ATOL (Air Travel Organiser's Licence)

If you book a package holiday or a flight through an ATOL licensed travel company, you will be protected by the ATOL (Air Travel Organiser's Licence) scheme. This means that if the travel operator you booked with goes out of business before or during your holiday, you can either claim your money back or continue your holiday and be repatriated, ensuring that you are not left stranded or out of pocket.

All package holidays sold in the UK are required to be protected by ATOL. The scheme, which was established in 1973 following a number of high-profile business failures, provides protection for millions of travellers each year in the event that their travel operator ceases trading.

ATOL only applies in situations where your travel operator stops trading and does not cover cancelled flights. However, if you have booked an ATOL protected package holiday, you are also covered by package holiday regulations that allow you to claim a refund if your flight is cancelled.

While the scheme is primarily designed for package holidays, it also applies in some cases to flight-only bookings where you pay for your ticket in instalments or do not receive your ticket immediately after paying.

If you have an issue with your trip that is not covered by ATOL, you should raise it with your tour operator. If the issue is not resolved, and the company is a member of either ABTA or the Travel Trust Association, you can contact them for further guidance.

For more information, see:

https://www.atol.org/