Coach Booking Information and Rules
Before booking a place on a coach please ensure you have read the following information:
- Generally a coach will be booked for each outmeeting the Society is attending but the actual provision of a coach is not guaranteed if the society feels it is not economically viable due to a low number of bookings.
- You cannot book onto a coach unless you are a current member.
- Where coach seats are limited or participant numbers are restricted, priority will be given to those who have regularly supported the society, based on our loyalty system. Any remaining spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, using the date and time of messages received.
- All coaches will leave from the bus stop near South Heighton Village Hall at the time stated on the list unless you are told otherwise.
- The cancellation deadline is midnight on the Saturday three weeks before the outmeeting. If you do not cancel by the deadline or just fail to turn up on the night you will be charged for the seat. There are no exceptions to this rule.
- If you cancel late or don’t turn up, and your seat is later taken by someone else, please don’t assume you won’t have to pay. To explain why this isn’t fair, here’s an example: Ann, Bert, Charlie, and Derek all cancel late. At the last minute, Ernie hears on Facebook that Ann isn’t coming and decides to take a seat. Ann then tells everyone she doesn’t need to pay because Ernie took her place. However, Bert, Charlie, and Derek—who also cancelled late—feel this is unfair, as Ernie could just as easily have taken one of their seats instead. For this reason, late cancellations remain chargeable, regardless of whether someone else fills the seat.
- We are happy to take bookings from members of other societies but please be aware that SHBS members will always take priority.
- Coaches will return from the outmeeting at a time agreed on the journey there. If you do not turn up at the agreed time and place for the return journey the coach may have to leave without you.
- If you are sick or spill food or drink on the coach, you will be liable for the full cost of cleaning as invoiced by the coach company.
- Please be respectful to the coach driver and fellow members. Anyone causing disruption may be refused future coach travel and could have their membership revoked at the Society’s discretion.
- Please remain seated throughout the journey.
- SHBS does not intentionally make a profit from coach bookings, we try to keep the costs to a minimum to allow as many people as possible to attend outmeetings.
Organising the coaches and keeping track of all the bookings is not an easy job. Please do not make it worse by arguing the coach rules/refusing to pay/moaning at the coach organisers/making comments on Facebook etc.
If you have any comments or suggestions about the rules, please come along to one of the monthly meetings.