The January Blues

RECENT research by ATOL, the holiday protection scheme, has found that 5.2 million Brits are set to book their holiday this month.

The price of the getaway is still the number one factor when booking holidays, with over a third of Brits (35 per cent) admitting they are looking to grab a bargain by booking their next holiday early.

Another quarter (26 per cent) say they are looking forward to sunshine and hot weather after such dreary weather this winter.

However, despite a large number of expected holiday bookings in January, seven out of ten (69 per cent) of those surveyed admitted they do not always seek financial protection for their holiday getaways, putting themselves at risk of being out of pocket if their airline or travel company goes out of business.


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ATOL tips that can save you money

THE COST of a family holiday has risen by 20 percent in the past five years, with the average per person spend per trip up from £597 in 2011 to £694 in 2016, says ATOL, the consumer protection branch of the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. This – along with the fact that two-fifths of consumers are booking flights and hotels independently – makes it more important than ever that travellers know how to best protect their holiday and make sure they won’t lose money if the worst happens and they are stranded abroad.

ATOL has five essential travel tips for booking a holiday:

• Think outside the box – package holidays can be personalised. There are plenty of ways to tailor a holiday for you and your family, so don’t be put off by the term ‘package holiday’. Buying a package where flights and accommodation are booked through one company means your holiday will be ATOL- protected and your money will be safe. If you book a hotel and flight with different suppliers, your whole trip will not be ATOL-protected, and you could lose your money if either company fails. 

• Do your research and check for ATOL protection. Some travel websites falsely display the 'ATOL Protected' logo, in order to lure and defraud customers. You can check that a company has ATOL protection. Write down the company name and/or the 4 or 5 digit ATOL number. Visit www.packpeaceofmind.co.uk and enter the details into the ‘Check an ATOL’ database, which has a list of all ATOL registered companies. 

• Think beyond the price. There are many foreign-based travel companies, which offer cheap and attractive package holidays, but these will not have ATOL protection. If booking with a non-UK travel company, find out what financial protection they provide and if this covers company failure and repatriation. If not, you might decide to take out additional travel insurance to include insolvency protection, which might mean you pay extra. 

• Take your ATOL certificate with you. You must receive an ATOL certificate as soon as you pay any money towards an ATOL-protected holiday. The certificate confirms what is protected, which company is responsible for your holiday booking (it may not be the company you are booking with directly), and what to do if the company ceases trading. Whether you print the certificate or have a digital version, it’s important to take your certificate with you. 

• Use a credit card and take out good medical and travel insurance. If you are booking your holiday through a number of travel operators, this will not be ATOL-protected, so remember to pay with a credit or debit card. These cards provide some protection if the goods and services you’ve booked are not delivered, for instance if one of the travel operators fails, but might not cover consequential losses. Make sure you have travel insurance, which will cover medical costs and other potential expenses such as damage or loss of any possessions you take with you. 

ATOL stands for Air Travel Organiser’s Licence and is the UK’s statutory holiday protection scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority.  By law, every UK travel company which sells air holidays must hold an ATOL licence and issue an ATOL certificate as soon as a customer pays any money towards a trip. Booking an ATOL- protected holiday means passengers will get a refund if their travel operator collapses, or if they are already abroad, they will be flown home at no extra cost. 

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Post-Christmas campaign to boost consumer protection

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will run its annual ‘Pack Peace of Mind’ advertising campaign to promote Atol (Air Travel Organizer’s Licence) consumer protection to holidaymakers in January. 

The campaign will run for at least the first six months of 2016, with a focus on the peak-booking periods in January and at Easter.

The authority is urging the travel industry to back the campaign to ensure holidaymakers understand the importance of ATOL protection and look out for the ATOL certificate when booking.

CAA head of Atol Andy Cohen said: ‘We’ve been really pleased with the impact the Pack Peace of Mind campaign has had, with our research showing people feel more informed about Atol. But the risk of holidaymakers booking an unprotected trip and then losing out financially or being left stranded abroad is still very real. We want to make sure consumers fully understand why Atol is so important and how simple it is to check for protection.’

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Travel firms collapse

1. Exclusive Escapes 


THE managing director of Turkey specialist Exclusive Escapes has cited ‘two challenging years’ after the company ceased trading with immediate effect. The luxury operator, based in Richmond, Surrey, also traded as Hidden Turkey and sold villa and hotel packages.

More than 2,000 holidaymakers are being assisted by the Air Travel Organizers Licensing (ATOL) protection scheme following the failure.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it was working with hoteliers and airlines to enable 500 Exclusive Escapes customers already abroad to complete their holidays and travel back to the UK as planned.

Exclusive Escapes MD, Andrew Lee, said: ‘Our immediate thoughts and sympathies lie with the many loyal guests, wonderful hoteliers, property owners, and suppliers who are affected, in addition to our loyal team in Turkey and the UK. It’s no secret that 2015 has been one of the toughest years to date for tourism in Turkey, largely due to the country’s geo-political situation. This comes on the back of two challenging years of trading. 

‘Exclusive Escapes performed well compared to the general market, but the two months following the atrocity in Tunisia, and then Turkey joining the coalition against ISIS together with ensuing events, have had a considerable impact on the market which have sadly proved unmanageable.’

The company had 1,750 ATOL-protected customers with forward bookings. They will get full refunds.

David Clover, head of crisis management at ATOL, said: ‘The collapse of Exclusive Escapes is a timely reminder of why holidaymakers should make sure their holiday is ATOL protected and that they receive an ATOL certificate as soon as they’ve booked their trips. As a result of the ATOL protection scheme, customers of this business have the peace of mind that they will be able to complete their holidays and return home, or get a full refund. If you are looking for a bargain air holiday at the end of summer sales, it is essential to check to make sure you will get ATOL protection and receive an ATOL certificate before you hand over any money.’
 
2. Flight-only specialist Fone N Fly

The company, which operated the website fonenfly.co.uk, was based in Ealing, London, and offered flights worldwide. It failed on August 18 with 132 customers abroad and 226 forward bookings, accounting for 450 clients, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Airlines should honour tickets for those clients currently overseas, said a CAA spokesman. But the CAA has advised clients overseas to contact their airline before travel to check their return ticket is still valid.

If it has been cancelled by the airline, customers are advised to book a reasonably-priced ticket and apply for a refund on their return via their airline, and if unsuccessful, contact the CAA.

Clients who booked by credit card should contact their card issuers, which will process refunds.

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UK holidaymakers advised on importance of ATOL-protected holidays

AS holidaymakers look to book their summer breaks in the early part of 2015, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK’s specialist aviation regulator, has advised them on the importance of booking ATOL-protected vacations.

An ATOL – Air Travel Organiser’s Licence – protected holiday confirms that the trip is financially guaranteed, even if the travel company or one of its suppliers ceases to operate. 

Passengers booking ATOL-protected breaks will receive an ATOL certificate from their travel company on making the payment. Passengers will be required to carry the certificate during their travel to avoid losing their money or being left stranded abroad.

Information about the ATOL scheme, including checking whether a company provides ATOL protection, is available at www.packpeaceofmind.co.uk

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£125 million sale keep Monarch flying

MONARCH HOLDINGS Limited has completed its sale to Greybull Capital, securing £125 million in permanent capital and liquidity facilities.

The Civil Aviation Authority has also renewed the group’s ATOL licence.

Under a new CEO, Monarch started a strategic review in the summer which has reduced its fleet size, secured a new Boeing order, and moved to stop its long-haul and charter flying by April 2015. 

Instead the carrier will focus on short-haul European leisure routes from Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Luton, and Leeds Bradford.

Its East Midlands services will stop in summer 2015.

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Take your ATOL card!

THE Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is advising passengers to make sure that they have access to their ATOL (Air Travel Organisers Licence) certificate when abroad. It might be a paper copy, or as a document or attachment that could be accessed on a mobile phone or tablet device.

The certificate authenticates that the holiday is financially protected and also confirms the agency protecting it. The authentication would imply that if the travel company fails, tourists will be refunded – or if already abroad, repatriated at no extra cost.

The ATOL certificate also explains what to do and who to contact if a travel operator fails.

Head of ATOL, Andy Cohen, said: ‘As long as you have an ATOL certificate, you can rest assured your holiday is financially protected and, if your travel company collapses you will not lose out. If you are yet to fly, we will make sure you receive a full refund and if you are abroad we will work to ensure you can finish your trip without disruption. It is important to take your ATOL certificate with you abroad, so you know what to do and who to contact.’

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