The 4 letter words you’d be mad not to use!

As a mum of two impressionable young children, I am certainly not one to advocate the use of 4 letter words, yet when it comes to family holidays there are two very strong 4 letter words which I am always certain to use…

ABTA and ATOL!

Most of us hear these acronyms bandied about and understand that they are designed to protect us when booking holidays, but what do they actually mean? & do we really need them?

ABTA stands for the Association of British Travel Agents and ATOL is the Air Travel Organiser’s Licence; both offer protection for travelers against holidays being mis-sold or to cover costs if companies cease trading, to ensure that travelers receive the support and compensation required in the event of holidays not going as planned.

So what’s the difference between the two? & again, do we really need them?

In a nutshell, ATOL-protection is a safeguard for package holidays which include flights. If a company goes into administration, customers are protected against the full package holiday; meaning your accommodation, transfers and flights are all covered. So if you have booked through an ATOL-certified travel company, ATOL will ensure that you receive a full refund, and if you happen to be on holiday, ATOL will arrange your flights home and make sure all is as hassle-free as possible to you.

ABTA on the other hand is not flight-related, yet covers holidays that involve transportation by road, rail and sea. Similarly to ATOL, if a company is liquidated ABTA will ensure that you are refunded, and if you are on holiday at the time, any travel arrangements home will be taken care of on your behalf.

ABTA is also there to ensure you receive the holiday you actually booked; so if your package holiday has been mis-sold and doesn’t deliver as promised, you are likely to be able to book an alternative holiday or claim compensation through ABTA – provided your booking agent is ABTA-certified.

ABTA cover issues such as holidays being disrupted by building work or closure of facilities that were not declared at the time of booking for example, yet do not cover against unforeseeable issues such as changes in the weather impacting your holiday…

Back in the days before the dawn of the internet, low cost airlines & price comparison sites, most people booked their holidays through their local high street travel agent and such ATOL & ABTA protections were generally offered as standard, alongside the advice to purchase additional Travel Insurance to cover such things as medical expenses, delays & lost or damaged baggage.  Things were fairly simple and people travelled safe in the knowledge that they were covered for all eventualities, however with the advent of online-holiday-shopping and a more open market, it became apparent that high street travel agents didn’t necessarily offer the best price…

As such, nowadays many people choose to book their own holidays by piecing together deals on flights and accommodation, in an effort to save a few pounds on their holiday… we all love to save money, however the potential cost of this saving could be huge in the event that things do not go as planned.

The main pitfall with booking elements of your holiday with separate suppliers is that if one part of your holiday does not go as planned, it tends to have a knock on effect and impact subsequent parts of your trip, which then results in spiraling costs in attempts to salvage the rest of your holiday.

If you do choose to book independently, it would certainly be wise to purchase additional travel insurance to protect against insolvency. Similarly if you book with an agent who is not ATOL & ABTA registered, it is vital to check the level of protection they offer as you will likely require additional insurance.

The beauty of booking with a registered agent like Cruise.co.uk is that you are able to travel safe in the knowledge that your entire holiday is fully-protected… and through booking with us here at Cruise.co.uk, you have the added benefit of over 30 years of knowledge & experience, as well as a direct point of contact for your queries and unparalleled customer service at prices you’ll LOVE !  ❤️

…as always,for your next cruise holiday reservation, be sure to make me your first port of call.

Katrina And The Waves ?