Holiday booking consumer advice

In this day and age we all want the best value we can for our holiday and travel, so in this article i will show that cheap is not always best if its not covered by an ATOL.

But first, lets look at the worst case scenario when you are actually on holiday.

• The news you don’t want to hear is “your holiday company has gone bust”.
• This would be OK if the company you booked with was Atol bonded – You could enjoy the rest of your holiday and then be flown home. No problems no fuss..

So now lets look at the same scenario but your holiday or flights are not covered by Atol. It’s worth noting at this stage, that companies like travel republic and OTBeach are not ATOL bonded.

• Now you have a problem, no one is going to fly you home and you would be kicked out of your hotel or apartment or asked to pay again for the accommodation.
• Plus you now have find flights home if you can, and they will not be cheap, your credit card is maxed out – what a mess.

All this could have been avoided if you had booked with an atol bonded tour operator.

From Atol : If a tour operator goes out of business, the CAA will ensure you do not lose the money you paid over, or if you’re abroad, we’ll arrange for you to finish your holiday and fly home.

How can I ensure I’m ATOL Protected before I book?

If you can’t see an ATOL number or logo, ask the holiday company for their ATOL number and check this with us before you book. If you’re buying an air holiday package and the company does not have an ATOL you will not be covered by the CAA.

Travel agents often sell air holiday packages for a range of ATOL holders. If you book through an agent, ask which ATOL holder will appear on your ATOL Receipt.

Don’t book if the agent won’t tell you and won’t issue an ATOL Receipt because the CAA may not cover you.

If you buy an air holiday package from a travel agent that isn’t from an ATOL holder’s brochure or website, check all the items you’re booking will be protected and make sure you get an ATOL Receipt that includes all these items, the ATOL holder’s name and ATOL number.

ATOL protects you from losing your money or being stranded abroad. It does this by carrying out checks on the tour operators and travel organisers it licenses, and requiring them to take part in a financial guarantee scheme managed by the Air Travel Trust (ATT) which provides the funds to protect customers should a firm fail.

In some cases a licence holder will also provide a bond, which is lodged with the ATT and provides additional funds.