Payment Protection Program


Apple Tours & Travel, Inc. is proud to offer our Payment Protection Program (PPP) for $199 as a service to you, our customer. We understand that traveling with your group is a huge undertaking and expense. We want you to feel protected in your investment. The PPP provides enhanced protection above the standard cancellation policy, to maximize your eligible refund in the event that you must cancel your tour or the tour is canceled due to a Force Majeure Event as outlined below in the Definitions section.

THE PPP’s REFUND ELIGIBITY IS AS FOLLOWS:

PROTECTION A: Cancellation based on a "COVERED" Reason

Apple Tours & Travel, Inc.’s ("APPLE") Payment Protection Program ("PPP") provides a total refund value of all Tour Payments that have been paid up to the date of cancellation (minus the $199 PPP cost, minus the $250 non-refundable Tour Admin Fee, minus any applicable Tour Charges and minus any additional airline, hotel, activity, or other transportation fees, if applicable*) when a Tour traveler cancels his or her participation in a Tour due to a covered Sickness or Injury involving the traveler which, at time of cancellation results in medically imposed restrictions, as certified by a Physician that is so disabling as to prevent the traveler from participating in the Tour or when APPLE cancels a Tour due to a Force Majeure Event.

*If, at the time of cancellation for a "Covered Reason", APPLE has purchased non-refundable airline tickets, the traveler may receive as part of their refund "value", airline vouchers, certificates, gift cards or credit, dependent upon the specific policies of the airline that was contracted for service on behalf of the traveler and any such airline vouchers, certificates, gift cards or credits as "value" are included as part of the total value refund calculation. APPLE will not be responsible for any financial loss from airline policies regarding airfare purchased on behalf of the traveler.

To be effective, cancellation under "PROTECTION A" must: a) be in writing with supporting medical documentation and received by APPLE at least 24 hours prior to the Tour’s Departure Time; and b) involve a Sickness or Injury that commences or occurs while the traveler’s account is paid in full by the Final Payment Date (please note "paid in full" includes the Tour Price, plus the PPP Cost, plus the Tour Admin Fee and plus any additional Tour Charges). There is no eligible protection if the traveler’s account is not paid in full by the Final Payment Date. The PPP only provides coverage beginning on the Tour’s Final Payment Date and not before. Cancellations prior to the Final Payment Date will be covered as outlined in Section V of APPLE’s Tours Participant Agreement.

PROTECTION B: Cancellation based on a "NON-COVERED" Reason:

If the Tour is canceled by the traveler for any reason other than a Covered Reason, APPLE’S PPP provides a total refund value of 75% of the Covered Trip costs that have been paid up to the date of cancellation (minus the $199 PPP cost, minus the $250 non-refundable Tour Admin Fee, minus any applicable Tour Charges and minus any applicable additional airline, hotel, activity, or other transportation fees, if applicable*)

*If, at the time of cancellation for a "Non-Covered Reason", APPLE has purchased non-refundable airline tickets, the traveler may receive as part of their refund "value", airline vouchers, certificates, gift cards or credit, dependent upon the specific policies of the airline that was contracted for service on behalf of the traveler and any such airline vouchers, certificates, gift cards or credits as "value" are included as part of the total value refund calculation. APPLE will not be responsible for any financial loss from airline policies regarding airfare purchased on behalf of the traveler.

To be effective, cancellation under "PROTECTION B" must: a) be in writing and received by APPLE at least 24 hours prior to the Tour’s Departure Time; and b) the traveler’s account must be paid in full by the Final Payment Date (please note "paid in full" includes the Tour Price, plus the PPP Cost, plus the Tour Admin Fee and plus any Additional Tour Charges). There is no eligible protection if the traveler’s account is not paid in full by the Final Payment Date. The PPP only provides coverage beginning on the Tour’s Final Payment Date and not before. Cancellations prior to the Final Payment Date will be covered as outlined in Section V of APPLE’s Tours Participant Agreement.

Providing Notice of a Cancellation to APPLE:

Traveler cancellations under the PPP should be reported as soon as possible to APPLE by emailing the request for cancellation with any relevant supporting documents to sales@apple-tours.com. Your request must include the traveler’s name, trip name, and details describing the nature of your cancellation with any supporting Physician’s notes.

Definitions:

Accident means a sudden, unexpected, unintended, and external event, which causes Injury.

Covered Reason means a Force Majeure Event declared by APPLE after the Final Payment Date or a Sickness or Injury involving the traveler which necessitates medical treatment to the traveler at the time of cancellation and results in medically imposed restrictions, as certified by a Physician, which prevents the traveler’s participation in the Tour. Covered Reasons do not include:

  1. Being under the influence of drugs or intoxicants, unless prescribed by a Physician;
  2. Elective Treatment or Procedures;
  3. Suspension or expulsion from school;
  4. Anxiety;
  5. Being part of a high-risk health group or being associated with others who are a part of a high-risk health group; or
  6. A loss that results from an illness, disease, or other condition, event or circumstance which occurs prior to APPLE’S receipt of full payment for the Payment Protection Program.

Elective Treatment or Procedures means any medical treatment or surgical procedure that is not medically necessary including any service, treatment, or supplies that are deemed by the federal, or a state or local government authority, or by us to be research or experimental or that is not recognized as a generally accepted medical practice.

Final Payment Date means the date that the full payment, including Tour Price plus Tour Admin Fee Plus PPP Cost plus Additional Tour Charges is due as stipulated on the Tour’s Meeting Packet.

Force Majeure Event means and includes war (whether declared or not), armed conflict or the serious threat of the same, hostilities, invasion, act of a foreign enemy, extensive military mobilization; civil war, riot, rebellion, revolution, military or usurped power, insurrection, civil commotion or disorder, mob violence, act of civil disobedience; act of terrorism, sabotage or piracy; plague, epidemic, pandemic, outbreaks of infectious disease or any other public health crisis, including quarantine or chemical or radioactive contamination; act of authority whether lawful or unlawful, compliance with any law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, curfew restriction; act of God or natural disaster such as but not limited to violent storm, cyclone, typhoon, hurricane, tornado, blizzard, earthquake, volcanic activity, landslide, tidal wave, tsunami, flood, damage or destruction by lightning, drought; explosion, fire, destruction or prolonged breakdown of accommodations, transport, telecommunications, or electric current; general labor disturbance such as but not limited to boycott, strike and lock-out, occupation of premises; shortage or inability to obtain critical supplies or services; breach of carrier or accommodation contracts or third parties’ failure to comply with laws or regulations or their acts or omissions which cause or contribute to cancellations, delays or overbooking associated with travel, restaurants, sightseeing events, accommodations, entertainers, or other travel services; tour participant negligence; any other reason that makes it actually or potentially impossible or illegal for APPLE to conduct a Tour as originally planned or any other event or circumstance not within APPLE’s reasonable control, whether similar or dissimilar to any of the foregoing.

Injury means bodily harm caused by an Accident which: 1) occurs after APPLE Tours has received full payment for the Payment Protection Program from the traveler; and 2) requires examination and treatment by a Physician.

Physician means a person licensed as a medical doctor by the jurisdiction in which he/she is a resident to practice the healing arts. He/she must be practicing within the scope of his/her license for the service or treatment given and may not be the traveler or an immediate family member of the traveler.

Sickness means an illness or disease of the body which: 1) occurs after APPLE Tours has received full payment for the Payment Protection Program from the traveler; and 2) requires examination and treatment by a Physician.

Tour Admin Fee means the fee charged by APPLE to cover costs associated with working for the group to coordinate all aspects of the highly customized tour package.

Tour’s Departure Time means the time the groups outbound fight is scheduled to depart.

Tour Price means the price of the Tour exclusive of the Tour Admin Fee as stipulated in the Tour’s Meeting Packet.

Additional Tour Charges means any charge in addition to the Tour Price and Admin Fee, which includes, but not limited to, the non-cash payment fee, payment extension fees, late payment fees, and returned check fees