If you need to cancel your participation in your mission trip (we really hope this doesn't happen), the following cancellation policies will apply:
31+ days before departure: refund of the price of the trip minus the $250 non-refundable deposit.
15-30 days before departure: refund of the price of the trip minus $500.
14 days or less before departure: No refund is available unless it is a documented medical or family emergency. In the case of a qualifying emergency, we will work with you to refund as much as possible or transfer you to a different mission team.
Flights: Global Encounters' cancellation policies do not apply to money spent on flights. In these cases, we have to abide by the airlines' cancellation policies. We will work with you to try to obtain a refund or flight credit, but it isn't always possible.
Donations: We do not refund donations, but we will keep them on hold for you for a future mission trip until the end of the next calendar year. If the funds are unused at that point, they will be rolled over to the scholarship fund or general budget.
Cancellations because of Covid-19:
We realize that Covid-19 has added a whole new layer of uncertainty to international travel. That being said, we have successfully sent out multiple teams since December 2020, with very few cancellations, but it has required an unusual level of flexibility.
Trip Cancellation: If Global Encounters has to cancel a trip because of COVID-related shutdowns, we will refund 100% of your Global Encounters costs or transfer the funds to another mission trip (your preference).
Trip Rescheduling: If Global Encounters has to reschedule a trip because of covid-related shutdowns, and you are unable to travel on the new dates, we will refund 100% of your Global Encounters costs or transfer the funds to another mission trip (your preference).
Positive Covid Test: If you are unable to travel due to a positive Covid test right before your trip, this qualifies as a medical emergency and the policies listed above will apply. However, if you retest negative within a few days, we will do everything we can to reschedule your flights and get you to your team, even if it's a few days late.
Covid Rule Change: If you are unable to travel because the Covid rules change after you apply for a trip (i.e. vaccines are required and they weren't before), and you are unable to meet the new requirements, we will refund as much as possible of your Global Encounters costs or transfer you to another trip. The amount of the refund may vary depending on how far in advance of the trip the changes are made. We are going to assume that you knew the rules that were in place at the time you signed up for the mission trip since those are clearly stated on our website on the page describing each trip. This policy applies if the rules CHANGE after that point. If the rules do not change, but you find yourself unable to go because of them, then the normal cancellation policies above will apply.
Flights and Donations: In all of these cases, the same flight and donation policies apply as listed above. In some situations, travel insurance may reimburse non-refundable airline tickets.