TRAVELLERS are being urged to check refund vouchers for cancelled holidays or risk losing out on holiday protection.
If you were issued a credit note after a package holiday was cancelled due to Covid-19 you need to redeem it by September 30.
You could have vouchers worth cashing in or using to book an ATOL-protected holiday
If you don’t, you will lose your ATOL protection on future holiday bookings, which means if your travel providers goes bust you could lose the cash you used to pay for the holiday.
Regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which runs the ATOL scheme, says there’s £30million worth of unused credit notes still to be redeemed, MoneySavingExpert.com reports.
Credit notes were issued between March 10, 2020, and December 19, 2021 when holidays were cancelled during the coronavirus pandemic.
Michael Budge, head of ATOL at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, previously told SE: “Demand for travel is continuing to grow and we want to make sure travellers are making the most of the financial protection available to them.”
Anyone with a credit note is advised to make an ATOL-protected booking or request a refund before September 30 to avoid putting their money at risk.
How do I know if my refund voucher is ATOL protected?
If you had a credit note issued to you between March 10, 2020 and December 19, 2021 for a cancelled holiday, you will be able to redeem it for an ATOL-protected holiday.
ATOL stands for Air Travel Organiser’s Licence and is a UK scheme that protects most package holidays.
It protects you in the event your travel company goes bust or there is a problem with your trip.
You can check whether your holiday is ATOL protected by looking for the logo on the travel company’s website, shop window or brochure at the time of booking.
If you’re not sure whether your holiday is ATOL-protected, double-check with your travel agency.
You can also search the company’s name or ATOL number using the ATOL database.
What should I do to protect my cash?
Before September 30, all those with a credit note issued with ATOL protection can either:
- Make a booking using their refund credit note – if this booking is a flight inclusive package, the trip will be ATOL-protected.
- Request a refund – travellers with credit notes can request a cash refund from their travel company at any point though.