What does ATOL protection cover?
When you book a holiday, it should feel exciting, not confusing. But when something goes wrong, it helps to know exactly what protection you have.
ATOL protects you financially if the ATOL holder responsible for your holiday booking stops trading. However, it doesn’t cover every possible holiday problem, so here’s a simple guide to what ATOL does and doesn’t cover.
What’s covered by ATOL protection
If you’re already abroad when the ATOL holder stops trading, ATOL can help make sure you’re able to get home.
How can I tell if my holiday is ATOL protected?
You can check whether your travel company holds an ATOL before booking using our Check for ATOL tool.
If your trip is protected, you should also receive an ATOL Certificate when you make a payment. We strongly recommend keeping this safe, as it explains exactly what’s covered and which ATOL holder is protecting your booking.
ATOL protection and war or conflict
ATOL doesn’t cover war or conflict. If you’re worried about travelling somewhere because of conflict, we would always recommend checking the latest government travel advice and speaking to your holiday company or insurer before cancelling or changing your booking.
If you booked a package holiday to a destination affected by war or conflict, you should contact your package organiser about your options.
Cancelled flights
ATOL doesn’t cover your flight simply because it’s been cancelled. If you booked your flight directly with an airline, you should contact them about your options.
Similarly, if your flight is part of a package holiday, speak to your package organiser. You may have additional rights depending on what’s happened and how your holiday has been affected.
Airline failure
If your airline stops trading, whether you’re protected or not depends on how you booked.
Flights booked directly with an airline usually aren’t protected by ATOL. However, if your flight is part of an ATOL-protected package holiday, or you have an ATOL-protected flight-only booking, we recommend checking your ATOL Certificate to see what protection applies.
Illness, accidents and medical costs
ATOL doesn’t cover illness, accidents or medical treatment, whether it occurs during your holiday or before. It also doesn’t cover you if you need to cancel your trip because you’re too ill to travel.
This is why it’s so important to have travel insurance in place, as well as ATOL protection. Depending on your policy and level of cover, it may cover things like medical treatment, cancellation costs or any other unexpected problems.
ATOL protection and travel insurance cover different things, so having one doesn’t replace the other.
Hotels, luggage and transfers
ATOL protection doesn’t cover everyday holiday problems you might experience when travelling. For example, it doesn’t cover lost luggage, problems with your hotel or general travel disruption.
In this case, who you need to contact will depend on what’s happened. It could be your airline, package organiser, hotel company or travel insurer.
Before you book, always check for ATOL
Before you take the step to book and pay for your holiday, remember to:
- Check whether your travel company holds an ATOL
- Make sure your trip is ATOL protected
- Keep your ATOL Certificate and travel insurance documents somewhere safe
A couple of simple checks before you book can make things much easier if something unexpected happens later.
If something does go wrong
If the ATOL holder protecting your booking has stopped trading, check your ATOL Certificate and the latest information on the ATOL website.
If your travel company is still trading but your holiday has been cancelled, changed or disrupted, contact the company you booked with first. ATOL will not be able to support any disputes.
And if you’re ever unsure about whether your holiday is ATOL protected, it’s always best to check before you book.
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