The National office of the Alpine Club of Canada has recently updated the hut booking and cancellation policy for coordinators of section trips. The new policy only applies to bookings at ACC huts and the Canmore ACC clubhouse, where they are booked as a “Section trip”. A “Section trip” is a trip or event that appears on the Edmonton Section’s trip schedule.
Several key changes affect how hut/clubhouse bookings are managed and paid for, including:
- The ACC Edmonton section now pays the deposit and remaining amounts to National.
- Trip coordinators are no longer required to pay National a deposit and remaining amounts. We ask that you reimburse amounts owing to the Edmonton section in a timely manner.
- The cancellation policy has been revised to provide more flexibility.
Other benefits remain unchanged, including:
- The lead trip coordinator will stay free of charge for the duration of the trip (standard ACC member rates apply for all other members participating).
- Bookings can be made up to 13 months in advance (1 month before the public).
Booking ACC Huts or Clubhouse
- Call 403-678-3200 ext 0 to book.
- Clearly identify your name, email address and Section affiliation, to ensure it is clear who the trip coordinator is and for which Section.
- Forward a copy of the resulting invoice to treasurer@accedmonton.ca.
- If not done so already, submit your trip using the online Trip Submit Form on accedmonton.ca within 2 weeks of making the booking.
Responsibilities of the Trip Coordinator
With respect to managing bookings for Edmonton Section trips, the trip coordinator is responsible for the following:
- Updating National with any changes to the booking. This includes monitoring the number of participants and managing the number of booked spots at the hut/clubhouse to ensure the ACC Edmonton Section is not overcharged.
- Ensuring the final invoice is forwarded to treasurer@accedmonton.ca.
- Collecting fees from each participant and remitting these to the Edmonton Section. If the trip is not paid in full, the coordinator is responsible for outstanding amounts.
Amounts Owing to the Edmonton Section
The final invoice provided by National is the amount the ACC Edmonton Section will pay and expect to be reimbursed by the trip coordinator. Guidelines for remitting collected fees are as follows:
- Calculate the appropriate amount owed by each participant, based on the final invoice received from National (you will not receive an invoice from the Edmonton Section).
- Ensure the appropriate amount is collected from each participant. Remit the sum to the section within one week of the trip finish date using any of the following methods:
- E-transfer to treasurer@accedmonton.ca. Please include the invoice number in the message body. E-transfers will be automatically deposited so no password is required.
- Mail collected cheques to the treasurer (please contact for mailing info)
- If cash was collected, please contact to arrange a drop time and location.
Cancellation Policy
The cancellation policy set by National is as follows:
- Cancellations made prior to three full calendar days before the trip will have no financial penalty.
- Cancellations made within three full calendar days are 50% non-refundable.
- Cancellations made the day of travel are 100% non-refundable.
Guidelines for Managing Cancellations and Changes
The above policy also applies to changes to the booking. If a participant cancels within the timelines above and a financial loss is incurred, the Edmonton Section does not provide any refunds or become involved financially. To avoid this scenario, please consider the following guidelines:
- Provide participants with a timeline for when payment is due.
- Advise participants of the following: “Refunds are generally not provided after the cancellation window unless a suitable replacement can be found by the participant. The trip coordinator may have a “wait list” of interested individuals and may be able to assist with finding a replacement. It is not the responsibility of the trip coordinator to facilitate the money exchange; this is the responsibility of the original participant and the replacement.
- Cancellation Insurance: If your trip is of significant financial value (>$500), please express to your trip participants the importance of having trip cancellation insurance. It is the participants’ responsibility to purchase cancellation insurance, or to self-insure. National offers trip insurance for purchase at alpineclubofcanada.ca
Prior to going on the trip
- Please remember to call ACC National prior to your departure to confirm the hut combination. This is a VERY important step as there may have been changes.
- Wilderness passes may be required for the huts. These are the responsibility of the individual participants to purchase from ACC National. Trip coordinators may choose to organize and administer the purchase of wilderness passes.
Cheers,
Chelsea Hankinson
Treasurer, ACC – Edmonton Section
