What does ATOL protected mean?

What is ATOL protection?

ATOL (which stands for Air Travel Organiser’s Licence) is a financial protection scheme operated by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that’s been looking after passengers since 1973.

ATOL protection safeguards your money if you book a package holiday that includes flights and your travel company ceases trading before or during your trip.

If your holiday is ATOL protected, and your travel company goes bust or insolvent, and can’t fulfil its bookings, the ATOL scheme can help you:

• Claim back the money you paid up front on an ATOL-protected package holiday that doesn’t go ahead

• Get reimbursed for any money you spend to replace ATOL-protected parts of your trip, such as car hire, accommodation or transfers

• Find alternative accommodation to continue your holiday

• Arrange alternative flights to get you back home.

What does ATOL cover?

The ATOL protection scheme covers any overseas package holiday booked from the UK that includes a flight and at least one other element.

For example, an ATOL-protected package holiday could include flights and accommodation, flights and car hire, flights and a cruise or even flights and concert or theme park tickets, so long as they’re booked together.

Non-package holidays aren’t ATOL protected. This means if you booked your flights separately through an airline and it goes bust, you won’t be protected by ATOL.

The only possible exception to this is for selected flight-only bookings, when you’re paying for your airline ticket in instalments or didn’t receive your tickets after paying.

What doesn’t ATOL cover?

ATOL protection only applies if your travel company becomes what’s called a ‘failed ATOL holder’. That usually means that they’ve gone out of business.

ATOL protection won’t cover you for things like cancelled flights. That’s one of the reasons why it’s not a substitute for travel insurance.

Are all my trips ATOL protected?

ATOL is a great safety net for your holiday if things go wrong and you need to claim back money you’ve paid out. But it doesn’t apply to every kind of holiday you book.

Any travel company in the UK that advertises or sells flight-inclusive package holidays must have ATOL certification. Some DIY package holidays that include flights may also have ATOL protection if they’re bought from the same website in the same transaction.

However, flights booked directly with airlines are not normally protected. And if you’re travelling to your destination by rail, sea or road instead, you won’t have ATOL protection.

Meanwhile if you’ve got used to creating your own package holiday by booking all the different elements online directly yourself through different providers, such as flights, accommodation and car hire, then you’re highly unlikely to be covered.

This doesn’t mean you have no back-up if things go wrong, it just means that having travel insurance to cover every element of your trip becomes even more important.

How can I check if my holiday is ATOL protected?

To make sure your package holiday is protected, always look for the ATOL logo before you book and ask the company if they hold an ATOL licence, if you aren’t sure.

The logo should be displayed on its website, or in their shop window, and show the company’s four or five-digit ATOL number.

If you book an ATOL-protected holiday via a travel agent, you should be told which ATOL holder is protecting your travel arrangements.

You can also search for a travel company in the ATOL database on the CAA website, using its name or ATOL number, to confirm it holds a valid ATOL licence. Some rogue companies may pretend they’re ATOL covered but are not.

If your travel arrangements are ATOL protected, you should receive an ATOL Certificate from your travel company after completing your purchase.

What is an ATOL certificate?

An ATOL certificate is proof that your trip is protected by the ATOL scheme. It will detail the protection you have and what you need to do if your end supplier fails.

Take a copy of your ATOL certificate with you on holiday in case your travel company stops operating while you’re away. You’ll need the unique reference number from your ATOL certificate if you do have to make a claim.

How to make an ATOL claim

The first thing to do is check the ATOL certificate you were given after booking your trip. This should explain the details of your protection and what to do if your tour operator has gone bust.

If you’re claiming for a future trip

If your tour operator goes bust before your holiday was scheduled, you’ll need to:

• Visit the ATOL website and find your failed tour operator

• Complete a claim form

• Provide evidence of your booking

• Provide evidence of payment.

If you’re no longer planning on travelling, you can claim a full refund. Alternatively, if you still want to go on the trip and your flight bookings are still valid, you may choose to pay to replace the other bookings.

You can them claim back up to the amount you paid on the original ATOL-protected booking.

In some cases, where you paid by credit card, you may be directed to ask your credit card provider for a refund under section 75 purchase protection.

If you’re already abroad

If your tour operator goes bust while you’re already away, the CAA can contact the suppliers working with the ATOL holder and make any necessary arrangements to make sure you can continue your holiday and return as originally planned.

To check on the arrangements for your travel you can:

• Visit the ATOL website and select your failed tour operator

• Information and details on repatriation/return flights to get you home will be published here

• Alternatively, call the phone number on your ATOL certificate for more information.

Occasionally, you may be asked to pay out of pocket for some services (for example for things like car hire, or your accommodation).

In that case, you can make a claim with ATOL for expenses that should have been covered by the original booking. Just make sure you keep any receipts as you’ll need to provide them as evidence.

To claim for additional expenses if you were overseas at the time of the ATOL holder failure, you’ll need to:

• Complete a claim form

• Provide evidence of your booking

• Provide evidence of payment.

Customers with pre-existing medical conditions

If you have a serious health condition, your travel insurance is likely to be more expensive. Whatever happens, tell your insurance provider the truth. If you give false information or miss something out, your claim could be rejected.

When you declare any medical conditions on our website, we’ll only show you quotes from insurance providers that 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 them on 0800 138 7777.

Do I still need travel insurance if my holiday is ATOL-protected?

ATOL may cover you if your holiday company goes out of business, but for broader protection for your holiday, there’s no substitute for travel insurance.

Travel insurance can cover you for lots of other things that can go wrong on your holiday including:

• Medical care if you get ill or injured abroad, and emergency repatriation to the UK

• Losing your bags or having your luggage stolen

• Having to cancel or cut your trip short because of a family emergency or other unforeseen event

• Unexpected bad weather, transport strikes or vehicle breakdowns that can disrupt your travel plans.

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