Self-Transfer Guarantee Terms and Conditions

• We’re here to help, and the following guarantee (the “Trip.com Self-Transfer Guarantee”) describes our ("Trip.com", "us", "we" or "our" as the context requires) commitment to ensuring you get to your destination as quickly as possible.
• The Trip.com Self-Transfer Guarantee is generally applicable to itineraries bought from Trip.com that consist of two or more “legs” and which require you to connect from a flight operated by one carrier to a flight operated by a different carrier (a “Self-Transfer Itinerary”). For example, a Trip.com Self-Transfer Itinerary might originate in city A, with a 3-hour layover in city B, and then require a flight onward with a different carrier to city C.
• Where the Trip.com Self-Transfer Guarantee is applicable, this will be clearly notified to you at the point of purchase and stated on your booking details page. You may also be given the option to upgrade the Trip.com Self-Transfer Guarantee by purchasing additional self-transfer services for USD10 (“Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee”). The additional services included in the Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee will be highlighted at the time of purchase and are also set out in these Terms and Conditions.
• By using the Trip.com Self-Transfer Guarantee or the Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee (each a “Guarantee” and together the “Guarantees”), you are deemed to have accepted and agreed to comply with these Terms and Conditions. Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully (in particular the sections highlighted in bold).
• The Guarantees do not apply in circumstances where you miss a transfer for reasons other than one of the flights within a Self-Transfer Itinerary being affected by a delay, a cancellation, or a reschedule event. See section 5 below for more information.
• We may amend these Terms and Conditions from time to time. The date that amendments were last made will be displayed at the top of these Terms and Conditions, and any amendments will take effect upon posting. Every time you wish to purchase a Self-Transfer Itinerary and/or the Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee, please check these Terms and Conditions to ensure you understand the terms that apply at that time.
• The Guarantees are issued by Trip.com Travel Singapore Pte. Ltd., a limited liability company with its address at 1 Harbourfront Ave, #03-12/13, Keppel Bay Tower, Singapore. We are a global online travel agency.
• By making a claim under a Guarantee, you hereby assign to us your present and future rights, title, and interest in all claims you may have against the relevant airlines in connection with the relevant Trigger Event (including, without limitation, under EU regulation 261/2004) and agree not to enter into any negotiations or accept any offers either directly or indirectly (via a third party) from the relevant airline. See section 6 below for more information.
• When using our website or app and purchasing travel products, our General Terms and Conditions will also apply https://pages.trip.com/service-guideline/terms-en-gb.html.

Activating a Guarantee

• The Guarantee can be activated if a delay, cancellation, or rescheduling of one of the flights in your Self-Transfer Itinerary ("Affected Flight") causes you to miss your connecting flight or makes it impossible to complete your Self-Transfer Itinerary ("Trigger Event"). The application of the Self-Transfer Guarantee depends on the airlines' recommended minimum connection time. If you should have reasonably made the connecting flight based on the airport's recommended minimum connection time, no refund will be given and the Self-Transfer Guarantee will not apply.
• To activate the Trip.com Self-Transfer Guarantee, simply let us know about the Trigger Event by phone or email using the contact details in your booking confirmation email. In cases where we are independently informed of the Trigger Event, we may reach out to you directly to inform you and offer the option to activate the Self-Transfer Guarantee. If you have purchased the Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee, we will always contact you directly to notify you and activate the upgraded guarantee.
• If you purchase checked baggage allowance through channels other than Trip.com, such as directly from the airline, and this leads to insufficient connecting time, the Self-Transfer Guarantee service will not apply.
• For the avoidance of any doubt, when the use of a Guarantee results in booking a new flight and the new flight is operated by a different airline to the original flight, the Guarantee will be deemed as having been used and Trip.com will not be obligated to provide the Guarantee to any Trigger Event that occurs to the new flight.
• The scope and protection provided by the Guarantees differ depending on whether the Trigger Event constitutes a "Short Notice Event" or a "Long Notice Event" and whether you have purchased the Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee.

1. Short Notice Event

• 1.1 A Short Notice Event is where the delay, cancellation or reschedule event occurs at any time less than 48 hours prior to the affected flight’s originally scheduled take-off time (“Short Notice Event”).
• 1.2 Where a Guarantee is activated on the basis of a Short Notice Event, we’ll pull together an alternative travel plan for you as soon as we can. You must reply within 24 hours of us sending you the details of our proposed alternative travel plan to confirm whether you wish to accept it or reject it. If you’re not happy with the alternative travel plan we propose and choose to reject it, we may instead offer you a refund in respect of the affected and unused portion of your Self-Transfer Itinerary in accordance with the calculation described at section 1.5 below. Failure to reply to us within 24 hours, or to agree an alternative travel plan or refund prior to the affected flight’s originally scheduled take-off time, may result in the Guarantee being invalidated.
• 1.3 In addition to the rights afforded to you under section 1.2, in circumstances where you are notified of the Short Notice Event less than 12 hours prior to the affected flight’s originally scheduled take-off time, you shall be entitled to propose your own alternative travel plan for consideration. Where you propose a travel plan to us for consideration: (i) this shall be approved by us at our sole discretion and will not cover the expense of any non-essential or additional services or upgrades included as part of the proposed travel plan; (ii) any subsequent unauthorised changes by you to your travel plan will disqualify you from the Guarantee and you acknowledge and agree that you will have no claim for performance of it against us in those circumstances. Where we reject a travel plan you have proposed, you shall be entitled to a Trip.com-sourced alternative travel plan or refund pursuant to section 1.2.
• 1.4 In addition to the rights afforded to you under sections 1.2 and 1.3, in circumstances where you are notified of the Short Notice Event less than 4 hours prior to the affected flight's originally scheduled take-off time and you were unable to contact us (after making reasonable attempts to do so), the Guarantee will permit you to make your own, unapproved booking of flight(s) comparable to the delayed, canceled, or rescheduled flight(s) in your Self-transfer Itinerary. In such circumstances Trip.com will, upon receipt of satisfactory evidence of expense, reimburse you in respect of the full amount of the unused portion of your Self-transfer Itinerary in accordance with the terms described in section 1.5 below, or if you purchased our Upgraded Self-transfer Guarantee (and the calculation amounts to less than US$1,000), up to US$1,000.
• 1.5 Where you are entitled to a refund or reimbursement in accordance with sections 1.2, 1.4, or 2.2, the value of the unused portion of your Self-Transfer Itinerary will be calculated using the formula: (mileage of unused leg(s) / mileage of total trip) x total price paid. For example, if your Self-Transfer Itinerary consisted of two legs each of 500 miles duration and was purchased by you for £500, then the amount of refund / reimbursement you would be entitled to where the first leg was subject to a delay, cancellation, or reschedule event would be: (500 / 1000) x 500 = £250. As noted above, if you purchased our Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee (and the calculation amounts to less than US$1,000), Trip.com will reimburse you up to US$1,000. Subject to sections 1.6 and 2.3, refunds and reimbursements provided under this section 1.5 shall be in cash. This section is subject to the section on Alternative Transportation to Final Destination below.
• 1.6 If you purchased our Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee and are due a refund or reimbursement in accordance with sections 1.2, 1.4, and 1.5, you will have the option to be refunded or reimbursed in either cash or in Trip Coins. For more information on Trip Coins please go to https://us.trip.com/customer/loyalty.
• Where a Short Notice Event occurs, the following additional services may be requested when contacting us to activate the Guarantee (“Additional Services”):
• Alternative Transportation to Final Destination: We’re happy to consider any suggestions you may have regarding alternative travel methods such as bus, boat, or train. Where possible, we will factor this into the alternative travel plan we propose. Where alternative transportation is accepted as part of an alternative travel plan, we will reimburse the cost of alternative transportation up to the amount of or currency equivalent to USD120 per ticketed passenger.
• Alternative Transportation to a Different Airport: We’re happy to cover the cost of airport transfers up to the amount of or currency equivalent to USD120 per ticketed passenger, where this is a necessary part of the alternative travel plan.
• Accommodation Expenses: In the event that the alternative travel plan involves an overnight connection that results in you needing to stay at the airport for more than 8 hours in order to make a connecting flight that departs after midnight (12am), we are happy to reimburse you accommodation expenses up to the amount of or currency equivalent to USD50 per room during that layover period subject to availability and provided that (i) such accommodation is selected and paid for by us via our own booking channels; and (ii) transportation to/from the hotel is paid for by you. If you purchased our Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee, we will reimburse you accommodation expenses up to the amount of or currency equivalent to USD350 per room.
• Meal Expenses: If the agreed alternative travel plan requires you to wait more than 4 consecutive hours at a connecting airport, we will reimburse you for food or meal expenses up to the amount of US$15 or its currency equivalent per ticketed passenger on the alternative travel plan. If you purchase our Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee, we will reimburse you for food or meal expenses up to the amount of US$30 or its currency equivalent per ticketed passenger per day.
• If you are offered any compensation considered equivalent to the Additional Services by the airline and/or airport, we will no longer be obligated to compensate and/or reimburse you for those Additional Services. Please note that Additional Services are only available when you agree to our suggested alternative travel plan.

2. Long Notice Event

• 2.1 A Long Notice Event is where the delay, cancellation, or reschedule event occurs at any time 48 hours or more from the affected flight’s original takeoff time (“Long Notice Event”).
• 2.2 Where a Guarantee is activated on the basis of a Long Notice Event, we’ll pull together an alternative travel plan for you as soon as we can. You must reply within 24 hours of us sending you the details of our proposed alternative travel plan, to confirm whether you wish to accept it or reject it. If you’re not happy with the alternative travel plan we propose and choose to reject it, we may instead offer you a refund in respect of the unused portion of your Self-Transfer Itinerary in accordance with the calculation described in section 1.5 above. Failure to reply to us within 24 hours, or to agree an alternative travel plan or refund prior to the affected flight’s originally scheduled take-off time, may result in the Guarantee being invalidated.
• 2.3 If you purchased our Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee and are due a refund in accordance with sections 2.2 and 1.5, you will have the option to be refunded or reimbursed in either cash or in Trip Coins. For more information on Trip Coins please go to https://us.trip.com/customer/loyalty.

3. Communications

• All notices and communications made by us to you will be deemed to have been received on the date and time on which the communication was first transmitted by us.
• Unless we are advised otherwise, all notices and communications will be sent to the email address and/or phone number associated with your Trip.com user account when the flights were originally booked.
• Where a notice or communication stipulates that a response is required within a specific timeframe, failure to respond within this timeframe will result in disqualification of the Guarantee.

4. Refunds and Payments

• Our Upgraded Self-Transfer Guarantee is non-refundable once purchased.
• All eligible refunds or reimbursements under the Guarantees shall be paid by us to the payment card or account used to make your original booking within 14 business days of us receiving all necessary documentation and information. The date that any refund or reimbursement will be paid into your account is subject to the provider of your account.
• Where you are eligible for a refund or reimbursement, payment will be conditional on you providing us with suitable copies of receipts or any other reasonably requested supporting information.

5.Exceptions and Limitations

• For the purposes of this section, "Unavoidable Events" refer to extraordinary or unforeseen circumstances and include, but are not limited to, pandemics, acts of god, extreme weather or geological events, political or security issues, unexpected flight safety deficiencies, strikes, bankruptcy, insolvency, dissolution, liquidation, or flight suspension that affect the operation of any relevant operating air carrier or airport.
• Where Unavoidable Events result in delay, cancellation or rescheduling of the first flight in your Self-Transfer Itinerary (i) the Guarantees cannot be relied on for such first flight - under these circumstances it will be the relevant airline carrier's responsibility to secure alternative travel arrangements for you and you should contact them, and (ii) the Guarantees can be relied on for any subsequent flights in your Self-Transfer Itinerary.
• The Guarantees do not apply in circumstances where you miss a transfer for reasons other than one of the flights within a Self-Transfer Itinerary being affected by a delay, a cancellation, or a reschedule event, including but not limited to failing to make the transfer in time or being excluded from a flight as a result of your own acts, omissions, fault, or negligence, for example, due to unacceptable behaviour or conduct, health or safety grounds or being in possession of inadequate travel documentation.
• The Guarantees shall not apply in circumstances where a delay in the airport such as at immigration and passport control or baggage collection results in a missed flight.

6. Claims

• By making a claim under a Guarantee, you hereby assign to us your present and future rights, title and interest in all claims you may have against the relevant airlines in connection with the relevant Trigger Event (including, without limitation, under EU regulation 261/2004) and agree not to enter into any negotiations or accept any offers either directly or indirectly (via a third party) with the relevant airline.
• By activating a Guarantee you agree you will provide us and our authorised representatives with all reasonable assistance, cooperation, and any requested documentation to allow us to process and enforce any such claims.
• You agree that we and/or our authorised representatives may represent you in the enforcement and pursuit of any claims against third parties and that you will provide all reasonable assistance, documentation, and information to us to allow us to pursue such claims on your behalf. Where we are successful in pursuing any claim on your behalf, you agree we are entitled at our sole discretion to deduct from any award of damages, our reasonable costs and expenses incurred in connection with that claim and in fulfilling our obligations to you under the Guarantee.
• This section does not apply if you have purchased any ancillary products on Trip.com to assist with laws such as EU regulation 261/2004.

7. Other

• These Terms and Conditions and any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of them, their subject matter or formation shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of Singapore, although this shall not deprive you of any mandatory consumer rights of the law of the country in which you are resident in.
• You and we both agree that the courts of Singapore will have jurisdiction over any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with these Terms and Conditions or their subject matter or formation, although this shall not deprive you of any mandatory right to choose instead to resolve any such dispute or claim in the courts of the country in which you are resident.
• Where the original English version of these terms has been translated into other languages, the English version shall prevail in the event of any inconsistencies between the versions.
• These terms are between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of these terms.
• If any court or relevant authority finds that part of these terms are illegal, the rest will continue in full force and effect.
• Even if we delay enforcing these terms, we may still take steps against you at a later date.