Take Care On Holiday Protection, Urges Local Expert

Travel customers should take care to 'read the small print' when it comes to financial protection for their holidays.

According to a Newtownabbey-based local travel expert, Shelley McKernon, there are a number of advertising campaigns on the issue of travel protection on the TV and in the press, offering various degrees of protection for the customer.

But Shelley, who works for the company, Travel Counsellors, argues that customers should receive all-encompassing travel protection for any holiday arrangements they want to make, (such as the idyllic island of Formentera, pictured here by Brian McCalden) not just ATOL protection for package holidays, or protection that only applies up to a certain value or during a specific time frame.

She said that ABTA also no longer guarantees financial protection.

Her advice follows the collapse of companies such as XL Leisure Group and Zoom Airways at the end of last year, which saw thousands of passengers lose their money due to lack of financial protection when booking their holidays.

However, she said that all Travel Counsellors' customers not only received their money back, but benefited from having a personal travel expert putting in place alternative travel arrangements for them.

Commenting on the issue Shelley said: "I am delighted that other travel companies at last seem to be taking the issue of financial protection seriously. But I am still concerned that many customers will need to read the small print to see whether they are covered or not.

"With the current economic climate people want complete reassurance, not to be having to check the small print for terms and conditions. I can tell my customers that everything they book through is 100% financially protected," she insited.

Travel Counsellors points out that the Civil Aviation Authority’s ATOL scheme provides excellent protection but only if the holiday bought is actually ATOL protected.

ATOL only covers charter flights, air package holidays and scheduled flights booked through a consolidator.

Many customers require tailor made travel arrangements which may not be covered by ATOL protection.

(BMcC/JM)