Planning Club & Council Trips 2021

This message comes from Nancy Ellis, FWSA VP of North American Travel, as of November 13, 2020., outlining some options trip leaders might consider when planning a trip this coming year. Nancy reminds us that neither she nor FWSA can give legal advice relating to trip waivers, and it is highly suggested that clubs consult legal counsel to write a waiver that meets the needs of their particular trip. The information in the document is for information purposes only and represents options that Nancy is using in planning FWSA trips this coming year.

See below for comments from Ken Shelton, VP of S’no Joke Ski Club, about issues his club is considering for their trips for the upcoming season.

Planning Club/Council Trips 2021
Liability Waivers—COVID-19
Options to Consider

1. Options to Consider:

(a) Clubs need to have liability insurance if they run trips

(b) Have a liability trip specific waiver. Language in the waiver should warn people of the hazards they might encounter while on the trip

• Ski Trips—hazards of skiing; getting on/off chair lifts; avalanche; uneven snow surface; ice, altitude, etc.

• Dive Trip—difference in water depths, getting on/off dive boat, etc.

• Racing—hazards of racing, etc.

• Adventure trip—walking on uneven ground; weather conditions; communicable diseases in foreign countries, lack of medical facilities in remote areas, etc.

(c) Now being asked to include COVID-19 specific language in all waivers. Find out from the insurance company if there is specific language that needs to be added to your trip waiver. They are not lawyers and recommend that a lawyer be consulted to review the waiver.

• There may be language relating to communicable diseases, including COVID-19

• Language may include that people who feel sick not attend events and self-quarantine

• Have a system for all participants signing the waiver and storing the waiver for 7 years or longer if the participant contracts a serious illness.

(d) It’s important that Clubs take steps to make sure that participants are informed of safety steps and protocols to be followed on the trip to lessen the Club’s exposure to lawsuits:

• Find out the COVID-19 protocols in place for the destination the club is travelling

• Inform participants of the protocols and make sure people follow them, e.g., wearing face masks; social distancing; not attending events when ill

• Encourage people to purchase trip insurance. While the insurance may not cover cancellation for “fear of getting COVID-19 or flying” most will have medical coverage for illness and injury while on the trip; flight delays/cancelled flights, etc. Some travel insurance does have COVID-19 coverage for evacuation if you become sick.

• Provide information to participants prior to the trip about cancellation deadlines as well as COVID-19 protocols in place if the trip takes place. This gives people information to decide whether to cancel or continue the trip knowing what the trip will be like.

• Consider posting signs at group events that remind people to wear face masks, social distancing, and frequent hand washing

• Consider handing out face masks at the door of indoor events if people forget their mask

• Consider giving everyone a small bottle of hand sanitizer or sanitizer wipes

• Find out where hand sanitizer stations are located at the resort and inform participants

• Trip leaders should consider planning a back-up plan if inside events can’t happen.

• Refund money

• Give a gift card for the amount not used for events planned with food or special activities

• Will the restaurant/banquet facility provide take-out?

• Trip leaders might suggest that people drive to trip destinations if that’s an option

• Consider only 2 people to a room and using hotel rooms over condos or rooms with lots of beds. If condos—are the bedrooms lock-offs that are separate from the other bedrooms in the condos. Are there sofa beds in the living room so that roommates can be separated if one is sick.

• Check with the resort what their plans are for people who come down with COVID-19 and who need to quarantine.

• Find out where the closest hospital is located and COVID-19 testing sites

2. Trip Leaders should have plans in place if someone gets sick on the trip

(a) Have sick people go to a doctor or medical facility to get a diagnosis of their illness

(b) Complete an Incident/Illness form that includes a doctor’s note Indicating the person’s condition, treatment recommendation, and the person is cleared to participate in group activities or if they need to be quarantined or sent home. This form should be kept with the person’s trip waiver and registration form in case a lawsuit is filed, or the person files a claim for medical reimbursement from the club insurance.

(c) Assist the person in returning home if that is needed. Work with the tour operator, resort, or medical facility about transportation options

3. Other Considerations

(a) Keep up to date on air flights used by your group. Air flights are being cancelled so participants need to check their flights frequently for changes and make changes to reservations

(b) Participants may want to drive

(c) Ski Resorts are limiting lift ticket sales at the windows. Many are requiring that people purchase lift tickets online in advance of the trip

(d) Vail Resorts are requiring that pass holders reserve dates online for when they want to ski/ride at a Vail Resort. These do not include partner resorts that accept the EPIC pass (Snowbasin, Sun Valley)

(e) Alterra has announced that some resorts with the IKON pass are requiring reservations and that others may require them in the future.

(f) Some Vail Resorts will not accept group reservations for their lodging properties, so clubs should check to make sure they can get their room blocks confirmed.

4. The main thing for Trip Leaders is to communicate frequently with the Tour Operator or Resort representative to keep up to date with what’s happening in the region relating to COVID-19 and the protocols and restrictions in place. Keep your trip participants updated also so they can decide if they want to cancel or continue the trip. The health and safety of our participants are especially important.

* * * * *

S’no Joke Ski Club is one of the NWSCC clubs which usually has more trips than most other clubs. This upcoming season presents new challenges. Ken Shelton, VP of Travel, shares some of their concerns this year.

I didn't plan any fly trips. I know some clubs that did and can't fill theirs. Being on the plane is one problem. Real or not, some people worry and don't book the trip. The airporter bus is another problem. A 56 seat bus can carry only 14 passengers with social distancing. That adds to the per person trip cost. Many places to stay are condos where people must share kitchens and other spaces. Many hotels in the destination areas are expensive and we wouldn't sell many single rooms. No trip to Europe this winter!

For the you-drive trips I decided that we'd sell single rooms, with shared rooms only by request. The club would not assign roommates nor suggest carpool companions. People can do whatever they choose, but the club is out of it. We aren't using the language "single supplement." Every room is a single unless otherwise requested.

For the four originally planned trips to B.C. we got 100% refund provisions in case the hotel, the resort, or the border is closed to us. We've already cancelled two of the trips and are closely watching the February trip. Only one or two of our trips will have the registrants book their own hotel rooms. We're trying that for the first time, and seeing how it goes. We charge a modest registration fee to cover the trip leader's comp and some group activities. We aren't using an agent for any trips this coming season.
We have some members up in years, some with diabetes, asthma, or other conditions, and we need to have everyone feel as save as they want to be.

Mountain High Snowsport Club usually has 3-4 bus trips a year, including one or two to Canada. This year we feel we are unable to offer any bus trips. The one trip planned so far is to Mission Ridge, midweek (February 21-24 or 25), where the club is offering a special group price on hotel rooms, and everyone is making their own hotel reservations. This gives people the opportunity to decide whether or not they want a roommate, and also gives them the freedom to cancel the reservations on their own for any reason, without involving the club treasurer. The participants are also responsible for obtaining lift tickets on their own. Mission Ridge is on the Powder Alliance, which gives 3 free days of midweek skiing at the area. They are also on the Indy Pass, which gives 2 free days of skiing. If people don’t have either of those passes, they will be getting lift tickets on the Mission Ridge website.

Things are certainly a lot different for this coming ski season, and we hope things will be better for 2021-2022!