Answering Your Questions

You may enroll online or by mail. Your tour leader will give you an application card along with your brochure, or you may download a copy from our Forms & Policies page. Complete and sign the application card, have your parent or legal guardian sign it (if you are under 21) and mail or fax it to TSA Tours, along with a check for the minimum deposit of $400. Without the minimum deposit and your and your parent’s signature, we cannot hold your space on the tour.

You can also register online and pay with a credit for no additional fee using Account Management. Click on your state, find your group and follow the steps to register and make your deposit with a credit card.

To make a payment after you have submitted your initial deposit, you have several options.

1) Send a check or money order by mail along with the top portion of your statement.
2) Mail, fax or scan and email a credit card authorization form found on the back side of your statement or on the Forms & Policies page.
3) Pay with a credit or debit card on our secure account management website if you would like to make several payments on your balance online.
4) Make a quick, one-time payment without registering on our account management site using your PayPal account.

Participant name

Tour code/name

For your protection, we cannot accept credit card numbers over the phone.

If you are using a debit or check card, please note that your payment may be declined if it exceeds your daily spending limit. Call your bank ahead of time to authorize a larger amount.

If you have never paid on our website, you’ll need to register as though you are a new customer. The online account system won’t initially recognize you as an existing customer. Don’t worry – when our accounting team receives your online payment a real live person processes the transaction and properly credits your account. Your new balance will be reflected on your next statement. Next time you log in, you won’t have to fill out the registration forms.

Deadlines for the guarantee are Nov. 1 for all spring groups and Jan. 15 for all summer groups. (Summer programs are May through September and spring programs are February through April.) Those who have a zero balance by these dates are protected against price surcharges that can result from increases in airfares, overseas inflation and exchange rates. See our Terms and Conditions for details.

Each group is priced on a minimum number of participants. The price guarantee does not cover a surcharge if your group should fall below the minimum number.

Government taxes, including airline taxes and fuel surcharges imposed after the printing/pricing dates are also not covered in the guarantee. The post office postmark or online payment time stamp determines the effective date. Early Bird participants are subject to normal cancellation/refund procedures. Participants with special arrangements are not covered by the Early Bird plan.

Regular deposits are necessary so that TSA Tours can meet financial obligations abroad. A convenient installment plan is outlined below. All payments can be made by mail or online. Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards are accepted. Checks returned due to insufficient funds are subject to a $35 fee.

Payment Plan:

1. $400 non-refundable deposit due with registration form
2. $600 due 30 days after initial deposit was made
3. $500 due 45 days after second payment was made

Deadlines for full payment are:

• 60 days before departure for tours departing before April 30.
• 90 days before departure for all other tours.

Full payment is required if you register after the full payment deadline.

Any participant not paid in full by the full payment deadline will be assessed a $150 late payment charge. Any payments made after the deadlines must be made by cashier’s check or money order.

If full payment has not been made by 45 days prior to departure, it will be understood that the participant is cancelling from the program, and the applicable (75%) cancellation penalty will be in effect. Reinstatement is possible on a space-available basis only, and involves full payment by cashier’s check or money order, plus a $150 service charge.

We sincerely hope you can travel with us, but if you can’t for some reason, please notify our office as soon as possible and we will work with your individual situation. Our optional pre-trip medical cancellation coverage can protect your investment in the event of an injury, illness or death of an immediate family member.

The right to refunds if a participant changes plans is limited. Participants wishing to cancel must do so in writing, and the Postal Service postmark date or email time stamp will be the determining date for all cancellations. The following schedule of refunds will apply:

• 90 days or more before departure: If the notice of cancellation is postmarked within this period, a full refund, less the program deposit of $400 and any applicable airline, hotel, railway or cruise penalties will be given.
• 89 to 60 days before departure: If the cancellation notice is postmarked less than 89 but 60 days or more before departure, a full refund, less $1000 and any applicable airline, hotel, railway or cruise penalties will be given.
• Less than 60 days before departure: Cancellations postmarked less than 60 days before departure and received at least 72 hours prior to departure are subject to a 75% cancellation penalty and any applicable airline, hotel, railway or cruise penalties.
• Cancellations received within 72 hours of departure and “no show” passengers receive no refund.

If you want to opt out of the pre-trip medical cancellation protection, please notify us in writing. You may include a note with you next payment or email us with your name, the participant’s name (if different), your tour leader’s name and your authorization to remove the coverage. We will deduct the premium from your balance.

We’ll send you monthly statements by mail that reflect your payments and balance owed at the time of printing. If you are making payments online, you can also log in to My Account and check your balance. If you pay more than you owe, or if your price is reduced for any reason, we’ll send you a refund check by mail.

Most of our student tours are based on three to a room. Check the Tour Includes section of your brochure to verify the rooming configuration on your tour. If you are an adult traveling on a student tour, or part of a couple, you will be billed for a double supplement fee. Single adults enrolling on a tour without a roommate and who are unable to be assigned roommates by TSA Tours will be charged the single or double supplement fee. Contact us to verify the single or double supplement fee for your tour if it is not printed on your brochure.

Adult trips are usually based on twin rooms. Single adults enrolling on a tour without a roommate and who are unable to be assigned a roommate by TSA Tours will be charged the single supplement fee. Single supplements are available upon request.

Participants wishing to deviate from the original travel arrangements of the group must inform TSA Tours in writing at least 90 days before departure. Please complete a flight deviation request form. A service charge of $150 applies, along with any additional land or air charges. Any requests made within 90 days of departure are subject to a $250 service charge. No changes can be made less than 45 days prior to departure.

Land-only participants must inform TSA Tours in writing at least 120 days before departure. Any land-only changes made less than 120 days prior will be subject to a $150 fee. Please contact us as soon as possible so we can make arrangements for you.

Call or email us with your frequent flyer membership number and we’ll register you to receive credit for your flights with us. This service is subject to airline rules and regulations.

U.S. citizens traveling outside North America must have a valid, current passport in order to travel. Passport and visa fees are the responsibility of all participants and are not included in any tour prices. Failure to obtain a valid passport or visa is not grounds for cancellation with refund.

The U.S. Department of State makes the following specifications:

• If you were over age 16 when your passport was issued, your passport is valid for 10 years.
• If you were age 15 or younger when your passport was issued, your passport is valid for 5 years.
• The Issue Date of your passport can be found on the data page of your Passport Book or on the front of your Passport Card.
• If possible, you should renew your passport approximately nine (9) months before it expires. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six (6) months beyond the dates of your trip. Most airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.
• Non-expedited applications can take as long as 8 weeks to process.

For Minors:

• Minors under age 16 must apply in person.
• All minors, regardless of age, including newborns and infants, must have their own passport when traveling internationally by air.
• Both parents (or legal guardians) must provide consent, either in person or in writing.

State Department Policies for Minors

Visas:

• Non-U.S. citizens traveling from the U.S. to another country (carrying a non-U.S. passport) may be required to obtain visas before traveling.

Bureau of Consular Affairs