Payments and deposits

  • A deposit is required upon booking. The deposit is 40% of the final booking amount. This deposit will be applied to final payment of the chartering fee. Services are subject to cancellation without notice if the deposit is not received within the stated time period. A deposit of $100.00 for charters under $1000.00 is required. A deposit of 25% for charters $1,000.00 and up is required.
  • There are absolutely NO REFUNDS! In lieu of a refund, a letter of credit for a future charter will be given to the customer.
  • Final payment for charter service is due and payable at least 20 days in advance of the charter date.
  • Charters booked less than two weeks prior to departure must be paid in full with a money order or bank check at the time of booking.
  • When making payment, please indicate on your check or other mode of payment, the date of your trip and your charter confirmation order number to ensure proper credit.

Prices subject to change

  • In the event of major fuel price increases, Austin Charter Services reserves the right to adjust the contracted price accordingly with a fuel surcharge.

Cancellations

  • Cancellation policy requires 30-days’ notice prior to the departure date to obtain full refund.
  • Cancellations made with less than 30 days before charter date will be charged a $100.00 cancellation fee PER BUS PER DAY.
  • Cancellations made with less than 15 days before charter date will be charged 25% of entire charter fee.

Additional Charges

  • Additional charges may apply. If the trip exceeds the allotted times that are printed on the face of the contract, your group will be billed accordingly.
  • There will, however be NO additional charge for occurrences such as traffic delays and delays due to inclement weather.

Maps and itineraries

  • Maps and itineraries must be received no later than 10 days before the scheduled departure date to allow adequate preparation time.
  • Detailed itineraries are essential and should list all stops with addresses and phone numbers to all destinations. This information is important to the success of your trip.
  • Austin Charter Bus will not be held responsible for delays incurred due to insufficient information for destinations or pickup locations.
  • Any changes to itineraries (i.e. loading location or pickup times, etc.) must be made directly to the sales staff and followed by a hard copy.
  • Please call to discuss all changes. This practice will enhance the quality of the service we provides.

Driver’s hours

  • For the safety of our passengers and our drivers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration established that drivers are limited to a 10-hour driving period.
  • After the driver’s 10-hour driving period, they must have an 8-hour off duty resting period away from the group before resuming duties.
  • The driver must not deviate from charter orders.
  • The driver’s hotel/motel costs are the responsibility of the chartering party unless otherwise specified in writing by the sales office.
  • Drivers are customarily off duty upon arrival at the destination.
  • Any and all exceptions to the above must be pre-approved.

Cleanliness

  • Cleanliness is the joint responsibility of the customer and the driver.
  • Drivers will make every effort to have the coach bus cleaned and washrooms serviced on extended trips.
  • Any food or drink left on the floor of the vehicle is the responsibility of the customer.
  • Food and drink on the coach bus is a privilege and can be revoked by the driver if inappropriate behavior warrants such action.
  • If extra time is needed by our cleaners to clean a vehicle for any reason, an additional charge of $75.00 per hour will be billed to the group leader.
  • If the nature of your trip calls for the consumption of alcoholic beverages outside of bus use, an additional $250.00 deposit will be required along with the deposit for charter services, which will be refunded provided the bus returns in a satisfactory condition.

Damage to the bus
Damage done to the bus or its contents by the customer or any of the passengers is the financial responsibility of the chartering party.

Arrival time

  • The group’s itinerary should allow sufficient travel time. Sufficient travel time means making allowances for construction delays, traffic and time needed to pack and load bus, unpack and unload bus, rest stops and meal stops.
  • Austin Charter Bus will not be liable for delays caused by acts of nature, traffic delays and therefore Austin Charter Bus does not guarantee arrival or departure from any given point at a specified time. Additional charges may apply.
  • If the trip exceeds the allotted times that are printed on the face of the contract, your group will be billed accordingly. However, in the case of delays caused by such mitigating circumstances as described, there will be no additional charges.

Equipment

  • Our equipment is thoroughly inspected before being assigned to a trip to insure uninterrupted service. If for some reason beyond
    the control of the Company, a mechanical failure makes necessary the replacement of a bus originally assigned to the charter
    service, the replacement bus may be of a different type.
  • VCR equipment is installed on some of our over the road motor coaches. Request for VCR equipped coaches will be honored to the
    best of our ability, but is not guaranteed.
  • Only non-copyrighted videocassettes are permitted to be shown.
  • The following is important information from a Summary Statement prepared by the Film Security Office of the Motion Picture Association of America Inc. provided for your information: by law the pre- recorded videocassettes available in stores throughout the United States are for HOME USE ONLY. The U.S. Copy- Right Act grants to the copyright owner the EXCLUSIVE right among others, to perform the copyrighted work publicly, (U.S. Code Title 17, Sections 101 and 106). Even performances in semipublic places such as clubs, lodges, factories, summer camps, and schools are public performances subject to copyright control. Companies, organizations and individuals who wish to publicly exhibit copyrighted motion pictures and audiovisual works MUST secure a license to do so.

Baggage

  • Special baggage instructions: One suitcase per person and one small carry-on are recommended.
  • For the protection of our passengers’ property, Austin Charter Buses require instruments and valuables exceeding $50.00 in value be stored in a steel flight case.
  • Luggage can shift during transport, so we ask that you store your valuables as safely as possible. Any damage to items not stored properly will not be the responsibility of Austin Charter Services.
  • Baggage will be loaded and unloaded by the driver or under supervision of the driver.
  • Austin Charter Bus will not be held accountable for any luggage/items damaged by persons other than the driver during loading.
  • All baggage must be taken off the coach bus each night.
  • Austin Charter Bus will not be responsible for lost or stolen articles on the coach bus.

Objectionable persons and age restrictions

  • The company reserves the right to refuse to transport persons under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, or who are, or are likely to become, objectionable to other persons.
  • Persons must beat least 21 years of age to charter a bus. Passengers under the age of 21 must be accompanied by a chaperone on the bus at all times.
  • The group must supply a minimum of two chaperones, 21 years or older, per bus. One chaperone is to be stationed at the rear of the bus and the other at the front.
  • The chaperones are responsible for the behavior of their passengers.
  • Please note the Austin Charter Services driver is not a chaperone.

Conduct of passengers
Passengers shall not interfere with the operator in the discharge of his duty or tamper with any apparatus or appliance on the bus.

Firearms and explosives
Possession of firearms, explosives and fireworks (whether in baggage or on a person) is strictly forbidden on/in the motor coach.

Limitation of liability
NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE IN ANY EVENT, OR FOR ANY REASON, INCLUDING BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT, EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO THE OTHER PARTY OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSS OF PROFITS ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, EVEN IF SUCH DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE OR EITHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Prohibited items
The following items are prohibited without the written consent of the Company:

  • Decorations
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Smoking
  • Glass containers
  • Golf shoes or other shoes with spikes
  • Fuel containers
  • Generators