FAQs about COVID-19

At Passports, we are committed to being the best partner we can be for our group leaders and our participants.

Under normal circumstances, this would mean providing high-quality tours that offer educational “out of the classroom” learning opportunities, as well as memories to last a lifetime.  Unfortunately, the circumstances are anything but normal at the moment. We understand that you have questions, so we’ve set up some frequently asked questions and their answers here. For questions relating to your specific tour, please contact your group leader or your Tour Advisor.

How has Passports handled groups that were enrolled for spring tours?

Passports spoke with each and every 2020 group leader, usually many times, to help them to determine what the best option for their group would be.  Each case was different and depended on when the group was scheduled to depart, whether tickets had been purchased, what airline they were flying, etc. Group leaders opted to defer their tour to a later date or to cancel.  In each case, we partnered with the group leader to accommodate what they felt was best for their group.

What if someone can’t travel on the deferred tour date?

If a group postpones a tour, some participants (those students who are presently high school seniors, for example) may not be able to participate on the rescheduled date. Passports is waiving the standard $225 replacement fee to allow a new participant to join in the place of the traveler who can no longer participate.  A group could defer until next year and Passports would issue 100% refunds to those travelers who are no longer able to participate provided they have a replcement.

What is the refund for people who cancel?

There are too many variables to be able to answer this question universally.  However, it has always been Passports policy to work with each group leader to provide every possible option to groups if a cancellation situation arose. Passports’ long-standing cancellation policy was written to protect traveling groups from the cost of individuals canceling, not to punish groups that cancel in their entirety. Under these unprecedented and unforeseen circumstances, Passports modified its policy to increase cash refunds as much as possible. Prior to and subsequent to the change in policy, Passports worked with airline and land service providers, on behalf of each traveler, to obtain the maximum cash refund possible. Additionally, Passports is pleased that we offer a deluxe insurance package to all of our participants at the time of enrollment, offering a 75% refund for cancellation for ANY reason. This insurance doesn’t mean you only get 75% back -- it means you get 75% of what is not refundable by Passports. For example, if a trip is $4000 and Passports is able to refund $3000 of that, the insurance would then cover an additional $750, making the total refund $3,750.

What about groups overseas right now?

All traveling groups are safely at home and we do not have any groups scheduled to depart until the summer.

What are you doing about groups that travel in 2021 and 2022?

We are allowing extra time for these groups to continue to monitor the situation. With Passports’ Proceed with Confidence policy, groups can “wait and see” at no disadvantage to travelers. 

What do our group leaders have to say about us during these unprecedented times? 

See for yourself by checking out our Trustpilot reviews. 

In these difficult times, Passports will continue to work with all of our group leaders and their participants to find the best solutions possible.  We send our best wishes for health and safety to you all.