2016 Travel

 

As noted in the "Money Matters" document, a traveler who is registering for the trip has choice of paying for "Land-Only" arrangements through the Organizing Team, or of taking the "full package" which includes airline arrangements. 

 However, please note that the Organizing Team's willingness to make air arrangements is restricted to those travelers whose travel plans qualify as part of the "group booking", which provides a number of benefits (e.g. late payment and ticketing, small discounts, and sometimes a free seat or two, the benefit of which is spread across the group). Generally, to qualify as part of the group booking, you will need to travel with the main group for the flight over on August 2, and you must return either with the main group on August 18th, or within seven days thereafter from the same airport.

 For any other travel variations (including travel using airline points), it only complicates matters to involve the Team as a "middle man" as the arrangements are sorted out, and so it will be easiest for you and all involved if you make your own travel arrangements and select the "land-only" package from the Chorale. (Please note that if you do make your own travel arrangements, you are also expected to arrange for your own trip cancellation and medical insurance.)

 A few final points: 

·      Individual travelers always have the option of making their own travel arrangements if they are think that they can obtain a better deal than our group booking. We acknowledge that this is sometimes possible, as the Organizers are obliged to make bookings which are in the best interests of the group as a whole, and individuals may sometimes be able to save a little if they are willing to fly on a charter airline, for example, or take chances that a better seat sale price will become available closer to the time of the trip.
 

·      Even if you are making your own flight arrangements, you may nonetheless wish to deal independently with the same travel agent who will be making the group arrangements for the Organizing Team. This will allow the travel agent to coordinate your flights with the Chorale's plans where that would be of benefit. Please contact Signi Damus of the Organizing Team if you would like to be put in touch with our travel agent.
 

·      Although the tour organizers will typically keep all members informed of changes to the group flight routes or times, they cannot be responsible if these occur in such a way that make your alternative arrangements less convenient. This is a risk that you assume when you decide to make your own arrangements. 
 

·      Travelers who would like to spend significant extra time in the UK or Europe are respectfully asked, where possible, to achieve this by staying on after the trip, rather than by leaving Ottawa early to do the same before the trip. We typically schedule our final rehearsals for the final weekends before the trip, and it would of course be best if all singers were available for those.
 

·      For those who do elect to make their flight arrangements through the Chorale, we will be asking in the summer or early fall for the information which will be necessary for booking purposes. As airfares have become increasingly volatile in recent years, we want to make sure that we have all of the necessary information on hand so that we can make a group booking on very short notice should that become necessary.