Privacy notice

Last updated: 11 November 2026 · Version 2026-11-11.3

Who looks after your information

Michelle Nolan, trading as Beyond The Group Chat, is responsible for the personal information described in this notice. For privacy questions or requests, email hello@michellenolan.com.

What information we collect

When you enquire, request a place or join a waiting list, we collect the details you provide. These may include your name, email address, mobile number, chosen trip, preferred departure airports, room-sharing preferences, dietary requirements, alcohol preferences, travel-business information, how you found us and any additional notes.

We also keep booking references, communications, payment records and the booking conditions you accepted. Technical information such as IP address, browser information and security logs may be processed by our website providers for hosting, security and troubleshooting. Please provide only information relevant to your enquiry or trip.

How we use your information

We use your information to respond to enquiries, check availability, organise your trip, communicate practical arrangements, record payments and manage bookings, waiting lists and complaints.

We rely on taking steps towards a booking or fulfilling our agreement with you, meeting applicable legal obligations, and our legitimate interests in administering and protecting the business. Our legitimate interests include coordinating booked group trips and communicating practical arrangements through each trip’s WhatsApp group. Marketing and identifiable promotional reviews or photographs are handled separately, as explained below.

Booking requests are reviewed by Michelle. An automated acknowledgement or notification does not approve a booking. We do not make booking decisions solely by automated processing.

Your contact details and relevant booking information are needed to respond to and arrange your request. If you do not provide these, we may be unable to proceed. Optional information is labelled on the form.

Dietary and other sensitive information

Dietary information can reveal health or religious information. Where you provide this, we ask for your explicit consent to use it and share relevant details with suppliers arranging your trip.

You can withdraw that consent by contacting Michelle. This may affect our ability to arrange a particular requirement. Please discuss essential requirements before booking.

Who we share information with

We share relevant information with accommodation, transport, restaurant and activity providers when needed to arrange your trip. Sensitive requirements are shared only with the relevant suppliers, rather than being routinely posted in the trip group.

We also use service providers to operate the website, store records and communicate. These include OpenAI/Sites and Cloudflare for website hosting and storage, Twilio for SMS notifications, Microsoft services for correspondence, and WhatsApp/Meta for trip group communications. Website SMS alerts are sent only to Michelle. Twilio processes the sending number, Michelle’s notification number and the message content, which contains a booking reference and a link to the private booking desk. Guests’ names, contact details and booking-form answers are not included in these SMS alerts. The link does not grant access to the private desk. We do not sell your personal information.

These providers operate internationally and may process information outside the UK, including in the United States. The applicable provider arrangements use recognised safeguards where required, such as adequacy arrangements, Standard Contractual Clauses and the UK international-transfer addendum. You can contact Michelle for details relevant to your information and how to obtain a copy of applicable safeguards.

Provider information: OpenAI/Sites data protection, Cloudflare privacy, Twilio data protection and WhatsApp privacy.

Trip WhatsApp groups and marketing

A dedicated WhatsApp group will be created for your booked trip approximately one to two weeks before departure. You will be added using the mobile number supplied with your booking.

The group is used for introductions, meeting points, timings, practical arrangements and trip updates. Your telephone number, profile information permitted by your WhatsApp settings, and messages will be visible to other participants.

You will only be added to groups relevant to trips you have booked.

If you do not wish to be included in the trip WhatsApp group, please advise Michelle in advance. It is your responsibility to contact Michelle before departure to obtain the trip briefing and confirm meeting points, timings and practical arrangements.

Submitting a booking request does not automatically subscribe you to marketing. A trip WhatsApp group is for that booked trip. You can unfollow our separate updates channel at any time.

Photographs and guest reviews

Photographs and videos may be taken during our trips to capture the experience and share Beyond The Group Chat’s activities on our website and social media. Please tell Michelle in advance if you do not wish to be photographed, recorded or featured.

Michelle will ask your permission before publishing an identifiable guest review or featuring you in promotional photographs or videos. This permission may be given verbally. You can contact Michelle to withdraw permission for future use or discuss removing content from channels we control.

How long we keep information

We retain information for as long as needed to manage your enquiry or booking, fulfil accounting and legal obligations, and deal with complaints or claims. These needs, the status of your booking and any applicable record-keeping requirements determine the retention period.

Information no longer needed will be deleted or anonymised. Sensitive trip requirements will be reviewed after the trip and removed when no longer necessary, unless there is a specific reason to retain them. Where we rely on your permission for promotional use, we keep a record of that permission while relying on it.

Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you can ask to access, correct, delete, restrict or transfer your information. You can withdraw consent where we rely on it; withdrawal does not affect processing already carried out lawfully. These rights are subject to applicable exceptions, including where records must be retained.

You also have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests, including the trip group arrangements described above. Contact Michelle using the details at the top of this notice so your request can be considered.

If you have concerns, please contact Michelle at hello@michellenolan.com. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/.

Website technology and other services

The website uses hosting and security services and Sign in with ChatGPT for the private dashboard. Where you sign in, OpenAI supplies the identity information needed to authorise access. Essential cookies or similar technology may support security and sign-in. We do not use advertising pixels. Optional first-party statistics run only if you choose “Allow statistics”. They count page and trip views, the stage a booking form reaches, successful submissions and form errors. They do not record the answers you type into an unfinished form. A random browser-tab session identifier is stored in session storage after you allow statistics; it renews after 30 minutes of inactivity. Your statistics choice is remembered on your device and can be changed using “Privacy choices” in the footer. These statistics use our existing hosting and database providers; no external analytics company is added. The website does not store names, email addresses, telephone numbers or IP addresses in its statistics records. We retain raw statistics for approximately 90 days; older records are removed when new tracked activity arrives or Michelle opens a report. Statistics cannot identify or contact someone who leaves an unfinished form.

Fonts are loaded from Google Fonts; your browser sends the technical information needed to request them. Videos hosted on this website are served through our hosting providers. External links to airlines, payment services, WhatsApp and other websites are subject to those providers’ own privacy notices. No card details are collected by the booking request form.