Holiday Protection - Protect yourself

[TravelVoice]

I am a regular mn and work in travel.

Increasingly I am shocked, at how many consumers book and pay for their holiday with little knowledge of their own financial security. One in five wrongly believe their holiday will be protected if their airline, hotel or car hire company goes bust. This concern extends primarily for those who book a holiday abroad, which includes a flight.

If you DIY a holiday, there is NO protection even if
your Travel Agent sells you a DIY holiday, there is NO protection.

A Travel Agent who takes a customers booking for a holiday that includes a flight, could be committing a criminal offence and the agent could face prosecution. See policing the travel industry on the caa website www.caa.co.uk . The reason it is taken seriously is that they could be illegally taking your money without any financial protection.

To see the risks involves see the which consumer rights website www.which.co.uk

If you have any questions I am here most of the day and I will come back and answer you.

This information is accurate at the time of posting.

Wasn't there a tv programme on this a while back, it isn't anything new. Atol membership doesn't cover accommodation etc unless booked as a package.

No its not new, but lots of consumers are still not aware and may not have watched the programme.

My point LIZS, is that ATOL may not cover you if you book a package.

ATOL is NOT automatic if you book a package. It is how it is booked and by whom.

So you are not clear either, after watching the programme about it.

FWIW I have been told the TV programme didn't cover this point at all.

ah see what you mean, actually it did cover it, but I was aware of this beforehand when we made our own arrangements for a holdiay - booked flight with Thomas Cook (who were bonded) but car hire and accommodation direct which wasn't.

That's right LIZS, because your flight was with a charter airline (ie Thomas Cook).
So you are correct that only your flight booking was covered by the Thomas Cook ATOL (ATOL 0020).

If anyone would like to check an ATOL, please use the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) website www.caa.co.uk . They carry out checks on Tour Operators and Travel Organisers it licenses, and require a financial guarantee called a bond, which is lodged with them.

However if you or your Travel Agent had booked your flights direct with an non-charter airline (ie easyjet, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic) your flight would NOT be covered, because airlines are not required to hold an ATOL.

As you are aware, your other holiday elements were not covered at all.

The CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) found in a survey of 5,000 people that more than one third do not realise that if they book travel and accomodation separately, they have no automatic financial protection if their airline or hotel chain goes bust. ATOL says that this summer 18 million british holidaymakers at risk.

Agree 100% I aslso am in travel and people are not made aware.
( Not to mention being incorrectly insured , wrongly advised by Travel agents or booked on line without looking at the small print)
Can I just add that if you book 2 or more elements with the same operator then you are covered by the operators liability .
e.g If you book a flight and transfer say with Thomson but the accom direct then you are covered with Thomson for the flight and transfer.
If you book flight and car hire even if say Avis but it is booked via the operator then you are covered if Avis goes bust.

Now that many of the smaller companies have been eaten up by the larger ones and so you could be covered if you book with what you think are 2 different companies but they are owned by the same 'big boss'so check in the back of the brochure who the 'main company is' e.g Simply Travel , Crystal , are all TUI UK = Thomson . Sorry to use them as an example but they are the only ones that spring to mind at the mo.

Thanks Rosa

www.bbc.co.uk Old News item from Aug 2006. Holidaymakers fall victim to fraudulent online travel agent scam.

More about last years holiday internet scam.

Beware of deals to good to be true and make sure this doesn't happen to you.

TGIF bump

To see the risks involved see the which consumer rights website www.which.co.uk

link has altered from op, so posted again.