Group Leader Terms
& Conditions.

By submitting a signed Group Leader Application, the applicant agrees to the Passports Participant Terms and Conditions and the Passports Release and Agreement, as published by Passports for the group's travel year, as well as the following Group Leader Terms and Conditions which apply to all group leaders and chaperones traveling at free or pro-rated discount rates as per the stipend chart published by Passports. Where these Group Leader Terms and Conditions differ from the Participant Terms and Conditions, these Group Leader Terms and Conditions govern the Group Leader's own participation. Complimentary and reduced-rate traveling positions are provided to cover the travel expenses of adults serving in a genuine chaperone role, and are not compensation for organizing, promoting or recruiting a tour. Passports will not grant exceptions to these Terms and Conditions, or to the Agreements signed by tour participants. These Agreements cannot be modified or extended except in writing by an officer of Passports, or as provided in the Release and Agreement.

Group leader responsibilities: Group Leaders are responsible for supervision, discipline and the well-being of the group members entrusted to their care. Group leaders and chaperones must maintain a harmonious and professional attitude both prior to and during the tour, particularly when unforeseen pre-departure or on-trip situations may arise. The Group Leader is responsible for having a positive attitude, and behaving pro-actively, rather than reactively, in order to set an example for the participants under their supervision. Passports and its employees (including the group’s Tour Director) are not responsible for discipline or supervision of group members. The group’s Tour Director will assist in emergency situations. All Group Leaders agree to the following elements of discipline: Curfew enforcement, enforcement of the Passports Code of Conduct, knowing the whereabouts of all participants at all times, keeping group members together, enforcement of behavior in hotels, restaurants and other locations throughout the tour, enforcement of schedules and punctuality, enforcement of attentiveness, monitoring of hotel rooms, checking hotel rooms at check-in and again at checkout, looking for items left behind or damages to rooms caused by group members.

All Group Leaders agree to the Passports Code of Conduct, including the sections on alcohol consumption and acceptable behavior while on tour. In the rare event that a group leader neglects his or her duties, Passports reserves the right to do whatever it deems appropriate to rectify the situation, including temporary suspension of the group leader from participation in the tour, or removing the group leader from the tour altogether and returning him/her to the U.S. at his/her expense, and with no refund or compensation. Another Group Leader, if available, would take over supervision and discipline of the traveling group. If no Group Leader is available, Passports will select an appropriate replacement.

The main Group Leader may send home, at his/her own discretion, any group member (student or adult) who does not adhere to Passports’ Code of Conduct. See Passports’ Release and Agreement, for additional information.

Enrollment: Group Leaders and chaperones must be enrolled 120 days prior to departure, and must submit a signed application.

Group Size: Published catalog itineraries are based on a minimum combined number of participants enrolled. Customized itineraries are based on specific enrollment numbers as determined by the group leader and/or Passports. If any tour cannot operate due to low enrollment, Passports may offer the group leader a choice of the following alternatives: 1) An alternate, comparable tour as determined by Passports (utilizing public rail, bus, subway transportation, etc., when use of a private motorcoach is not justified). Participants are responsible for all costs associated with the program change; 2) Operating the original tour, provided all group members pay a “Small Group Supplement” which shall apply to all group members; 3) Deferring travel to a later date, with no provision for interim refunds or penalties for those who remain enrolled; 4) Cancellation of the tour, in which case the standard refund policy does not apply and Passports will notify participants directly of the refund arrangements. If the Group Leader chooses alternative 1, 2 or 3, Passports will notify participants of the change, and any participant who does not wish to travel on the changed basis may withdraw in writing within seven (7) days of that notification and receive a refund of all payments made, less a service fee if one applies. Passports will confirm the amount of any service fee on request. I understand that these changes are not grounds for refunds after the tour.

Group Leader Payment Deadlines: Group Leaders are required to pay any negative stipend and/or additional charges such as field trips, obligatory rooming fees, travel extensions, or other administrative fees no later than 105 days prior to departure. Fees may be paid by credit card. Group Leaders may not necessarily receive an invoice prior to their individual deadline dates. Contact Passports’ Accounting Department for details.

Cash Stipends: Any applicable cash stipends and enrichment fees will be paid by Passports to the individual Group Leader in the form of a check no later than one week prior to departure, provided that all participant balances are paid in full and that the Group Leader’s social security number is on file at Passports U.S. headquarters. All stipend payments are mailed directly to the individual traveling Group Leader via U.S. postal mail. Stipends and bonuses equaling $2,000 or more paid to any individual in a calendar year (or such other reporting threshold as is then in effect under Internal Revenue Service regulations) will result in that individual receiving a 1099-NEC tax form at the end of the calendar year of travel. The preceding provisions of this paragraph apply only to a Group Leader who is not a Covered Group Leader, as defined under Group Leader eligibility and employer rules below.

Group Leader Cancellation/withdrawal: Group Leaders cancelling from the tour for any reason must notify Passports individually in writing no later than 105 days prior to departure. Notification by telephone is not sufficient. The main Group Leader is permitted to cancel a chaperone’s position on the tour. Group Leaders canceling within 105 days of departure will be subject to administrative fees relating to the non-refundability of airline deposits or tickets or other travel arrangements purchased on their behalf. Passports will notify Group Leaders of non-refundable administrative fees upon acknowledgment of the cancellation. NOTE: Tour services (air and ground arrangements) are made early on Group Leaders’ behalf, and are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Paying participants assigned to canceled Group Leaders will not be reassigned to another Group Leader in the group if the cancellation is postmarked within 60 days of departure, and will therefore not count toward any extra positive stipend or free travel of another Group Leader.

Substitutions: A cancelled Group Leader may substitute another Group Leader up until 60 days prior to departure. Substitutions will be waitlisted pending land and air availability. Additional fees may apply. The substitute must submit a signed Group Leader Application, along with written instructions from the main Group Leader regarding reassignment of participants.

Payee Cancellations: If one paying participant cancels within 30 days of departure, and this results in any Group Leader owing a negative stipend, the company will absorb the cost of the negative stipend. If two or more payees cancel within 30 days of departure, a modified negative stipend will be calculated and billable to the individual Group Leader. Contact the Passports Accounting Department for details.

Land-Only Group Leaders: Group Leaders or chaperones wishing to purchase their own airline ticket and travel on a “land only” basis will receive a check representing the amount of their unused airline ticket approximately 30 days prior to departure of the group. A chaperone must be available to fly with the group. All other terms of “land only” participation apply as outlined in the Terms and Conditions.

Rooming: Main Group Leaders are entitled to a single room at no charge, except on ferries and overnight trains. Single rooms on cruises are subject to availability. Chaperones are guaranteed one-half of a double room at no charge. Paying participants must pay the double room supplement if sharing a double room with a chaperone.

Family and Faculty discount: Family members of the main Group Leader, and faculty colleagues not already traveling as co-counselors (i.e. full-paying travelers) may travel at a discount of 15% off the Program Tuition if requested by the main Group Leader. Group Leaders are not eligible to receive participant credit for persons taking advantage of the Family/Faculty Discount, and are strongly urged to limit the number of Family/Faculty discount spaces for this reason. Travelers who receive the discount count towards the total group size. Where the Group Leader is a Covered Group Leader, the Family and Faculty discount is available only to the extent the laws, regulations and employer policies applicable to that Group Leader permit it, and it is the responsibility of the Group Leader to confirm this before requesting it.

Training Points Program: Group Leaders will earn Training Points for each application received with at least $495 (or $95 on E-Z Pay). Group Leaders receive 50 Training Points per traveler enrolled by May 15 of the year prior to travel; 25 Training Points per traveler by October 15; and 10 Training Points per traveler by the Final Payment Deadline. Training Points may be applied toward the Group Leader's attendance at Passports training conferences and professional development events, in their capacity as a group leader. They are not a personal reward and may not be redeemed for personal or leisure travel. Chaperones do not qualify for Training Points. Training Points expire three years after they are earned. Veteran Passports Group Leaders, as well as first-time Group Leaders, qualify for the same point schedule and redemption terms, regardless of their level of experience with Passports. All programs are subject to availability. Training Points are not transferable. They have no cash value and are not redeemable for cash, except where Passports offers a cash redemption option to a Group Leader who is not a Covered Group Leader. Where the laws, regulations or employer policies applicable to a Covered Group Leader do not permit that Group Leader to accept travel to, or attendance at, a training conference, Passports will instead apply the value of those points for the benefit of the travelers in the group or, at the Group Leader's election, donate it to the school or to a charitable non-profit organization.

Group Leader eligibility and employer rules: Some Group Leaders are subject to laws, regulations or employer policies that limit or prohibit the acceptance of gifts, gratuities, cash payments, complimentary or discounted travel, or other things of value in connection with their employment. These include, without limitation, state and municipal ethics and conflict-of-interest laws applicable to public employees, and school, district or institutional gift, ethics and procurement policies. Passports cannot know the laws, regulations and policies that apply in every jurisdiction or at every institution. Each Group Leader is responsible for determining whether any such rule applies to them, and for notifying Passports in writing, at or before the time of application and promptly upon any change. A Group Leader who notifies Passports that such rules apply to them is a Covered Group Leader under these Terms.

Passports will also treat a Group Leader as a Covered Group Leader where the Group Leader is employed by a public or charter school, a school district, a public college or university, or another public entity, or where Passports otherwise determines, in its sole discretion, that these provisions should apply. Passports will apply these provisions from the point at which it is notified or makes that determination. The failure of Passports to identify a Group Leader as a Covered Group Leader does not relieve that Group Leader of any obligation under any law, regulation or policy that applies to them.

For a Covered Group Leader, a complimentary or reduced-rate traveling position must be used by an adult who is genuinely serving as a chaperone on the tour, and may not be used by a minor. Whether a family member of the Group Leader qualifies depends on whether they are actually performing chaperone duties, not on their relationship to the Group Leader.

For a Covered Group Leader, Passports will not pay any positive stipend remainder, enrichment fee, referral bonus or other cash payment to the Group Leader personally, and will not provide any other benefit under these Terms that the laws, regulations or employer policies applicable to that Group Leader do not permit. Passports will instead apply that value for the benefit of the travelers in the group, for example as a reduction in traveler cost, a scholarship applied to specific travelers, or an added group inclusion or on-tour enhancement, or, at the Group Leader’s election, donate it to the school or to a charitable non-profit organization. Passports will reimburse a Covered Group Leader only for documented, receipted expenses actually incurred on behalf of the group as a whole. Nothing in this paragraph prevents Passports from refunding amounts the Group Leader has paid, from making the land-only payment described above, or from reimbursing such documented expenses.

Each Group Leader is also responsible for complying with those laws, regulations and employer policies, including any obligation to disclose to, or obtain approval from, their employer, school district or appointing authority before organizing a tour or accepting any benefit connected with it. Passports does not provide legal or ethics advice, and nothing in these Terms or in any Passports publication should be relied upon as such. The Group Leader agrees to indemnify and hold Passports harmless from any claim, penalty or expense arising from the Group Leader’s failure to comply with such laws, regulations or policies, or from any inaccurate statement by the Group Leader concerning their status.

Passports reserves the right to modify, withhold, redirect or discontinue any benefit described in these Terms where it determines this is necessary to comply with applicable law or policy, or to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. Any such modification is not grounds for cancellation without penalty. The benefits available to a group are those published for that group’s travel year, and Passports may publish different terms for tours traveling on or after a stated date.

Traveler medical, dietary and allergy information: Group Leaders are not authorized to receive medical, dietary or allergy information on behalf of Passports, and information given only to a Group Leader is not notice to Passports. Group Leaders must direct participants and their parents or guardians to report any allergy, dietary requirement or medical condition to Passports directly through the enrollment process, the PassportsGo app or by email, and must promptly forward to Passports any such information they receive. Group Leaders must not make, and Passports is not bound by, any representation to a participant concerning the suitability, ingredients or allergen content of any meal or service.

Communication with Passports and HelpDesk tickets: Passports will occasionally reach out to group leaders via phone, email or helpdesk tickets when we are in need of information. It’s important to review communications and respond as quickly as possible, as many things are time sensitive when related to group travel.

Travel Date Changes: Passports begins securing airline space for groups immediately upon the group’s enrollment. Any travel date changes must be finalized by August 15 of the year prior to your tour. After August 15, date changes may not be possible, and/or an airline-imposed date-change fee may apply.

Airline ticketing and flight schedules: The group’s airline e-ticket receipts and other travel documents are available online and in the PassportsGo app. Tentative flight routings and schedules are generally available from Passports approximately 60-90 days prior to departure, and are subject to change at the airlines’ discretion, at any time. Ticketing typically occurs 30-45 days prior to departure, but can occur at any time after the final payment deadline, depending on the specific contract with the airline. Passports has no control over flight schedules and routings, and must abide by strict regulations set forth by the airline industry. Therefore, Passports cannot guarantee specific airline seating requests. Kennedy and La Guardia airports are used interchangeably for “New York” departures; as are Dulles and Reagan National Airport for “Washington, DC” departures.

Ticket Exchange or Name Change: Due to the nature of Passports’ contractual agreements with the airlines, ticket exchanges and name changes are sometimes not possible. If available, a fee may apply.

Special Ticketing Arrangements: Group Leaders may extend their return ticket in accordance with the standard Terms and Conditions paragraph entitled “Delayed Return Flights and Travel Extensions” up until 120 days prior to departure. The initial processing fee is free for the main Group Leader only. Chaperones are required to pay the fees as outlined on the Special Travel Arrangements Form sent to them by Passports. Extra airfare and subsequent change fees will apply to all Group Leaders. Main Group Leaders taking advantage of separate flight arrangements must appoint another adult group member to escort any minor students traveling on the group flight routing. Passports and/or the airlines are not responsible for providing assistance or escorts for students if Group Leaders choose to travel separately from the group.

Overbooking, flight delays, cancellations: Airlines frequently “overbook” flights and ask for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for compensation. Traveling student groups may be particularly vulnerable to a well-meaning airline agent who needs to free up some seats. Under no circumstances should any Passports group ever allow themselves to be “bumped” or volunteer to give up their seats. If the group’s outbound flight from the U.S. is delayed or cancelled due to weather, schedule or other delays, please note that Passports is not automatically notified of this fact by the airlines. If a group’s outbound flight is delayed by more than one hour, or cancelled altogether, Group Leaders must contact Passports at (508) 885-4600 to provide notification to the company. Group Leaders are responsible for keeping the group together and must not leave the airport until alternate arrangements have been officially secured by the airline. Group Leaders must work with airline representatives directly in order to rebook flight(s) (please note that Passports does not normally have the ability to amend reservations when the group is already en route and at the airport). Once the group’s flights have been successfully rebooked, Group Leaders must contact Passports so the company can notify its overseas offices of the new arrival time. If a return flight delay results in a missed connection, Group Leaders must consult with the ticketing agents at the international airport to rebook the group on another connecting flight.. In either of these cases, if the cause of delay or cancellation is due to a strike, mechanical reason, or other airline-imposed reasons (i.e. not weather) and the group is required to stay overnight, the airline is responsible for paying for a hotel and meals for the group.

Combined groups: In the event that a group is combined with other groups, it is necessary that all Group Leaders work harmoniously and cooperate fully with one another, and with the Passports Tour Director, to create a positive atmosphere for the entire bus group. People from diverse backgrounds and age groups may be combined together, and must respect each other at all times. Group Leaders and Tour Directors are urged to meet upon arrival overseas and reach an understanding as to how the group will conduct itself at the start of the tour.

The Passports Tour Director: The Passports Tour Director is a professional, experienced tour manager and a crucial element of any traveling group. Passports cannot guarantee the services of a specific Tour Director, although the company will do its best to accommodate such requests based on a Tour Director’s availability. Group Leaders agree to speak to their Tour Director in private if any sensitive matters requiring consultation must occur while on tour. If a group is dissatisfied at any time with the Tour Director assigned to them, the main Group Leader(s) should contact Passports’ offices to request a remedy. Replacement of a Tour Director with another cannot be guaranteed, particularly during peak travel seasons, but Passports will make every reasonable effort to accommodate a request for Tour Director replacement.

Emergencies: Group Leaders and the Tour Director share primary responsibility for handling emergencies involving any tour participants. Group Leaders may be required to stay behind with a participant in an emergency situation while the remainder of the group continues with the tour. Minors must not be left without adult supervision under any circumstances. In the event of an emergency, the Group Leaders and the Passports Tour Director should meet and determine the best course of action. The Passports Tour Director can contact Passports European and U.S. offices round-the-clock.