Privacy Policy

Ground Crew Travel Pty Ltd trading as "Ground Crew" ("Ground Crew", "we", "us" or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, share and protect your personal information when you visit groundcrewtravel.com (the "Site"), create an account, or use our services (together, the "Services").

We handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). Where they apply to you, we also aim to meet the standards of the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and United States privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (together, the "CCPA"). By using the Services, you agree to this Privacy Policy.

1. Who is responsible for your information

Ground Crew is the controller of the personal information described in this Policy. Our "crew" (also called local experts) are independent contractors who help deliver the Services. Where a crew member handles your information solely to provide a service you have requested, they do so on our instructions and subject to our agreements with them.

2. Scope

This Policy applies to the Site, our member portal, our itinerary and planning services, and our communications with you. It does not apply to third-party websites, travel providers or booking platforms we link to or that you choose to deal with directly, even where we recommend them. Those third parties have their own privacy practices, and we encourage you to review them.

3. Information we collect

Information you give us

We collect the information you provide when you use the Services, including:

• Identity and contact data — your first and last name, email address, telephone number and country.
• Account credentials — your username and password (stored in hashed form).
• Trip and preference data — the destinations, dates, traveller information (including ages to make appropriate recommendations), draft itineraries, interests, budgets, accessibility needs, dietary requirements and other travel details you share so a crew member can review or build your plan.
• Transaction and billing data — your purchases, credit or wallet balance, currency and billing details. Card details, billing address and payment data are collected and processed by our payment processor (Stripe); we do not store full card numbers on our systems.
• Communications and content — the messages, requests, feedback, survey responses and support enquiries you send us.

You may choose to give us information we do not request. If you do, you are responsible for that information, and you should not send us sensitive information (such as health details) unless it is necessary for your trip and you are comfortable for a crew member to use it to help you.

Information we collect automatically

When you use the Site, we and our service providers automatically collect technical information using cookies and similar technologies, including your IP address, device and browser type, operating system, referring pages, the pages you view, the dates and times of your visits, and approximate location derived from your IP address. We use this to operate, secure, measure and improve the Services.

Information from third parties

We may receive information about you from payment processors, analytics and advertising providers, fraud-prevention services, and business partners or referrers. Where we combine this with information we collect directly, we handle the combined information under this Policy.

4. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies, local storage, web beacons and embedded scripts to keep you logged in, remember your preferences, track affiliate referrals, complete purchases, and understand how the Site is used. You can manage or block cookies through your browser settings; if you do, some features (including logging in and completing purchases) may not work properly. Where required by law, we will ask for your consent before setting non-essential cookies.

5. How we use your information

We use your personal information to:

• provide, personalise and deliver the Services, including passing your trip details to a crew member so they can review or build your itinerary;
• process payments, manage your account and wallet balance, and confirm your purchases;
• communicate with you about your orders, account, and support requests;
• send you marketing about our Services where you have opted in or where permitted by law, and always with an unsubscribe option;
• operate, secure, measure and improve the Site and Services, including analytics;
• detect, prevent and respond to fraud, misuse and security incidents; and
• comply with our legal obligations and enforce our terms.

Where the GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases: performance of a contract with you; our legitimate interests in running and improving our business (balanced against your rights); your consent (for example, for marketing and non-essential cookies), which you may withdraw at any time; and compliance with legal obligations.

6. Automated processing and AI

Our "Build with Ground Crew AI" service uses artificial intelligence to draft a suggested plan. A human crew member reviews and verifies AI-drafted content before it is delivered to you; we do not make legal or similarly significant decisions about you by automated means alone. If our practices change, we will update this Policy in line with the Privacy Act automated-decision transparency requirements (which take full effect from December 2026) and, where the GDPR applies, your rights in relation to automated decision-making.

7. When and how we share your information

• Crew / local experts — we share the trip details necessary for a crew member to deliver the service you have requested.
• Service providers — we share information with providers who help us run the Services, such as Stripe (payments), hosting, email, analytics and customer-support tools, under contracts that limit their use of the information to providing services to us.
• Legal and safety — we may disclose information where required by law or legal process, to protect our rights and property, to investigate misuse, or to respond to an emergency involving a risk to someone's safety.
• Business transfers — if we buy or sell a business or assets, or are involved in a merger, acquisition or financing, your information may be among the assets transferred or disclosed to advisers, subject to this Policy.
• With your consent — we may share information for any other purpose we describe to you and to which you consent.

We do not sell your personal information for money. To the extent the CCPA treats certain analytics or advertising cookie activity as a "sale" or "sharing" of personal information, you may opt out as described in Section 11.

8. International data transfers

Ground Crew operates from Australia and our crew and service providers may be located overseas, including in countries such as Canada, USA, the Philippines, Japan, India, Mexico, South Africa and the destinations we serve. This means your personal information may be stored or processed outside your country. When we disclose information overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled consistently with this Policy and applicable law. Where the GDPR applies, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses for transfers outside the EEA or UK.

9. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect your information from loss, misuse and unauthorised access, including SSL encryption in transit and access controls. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a data breach likely to cause you serious harm, we will notify you and the relevant regulator as required by law.

10. How long we keep your information

We keep personal information for as long as needed to provide the Services and for our legitimate business and legal purposes, including record-keeping, resolving disputes, preventing fraud and meeting tax and accounting obligations. When information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to de-identify or securely destroy it.

11. Your rights and choices

All users

You can access and update your account information by logging in, and you can unsubscribe from marketing at any time using the link in our emails or by contacting us. We may still send you essential transactional messages about your account or orders.

Australian users

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you may ask us to access or correct the personal information we hold about you. We will respond within a reasonable time and may need to verify your identity. If you are not satisfied with how we handle your request, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.

European and UK users

If the GDPR applies to you, you have the right to access, correct, erase, restrict or object to our processing of your personal information, the right to data portability, and the right to withdraw consent at any time. You may also lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

US and California users

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use and disclose it, to access or delete it, to correct it, and to opt out of any "sale" or "sharing" or targeted advertising. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

To exercise any right, contact us using the details in Section 14 and tell us which right you want to exercise. We will respond within the timeframe required by the applicable law (generally 30 days).

12. Third-party analytics and advertising

We use third-party analytics and advertising services, including Google Analytics, that set their own cookies and collect information about your use of the Site over time and across sites. You can opt out of Google Analytics at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout, and manage interest-based advertising via aboutads.info/choices and networkadvertising.org/choices. Our Site does not currently respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals, as there is no agreed industry standard.

13. Children

The Services are not intended for children under 18, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. If you believe a child has given us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

14. Changes and how to contact us

We may update this Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will post the updated Policy on the Site and, where appropriate, notify you. The "Effective" date below shows when this version took effect.

Questions, requests or complaints: email hello@groundcrewtravel.com, or write to the Privacy Officer, Ground Crew Travel, Brisbane QLD 4055, Australia.

For more on privacy in Australia, visit the OAIC at oaic.gov.au.