Fare Rules and Information
 
   

FARE RULES

THESE RULES DO NOT APPLY TO TICKETS BOOKED ONLINE

Taxes - Taxes will vary based on the routings and countries where plane changes occur. 
               Taxes must be calculated at a higher rate for changes at certain airports. Taxes vary by 
               airline and can cost $ 110- $ 325 per ticket depending on the carrier and destination.   
               We will calculate all tax based on prevailing tax, fees, and surcharges at the time of booking.

Ticket Changes - There is a fee charged by the airlines for ticket changes after issue regardless
               of the circumstances. With some airlines changes can only be made before departure,
               others allow changes after half the ticket has been used or flown. The fees  vary by airline 
               and the type of fare upon which the ticket price is based. The deeper the discount price the 
               higher the fees.

               Tickets that are sold as "specials" at our lowest available prices cannot be changed under
               any circumstances. 

               On date changes after one half of a roundtrip ticket has been flown, the routing and flight 
               numbers must be the same. No changes other than the date are allowed.

               Change fees and rules for Last Minute offers will be posted at the top of the rate page
               and can differ with each offering, or be non-changeable. We encourage all customers to inquire
               about the rules for ticket changes on any tickets that they book.

Ticket Cancellations -  There is a fee charged by the airlines for canceling a ticket prior to departure,
               regardless of the reason for the cancellation. There is no cancellation allowed on roundtrip
               tickets when half of the trip has been flown. Fees will be quoted upon request at the time of any
               booking.
               
               Cancellation fees on Last Minute fares can differ based on fare rules for each offer. These 
               fees will be posted at the top of the rate page for each special Last Minute offering. In some cases
               Last Minute or "Specials" cannot be cancelled. We encourage all customers to inquire about the
               the rules of cancellation on any tickets they book.

No Shows - A no show is a ticket that is unused for the flight for which it was issued and the airline 
              was not notified 12 hours prior to the flight that it would not be taken. This results in a forfeiture 
              of the ticket and is subject to no refund. In certain situations resulting from medical and accidental 
              emergencies the airlines will consider exceptions on a case by case basis with proper proof and 
              documentation. If you arrive at the airport late due to delays or accidents on the roads and highways,
              you should proceed to the check-in counter and discuss with the airline the possibilities for being
              scheduled on a later flight that day or the same flight the next day. The airline is under no obligation
              to accommodate you, but usually they will try to assist you if there are seats available.

Stopovers - One free "U.S. Gateway" stopover is permitted on either the outbound or inbound flights at no cost.  
              A stopover is a stay of a day or more in the U.S. hub (gateway) of a particular airline. The hub cities 
              are different for each airline. If you wish to book a stopover, please submit a quote request and 
              indicate the stopover date and city in the remarks section.

Pet Travel - Pets accompanying passengers must be confirmed by the airline prior to ticketing.
              Once confirmed, the pet is taken to check-in the day of the flight, the pet and kennel
              weighed, and the charge for the pet paid to the airline. You cannot pay us for the
              traveling pet. There is a moratorium on pet travel from May 15 to September 15 by most of
              the airlines due to hot weather. To have a pet confirmed we need to be provided with
              the weight of the pet in pounds, and the dimensions of the Kennel in inches, the sex, age,
              and breed of the animal.

Children Traveling Unaccompanied - Unaccompanied minors where permitted are charged the
              adult fare. Due to historical problems with unaccompanied minors changing planes,
              most carriers only accept unaccompanied minors on direct flights. Where they are
              accepted, the request must be made to the airline and confirmed by them before
              ticketing. In some cases plane changes are allowed, but there is an escort fee for
              children 10 - 16 at a cost of $ 90 each way. No children under 5 are allowed to travel 
              unaccompanied. 

Payment Options

Cash Sales  (Money Order or Cashiers Check) - A deposit is required with each booking of $ 50
             per seat and is non-refundable. The balance of the ticket is due in our office 15 days
             prior to the departure date. The deposit and subsequent payment should be made
             payable to American Travel Center. Payments should be mailed to the following address.
                                                          
                                                                                P.O. Box 5008
                                                            Hilton Head Island, SC 29938-5008

Payment Plan - You have the option of making a minimum deposit of $ 50 per seat and making
             systematic payments at your convenience up to 15 days prior to the flight, at
             which time the entire balance must be paid in full. You can pay more than the
             minimum deposit initially if you choose. If you must cancel prior to the ticket being
             issued, you will receive a refund of all payments made, less the $ 50 per seat 
             required deposit to hold the booking. 

Credit Card Sales - We accept Visa, Mastercard American Express, and Discover. We require a signature on 
             all credit card sales. We FAX the credit  card information to the customer, they complete it, sign it, 
             and FAX it back to us. 
             WE MUST BE PROVIDED A FAX NUMBER ON ALL TICKETS BEING PAID BY CREDIT CARD.  
             There is a fee charged on all credit card sales of 3% of the total sales price.

             We can also E-MAIL credit card information if you have SCAN capability and complete the form, 
             sign, scan and send back to us by return e-mail.

Bank Transfer - Electronic Bank transfers are also accepted for payment at a flat rate of $ 20 per
             transaction. Please call us and we will provide our information for completing this
             type payment.

Ticket Delivery

            All tickets are issued as electronic tickets unless otherwise specified. Electronic tickets for flights originating 
            in Germany are without cost. Tickets originating in the U.S. are charged a fee of $ 19 per itinerary (ie: 4 passengers
            booked on the same itinerary are a total cost of $ 19). We are UNABLE to issue electronic tickets for infants flying 
            without a seat. We also have situations where airlines will not allow us to issue electronic tickets  on certain 
            routings. In these cases the airlines will issue paper tickets at no cost to the passenger.

            Paper tickets are delivered in Germany via German mail for a fee of $ 5. We require a valid
            German mailing address ( we cannot accept APO addresses ).

            Tickets are delivered to the U.S. via UPS at a cost of $ 30 per total order. We require a physical
            street address including city, state, and zip code. We also require a local phone number as required by UPS.