with your carrier for the complete rules on payment of denied boarding compensation (DBC) and for information on the carrier's boarding priorities.

BAGGAGE: Excess valuation may be declared on certain types of articles. Carriers may apply special rules for fragile, valuable, or perishable articles. Check with your carrier. Checked Baggage: Carriers may permit a free checked baggage allowance, which is set by the carrier and may differ by class, and/or route,. Carriers may apply extra charges for checked baggage in excess of their permitted allowance. Check with your carrier. Cabin (Unchecked) Baggage: Only ONE small item of cabin baggage per passenger will be allowed into the aircraft (subject to space availability) MAXIMUM SIZE:  17” x 11” x 9” (43cm x 28cm x 23cm) MAXIMUM WEIGHT:  11lbs (5kg). It is recommended that cabin baggage be kept to a minimum. Check with your carrier. If more than one carrier is providing the transportation for your journey, each carrier may apply different rules on baggage (both checked and cabin). SPECIAL BAGGAGE LIABILITY LIMITATIONS FOR US TRAVEL: For domestic travel wholly between US points, federal rules require any limit on a carrier's baggage liability to be at least US$3000.00 per passenger, or the amount currently mandated by 14 CFR 254.5.

Your carrier has no liability for loss or damage to valuable or fragile items packed in hold baggage however caused. You must not include in Checked Baggage money, jewellery, precious metals, computers, personal electronic devices, negotiable papers, securities or other valuables, business documents, passports and other identification documents or samples.  Written confirmation of any baggage irregularities must be obtained from the carrier before leaving the airport.

CHECK-IN TIMES. The time shown on the, itinerary/receipt is the departure time of the aircraft. Flight departure time is not the same as the time you must check-in or the time you must be available for boarding Your carrier may refuse you carriage if you are late. Check-in times, as advised by your carrier, are the latest times at which passengers can be accepted for travel; boarding times, as advised by your carrier, are the latest times at which passengers must present themselves for boarding.

DANGEROUS GOODS AND RESTRICTED ARTICLES

For safety reasons the following items are strictly prohibited for carriage:

• Compressed gases (deeply refrigerated, flammable, non-flammable and poisonous) including camping gas cylinders, butane, liquid nitrogen, propane gas and gas lighters;
• Corrosives such as acids, alkalis, mercury and wet cell batteries;
• Explosives, munitions, flares, fireworks, including percussion or toy gun caps and articles which are easily ignited;
• Flammable liquids and solids such as flammable aerosols, lighting or heating fuels, matches, paint thinners, fire lighters;
• Oxidising materials such as bleaching powder, peroxides;
• Poisons and infectious substances such as arsenic, cyanide, insecticides, weed killer and live virus materials;
• Radioactive materials;
• Gas powered devices (other than hair curlers) such as culinary blow torches or soldering irons.

• Other restricted articles (such as magnetic material, offensive or pornographic materials).

The following items can be carried as hold baggage only:

• Toy or replica guns
• Razor blades
• Knives with blades of any length
• Scissors
• Cutlery
• Hypodermic syringes (except for medical use during flight - doctor's certificate required)
• Darts
• Knitting needles
• Sporting bat, billiard, snooker or pool cues

We want all our customers to have an enjoyable and carefree trip. However you must remember that you are responsible for your actions and the effect they may have on others.

Airlines have a wide right to refuse carriage of passengers and/or their luggage (which includes removing passengers and/or their luggage at any stage after boarding/loading including at any intermediate stop (whether scheduled or not) or airport at which the aircraft lands or to which the aircraft is diverted. For details of the circumstances in which carriage may be refused when travelling on Thomas Cook Airlines flights please see the Airlines Conditions of Carriage as referred to above. For conditions of carriage of other airlines click here.

In the event that you and/or your luggage is refused carriage by the airline, neither we nor the airline will pay you or anyone travelling with you any damages, compensation, refund(s) or any other sum(s) of any description whatsoever or meet any expenses or costs incurred as a result. Neither we nor the airline will have any further responsibility for you. If you are refused carriage on your outward flight, the airline is entitled to refuse carriage on your return flight or any other sector(s).

(Correct as of December 2009)