FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Is the Canadian Government offering a subsidy for Canadian veterans?            Yes. Please call 1-800-443-0394 or the VAC website www.vac-acc.gc.ca for details on            eligibility and application procedures. Can I travel Business Class and what is the cost?           Business Class is available on a request basis only.  The cost is a minimum extra charge of           approximately $4000.00 (minimum) on any of the scheduled airlines. What is Star Class and when is it available?           Star Class is upgraded seating/service available on some Martinair flights only from Toronto.           The additional cost is $600.00 per person. Space availability is extremely limited. In some           cases only one way will be available at $300.00 per person. Can I request a specific airline or departure dates? Airline and travel dates will be assigned by Verstraete Travel. Your travel dates will be printed on your invoice. Can I request a specific seat? Special seat assignments are handled by the airline and are NOT guaranteed.  We will pass on any medical conditions indicated on the booking form to the airline. What airlines are you using? Martinair, KLM,  Air France and Air Transat. Can I extend my stay in Europe? Trip extensions can be requested at a fee of $50pp in conjunction with the Martinair flights out of  Toronto.  Trip extension requests from any other Canadian departure cities or airlines are on a request basis only. The additional cost will be quoted upon confirmation. Can Verstraete Travel book any additional travel destinations when I extend my stay in Europe? Verstraete Travel is able to research inter-Europe travel for you. However, we will not be able to ticket anything for you until you have booked on the Main Tour Program and your travel dates are set from Canada to Holland. The special travel agent who is looking after inter-Europe travel is named Ria and she can be contacted at 1-800-405-6088 Which hotels are being used for the Hotel Main Program? We have several hotels that we are using in Zutphen, Apeldoorn and Nijverdal. Hotel space is extremely limited and we will contact you to confirm which hotel you are staying in. Can we have three people to a hotel room? Due to the average size of hotel rooms in Europe, we are only offering rooms on a double occupancy basis. Triple rooms can be put on request but are not guaranteed. What does Single Supplement mean? If a traveller wishes to room by themselves they would pay the double occupancy (regular) rate plus the additional single supplement fee. Who qualifies for a Host family stay? A veteran and/or a spouse of a veteran plus a travelling companion. Any special considerations to this will be forwarded to the Committees in Holland for their approval. An exception to this would be if a former host family has invited you and your traveling companion(s) to be hosted at their home.  The amount of passengers permitted are limited to the invitation extended by the specified host. Which host towns will be participating? Host towns will be determined and confirmed in early Spring by the Welcome Again Veterans and Thank You Canada committees. Host towns will be concentrated around central Holland for logistical purposes. Can I send a post dated cheque for the balance? Yes. Once you have received your invoice you may forward to our office a postdated cheque for the balance amount. Are child fares available? No. All our pricing is based on group fares regardless of age. Why is there a credit card charge fee? We are charged a percentage of the value of the tour by the credit card companies when payment is processed. In order not to increase the base tour price for all passengers, we have implemented this fee only for those who wish to pay by credit card. Can I use Airmiles for my plane ticket or arrange my own airfare? All our tours include airfare and are not sold on a “land only” basis. Can Verstraete Travel book a connecting ticket for me to the departure cities (Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto)? Yes, Verstraete Travel can book a connecting flight for you but will not do so until you have been confirmed on the Main Tour and your departure date is set.  The agent in our office who is handling connections is named Ria and she can be reached at 1-800-405-6088. Medals: Thank You Canada and Welcome Again Veterans will present every veteran with a commemorative medal in Holland. This will happen sometime during their stay in Holland. This will only be given to veterans who are booked on their program (both main program and hotel stay) with Verstraete Travel. Veterans do not have to register for this. They will receive all details after they arrive in Holland. Anyone Not Booked With Verstraete Travel: For those going to Holland “on their own” and wishing to participate officially at the events (with reserved seating, special recognitions, etc.) – you need to contact Thank You Canada and Allied Forces via their website www.tycaf.nl to register. There is a fee involved!