Service

You will be dealing with the same person throughout the life of your booking and we are always on hand to help.
There are a thousand things to organise and it's our job to take them all off your hands. Rooming, special diets, insurance queries, equipment hire, ski school etc. all take time and care to plan properly.

We don't make life difficult for you by charging administration fees when your numbers fluctuate or there’s a small change. It's all part of the service.

We will always avoid these when we can. If you have a simple name change caused by cancellation and immediate replacement, then provided tickets have not been issued, we will make this change free of charge. Please bear in mind that if tickets have been issued there will inevitably be an amendment fee of at least £30 or perhaps much more if you are booked on a Scheduled Airline. In this case it may be cheaper to claim Cancellation Fees under the insurance policy then make a separate re-booking.

Finding time to contact us between classes can be difficult, so to make things easier for you just email travel@equity.co.uk and we’ll get straight back to you.

We are always delighted to meet our Party Leaders and will visit you whenever you wish, but busy teachers can't spare the classroom time for ad hoc visits and don't want to be pressured anyway. Therefore, Equity don’t employ a field sales force. If you can't speak to us on the phone, that's fine, you can call us, or ask for a call-back at any time you like.

Except for totally unavoidable circumstances, once we accept your booking, that's where you are going on the date you have chosen. We won't change your booking later to suit ourselves.

You can rely on us to get it right in the first place, but if there's a strike, accident, insurance claim or legal problem - Equity are there. We have the skill and the back-up to sort it out.

1. Take out an option
   Simply call us on 01273 622 111 and we will be happy to help you find the right ski holiday for your group. We will take out an option for you with no obligation whilst you finalise your plans and hold your reservation for at least 2 weeks, giving you time to collect your first deposits.



2. Confirm your option
   Just send your deposits of £75 per paying person together with your Confirmation Booking Form and we’ll do the rest. A second deposit of £85 will be required 10 weeks later. We will send you everything you need and can supply literature, posters and savings cards if you wish. Your final invoice is sent 12 weeks before departure and when timings are available you will be sent a pro-forma itinerary.



3. Final Arrangements
   Your final payment is due 10 weeks before departure and you will receive your tickets and final itinerary 2 weeks before you leave.

From October to March, you can call us from 08.00-20.00 weekdays and during the daytime at weekends. Our normal office hours are 09.00-17.15.

Many of our hotels operate every week of the season for us, so the Rep is a permanent fixture. We don't pack you off to fend for yourselves in some hotel we hardly know. Hotels we use for only a few weeks still have the full rep service and are located close to some of our most popular resorts where we have a lot of people on the ground in case they are needed. Directors and Senior Managers are also within reach. That's how we can give you peace of mind.

Representatives and area managers are on call 24 hours a day, not just for a “surgery hour”, so you can chat at your convenience. All our reps have days off, but they cover for each other to maintain the service.

Our superb training course covers eventualities like emergency procedures, first aid and fire safety. Representatives who have worked for other companies tell us our training course is the best.

On arrival you will be given a Welcome Pack full of useful information. Then there’s a short meeting when all the details of ski fitting, rooming and resort features are covered. We organise a fire drill as soon as practicable after arrival.

Our Equity Representatives are not employed to sell you extras. Ski passes, equipment hire and ski school are included in your price so your rep is free to help you have a good time. They will suggest apres ski events and so on but there's absolutely no pressure and Equity take no commission on sa;es in resort.

If ever you have a problem, you’ll find our overseas staff proactive and eager to put things back on track. We don’t hide. Although our reps will enjoy skiing with you, their main job is to help you operate a smooth and trouble-free ski course.

In an emergency, we swing into action and deal with medical and insurance matters with the minimum of fuss.

We can respond quickly because we employ senior people with the authority and experience to make quick decisions.

There is no consistent policy for the grading of runs. For example, a French blue may be an Italian red, and an Austrian blue may be a green everywhere else. Please refer to our resort descriptions for a better idea.

Keeping active youngsters occupied can be a headache. Our free evening entertainment programme is the answer. You will normally be able to choose from the following and we include winner’s prizes:

• Fancy Dress evening
• Treasure Hunt
• Talent Night
• Karaoke Night (subject to availability)
• Dancing Competition
• Video Film Night
• Games Night, Bingo etc
• General Knowledge or Music Quiz
• Grand Finale Evening with Ski Awards
• Presentation and Farewell Disco

Tobogganing, skating, swimming, fondue, folk evenings, and other traditional après-ski activities may also be available at extra cost. Your Equity representative will arrange special rates and entrances.

Notes

1. Not all of the above will be available in all resorts but other extra attractions may be available.
2. Badges at the ski award presentation are at a small charge applied in resort.

We have excellent relations with all our ski schools. Equity are often their biggest client so we can get things done. We use English speaking instructors, and the class size is an average of 12. Teachers on free places are not included in this ratio because they usually ski from class to class.
We include 6x2hr lessons. Double ski lessons (6x4 hours) are available at the supplement shown in the price leaflet.

Our hire shops provide good quality equipment from top manufacturers, then fit and service it to the highest standards.
We ask for shoe and ski sizes before you travel so that we can order sufficient quantities in about the right sizes. Of course all equipment is individually fitted.
If you would like special skis or an upgrade at a supplement, please let us know.

These are now compulsory for all children aged under 14 years, skiing in Italian resorts (and Montgenevre if you ski across the border). Our ski shops are co-operating with us to keep the price down. Before you travel, we will obtain sizes so that we can pre book ski helmets along with other equipment. The price for each resort varies but it is advisable to budget around £8 for France and Italy, and £12 for Austria and Switzerland.

We do not hire out ski clothing ourselves but we can usually recommend a ski shop local to you that can supply good quality and good value clothing to hire or buy. Please call 01273 299 299 and ask for the shop nearest to you.

We advise a few controls because they can be a problem. Sometimes, especially on the first day, children get homesick. Perhaps their boots rub, or they are struggling with the ski lessons - then they phone Mum. It all instantly blows over but parents can get upset and teachers put under pressure. Also, roaming calls are expensive, and damaged or lost phones are not covered by insurance.

Please ensure you receive written confirmation from us of any special requirements, to ensure that anything agreed in a telephone call is correctly entered onto the system.

When parents wish to join in it can be great. They will boost your numbers, create a nice atmosphere and help with supervision. However, you do need to make it clear that they are joining a Ski School Course and your in charge! There may be problems if parents have not skied before or are used to summer sun hotels with luxury features. Please always keep parents informed of timings, price, deposits, rooming etc.

Parents are always very welcome but we must review the price if they form a greater ratio than 1:8. We will then offer a special quotation based on our adultSki Holiday Programme.

All our hotels offer excellent standards within their category and we are delighted to expand on information if required. They range from simple family pensions to hotels which are almost a resort in their own right. We have a lot of friendly, family hotels with good food and a friendly atmosphere.

We have a series of 2 star and 3 star family hotels which are excellent for school parties travelling by coach. These sometimes involve a short drive to the skiing but are extremely good value, particularly over half-term. Please look for the budget coach symbol.

We run several of our own hotels in France, Italy and Austria where we tailor our service exactly to the needs of Equity customers. These hotels are all in great resorts and we invest every year to keep up the standards.

We select our staff with care and you can take the friendliness and hospitality totally for granted. You can also rely on good food, cleanliness, and a lively après ski programme under our direct control. Because we use mostly British staff, there are no language problems, but we also work to preserve the identity of the host country to improve the atmosphere and the educational content. You will find our hotel staff friendly, upbeat, helpful and hard working - on your behalf.

All Equity-run hotels are costed specifically for this brochure and we can pass on considerable savings.

We gear our bar prices so that they are lower than average in the resort. Our bars feature the little snacks and soft drinks that children like, but adults also benefit from lower prices.

.....not only in quantity but in quality as well. Enjoyable meals are an important part of the whole residential experience. These days, if not actually adventurous, children are much more familiar with foreign food, which is part and parcel of the ski course. Our chefs are flexible and can cater for special requirements. Vegetarians are no problem. We know exactly how to feed school children without always resorting to chicken and chips! First thing, before a hard day’s skiing, there’s a substantial buffet breakfast with cereal, cold meats and cheese, as well as the usual rolls and jam. To drink, there’s juice, coffee, tea and chocolate. Lunch is either a buffet, or 2 generous plates, perhaps soup or pasta with dessert, cheese or fruit; and in the evening there are 3 good courses.

Our staff work together to provide a happy home-from-home where the children will be comfortable and welcome. Like any hotel, we require good behaviour, but informality and friendliness rule, and in Equity-run hotels the children come first. If you have experienced the problem of bigger spending adult guests being treated better than your school party you will know the value of this policy.

Surf the web or pick up your emails at our Internet points in some of our Equity-run hotels.

• 15min at €3
• 30mins €5.50
• 60mins €9

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