Investing in your student’s travel is an investment that lasts a lifetime.
Remain confident that your investment is protected, even in unpredictable times.
Academic Expeditions’ Guaranteed Refund Program ensures you can receive the maximum refund possible if needing to cancel travel.
BUILT-IN PROTECTION
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PEACE OF MIND
Your initial deposit not only secures your place on the trip, it also purchases on your behalf a built-in travel insurance policy from Trip Mate. Standard individual travelers insurance as well as Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) protection are both automatically included in your all-inclusive trip cost.*
*This program is not currently available to residents of New York.
HOW DOES AE’S GUARANTEED REFUND PROGRAM WORK?
Thanks to our partnership with Trip Mate, you are automatically guaranteed to receive the maximum refund possible if cancelling travel. Our company cancellation terms combined with Cancel For Any Reason coverage we purchased on your behalf results in optimal protection on your travel investment.
Our Guaranteed Refund Program is exceptional within the industry.
Want to know exactly how much will you be refunded? See below.
Bus Groups
In the event that the trip is cancelled or you yourself decide to not travel, your deposit and insurance premium is the only amount that will NOT be refunded within 31 days of the trip. Within 30 days of the trip start, the amount we retain for cancellation will be based on the table below.
The remainder of the total you paid will be refunded to you, no questions asked.
The above policy relates to cancellations for any reason, or no reason at all, and applies to individuals as well as group cancellations. There are no prerequisites to qualify for beyond paying the initial trip deposit.
If your cancellation or trip interruption is for a specific reason, such as a medical issue or an unexpected family emergency, then you may qualify for a full refund on all monies paid. Please contact us with any cancellation requests to help determine whether your specific scenario qualifies as a listed covered reason. For details on this plan and its conditions, please visit our Insurance page.
*This program is not currently available to residents of New York.
Flight Groups
In the event that the trip is cancelled or you yourself decide to not travel, the insurance premium and nonrefundable deposits are the only amounts that will NOT be refunded within 91 days of the trip. The percentage of the total trip cost retained in the event of cancellation will be based on the table below.
The remainder of the total you paid will be refunded to you, no questions asked.
The above policy relates to cancellations for any reason, or no reason at all, and applies to individuals as well as group cancellations. There are no prerequisites to qualify for beyond paying the initial trip deposit.
If your cancellation or trip interruption is for a specific reason, such as a medical issue or an unexpected family emergency, then you may qualify for a full refund on all monies paid. Please contact us with any cancellation requests to help determine whether your specific scenario qualifies as a listed covered reason. For details on this plan and its conditions, please visit our Insurance page.
*This program is not currently available to residents of New York.
HOW DO I JOIN AE’S GUARANTEED REFUND PROGRAM?
Easy! You are automatically enrolled as soon as you make the first payment.
Your initial deposit not only secures your spot on the trip, it also automatically purchases on your behalf a built-in travel insurance policy from Trip Mate that includes both standard as well as Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage.
*This program is not currently available to residents of New York.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Your automatic enrollment in AE’s Guaranteed Refund Program (upon receipt of the first payment) is all that is required to ensure you receive the maximum refund possible. With the standard insurance plus Cancel For Any Reason protection that Academic Expeditions purchases on your behalf, you have the best coverage to receive the maximum refund possible in the event of a cancellation.
You are protected on both the group and individual levels regarding cancellations for ANY REASON.
You are protected on both the group and individual levels regarding cancellations for ANY REASON. Specific listed covered reasons may qualify for full reimbursement. Please contact us with all cancellation requests. We guarantee you’ll receive the maximum refund that your reason for cancellation allows.
Our partnership with Trip Mate is unique in the student travel industry. Following spring 2020 cancellations due to the global pandemic, we worked closely with Trip Mate to review and enhance procedures to better streamline the claim filing process, speed up the reimbursement timeline, and reduce paperwork to guarantee you receive the maximum refund as quickly as possible.
Refund percentages are based around nonrefundable payments placed on the group’s behalf.Group airfare deposits become nonrefundable starting at 90 days prior to departure, hence the slightly “earlier” timeline for groups traveling by air versus land.
Many tour operators offer dates for pre-arranged departures and trips with little or no say in how a trip is organized… Not us. Rather than provide the same expeditions to everyone, we recognize that different groups have different needs and desires. We work with you to create your own tailor-made trip that feels right and works well for your group, offering our expert knowledge and advice to help guide your decision-making. Academic Expeditions develops each tour from the ground up and customizes as much as the client wishes. We feel this is the way that fulfilling travel should be.
Read more about how group travel booking works from the Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA).
[Link to AE’s COVID document/page]