Do I need travel insurance if I've booked an ABTA holiday?

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) can offer you valuable protection when it comes to booking your holiday.

So, who are ABTA, what do they cover, and do you still need travel insurance?

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) can offer you valuable protection when it comes to booking your holiday.

So, who are ABTA, what do they cover, and do you still need travel insurance?

Written by

Anna McEntee

Home, pet and travel insurance expert

Posted

6 JULY 2020

4 min read

Who are ABTA?

ABTA is the largest association of travel agents and operators in the UK – its members sell around £32 billion worth of holidays and other travel arrangements each year.

These are some benefits of ABTA:

travel agents who become members of ABTA must sign up to a Code of Conduct, which means they’ll abide by certain rules and provide holidays of a certain standard. This should offer some reassurance if you book a holiday with an ABTA member
if you buy a package or ‘flight-plus’ holiday from an ABTA member, you’re protected in the event that the agent goes out of business. A flight-plus holiday is where you book a flight, accommodation and maybe car hire from one company but they’re not packaged together. ABTA ensure that you’re not stranded if the worst happens and can either continue your holiday as planned, or make a claim to get your money back
additionally, if you raise a complaint with an ABTA member that you’re unable to resolve directly, ABTA are there to help resolve the matter
they have an independent complaints resolution service that may help save you time, money and a great deal of hassle.

Customers with pre-existing medical conditions

If you have a serious health condition, your travel insurance is likely to be more expensive. Whatever happens, always declare any medical conditions and never lie to an insurance provider, because this could mean your claim is rejected. When you declare any medical conditions on our website, we’ll only show you quotes from insurance providers who will cover them, with no exclusions.

If your condition is more serious, MoneyHelper has a directory of insurance providers who may be able to provide quotes over the phone. You can call MoneyHelper on 0800 138 7777.

Booking an ABTA holiday

Booking through an ABTA travel agent is a good way of carrying out some vetting on your travel provider. Don’t take anything for granted though.

Though ABTA try to ensure their members are financially sound, some do fail. As with most purchases, make sure you acquire and keep a receipt for the money you’ve paid for your holiday.

If you’ve bought a package holiday, it’s simple – your flights and holiday will be included on just the one receipt.

If services are provided by more than one company, make sure you keep all the receipts, so you can see how much each service has cost.

If your travel company goes bust before you go on holiday, you’ll have two options:

carry on as planned – just because your travel agent has gone, your flight and accommodation bookings may still be fine. You’ll need to contact the tour operator, airline or hotels yourself to check
contact your agent for help – if it’s your tour operator rather than your travel agent that has gone out of business

If you made a booking with a company that’s gone out of business and they’re an ABTA member, you may be able to make a claim to ABTA. This is where your receipts are required – check out their website for more details on how to register a complaint.

Is ABTA the same as ATOL?

No, although ATOL also provides consumer protection.

ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence) covers flight-based holidays. If a travel company with an ATOL ceases to trade, the ATOL scheme protects customers who’ve booked holidays through the firm – either by ensuring they get their money back, or that they can get home.

Do you still need travel insurance if you book with an ABTA or ATOL member?

Yes, it’s a very good idea. While ABTA and ATOL cover you in the event of a travel agency or airline going bust, they don’t cover any of the things that a typical travel insurance policy covers, such as:

Where can I compare travel insurance quotes fast?

To find travel insurance to go alongside your ABTA or ATOL cover, simply use our comparison service.

To find the right travel insurance deal for you, simply give us a few details and you could be covered quickly and easily. Compare travel insurance deals in minutes.