Teletext ATOL licence

Teletext holidays more frequently known in the trade as the wild west of holiday booking is attempting to clean up its act by forcing companies to have ATOL licences or face being removed from the service.

However the fatal flaw in their argument, is these companies will simply revert to being retail agent for ATOL holders and then offer dynamic packaging to clients over the phone, thus sidestepping the teletext regulations..

The vast majority of holidays on teletext are dynamic packages where instead of booking with say Thomson or Thomas cook your are being sold a 2 part package, accommodation and then flights this normally involves no transfers, so you end up getting a taxi from the Airport.

The Problem with this sort of package is your are not financially covered so if any part of the package goes wrong you loose…

Teletext Holidays has warned 20 of its advertisers will be struck off its books on April 1 if they do not secure an ATOL.

The company has alerted its 400 TV and web advertising clients they need an ATOL, or need to be advertising products of ATOL holders, to continue using its services.

Managing director Matt Cheevers said the move would ensure all consumers booking through Teletext companies are financially protected.

Originally, as many as 75 companies did not have ATOL protection, but this had reduced to 20 by this week. Most are agents putting together dynamic packages without ATOL cover.

Cheevers said: “If you do not have an ATOL and you are selling your own product we will not feature you on Teletext.”

Civil Aviation Authority deputy director David Moesli said: “It is sensible to ensure [people buying] holidays sold on Teletext are protected.”