Booking a holiday

Holidays can be expensive, so it’s always a good idea to shop around to get the best deal. Always try to book through a travel operator that can offer you protection and make sure to get travel insurance that covers you if things do go wrong.

Choosing a travel operator

There are lots of travel operators online and on the high street, meaning you can get a great deal but it can also be overwhelming to choose one.

Speak to your travel agent or tour operator about the protection they have if something happens. You should ask if:

they have an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL)
they are a member of an approved body such as the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)
they have a suitable insurance policy
they have a protection scheme or trust fund for any payments you make ahead of travelling

Make sure to ask if the protections they have in place cover the travel arrangements you are making. If they don’t, the company may be able to offer suitable insurance to cover you.

Your rights if an airline or travel company goes bust

Booking tips

Here are some tips for booking your holiday. You should:

shop around to get the best deal
use a reputable travel company – this can be on the high street or online
get your travel insurance sorted at the same time – make sure it gives you the cover you need
pay your deposit with a credit card

Paying your deposit or your whole holiday with a credit card can give you extra protection. This is especially handy if you’re not protected by an ATOL, as you may be able to claim back from your credit card company. However, be aware, you may be charged a fee for using a credit card.

If you book a package or flight plus holiday you should get an ATOL certificate. This certificate will tell you what cover you have. Make sure to read it carefully and bring it with you on holiday.

Information for consumers – ATOL website

Holiday and flight scams

Be careful of unsolicited emails, phone calls or adverts online offering you cheap flights and holidays. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Find out more about scams.

Package holidays and linked travel arrangements

Find out what to do if there are issues with a package holiday or with travel services bought from different traders in separate contracts but which are linked:

Protections

When buying a flight inclusive package holiday, your money must be protected under the ATOL scheme. When you book your holiday the agent or operator must give you an ATOL certificate confirming this. Find out more on the Consumer Council website:

Protections

Insurance

You should always get travel insurance no matter how you book but if you’re booking independently check if your insurance policy covers airline failure or gives you extra holiday protection.

Most insurance policies won’t include a Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI) as standard but you may be able to:

buy SAFI as an add-on
buy separate holiday protection insurance

If your insurance policy includes a SAFI, always check the airline you’re using is covered. Adding extra protection will increase the cost of your policy so you may want to consider the following before you buy:

what you paid for the trip
how confident you feel about the airline
how cheaply or easily you could get home another way

Make sure to read the booking tips above if you’re booking independently.

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