THE STORY LIGHTHOUSE LLC
CLIENT TERMS & CONDITIONS
Effective Date: September 10, 2026
Thank you for choosing The Story Lighthouse LLC. These Terms & Conditions establish the responsibilities, expectations, and terms governing travel-planning and booking services provided by The Story Lighthouse LLC (“The Story Lighthouse,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).
Please read this agreement carefully. A signed acceptance of these Terms & Conditions is required before The Story Lighthouse will begin researching or developing travel proposals for a client.
1. OUR ROLE
The Story Lighthouse LLC is an independently owned and operated travel agency and an Independent Agency Affiliated with Travel Quest Network.
The Story Lighthouse assists clients with researching, recommending, arranging, and booking travel products and services offered by independent third-party suppliers. These suppliers may include airlines, cruise lines, hotels and resorts, tour operators, transportation companies, rental-car companies, excursion providers, travel-insurance providers, and other travel-related businesses.
Unless expressly stated otherwise in writing, The Story Lighthouse does not own, operate, manage, or control these suppliers or the services they provide.
Supplier services are subject to the individual supplier’s own terms, conditions, policies, schedules, restrictions, and cancellation requirements.
2. AGREEMENT BEFORE RESEARCH
Following the initial inquiry and discovery process, The Story Lighthouse will determine whether to accept a requested trip for planning.
No customized trip research, itinerary development, supplier comparison, or proposal preparation will begin until the client has accepted and signed these Terms & Conditions.
Signing this agreement does not obligate the client to book any proposed travel.
3. PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FEES
At this time, The Story Lighthouse does not charge a separate planning, consultation, research, booking, or routine change fee for standard travel-planning services.
The Story Lighthouse reserves the right to introduce or modify professional service fees in the future.
If a professional service fee applies to a future trip or service, the client will be informed of the amount, purpose, refundability, and applicable terms before fee-based services begin. No professional service fee will be applied retroactively to services already provided without the client’s agreement.
Fees charged directly by travel suppliers remain separate from any professional service fees charged by The Story Lighthouse.
4. TRAVEL PROPOSALS, PRICING & AVAILABILITY
Travel proposals are based upon the information, pricing, availability, promotions, taxes, fees, schedules, and supplier conditions available at the time the proposal is prepared.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, a proposal is not a reservation and does not guarantee pricing or availability.
Airfare, accommodations, cruise cabins, tours, promotions, transportation, and other travel components may change in price or availability at any time before a reservation is confirmed.
The Story Lighthouse will make reasonable efforts to provide accurate information; however, supplier pricing, availability, schedules, taxes, fees, promotions, and policies are controlled by the applicable supplier.
The client will be advised of material changes known to The Story Lighthouse before authorization to book whenever reasonably possible.
5. CLIENT REVIEW & BOOKING APPROVAL
Before a reservation is finalized, clients are responsible for carefully reviewing the proposed travel arrangements.
Traveler names and dates of birth
Travel dates
Destinations
Flights and transportation
Hotel, resort, room, or cruise-cabin selections
Tours, excursions, and transfers
Total trip price
Deposit requirements
Final-payment deadlines
Cancellation and refund terms
Special requests or accommodations
Travel-insurance selection or declination
The client must notify The Story Lighthouse of any errors or requested corrections before authorizing a booking.
Once travel has been booked, changes may be subject to supplier-imposed change fees, fare differences, penalties, cancellation charges, or availability restrictions.
6. TRAVELER NAMES & IDENTIFICATION
The client is responsible for providing each traveler’s full legal name exactly as it appears on the government-issued identification that will be used for travel.
The client is responsible for reviewing names and other traveler information for accuracy before booking.
Corrections made after ticketing or booking may result in supplier fees, fare differences, cancellation and rebooking requirements, or loss of a reservation.
The Story Lighthouse is not responsible for costs resulting from inaccurate information supplied or approved by the client.
7. PASSPORTS, VISAS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Each traveler is responsible for obtaining, maintaining, and carrying all documentation required for their trip.
Valid government-issued identification
REAL ID-compliant identification where applicable
Passports
Visas
Travel authorizations
Entry or transit documentation
Required health documentation
Documentation required for minors
Any other documentation required by governments, carriers, or suppliers
Entry, transit, identification, health, and documentation requirements may change without notice.
The Story Lighthouse may provide information or links to resources as a convenience and will make reasonable efforts to alert clients to known requirements, but travelers remain responsible for confirming current requirements with appropriate governmental authorities and suppliers.
Neither information supplied by The Story Lighthouse nor possession of travel documents guarantees admission into any country or destination. Final admission decisions are made by the applicable governmental authorities.
8. HEALTH, SAFETY & ACCESSIBILITY
Travelers are responsible for determining whether a destination, transportation method, accommodation, excursion, or activity is appropriate for their individual health, mobility, and personal circumstances.
Clients should advise The Story Lighthouse of accessibility requirements, mobility needs, dietary requirements, or other accommodations that may materially affect travel arrangements so that reasonable requests can be communicated to suppliers.
Special requests are subject to supplier approval and availability and cannot be guaranteed by The Story Lighthouse.
Travelers should review appropriate governmental travel advisories, health information, and destination conditions before departure.
9. PAYMENTS & PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION
Payments for travel may be processed directly by a travel supplier or through an approved secure booking or payment system.
Credit or debit card information should not be sent to The Story Lighthouse through ordinary email, text message, social-media message, or an unsecured form.
When payment authorization is required, the client will receive an approved secure authorization method.
The Story Lighthouse will not process a client’s card for a travel transaction without the appropriate authorization.
Separate payment authorizations may be required for deposits, installment payments, final payments, or transactions involving different suppliers.
The client is responsible for ensuring that sufficient funds or available credit are available when an authorized payment is due.
10. DEPOSITS, PAYMENT SCHEDULES & FINAL PAYMENT
Travel suppliers establish their own deposit amounts and payment schedules.
The Story Lighthouse will communicate applicable payment deadlines received from the supplier and may provide reminders as a courtesy.
The client remains responsible for making required payments by the applicable deadlines.
Failure to make payment when required may result in cancellation of the reservation, loss of a deposit, loss of promotional pricing, penalties, or additional supplier charges.
Any attempt to reinstate a reservation following missed payment is subject to supplier approval, availability, and current pricing.
11. TRAVEL INSURANCE
The Story Lighthouse strongly recommends travel insurance.
Travel insurance may provide protection for certain covered circumstances involving trip cancellation, interruption, delay, emergency medical expenses, evacuation, baggage, and other travel-related losses, depending upon the specific policy purchased.
Coverage varies substantially among policies. All insurance benefits, exclusions, limitations, eligibility requirements, claim determinations, and coverage decisions are controlled by the insurance policy and insurance provider.
Clients will be given an opportunity to accept or decline travel insurance, and their decision will be documented separately.
A client who declines travel insurance accepts responsibility for financial losses or expenses that otherwise might have been eligible for coverage under an appropriate policy.
The Story Lighthouse does not determine whether an insurance claim is covered and cannot guarantee payment of any claim.
12. CANCELLATIONS, CHANGES & REFUNDS
Clients should notify The Story Lighthouse as soon as possible if they wish to cancel or modify travel arrangements.
The Story Lighthouse currently does not charge its own cancellation or routine post-booking change fee.
However, airlines, hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, insurance providers, and other suppliers may impose cancellation penalties, change fees, fare differences, nonrefundable deposits, or other restrictions.
The client is responsible for supplier-imposed charges applicable to their reservation.
Refund eligibility is determined by the applicable supplier and its terms and conditions.
Where a supplier issues a refund, the timing and method of that refund are controlled by the supplier, financial institution, payment processor, or other applicable party. The Story Lighthouse cannot guarantee the amount or processing time of a supplier refund.
13. SUPPLIER TERMS & CONDITIONS
By authorizing travel to be booked, the client acknowledges that individual travel components may also be governed by separate supplier terms and conditions.
Supplier terms may contain important provisions regarding cancellations, refunds, changes, baggage, check-in requirements, conduct, liability, dispute procedures, itinerary modifications, and other matters.
Where supplier terms apply to a reservation, those terms govern the supplier’s product or service.
Clients are encouraged to review applicable supplier terms before booking and may request assistance locating them.
14. SUPPLIER CHANGES & TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS
Travel is inherently subject to circumstances that may alter planned arrangements.
Airlines and other transportation providers may change schedules, aircraft, routes, seats, or connections. Hotels and resorts may modify available services or amenities. Cruise lines and tour operators may modify itineraries, ports, excursions, accommodations, or schedules.
The Story Lighthouse will provide reasonable assistance when notified of a disruption affecting travel booked through the agency and will work with the applicable supplier when appropriate.
However, The Story Lighthouse cannot guarantee that a supplier will provide a particular replacement, refund, credit, rebooking option, or other remedy.
15. EVENTS BEYOND REASONABLE CONTROL
The Story Lighthouse is not responsible, to the extent permitted by applicable law, for delay, modification, cancellation, loss, or additional expense resulting from events outside its reasonable control.
Such events may include severe weather, natural disasters, fire, flood, epidemics or pandemics, government actions or restrictions, war, terrorism, civil unrest, strikes or labor disruptions, supplier operational failures, transportation disruptions, utility or technology failures, border closures, or similar circumstances.
Supplier policies and travel-insurance coverage, if purchased, will determine what remedies may be available for affected travel arrangements.
The Story Lighthouse will provide reasonable assistance to clients when circumstances permit but cannot guarantee restoration of the original itinerary.
16. TRAVEL SUPPLIERS & LIMITATION OF RESPONSIBILITY
The Story Lighthouse acts as an intermediary between the client and independent travel suppliers.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, The Story Lighthouse is not responsible for the acts, omissions, negligence, insolvency, bankruptcy, failure, or default of an independent supplier or for services the supplier fails to provide as promised.
Nothing in this agreement is intended to exclude responsibility that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
The Story Lighthouse remains responsible for performing its own travel-advisory services with reasonable care.
17. CLIENT COMMUNICATION & RESPONSIVENESS
Successful trip planning requires timely communication.
Clients are responsible for responding within a reasonable period when The Story Lighthouse requests decisions, approvals, traveler information, or other information necessary to continue planning.
If no client communication is received for 45 consecutive days, The Story Lighthouse may consider the planning file inactive and close it.
A client may later request that planning resume, subject to current availability. Any previous pricing, availability, promotions, or research may need to be refreshed before planning continues.
18. BUSINESS HOURS & IN-TRAVEL SUPPORT
The Story Lighthouse’s current standard client-service hours are 9:00 AM–6:00 PM Eastern Time, seven days per week.
During active travel, clients may contact The Story Lighthouse outside normal hours for urgent travel-related problems affecting a trip currently in progress.
Non-urgent planning questions and routine requests received outside standard hours may be addressed during the next available service period.
The Story Lighthouse will make reasonable efforts to assist with problems involving travel booked through the agency. Assistance may include communicating with suppliers, helping evaluate available alternatives, or assisting with rebooking where permitted.
Emergency support is not a substitute for police, fire, emergency medical services, governmental assistance, an airline’s airport personnel, a cruise line’s onboard personnel, or other appropriate emergency authorities.
The Story Lighthouse cannot guarantee that a particular supplier remedy or replacement arrangement will be available.
19. CLIENT-INITIATED PURCHASES OUTSIDE THE STORY LIGHTHOUSE
The Story Lighthouse is responsible only for travel arrangements that it has agreed to research, arrange, or book.
If a client independently books, purchases, modifies, or cancels a travel component without involving The Story Lighthouse, the client is responsible for that transaction and its consequences.
The Story Lighthouse may assist with independently purchased arrangements when reasonably possible but cannot guarantee access to, control over, or the ability to modify reservations it did not make.
20. CREDIT-CARD DISPUTES & BILLING QUESTIONS
Clients should promptly notify The Story Lighthouse of any question concerning a charge associated with travel arranged through the agency so that the transaction and applicable supplier records can be reviewed.
Clients agree to provide accurate information and legitimate authorization for travel purchases.
Nothing in these Terms & Conditions waives or restricts any lawful right a client may have to dispute a transaction with a card issuer or other financial institution.
21. GROUP TRAVEL
Group travel may involve additional contractual obligations, deposits, minimum participation requirements, room or cabin blocks, attrition provisions, cancellation schedules, or supplier-specific conditions.
Where applicable, group travel may therefore require a separate Group Travel Agreement or Addendum in addition to these Terms & Conditions.
The Story Lighthouse will disclose any additional group terms before the client becomes bound by them.
22. PRIVACY & CLIENT INFORMATION
The Story Lighthouse LLC collects and uses personal information as reasonably necessary to research, arrange, book, manage, and service travel. Information may be shared with travel suppliers, booking systems, host-agency systems, insurance providers, and other service providers as necessary to fulfill requested travel services.
The collection, use, storage, and disclosure of personal information is further described in The Story Lighthouse LLC Privacy Policy, available at www.thestorylighthouse.com.
By signing these Terms & Conditions, the client acknowledges that The Story Lighthouse LLC’s Privacy Policy has been made available for review.
23. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
The client acknowledges that routine business communication may occur electronically, including through email, approved electronic forms, client-management systems, or text messaging when appropriate.
Electronic communication carries inherent risks, and clients should not transmit payment-card information or other highly sensitive financial information through ordinary email or text.
24. GOVERNING LAW
These Terms & Conditions are intended to be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, except where another jurisdiction’s applicable consumer-protection or other law requires otherwise.
25. SEVERABILITY
If any provision of these Terms & Conditions is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law.
26. ENTIRE AGREEMENT & CHANGES
These Terms & Conditions, together with applicable written booking approvals, supplier terms, insurance acknowledgments, and any trip-specific or group agreement, constitute the applicable terms governing services provided by The Story Lighthouse.
The Story Lighthouse may update its standard Terms & Conditions for future engagements.
Changes to these Terms & Conditions will not retroactively alter an existing client’s agreement without appropriate notice and agreement where required.
Client Terms & Conditions | September 2026 | Page