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Product Rules & Restrictions

Travel Service Limitation of Liability

Hotwire is acting solely as an intermediary facilitating the booking of travel products and services provided by airlines, hotels or other travel service providers (collectively, Travel Suppliers) in providing travel services, or in accepting reservations or bookings for such services to be provided to you. Hotwire does not assume liability for any injury, damage, death, loss, accident or delay due to any fault, act of negligence, omission or default of a Travel Supplier, or by an act of God. Further, no responsibilities are accepted for any damage and/or delay due to sickness, pilferage, labor disputes, machinery breakdown, quarantine, government restraints, weather or other causes. No responsibility is accepted for any additional expense, omissions, delays, re-routing or acts of any governmental authority or entity other than Hotwire. The contract of carriage in use by a Travel Supplier, when issued, shall be between the Travel Supplier and the passenger.

Airline Ticket Restrictions

For Oregon Residents

Transportation, lodging and all other services are sold to you by the supplier via Hotwire on a nonrefundable basis. If you cancel any service for any reason, sums paid by you for Hotwire's service will not be refunded.

For Washington Residents

If transportation or other services are cancelled by a participating airline, all sums paid to such airline for services not performed will be refunded to the User by Hotwire within 30 days of receipt of the funds from the airline; or if the funds were not sent to the airline, the funds shall be refunded within 14 days after cancellation to the User (unless the User requests the airline or Hotwire apply the money to another travel product and/or date).

Airline Ticket Restrictions

Airline tickets available through this Site are subject to the published conditions of carriage and rules of the applicable airline. Airfare is only guaranteed once the purchase has been completed and the tickets have been issued. Airlines and other travel suppliers may change their prices without notice. The following restrictions will apply:

For Hotwire Hot Rates: (formerly Hotwire Limited Rate)

  1. All ticket bookings are final and cannot be cancelled, refunded, changed or transferred, even with a fee. Once you book a reservation, your credit card will be charged for the amount shown - regardless of whether or not the reservation is used. Credit will not be given for any unused airline tickets and cannot be used toward any future bookings;
  2. The name of the airline carrier and flight times are not shown until after payment has been made for the booking;
  3. All travel will be round-trip with no unscheduled stopovers or open-jaw travel permitted. If you do not use one of the flights in your reservation, the airline will cancel your remaining itinerary;
  4. All tickets will be issued for economy class only;
  5. Airline tickets booked through Hotwire are not eligible to earn frequent flyer miles. Upgrades and standbys will not be permitted;
  6. Flight times and routings are selected by Hotwire in advance and cannot be changed;
  7. Seat assignments will be made at the airport on the day of departure;
  8. Unaccompanied travelers under the age of 15 may have to pay a fee at check-in. Please check with your airline for specific policies and fees.
  9. Pets are allowed on flights booked through Hotwire, pursuant to the airlines' availability and individual restrictions.

For All Other Hotwire Rates (formerly Retail Fares)

  1. All ticket bookings will be subject to the standard airline rules for published-fare tickets, including, without limitation, rules regarding frequent-flyer mile accrual, seat assignment, seat reaccommodation, itinerary changes, and eligibility for upgrades and standby flights;
  2. Airlines may allow itinerary changes, subject to change fees and the payment of any applicable fare difference; please refer to complete fare rules for information on changes and other restrictions.
  3. All air travel must be booked as round-trip flights; no unscheduled stopovers or open-jaw travel are permitted. If you do not check in for one of the flights in your itinerary, the airline will cancel your remaining flights;
  4. All tickets will be issued in economy class only;
  5. Unaccompanied travelers under the age of 15 may have to pay a fee at check-in. Please check with your airline for specific policies and fees.
  6. Pets are allowed on flights pursuant to the airlines' availability and restrictions; and,
  7. All tickets are nontransferable.

Hotel Booking Restrictions

Hotel bookings available through this Site are subject to the published conditions of carriage and rules of the applicable hotel. Hotwire offers two kinds of rates: (1) Hotwire Hot Rate and (2) other Hotwire standard rates. A hotel rate that is accompanied by the phrase Hotwire Hot Rate in search results and/or on the booking details page is considered a Hotwire Hot Rate. Any rates not accompanied by the Hotwire Hot Rate phrase are considered other Hotwire standard rates. The following restrictions will apply:

For Hotwire Hot Rate Hotels

  1. All bookings are final and cannot be changed, refunded, exchanged, cancelled, or transferred to another party;
  2. The name and exact address of the hotel are not shown until after payment has been made for the booking;
  3. Once you book, your credit card will be charged for the amount shown even if you do not use the booking.
  4. Room type will be determined by the hotel based on the number of guests provided at time of booking. All reservations are booked for stays in non-smoking rooms (subject to availability).
  5. Hotel room assignments are determined at check-in and upgrades are not available;
  6. The maximum number of rooms that can be booked at one time is six. All hotel rooms will be booked under the same name and the guest under whose name the reservation is made must be present at check-in;
  7. Bookings made through Hotwire are not eligible for hotel reward or club programs;
  8. Hotwire's minimum age requirement for checking into a hotel is 18;
  9. Upon check-in, guests must present a valid ID and credit card in their name (the amount of available credit required will vary by hotel). Debit cards may not be accepted; and,
  10. Hotwire rates do not include special fees charged by hotels upon check-out (e.g., energy charges, convention fees, resort fees, parking fees). Customers will be required to pay these fees directly to the hotels at check-out time.

For Hotwire Standard Rate Hotels
  1. Once you book, your credit card will be charged for the amount shown
  2. Change and cancellation policies vary by hotel and room type. The change and cancellation policy will be presented to you before you book. It will also appear in your booking confirmation email and My Account page.
  3. Room type will be determined by the hotel based on the number of guests provided at time of booking. All reservations are booked for stays in non-smoking rooms (subject to availability).
  4. Hotel room assignments are determined at check-in and upgrades are not available;
  5. The maximum number of rooms that can be booked at one time is six. All hotel rooms will be booked under the same name and the guest under whose name the reservation is made must be present at check-in;
  6. Bookings cannot be transferred to another party;
  7. Bookings made through Hotwire are not eligible for hotel reward or club programs;
  8. Hotwire's minimum age requirement for checking into a hotel is 18;
  9. Upon check-in, guests must present a valid ID and credit card in their name (the amount of available credit required will vary by hotel). Debit cards may not be accepted.
  10. Hotwire rates do not include special fees charged by hotels upon check-out (e.g., energy charges, convention fees, resort fees, parking fees). Customers will be required to pay these fees directly to the hotels at check-out time.

Car Rental Restrictions

Car-rental bookings and reservations available through this Site are subject to the published conditions of carriage and rules of the applicable rental agency. Hotwire offers two kinds of rates: (1) Hotwire Hot Rate (formerly Hotwire Limited Rates) and (2) other Hotwire standard rates. A car-rental rate that is accompanied by the phrase Hotwire Hot Rate in search results and/or on the booking details page is considered a Hotwire Hot Rate. Any rates not accompanied by the Hotwire Hot Rate phrase are considered other Hotwire standard rates. The following restrictions will apply:

For Hotwire Hot Rate (formerly Hotwire Limited Rate) car rentals

  1. All bookings are final and cannot be changed.
  2. The name of the rental agency is not shown until after payment has been made for the booking.
  3. Reservations cannot be cancelled, refunded, exchanged or transferred to other individuals. (Once you complete a booking, your credit card will be immediately charged for the amount shown during the booking process.) Credit will not be given for unused reservations.
  4. All vehicles must be picked up and dropped off at the same location.
  5. Reservations made through Hotwire are not eligible for express service, car rental loyalty programs or frequent flyer miles.
  6. All drivers must be at least 25 years of age to rent a car on Hotwire.
  7. All drivers must present a valid driver's license and a credit card in their name with a minimum of $200 in available funds when picking up the car. If optional items are selected (e.g. insurance), additional available credit - above the initial $200 - will be required. The amount of credit necessary varies, depending on the car type and the rental period. Prepaid credit cards are NOT acceptable.
  8. All car rentals include unlimited mileage.
  9. Neither Hotwire nor the rental agency will accept coupons for upgrades, free days, discounts or any other promotions.
  10. Optional items - such as the optional equipment, or the addition of drivers or days to your rental - must be requested and paid for at the rental counter. Such optional items are not included in Hotwire's quoted rate and will be charged by the rental agency as an additional expense.

For Nondiscounted, retail rate car rentals

  1. The names of the car rental agencies are shown on the reservation details page, prior to confirming reservation.
  2. Hotwire calculates estimated charges based on the rental agency's published rates, taxes and fees. Reservation of a retail rate through Hotwire will not result in a charge on the renter's account. Actual rental charges are billed by the agency upon the renter's return of the car.
  3. Reservations of retail rates may be cancelled at any time without penalty.
  4. All vehicles must be picked up and dropped off at the same location.
  5. Reservations made through Hotwire may not be eligible for express service, car rental loyalty programs or frequent flyer miles; please refer to the rental agency for full details.
  6. All drivers must be at least 25 years of age to rent a car on Hotwire.
  7. All drivers must present a valid driver's license and a credit card in their name with a minimum of $200 in available funds when picking up the car. If optional items are selected (e.g. insurance), additional available credit - above the initial $200 - will be required. The amount of credit that is necessary varies, depending on the car type and the rental period. Prepaid credit cards are NOT acceptable.
  8. If possible, Hotwire will submit coupons for discounts, upgrades, free days, or other promotions, but we cannot guarantee they will be accepted at the agency. Read your coupon carefully so that you're familiar with any restrictions. Present the coupon when you pick up your car. Final pricing will be determined by the rental agency.
  9. Optional items - such as the optional equipment, or the addition of drivers or days to your rental -- must be requested and paid for at the rental counter. Such optional items are not included in Hotwire's quoted rate and will be charged by the rental agency as an additional expense.

Vacation Package Restrictions (For all packages booked on or before 9/17/09)
  1. Vacation packages available through this Site will be subject to the published conditions of carriage and, as applicable, rules of the applicable airline, hotel or car rental company. The following restrictions will apply:
  2. All bookings and ticket bookings are final, and cannot be changed;
  3. The name of the airline carrier and exact flight times are not shown until after payment has been made for the booking;
  4. Any package including an airline ticket booking is subject to the restrictions listed in the Airline Ticket Restrictions section (above);
  5. Any package including a hotel booking is subject to the restrictions listed in the Hotel Booking Restrictions section (above); and,
  6. Any package including a car rental booking is subject to the restrictions listed in the Car Rental Restrictions section (above).

Vacation Packages Restrictions (For all packages booked after 9/17/09)
  1. The airfare in this package is non-refundable. Credit may be issued as per applicable airline policies less airline change fees.
  2. Hotwire vacation packages can be canceled according to the cancellation rules of the individual components making up the packages (see below for the specific rules of the components of your packages).
  3. You may cancel your hotel without affecting your other travel item(s).
  4. Your flight may be changed but not canceled unless noted below.
  5. You must call 1-866-819-6128. For international calls, contact 001-702-939-2525 to change or cancel your package.
  6. Your credit card will be charged for the indicated amount at the time of booking.
  7. A cancellation is defined as any change made to the name of a traveler when booked (e.g. a change from J. Smith to John Smith), the substitution of one traveler in place of another, a reduction to the number in the party, and/or the termination of the entire trip. All other changes to a reservation constitute a revision.
  8. No prices, flights, hotel availability, rental car availability, attraction and service availability, or dates of travel are confirmed until a required payment is received.
  9. All travelers must travel on the same itinerary.
  10. Delivery addresses must be street addresses. No P.O. boxes will be accepted. This does not apply to e-tickets (ticketless travel).
  11. Electronic confirmation and documentation will be sent to the e-mail address listed on the Email Options page.
  12. For general terms and conditions that also govern your purchase of the vacation package, please refer to Prices for vacation packages are subject to change without notice, and reservations are based on availability. Hotwire Vacations powered by Expedia reserves the right to correct an error in any advertised price prior to your departure. The vacation package price does not include ground transportation unless otherwise specified in your itinerary.

Payment

All prices and amounts shown on this Site are in U.S. Dollars (USD), unless otherwise noted. If a User submits a Hotwire Request for airline tickets, hotel rooms or other services, the User agrees that the total cost shown to the customer will automatically be charged to the credit card submitted by the User. The total cost shown will include all taxes, charges, surcharges, shipping/handling and Hotwire Request resubmission or other fees. Such amounts will be posted on this Site but will not be separately itemized. Rather, all tax recovery charges, fees, charges, surcharges, shipping/handling and Hotwire Request resubmission or other fees will be presented together as Tax Recovery Charges and Fees.

You agree that your credit card will be charged for the full cost of your reservation upon submitting your booking request. The cost of your airline ticket booking is the total of: the indicated price per ticket which includes a tax recovery charge plus an additional amount for our service fees, including a booking fee. The cost of your hotel booking is the total of: the indicated nightly room rate multiplied by the number of days in your reservation, plus an additional amount for the tax recovery charges, our service fees and any taxes required to be collected by a tax authority. The cost of your rental car booking is the total of: the indicated rental rate multiplied by the number of days in your reservation, plus an additional amount for the tax recovery charges and our service fees. The cost of your package booking is the total of: the indicated price per person multiplied by the number of travelers, plus an additional amount for the tax recovery charges, our service fees and any taxes required to be collected by a tax authority. The tax recovery charge is assessed to recover the amount we pay to the vendor in connection with your reservation, including sales and use, occupancy, room tax, excise tax, value added and other similar taxes etc., and the balance of the additional amount is a fee we charge in connection with the handling of your reservation. Our service fee varies based on the amount and location of your reservation and can include variable fees and may be rounded up to the nearest dollar. Additionally, the tax recovery charge is assessed on the nightly room rate that we pay to the vendor for the hotel room reservation, which may be less than the nightly room rate charged to the User.

For tax recovery charges, we are not the vendor collecting and remitting said tax to the applicable tax authorities. The vendors bill all applicable taxes to us and we remit such tax directly to the vendor. We are not a co-vendor associated with the vendor with whom we book or reserve our customer's travel arrangements. Taxability and the appropriate tax rate vary greatly by location. Our actual tax cost paid to the vendor may vary from the tax recovery charge, depending upon the rates, taxability, etc. in effect at the time of the actual use of the airline ticket, hotel, rental car, etc. customer.

HotDollars

You must be a registered Hotwire user to earn and redeem HotDollars. You may use HotDollars only toward the full or partial cost of any booking on Hotwire of a hotel, flight or Hotwire Hot Rate rental car. All bookings are subject to applicable terms and conditions. One (1) HotDollar is equal in value to one (1) U.S. dollar. If you change or cancel a booking for which you used HotDollars, you will not receive a refund of the redeemed HotDollars. HotDollars must be redeemed from the account into which they were deposited. They are not transferable, assignable or redeemable for cash. HotDollars expire one (1) year after date of issuance. You may view your HotDollars balance at any time in the My Account section of Hotwire. Hotwire reserves the right to modify or discontinue the HotDollars program, or to restrict its availability to any person, in its discretion, at any time, without prior notice or liability to you. Our failure to enforce any provision of these HotDollars terms and conditions shall not constitute a waiver of that or any other provision.



Revision Date April 18, 2013