If you’re anything like my family, as we head into the summer and the long anticipated annual holiday draws closer, we start scribbling out lists. Lists of things to do, like checking passports and health cards, and things to buy, like sun tan lotion and travel insurance, and maybe something else too? We’re off to Greece and have bought a package holiday. Yes a package. I know it’s un-cool and embarrassing to say so at dinner parties, but frankly it’s a hell of as lot easier and more importantly, it’s protected, which means two key things to me: my money is safe if something happens to the holiday firm, and if anything goes wrong with the holiday itself, I can expect the holiday firm to sort it out for me.
You don’t need me to tell you how the Internet has revolutionised the way people book their holidays – with more shopping being done on-line as we surf the net more. From the comfort of your home, and with a few mouse clicks, you can book all your holiday needs: an airline here for booking flights, a villa there from an agent. What could be simpler? But have you stopped to think about what if one of these suppliers you’ve clicked with stops trading? Would all the money you’ve paid for your holiday be safe; could you be stuck abroad and what could be the knock on effect? Buying an overseas holiday is still a significant household purchase and knowing your investment is secure and that you’ll be looked after if things go wrong is vital for most people. Worryingly though, many think the holidays they’ve put together themselves are covered by protection schemes like ATOL or by standard travel insurance when this isn’t always the case. Sadly with the recent airline failures, people that have built a holiday around their flights have found this out the hard way.
But if you’re buying cheap flights and accommodation and want more flexibility does protection matter? Building a DIY holiday by booking on-line with different suppliers may appear to be the cheap option, but if an airline stopped flying you might pay considerably more to get another flight home, and you may have to cut short your holiday to organise this. And if you haven’t yet travelled, you could have difficulties getting to hotels or villas you’ve booked and paid for separately, and last minute alternative flights if they’re available could be expensive.
ATOL Protection
For most, thinking about travel firms and airlines going bust is the last thing they want top think about. However, with a few precautions when booking you can greatly reduce the risks.
If you book your complete holiday arrangements with a single UK holiday company with an ATOL (it stands for Air Travel Organisers’ Licence), whether it’s with an on-line travel firm or with a more traditional tour operator, the money you pay over for your holiday will be covered if the firm stops trading.
The Civil Aviation Authority issues ATOLs only if a firm is financially sound. But if one does fail, the CAA will arrange for you to complete your holiday and bring you home, or give a full holiday refund if you’ve not been able to travel. The scheme covers over 26 million people each year.
Other benefits
In addition to protecting your money, travel firms selling complete holiday packages must also make sure a holiday goes to plan. This is because European law provides consumer rights for package holiday customers. If one component goes wrong, such as an airline stops flying, the travel firm has to find other flights for their customers so they can finish their holidays and travel home.
What’s more, if you’re not happy about some aspect of your holiday you can take it up with your travel firm in the UK, rather than at a distance with, say, an overseas hotel. If you’re still not happy you can talk to your local Trading Standards officer for advice.
This would not be the case for DIY holidays.
Tips on how to check for ATOL holiday protection
DIY holidays are not protected under the ATOL scheme
Consumers should consider: