With the Summer holidays well and truly underway you may be looking forward to a long-planned trip abroad or searching for a last-minute sun soaked deal; and to make sure you get the best protection and peace of mind during your vacation, Leicester City Council have teamed up with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to launch the ATOL campaign.
ATOL stands for Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing and provides protection both before and during your holiday should the travel company you booked your trip with collapses.The campaign launched today promotes the necessity of the scheme and why all travelers must ensure they are protected under it when booking flights and trips abroad.
Due to the unfortunate current economic climate there is always an element of risk when booking a trip abroad; however ATOL allows peace of mind to customers by providing refunds should your travel firm cease trading. As well as not losing your money, ATOL protection also means you won’t get stranded abroad should you already be abroad when the company goes bust.
Discussing the importance of attaining an ATOL certificate before traveling, David Clover from the CAA, spoke of the campaign saying: “We’re offering help and advice to local businesses so they understand the scheme and can take the necessary steps to comply and protect their customers. Where businesses do not do so and put their customers at risk, we will act to protect the public.”
Posters promoting the campaign will be displayed across the city’s libraries, leisure centres and public spaces and advise consumers to make sure they have an ATOL certificate when booking. The CAA and Trading Standards are also working closely to ensure local travel agents understand the importance of ATOL and are providing the correct information and access to the service.
Assistant City Mayor, Councillor Sarah Russell applauded the campaign for putting customers first and said “It’s vital that anyone booking flights or holidays abroad makes sure the company they are booking with is ATOL protected. Without that protection, what might seem like a great deal on a flight could easily turn into money down the drain if the company goes bust, as you are highly unlikely to get your money back.”
Receiving ATOL protection is just as easy as booking the flight and when organising your trip aboard you should automatically receive an ATOL certificate, detailing your particular protection plan.
To find out more about ATOL and getting yourself covered visit www.packpeaceofmind.co.uk meaning all you have to think about on holiday is whether to stay by the pool or head to the beach.
