Rise in Flight and Holiday Scams: Protect Your Travellers

According to research by Lloyd’s Bank, travel consumers are being conned out of an average of £765 leading up to summer. These holidays scams are predominantly in the sale of fake flights and caravans. Travellers must stay vigilant. Now is an important time for travel businesses to provide a trustworthy space to book for the summer.  

This new data was released by the bank recently with the goal of warning travellers. The rise in costs following travel’s hit during the pandemic has changed the way consumers book. Because of this, more and more travellers are booking through social media or cheaper means, and holidays scams are following them there. 

What Scams to Look Out For

Scammers provide fake ads on social media offering ‘too good to be true’ prices. And once the traveller has booked, the tickets become inaccessible altogether. But some holidays scams take it a step further. Travellers have reported showing up to an address that doesn’t exist, or belongs to someone else entirely. In this way, the need for affordability is causing enough loss to make any holiday unaffordable as a result.

This is by far the most popular time for travellers heading off on holiday, and with this period already underway, it is even more important than ever to ensure your consumers know where to look for advice on potential holiday scams and where they can turn if they believe they have been scammed on holiday.

According to the data, people aged 35 to 44 are the most vulnerable. Over a quarter of holiday scams end up in the hands of this group. The fraud prevention team at Lloyds warned travellers to always book through a trusted provider.  

This is where members of Protected Trust Services (PTS) shine.

Holiday Scams are No Concern with a PTS Member

Now is the time for travellers to be vigilant and aware of how their booking works. With trusted members of PTS, this is incredibly simple. Members are completely Package Travel Regulations compliant, work through the secure PTS trust account system, provide card and itinerary services through trusted providers, and more!

As a member of PTS, your travellers can book again and again with confidence. At PTS, we don’t provide membership without the assurance for our team that we are supporting a trustworthy and exciting business, free of holiday scams. This way, travellers know that any member of PTS is a business we trust.

Consumers booking with a travel business can also check their website for the PTS logo. Plus, they can put the PTS number or the business name into the PTS website. This will ensure that they are booking with a protected member of PTS. 

So, if you’d like to learn more about how your consumers’ monies are protected with Protected Trust Services (PTS) and how we support excellent travel businesses, check out our pages. Or you can get in touch with the lovely PTS team by calling 0207 190 9988 or emailing us at ask@protectedtrustservices.com.