Terms & Conditions

1.Introduction and Acceptance

These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") govern your use of the Pinas Travel website at pinastravel.com, our telephone, WhatsApp and email booking channels, our counter at Reef Mall, Level 1, Shop 12, Deira, Dubai, and every purchase of travel products and services from us (together, the "Services").

By browsing our website, sending an enquiry, or confirming a booking, you agree to these Terms, our Privacy Policy and our Cookies Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services. If you book on behalf of other travellers, you accept these Terms on their behalf and confirm that you have their authority to do so.

These Terms are written to comply with, and are to be read subject to, the laws of the United Arab Emirates ("UAE"), including Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 on Consumer Protection and its Executive Regulations issued by Cabinet Resolution No. 66 of 2023 (together, the "Consumer Protection Law"), Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 on Trading through Modern Technology (the "E-Commerce Law"), Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021 on Electronic Transactions and Trust Services, and Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data. Nothing in these Terms removes or limits any right you have under mandatory UAE law.

2.Definitions

• "Pinas Travel", "we", "us" and "our" means the licensed travel agency trading as Pinas Travel from Reef Mall Level 1 Shop 12, Deira, Dubai, UAE.
• "You" and "your" means the person making the booking or using the Services and, where the context requires, every traveller named on the booking.
• "Supplier" means the airline, hotel, insurer, transport or car rental operator, tour operator, airport service provider, consulate, visa centre or other third party that actually provides the travel service you book.
• "Booking" means any travel product or service confirmed to you by us, whether a single component (for example, a flight) or a package of several components.
• "Package" means a combination of at least two travel components (such as flights and hotel) sold by us at an inclusive price.
• "Service Fee" means our own charge for arranging, changing or handling a booking, shown separately from Supplier prices where it applies.
• "Business Day" means Monday to Friday, excluding UAE public holidays.

3.About Us and Our Licences

Pinas Travel is a travel agency based in Dubai, UAE, arranging airline tickets, UAE visit visas and renewals, international visa assistance, hotel bookings, holiday and educational tour packages, travel insurance, Marhaba airport services, and bus and car rentals for retail and corporate clients.

In line with the pre-contract disclosure requirements of the E-Commerce Law and the Consumer Protection Law, our commercial licence number, issuing authority, Tax Registration Number and registered address are available on request before you confirm any booking. Contact info@pinastravel.com or 04 883 0858, or ask at our counter.

4.Your Rights as a Consumer

As a consumer in the UAE you have rights that we respect in every transaction. In particular, you are entitled to:

• Clear, accurate and complete information in Arabic or English, before you buy, about the service, its total price including VAT and all mandatory charges, the Supplier, and the change, cancellation and refund rules that apply.
• Choose freely between the options available, without pressure and without being required to buy an additional product as a condition of buying the one you want.
• A tax invoice or receipt for every payment, showing the date, the services purchased, the price and any VAT charged.
• Services that match what was described and confirmed to you, delivered with reasonable skill and care.
• Have your personal data handled confidentially and only for lawful purposes, as set out in our Privacy Policy.
• Raise a complaint and have it handled fairly and promptly, and escalate it to the competent consumer protection authority if you are not satisfied with our response.
• Compensation or a remedy, in accordance with UAE law, for loss caused by our own failure to perform the Services as agreed.

5.Our Role: Agent and Package Organiser

When we sell a single travel component — for example, a flight ticket, a hotel room, an insurance policy or a car rental — we act as an agent for the Supplier. Your contract for that service is with the Supplier and is governed by its own conditions (for airlines, the conditions of carriage and fare rules; for hotels, the booking conditions; for insurers, the policy wording). We will provide those conditions to you on request and summarise the key rules before you confirm.

When we sell a Package at an inclusive price that we have put together, we take responsibility for arranging every component in the Package as described in your confirmation, and for providing you with assistance if something goes wrong while you are travelling.

In both cases we are responsible for our own acts and omissions: quoting accurately, booking exactly what you asked for, passing on your requests and documents correctly, and keeping you informed. We are not the operator of the flight, hotel, vehicle or tour itself and, except where UAE law provides otherwise, we are not liable for a Supplier's own acts or omissions. We will, however, help you pursue any claim you have against a Supplier.

6.Eligibility and Lead Traveller

You must be at least 18 years old, or otherwise have full legal capacity to contract under UAE law, to make a booking. The person who makes the booking (the "lead traveller") must be authorised by every other traveller to accept these Terms for them, is responsible for passing on all information we send, and is responsible for payment of the full booking price.

Bookings for children travelling without a parent or legal guardian are subject to the Supplier's unaccompanied-minor rules and the entry requirements of the destination, which may include notarised consent letters. Please tell us at the time of enquiry if a child will be travelling alone or with only one parent.

7.Enquiries and Quotations

Sending an enquiry through our website, WhatsApp, telephone or counter is free and creates no obligation on either side. Our consultants will reply with options and a quotation.

Airfares, hotel rates and package prices are set by Suppliers in real time and change frequently. A quotation is valid only for as long as the Supplier holds that fare or rate, which may be a matter of hours. Your consultant will tell you how long a quote can be held, and a price is only guaranteed once the booking is confirmed and, where required, paid.

Indicative information on our website — such as typical visa processing times, document lists, suggested trip lengths, and "from" prices — is general guidance only and may change without notice. The details confirmed to you in writing for your specific booking take precedence.

8.Prices, Taxes and Currency

All prices are quoted in UAE Dirhams (AED) unless we expressly state another currency. Every quotation and invoice shows the total price you must pay, including our Service Fee where one applies, Supplier taxes and charges, and Value Added Tax at the applicable rate under Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 on Value Added Tax.

Some charges are levied locally and cannot be collected by us in advance, for example hotel tourism dirham fees, city taxes, resort fees, security deposits and visa-on-arrival fees. We will tell you about any such charges we are aware of before you confirm.

Where you pay in a currency other than AED, or your card issuer converts the payment, the exchange rate and any conversion fee are set by your bank or card issuer, not by us.

If an obvious pricing error appears on our website or in a quotation (for example, a price that is clearly a fraction of the correct amount), we will tell you as soon as we become aware of it and offer you the booking at the correct price or a full refund of anything you have paid. We will not enforce an obvious error against you, and you may not enforce one against us.

9.Booking Confirmation and Contract Formation

A booking request is an offer by you to buy the services described. A binding contract is formed only when we confirm the booking to you in writing — by email, SMS or WhatsApp — and, where the Supplier requires payment to issue the booking, once that payment has been received in cleared funds.

Before you confirm, we will give you a summary showing: the services booked and their dates, the names of all travellers, the total price and what it includes, the payment schedule, the Supplier's change and cancellation rules, and a link to these Terms. Please check this summary carefully — particularly that every name matches the passport exactly — and tell us immediately of any error.

Electronic confirmations, e-tickets, vouchers and messages exchanged by email or WhatsApp are valid records of the booking under Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2021 on Electronic Transactions and Trust Services. We keep records of each booking for at least the period required under UAE tax and commercial record-keeping legislation.

We may decline a booking request, or cancel a booking before it is issued, where the fare or rate is no longer available, the Supplier refuses the booking, a pricing error has occurred, or we reasonably suspect fraud or misuse. In each of those cases we will refund in full any amount you have already paid.

10.Payment

We accept cash and bank transfer at our office and, where the option is shown, card payment through a PCI-DSS compliant, encrypted payment gateway. We do not store full card numbers on our systems.

Single-component bookings such as flights must usually be paid in full at the time of issue. Packages, group bookings and tours may be secured with a deposit, with the balance due by the date stated in your confirmation. If the balance is not received by that date, we may cancel the booking and the cancellation charges in the section below will apply.

In line with Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2018 on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and its regulations, we may ask for proof of identity for cash payments above certain thresholds and may decline payments we cannot verify.

If you dispute a card payment with your bank, please contact us first so that we can resolve the issue quickly. Raising a chargeback for a booking that has been issued as agreed does not cancel the Supplier's booking or its conditions, and Supplier penalties may still apply.

11.Changes and Cancellations by You

You may ask us to change or cancel a booking at any time. Changes and cancellations are governed by the Supplier's fare rules or booking conditions, which we will have shown you before you confirmed. Some fares and rates are fully flexible; others are partly or fully non-refundable.

Where a change or cancellation is permitted, you will pay: (a) any Supplier penalty or fare difference; and (b) our Service Fee for handling the change, which we will quote before we act. Where a fare is non-refundable, the Supplier may still allow a refund of unused government taxes, which we will claim on your behalf.

For Packages and tours we have organised, cancellation charges increase as the departure date approaches, because we incur non-recoverable costs with Suppliers. The charges that apply to your Package are set out in your confirmation. Cancellation must be made by the lead traveller in writing.

Before a booking is issued or a visa application is lodged, you may withdraw your request without charge. Because travel services are provided for specific dates and are issued with Suppliers immediately on your instruction, any statutory right to withdraw from a distance contract does not apply once a ticket, voucher, reservation or visa application has been issued or submitted, to the extent permitted by UAE law.

Name changes are often not permitted by airlines. Where they are, the Supplier treats them as a cancellation and new booking and charges accordingly.

12.Changes and Cancellations by Us or the Supplier

Suppliers occasionally change schedules, flight numbers, hotels or itineraries. We will tell you as soon as we are notified. If a Supplier makes a significant change to a confirmed booking — for example, a change of departure date, a substantial change of departure time, a change of destination or airport, or a downgrade of accommodation — you may choose to accept the change, accept a comparable alternative we offer, or cancel and receive a full refund of the amounts paid for the affected services, subject to the Supplier releasing those funds.

If we must cancel a Package we have organised for reasons other than your own default (for example, because a minimum number of travellers is not reached), we will tell you within a reasonable time before departure and refund everything you have paid for that Package in full.

Where a flight is delayed, cancelled or you are denied boarding, your rights against the airline are set by its conditions of carriage and by the Montreal Convention 1999, to which the UAE is a party, and any applicable passenger-rights rules. We will help you contact the airline and submit any claim.

13.Refunds

Refunds for Supplier services are released by the Supplier, not by us. Airline and hotel refunds typically take 30 to 90 days to reach us, depending on the Supplier. We submit and follow up each claim on your behalf and will keep you informed.

Once we receive refunded funds, we pay them to you within 14 Business Days, by the original payment method wherever possible. Where the original method is not available (for example, a cash payment), we refund by bank transfer to an account in the lead traveller's name.

Our Service Fee for work already carried out (for example, issuing a ticket or preparing a visa application) is not refundable unless the booking failed because of our own error.

Where we have made an error in a booking — such as a misspelt name we entered incorrectly or a wrong date we booked — we will correct it at our own cost or, if it cannot be corrected, refund you in full.

14.Passports, Visas and Health Requirements

You are responsible for holding a valid passport, all visas, transit visas, permits and health documents required for your journey, and for meeting any destination or airline health requirements. We will tell you about the general requirements we are aware of at the time of booking, but requirements change without notice and differ by nationality, residency and route.

• Names on bookings must match passports exactly. Corrections are at the airline's discretion and may be charged or refused.
• Many countries require passports to be valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry, with blank visa pages.
• Transit points may require their own visa, even if you do not leave the airport.
• UAE residents must ensure their residence visa and Emirates ID remain valid for their return.
• Entry is always at the discretion of the immigration authority at the destination, whatever visa you hold. We are not responsible if entry is refused because of your documents, conduct, or history.
• Check travel advisories issued by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by your own government before travelling.

15.Visa Services

Where we assist with a visa — including UAE visit visas, renewals and international visas — we review your documents against the published requirements of the relevant authority, prepare and submit the application on your instruction, book appointments where needed, and keep you updated.

The decision to grant or refuse a visa, its validity and its conditions belong entirely to the issuing authority. We cannot and do not guarantee approval or processing times. Government fees and our Service Fee are not refundable once an application has been submitted, whether it is approved, refused, delayed or withdrawn.

You must provide genuine, complete and accurate documents. Submitting false or misleading documents is a criminal offence and we will not knowingly do so on your behalf. We may decline to act where we have concerns about the authenticity of documents.

For UAE visas sponsored by you as a resident, you remain responsible as sponsor for your visitor's compliance with the visa conditions, including departure or renewal before expiry. Overstay fines are payable to the authorities by the sponsor or visitor.

We recommend that you do not buy non-refundable flights or hotels before a visa is issued. If you choose to do so, the risk of loss is yours, and we will tell you when it applies.

16.Flights

• Check-in and boarding deadlines are set by the airline. Arriving late is treated as a no-show and usually results in the loss of the ticket and any onward or return flights on the same booking.
• Flight segments must be used in order. Missing one segment usually causes the airline to cancel the rest of the itinerary.
• Baggage allowances, seat selection, meals and other ancillaries are set by the airline and may carry additional charges. We will confirm what is included before you book.
• Airlines may change schedules, aircraft and operating carriers. Codeshare flights may be operated by a different airline from the one you booked.
• Liability of airlines for death, injury, delay and baggage is governed by the Montreal Convention 1999 and the airline's conditions of carriage.

17.Hotels and Accommodation

• Star ratings are those of the local tourism authority or the hotel itself and may not be comparable between countries.
• Standard check-in and check-out times apply. Early check-in and late check-out are at the hotel's discretion and may be charged.
• Special requests (connecting rooms, bed types, views, floors) are passed to the hotel but cannot be guaranteed unless confirmed in writing.
• Hotels may require a credit card or cash security deposit and may charge local taxes directly at check-in.
• If the hotel is unable to provide the accommodation booked, it is responsible for arranging alternative accommodation of a similar or higher standard. Please contact us immediately if this happens.

18.Tours, Packages and Educational Trips

Itineraries describe the planned programme. Local conditions, weather, opening hours and safety advice may require changes on the day, which the tour operator or guide will make in good faith. We will offer a comparable alternative or a refund for any significant element that cannot be provided.

Educational and entertainment tours for schools, groups and families may require signed participation and medical consent forms, and adult-to-child supervision ratios set by the organiser. Group leaders are responsible for the conduct and supervision of the participants in their group.

Some activities carry inherent risks. You must follow safety instructions, disclose relevant medical conditions, and check that your travel insurance covers the activities you plan to undertake.

19.Bus and Car Rentals and Transfers

• Self-drive rentals require a valid driving licence accepted in the UAE (or the country of hire), minimum age requirements set by the rental company, and a credit card in the driver's name for the security deposit.
• Traffic fines, Salik and other toll charges, parking fees and fuel incurred during the rental are your responsibility and may be charged to your card by the rental company after the rental ends.
• Chauffeur-driven, bus and transfer services are provided by licensed operators. Waiting time beyond the free period, additional stops and route changes may be charged.
• Insurance cover, excess amounts and exclusions are set by the rental company's terms, which we will share before you confirm.

20.Marhaba and Airport Services

Meet-and-greet, fast-track, lounge access and porter services are delivered by airport operators and are subject to their availability, terms and any airport restrictions in force on the day. They must normally be booked at least 48 hours in advance. Cancellations within the operator's cut-off time are not refundable.

21.Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance for every trip, covering medical expenses, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment, and personal belongings. Some visas, including Schengen visas, require it.

Where you buy insurance through us, we act as an intermediary for the insurer. The policy wording, limits and exclusions are set by the insurer and form your contract with the insurer. Please read the policy before you travel — cover for pre-existing medical conditions, pregnancy, adventure activities and cancellation for reasons within your control is commonly limited or excluded.

22.Special Assistance and Accessibility

Please tell us at the time of enquiry about any disability, reduced mobility, medical condition, pregnancy, dietary requirement or other need that may affect your travel. We will pass this information to the relevant Suppliers and confirm what assistance they can provide. Suppliers may require medical clearance or advance notice for certain conditions, and may be unable to accommodate some needs. We handle this information as sensitive personal data in line with our Privacy Policy.

23.Group and Corporate Bookings

Group bookings may require a non-refundable deposit to hold blocked seats or rooms, and are subject to Supplier deadlines for passing names, paying the balance and releasing unsold space. These deadlines are set out in your group contract. Space not confirmed by the deadline may be released by the Supplier without notice.

Corporate clients may agree separate credit terms, service levels and fee schedules with us in writing. Where a corporate agreement conflicts with these Terms, the corporate agreement prevails for that client.

24.Promotions and Offers

Promotional fares, package offers and discount codes are valid only for the period, routes, dates and products stated; are subject to availability in the relevant booking class; are limited to one use per customer unless stated otherwise; cannot be combined with other offers unless expressly stated; and are non-transferable and not exchangeable for cash. Any promotion we publish will state its key conditions clearly, in line with the Consumer Protection Law. We may withdraw or amend a promotion for future bookings, but not for bookings already confirmed.

25.Your Account

If you create an account with us, you are responsible for keeping your login details confidential and for all activity under your account. Tell us immediately if you suspect unauthorised use. We may suspend or close accounts used fraudulently or in breach of these Terms. You may close your account at any time by contacting us; booking records we are legally required to retain will be kept for the required period.

26.Acceptable Use of Our Website and Channels

You agree not to:

• Provide false, misleading or incomplete traveller, document, contact or payment information.
• Make speculative, duplicate or fraudulent bookings, or bookings you do not intend to use.
• Use the Services for any purpose that is unlawful under UAE law, including Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes.
• Interfere with the security or operation of our website, attempt to gain unauthorised access to any system, or introduce malicious code.
• Scrape, copy or republish our content, prices or images by automated means without our written consent.
• Post or send content that is abusive, defamatory, offensive to public morals or religion, or that infringes the rights of others.
• Behave in an abusive or threatening way towards our staff or Suppliers. We may decline to continue providing Services in that case.

27.Reviews and Content You Submit

When you submit a review, comment, photo or testimonial, you confirm it is your own genuine experience and grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish it on our website and social media, with your first name and initial unless you ask otherwise. We may moderate or decline to publish content that breaches these Terms, but we will not edit a review to change its meaning or remove a review simply because it is negative.

28.Intellectual Property

All content on our website — including the Pinas Travel name and logo, design, text, itineraries, photographs and graphics — belongs to Pinas Travel or its licensors and is protected under Federal Decree-Law No. 38 of 2021 on Copyright and Neighbouring Rights and Federal Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks. You may view and print pages for your own personal travel planning. Any other use requires our prior written consent.

29.Website Availability and Third-Party Links

We aim to keep our website available and accurate, but we do not guarantee that it will be uninterrupted or error-free. We may suspend or change parts of the website for maintenance or improvement.

Our website links to third-party websites and services, including airlines, payment gateways, maps and social media. We are not responsible for their content, availability or privacy practices.

30.Our Liability to You

We are responsible for performing our own obligations with reasonable skill and care and in accordance with the booking confirmed to you. If we fail to do so, we will put the matter right where we can, or compensate you for the direct loss you suffer as a result, in accordance with UAE law.

To the extent permitted by UAE law, our total liability to you for any one booking is limited to the total price you paid us for that booking. We are not liable for loss that was not reasonably foreseeable when the booking was made, for business losses, or for loss caused by a Supplier acting as principal, by you or another traveller, by a third party unconnected with the booking, or by a Force Majeure Event.

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for any liability that cannot be limited or excluded under the Consumer Protection Law, Federal Law No. 5 of 1985 on Civil Transactions (as amended), or other mandatory UAE law.

31.Your Responsibility to Us

You agree to compensate Pinas Travel for loss, costs and Supplier charges we reasonably incur because you provided false or inaccurate information, used the Services unlawfully, or breached these Terms. This does not apply to loss caused by our own fault.

32.Force Majeure

Neither we nor you will be liable for failure or delay in performing obligations caused by events beyond reasonable control that could not have been foreseen or avoided (a "Force Majeure Event"), including war, terrorism, civil unrest, natural disasters, extreme weather, epidemics and public health emergencies, airspace or border closures, government or immigration restrictions, and industrial action not involving our own staff. Where a Force Majeure Event affects your booking, we will help you recover whatever refunds, credits or alternatives the Supplier's terms and applicable law allow, and we will refund any amounts we hold that relate to services that cannot be provided, less any non-recoverable costs already paid to Suppliers, which we will itemise for you.

33.Complaints

If something goes wrong during your trip, please tell us and the Supplier immediately so that we can try to put it right on the spot. Problems that are not reported at the time are much harder to resolve.

Please send any complaint to info@pinastravel.com or raise it with us by phone on 04 883 0858, on our 24/7 line +971 56 180 0255, or at our counter. Include your booking reference, the names of the travellers and the details of the issue. We will acknowledge your complaint within 1 Business Day and aim to give you a full response within 14 Business Days. Where we need information from a Supplier, we will tell you and keep you updated.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the competent consumer protection authority — in Dubai, the consumer protection services of the Department of Economy and Tourism (including the "Dubai Consumer" channels) or the federal consumer protection department — without prejudice to your right to bring a claim before the UAE courts.

34.Personal Data

We process your personal data, including passport and travel document details, to provide the Services and as required by law. How we do so, who we share it with (including airlines, hotels and consulates), and your rights are explained in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

35.Communications

We will communicate with you about your booking by email, SMS, telephone or WhatsApp using the contact details you give us. Please keep them up to date and check your messages before and during travel, as Supplier changes are sometimes notified at short notice. We will only send you marketing messages if you have agreed to receive them, and you can opt out at any time.

36.Language

These Terms are provided in English. An Arabic version is available on request. Where UAE law requires the Arabic text of a document to prevail, it will prevail to that extent.

37.General

• If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the rest of the Terms remain in full force.
• If we do not enforce a right immediately, we have not waived it and may still enforce it later.
• These Terms, your booking confirmation, the Supplier conditions referred to in it, and our Privacy and Cookies Policies make up the whole agreement between us for a booking.
• You may not transfer your rights under these Terms without our consent. We may transfer ours to a successor business, provided your rights are not reduced.
• Written notices to us should be sent to the email or postal address in the Contact section below.

38.Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms, and any dispute or claim arising from them or from a booking, are governed by the federal laws of the UAE and, where applicable, the laws of the Emirate of Dubai. The courts of Dubai have jurisdiction, without prejudice to any mandatory right you have as a consumer to bring a complaint before the competent consumer protection authority or to bring proceedings in another competent UAE court.

39.Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms to reflect changes in our Services, Supplier practices or UAE law. The effective date at the top of this page shows when they were last revised. The version in force when you confirm a booking applies to that booking; changes do not apply retrospectively to bookings already confirmed unless the change is required by law.

40.Contact Us

Pinas Travel, Reef Mall Level 1 Shop 12, Deira, Dubai, UAE. Telephone 04 883 0858; 24/7 mobile and WhatsApp +971 56 180 0255; toll free 800-PTRAVEL (800 7872835); email info@pinastravel.com. Our counter is open seven days a week.