This article is written to help explain the contractual relationship we (AFerry Ltd) have with our 100+ ferry partners.
AFerry does not charge change or cancellation fees
The first point to make is that we made the decision in June 2020 to no longer charge any change or cancellation fees ourselves. We did this because we saw how important it was for our loyal customers to have some flexibility to make changes to their bookings, often for reasons outside of their control, and we felt AFerry should not profit from this.
Our agreements with our ferry partners
We are however legally obliged to reflect our ferry partner’s rules and charge their fees when relevant, as per our Agent-Principal contract explained further below.
Different ferry partners offer different rules for making a change or cancelling and receiving a refund. Please note we regularly encourage our ferry partners to consider reducing or removing their fees.
It is important to highlight that these change/cancel rules and fees are the same whether you booked directly with the ferry partner or through an agent such as AFerry.
If you find any example where we have made a mistake and this is not the case, please contact us and we will immediately rectify your situation and update our latest procedures for that ferry partner.
Explaining the Agent-Principal relationship
When you pay for a booking on the AFerry (the Agent) website, it is immediately confirmed with your chosen ferry partner (the Principal).
Soon after confirmation, we (AFerry, the Agent) transfer your money to your chosen ferry partner to deliver the service.
This means your ticket and right to travel is secured.
This Agent-Principal relationship is explained further in this useful article by Travlaw, who are expert lawyers in this area.
If something unexpected happens and you need to change or cancel your ticket -no problem. However you are bound by the terms and conditions of the ferry partner(s) you have booked with.
Our ferry partner collection provides links to each Principal's terms and conditions and well as all the after booking information you might need.
To summarise, any changes, cancellations or credit notes we offer must align to the terms and conditions of the ferry partner (Principal).
Who benefits from change and cancellation fees?
As explained above, AFerry does not benefit from any change or cancellation fees. These are determined by each ferry partner and we are legally obliged to quote and collect them on their behalf.
These fees are often justified because of the internal administration costs ferry partners associate with changing or cancelling a booking.
We hope that by explaining the above in detail we help explain why different ferry partners charge different fees, and our role in this process.
With your support, we will continue our efforts over the past three decades to encourage our ferry partners to reduce fees and continue to make ferries the most flexible, safe and enjoyable way to travel.