How Is My Holiday Protected and How Do I Check This?

It’s not always easy to know if and how your holiday is protected. Whether you are going abroad, or staying in the UK, there are many ways to be protected, all with different conditions and specifics. It can get confusing to answer the question ‘Is my holiday protected?’

So, we wanted to give you the guidelines to put your mind at rest and just allow you to enjoy your holiday. Booking a holiday should be a joy, not a worry, and as such we hope this article gives you the peace of mind you deserve, and allows you to book your holiday with trust.

How Is My Holiday Protected by Protected Trust Services (PTS)?

All our members must meet a good standard of service. Our travel agents need at least 2 years of experience, and our tour operators need sufficient knowledge in their travel service niche, so you are guaranteed to be working with an experienced and passionate travel company.

All PTS members are also package travel regulations compliant, and operate under our PTS trust account.

This means that none of your money will be used outside of paying the supplier for your holiday. Where the money does leave the account to pay a supplier early, it is insured by Supplier Failure Insurance (SFI), so no matter what, from the moment you book your holiday, to the moment you arrive home safe and sound, you can call, ask where your money is, and we can tell you.

Below, you will find a diagram that details just how you are protected when you book with a trustworthy PTS member:

How Is My Holiday Protected?

There are different types of protection for different situations. There are also smaller and less certain forms of protection that you can prepare for just in case something is not protected. First, the most reliable forms of protection are:

• Booking with a PTS Member – because all our members must meet a certain standard to become members of PTS, and because we operate under a trust account system, you are guaranteed the best protection possible.
• Package Travel Regulations – these cover issues with package holidays and linked travel arrangements. From a travel business going bust to the elements differing from those agreed upon.
• The Air Travel Organisers’ License (ATOL) – This will cover any package holiday that includes a flight (you can find out more about how the ATOL Scheme protects your flights on the CAA Website).
• Good Travel Insurance – you will need to do a lot of research to find good travel insurance, but it will be well worth it for medical issues, some cancellation issues, or issues with left or lost property.

When Will My Holiday Be Protected?

There are certain situations that will and won’t be protected. Before we delve into what type of protection you can expect for your holiday, it’s important to cover when it can be protected legally and financially. As you will see, using a travel agent and expert PTS member will undoubtedly be your best source of protection.

Your holiday will be protected in these situations:

• If it is a package holiday – this is a holiday that includes more than one element (flight, accommodation, tour activity etc.), and is sold under one price and one agreement.
• If it is a linked travel arrangement – as with a package holiday, a linked travel arrangement is a holiday that includes more than one element, but it is sold differently to a package holiday (you can find out more about what a linked travel arrangement entails by visiting our package travel regulations page). You will be informed that you are being sold a linked travel arrangement in this instance.
• If it includes flights as an element – this can’t be the only thing you’re booking
• If there is a medical issue, a cancellation issue, a theft or lost proper, and you have excellent travel insurance – this is very dependent on the specifics of the situation and the travel insurance you have, we will cover this shortly, but for more detail on why travel insurance is important or how to choose good travel insurance, you can visit our pages.
• If you book with a Protected Trust Services (PTS) member

Your holiday will either not be protected, or you will need to check for protection, in the following situations:

• It is under 24 hours in duration or does not include over-night stay
• It is a business trip – there may be exceptions in this situation, so we advise checking with your travel company.
• You have booked the elements individually – For example, you book a flight with an airline, then book accommodation with a hotel and pay for these separately under separate contracts without targeted marketing involved.
• It is a flight-only booking

Some of these situations are subject to conditions, for example, anything covered by travel insurance is something you need to investigate further within your travel insurance contract.

If you need assistance finding the right PTS member to book your protected holiday with, please call one of our friendly staff at 0207 190 9988 or you can email ask@protectedtrustservices.com. You can also visit our page on travel protection for consumers to find out more about how we protect you.