When is a holiday package not a package.

Holiday package advice: To avoid confusion when booking holidays or travel arrangements, here is our guide to when a package holiday, is not well a package holiday..

So what is a Package: If you book a holiday with Thomson Thomas Cook Jet2 Virgin, and your holiday includes flights and accommodation, you will be booking an ATOL bonded package holiday.. With all the benefits and security that should anything go wrong you will be flown home.

Not a package. However if you book a holiday with a company that does not offer Atol bonding and books flights and accomodation separately, then you will not be booking a package and this is important as the holiday will not be covered by an atol..

ATOL benefits: If an ATOL bonded tour operator goes out of business, the CAA will ensure you do not lose the money you paid over, or if you’re abroad, we’ll arrange for you to finish your holiday and fly home.. You will not get this on a non atol package…

• What is a Non ATOL package.
• This Is anything you book yourself often called DIY holidays or though a travel agent that is not ATOL bonded.
• So for example, you may book the flights with easy jet, and the accommodation with XYZ company. However if the flights are delayed or worse you are stuck.

Which means if you cannot get to your accommodation you will still be charged if your flights are delayed or cancelled.. But if you are abroad and the flight company goes bust you will not be flown home as you would be if the package was atol bonded.

However if they book your holiday flights with say Easy jet or low cost carriers these flights will not be atol bonded and neither will the accommodation.

Here are a few companies that are not atol bonded, On the beach holidays or Otbeach and travel republic, which means if your booking is using flights on a no frills carrier and the flight company should go bust..

You should ask how you would get home… Without incurring considerable expense.

Check: You should first ask your travel agent to confirm that the whole holiday you’re booking with them is ATOL protected, and that you will receive a full refund or be brought home if the holiday company fails.

If you receive the answer ‘yes’, make sure you receive an ATOL Receipt that confirms all your holiday arrangements, the total cost, the name of the ATOL holder and their ATOL number. You should also receive the ATOL holder’s Confirmation Invoice shortly afterwards.