Booking FAQs | FTLO Travel
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Your Questions Answered

Included?

1. what is included?

Each trip page has a breakdown of what is and isn't included. In general, the trip price includes accommodations, in-country transportation, curated activities and some meals (usually all breakfasts and 3-4 lunches/dinners).

2. What happens after I book?

  1. Once you fill out the booking form and submit your deposit, you will receive an automatic confirmation that you submitted a booking request.

  2. We will manually confirm your booking and someone from our team will follow up with a personal email welcoming you to the trip and detailing next steps.

  3. At some point before your trip (normally 2-5 months, if not earlier) we will give you the green light to book your flights with details about when and where you must be to meet the group on the first day. Do not book your flights until you get the green light from one of our team members.

  4. Three weeks before the trip, you will receive an invite to our online portal we lovingly call “The Departure Hub.” Here, you can see who else you’re traveling with and find useful items like a detailed trip guide with hotel information, a suggested packing list, and other tips.

  5. A week before the trip, there is an optional pre-trip video call that allows you to meet your trip leader and fellow travelers and ask any last minute questions.

  6. A couple of days before the trip, the trip leader will start a group chat with everyone on the trip so you can start to connect!

Booking
Flights?

3. What about flights?

Our trips do not include flights. We let you book your own flights because it allows you the freedom to choose an itinerary that works best for you, use miles, sit in first class (ayy!), extend your trip, etc.

4. When can I book my flights?

You shouldn’t book your flights until you receive the official FTLO Greenlight Email. This will be sent to you 3 to 4 months prior to the start date of your trip.

When to book flights

5. What is the payment policy?

There is a trip-specific non-refundable deposit to reserve a spot. If you choose to pay in installments, the remainder is to be paid according to the following schedule:

 

90 days before trip - 50% of trip cost

60 days before trip - 75% of trip cost

30 days before trip - 100% of trip cost

 

You will be sent automatic payment requests with a link to enter credit card information. Installments should be paid within 3 days of payment request.

 

Keep in mind, sometimes prices go up as it gets closer to the departure date and paying a deposit does not guarantee a specific price. To lock in your trip price, you can pay the full amount when you sign up.

 

For full terms and conditions, please click HERE.

Payment Policy

6. What is the cancellation policy?

If you cancel a trip, you will be responsible for the below amounts based on the date we receive your written confirmation of cancellation.​

 

  • 61 days or more days before departure: Deposit is non refundable and issued as “Travel Credit” on your account that can be transferred to another trip.

  • 60-31 days before departure: 50% of the trip is non-refundable. Any additional amount paid will be refunded or given as travel credit. 

  • 30 days or less before departure: No refund possible

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*Please note: Due to requirements from our suppliers, the South Africa Trip, Lapland Trip, Kenya Trip and Japan Trip follow a 91-Day Cancellation Policy, different from other FTLO Trips.

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  • 91 days or more days before departure:  Deposit is non-refundable and issued as “Travel Credit” on your account that can be transferred to another trip.

  • 90-61 days before departure:  25% of the trip cost is non-refundable. Any additional amount paid will be refunded or given as travel credit.

  • 60-31 days before departure:  50% of the trip cost is non-refundable. Any additional amount paid will be refunded or given as travel credit.

  • 30 days or less before departure:  No refund possible.

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This Travel Credit will expire five years from the date of issue. The Travel Credit cannot be exchanged for a cash refund of any type. (see section below regarding Trip Transfers and Travel Credits).

 

No refund can be provided if you fail to join the trip, join it after departure, or leave it prior to its completion for any reason. 

 

Further, any non-refundable deposits made to third-party suppliers and third-party cancellation fees will be subtracted from any refunds due under this section or trip transfers. In some instances, this may result in a refund amount of $0 after these subtractions.

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For full terms and conditions, please click HERE.

Refund Policy?

7. I'm Going with a friend or partner- can we share a room? Can I get a single room?

You can definitely room with the person you sign up with. Please just make a note in the special requirements section of the booking to request.

 

Single rooms are available on most trips for an additional fee. When booking your trip, if single rooms are available, you will have the option to add as an optional.

Rooms
Partial trip?

8. Can I just do part of a trip?

Not really. The trips are designed in such a way that each day builds on the next so missing part of the trip would mean missing part of the experience. For that reason, we don't really allow people to join trips late. However, if you need to leave early, we totally understand and will do our best to accommodate. Please note that there are no discounts for leaving a trip early.

9.Do trips ever go on sale?

No. We offer early bird pricing for people who sign up early enough but we do not put our trips on sale.

Discounts?

10. Why is there an inaugural trip discount?

We aim for perfection on every trip we run. However, even after all of the research, preparation, and practice, it’s possible we’ll discover kinks in our itineraries or minor flaws in our experiences during our inaugural tours. In the spirit of fairness and complete transparency, we discount these adventures on the off chance that any hiccups do arise.

 

Our excursions are built by travelers for travelers, and we rely on our guests for valuable post-trip feedback to help us create memorable experiences that we’re proud to share with our friends. That means if you head out on one of our inaugural trips, we want you to give us your honest insights so we can continue improving. 

Inaugural Discount

11. How do referrals work?

We give discounts to travelers who refer others for FTLO trips. In order to receive these discounts, the individual you referred will need to book their trip and pay the deposit. On their booking form, they will see the question, “Any other messages for our team?”

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They will need to mention that you have referred them and whether they are traveling on the same trip as you or on a different one. We will then process the referral on the backend and deduct the voucher from your balance or give you a credit.

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  • Referral credit: $100 voucher

    • You will receive a $100 voucher if you refer a new traveler who books a different trip (you aren't traveling together)

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Referrals

12. What does joining the waitlist mean?

You join the waitlist the same way you go about booking the trip. There is no payment and no commitment required to join the waitlist. If a spot opens up on the trip, we will reach out to you directly to let you know a spot has opened up. Someone from FTLO will reach out to you via email if a spot does open up in which you will have 24 hours to respond. If you are interested in joining us, we will then send you a payment request, in which you'll have 24 hours to complete. Once you make the payment, your spot will be confirmed.

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Please note: it is highly unlikely that a spot will open up within 30 days of a trip. If your first choice trip is sold out, we highly recommend looking at our Calendar to see what other trips are available over those dates!

Waitlist

13. What does itinerary “subject to change” mean?

We are constantly revising and updating our itineraries based on the feedback we receive from our guests so that we can provide the best possible travel experience. Generally, these tweaks are minor and include things like slight adjustments to scheduling. If any larger itinerary revisions are made, such as a change in activities, you will be contacted prior to your departure date.

Itinerary Updates

14. What is the FTLO Traveler's Pledge?

When booking an FTLO trip, we ask everyone to agree to our Traveler's Pledge, which is a set of guidelines intended to create a safe, stress-free experience for all. You must agree to the pledge (a copy of which can be found HERE) in order to join a trip and failure to uphold it while traveling may result in removal from a trip or being banned from future trips.

Travlers Pledge
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