Cancellation and Refund Policy
Liminal Journeys Limited (Hong Kong) · Trading as "Liminal" · Effective 01/07/2026
1. Why this Policy exists
This policy (“Policy”) sets out, in plain English, what happens financially if you cancel before or during a trip, or if a trip cannot go ahead because of circumstances beyond either of our control, i.e. a force majeure event. It should be read alongside our Terms and Conditions and the booking conditions of each Supplier. Unless otherwise defined in this Policy, capitalised terms have the meanings given to them in our Terms and Conditions.
2. Three layers of money
A Liminal trip can involve up to three distinct layers of money flowing in two directions. Which layers apply to your trip depends on the commercial model recorded on your SOW (see Terms clause 5):
Layer 1 — Design fees, paid to Liminal. These compensate the design and curation work we perform. They are governed by Section 3 of this Policy. Every engagement has a Layer 1.
Layer 2 — Direct trip-component costs, paid by you directly to each Supplier (or via the host travel agency for flights). These are governed by each Supplier’s own booking terms, which we will summarise on each booking confirmation. Layer 2 applies wherever a component sits under the Advisory model (Terms clause 5.1(a)).
Layer 3 — Liminal-invoiced trip-component costs, paid by you to Liminal, where Liminal contracts with the Supplier on confidential net terms and invoices you a single combined price. Layer 3 applies wherever a component sits under the Transactional model (Terms clause 5.1(b)). Layer 3 is governed by Section 4 of this Policy.
3. Layer 1 — Design fees
3.1 Design fees are typically invoiced in two equal stages: 50% on itinerary sign-off, and the remaining 50% no later than 60 days before the journey is due to commence. Where the journey commences within 60 days of itinerary sign-off, the full design fee is invoiced on sign-off. The SOW will state the exact schedule, the currency and the payment route, and may agree a different schedule where the engagement so requires.
3.2 If you cancel the engagement before itinerary sign-off, we will refund any portion of the design fee that we have not yet earned. We will set out the calculation in writing.
3.3 From itinerary sign-off, the design fee is non-refundable. The fee compensates the work we have already performed; it is not a deposit on the trip.
3.4 Where you have paid for re-planning work after a cancellation, that fee is similarly non-refundable from sign-off of the new itinerary.
3.5 Liminal may, at its sole and reasonable discretion, waive or reduce any cancellation charge under this section — including in cases of long-standing client relationships, force majeure, or other exceptional circumstances. Any such waiver is granted on a case-by-case basis, requires our written confirmation to take effect, and creates no precedent or entitlement for future engagements.
4. Layer 2 — Direct Supplier components (Advisory model)
4.1 Cancellation of any Layer 2 travel component is governed by the terms of the relevant Supplier — the destination management company, hotel, airline, charter operator, restaurant, guide or activity provider. Their own deposit, balance, cancellation and force-majeure rules apply.
4.2 We will summarise the cancellation profile of every booked Supplier on the booking confirmation, so that you know — for each component — when deposit becomes payable, when balance is due, and what proportion is refundable at each window.
4.3 If you cancel, we will recover from Suppliers what their terms permit and pass any recovered amounts to you, less reasonable bank or foreign-exchange charges incurred. We may, at our discretion, waive or absorb such charges (in particular for long-standing clients or where the amounts are de minimis). Where Supplier terms make a payment non-refundable (typical for hotel deposits, charter deposits, non-refundable airfare and certain DMC payments), we cannot recover that money on your behalf.
5. Layer 3 — Liminal-invoiced components (Transactional model)
5.1 For components Liminal invoices directly under Terms clause 5.1(b), cancellation is governed by the Liminal cancellation tiers below, applied to the Liminal-invoiced amount for the affected component(s). These tiers reflect the irrecoverable cost we incur to the underlying Supplier across the booking lifecycle.
More than 90 days before journey commencement: 25% of the Liminal-invoiced amount
61 – 90 days before journey commencement: 50% of the Liminal-invoiced amount
30 – 60 days before journey commencement: 75% of the Liminal-invoiced amount
14 – 29 days before journey commencement: 100% of the Liminal-invoiced amount
Less than 14 days before journey commencement: 100% of the Liminal-invoiced amount
5.2 Where the underlying Supplier’s terms are stricter than the tiers above — typical for private-villa rentals, charter yacht and aviation contracts, full-buyout retreats, certain Aman and Six Senses bookings, and high-season ultra-luxury inventory — the stricter Supplier terms apply and will be summarised on your booking confirmation before you commit. Where the underlying Supplier’s terms are more lenient than the tiers above, we will apply the more lenient terms.
5.3 Where we are able, after good-faith effort, to resell or otherwise mitigate the irrecoverable cost of a cancelled Liminal-invoiced component, we will refund the mitigated portion to you (we are not obliged to undertake mitigation efforts).
5.4 Liminal may, at its sole and reasonable discretion, waive or reduce any Layer 3 cancellation charge on the same case-by-case basis described in clause 3.5.
6. Force majeure
6.1 Where a force-majeure event prevents the trip from going ahead — see Clause 9 of our Terms and Conditions for the full definition — we approach the financial position pragmatically:
- The design fee is retained, because the design work was performed.
- Layer 2 amounts are refunded only to the extent the underlying Supplier itself refunds.
- Layer 3 amounts are refunded only to the extent the underlying Supplier refunds, credits or defers our booking with them; we will negotiate the most favourable client outcome available (most ultra-luxury Suppliers will offer to defer rather than refund where a force-majeure event affects the trip).
- Any reasonable rearrangement costs (re-routing flights, reissue fees) are for your account; insurance is your primary recovery route.
6.2 Notwithstanding 6.1, Liminal may at its discretion offer a partial credit against future design work where a force-majeure event causes a complete trip abandonment — case-by-case, with written confirmation.
7. Re-planning
If you ask us to re-plan a cancelled itinerary or design a substitute trip, we will charge the additional design work at our then-current Tier rate. We will agree scope and fee in writing before starting. We may, at our discretion, discount or waive this fee for long-standing clients or for substantially similar substitute trips arranged close in time to the cancellation.
8. Travel insurance
You are required to hold travel insurance meeting the minimum cover described in clause 7.2 of our Terms and Conditions — in particular, emergency medical treatment overseas (USD 1,000,000 minimum), medical evacuation and repatriation (USD 500,000 minimum), and trip cancellation, curtailment and interruption to the total non-refundable cost of your journey. Cancellation and curtailment cover should be your primary recovery route for unrecoverable Supplier costs and for cancellation triggered by personal circumstances (illness, bereavement, work emergency).
9. Cancellation by Liminal
We may terminate the engagement on written notice in the circumstances set out in Clause 8.5 of our Terms and Conditions (material breach, non-payment, sanctions or AML grounds, lawful inability to provide services under Terms clause 2 — including where you become ordinarily resident in Hong Kong — or where continued performance would expose us to material legal or reputational risk). In those circumstances we will refund any unearned portion of the design fee and any Layer 3 amount that has not yet become a non-refundable cost to us.
10. Mechanics
10.1 All cancellation notices must be in writing, sent to hello@liminal-journeys.co or to your dedicated Liminal contact. Cancellation takes effect when received, on a working day.
10.2 We aim to process refunds within 14 business days of receiving recovered funds from Suppliers, or within 14 business days of the cancellation taking effect for design-fee or Liminal-margin refunds that are not dependent on Supplier recovery. Refunds are made in the original currency of payment unless otherwise agreed. Any bank charges, foreign exchange conversion costs, and payment processing fees incurred in connection with payment shall be borne by you..
10.3 Any discretionary waiver, reduction or credit referred to in this Policy is given on a case-by-case basis, requires our written confirmation, and creates no precedent or entitlement for future engagements.
11. Statutory rights
Nothing in this Policy excludes or limits any statutory rights you may have under the laws of your country of habitual residence — in particular, your rights as a consumer under the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015 and any equivalent EU Member State legislation.