ATOL & ABTA Protection Explained
Your Guide To ATOL and ABTA Holiday Protection
When you spend hundreds or even thousands of pounds on a holiday, knowing that your money is protected matters. If you have ever booked a package holiday and seen the words ATOL Protected or ABTA, you may have wondered what they actually mean and whether they make a real difference. The short answer is yes — they genuinely do. This guide explains both schemes clearly, what they cover, how they differ, and what you should look for before you book your next break, whether that is a Jet2 package holiday, a TUI holiday, or any other flight-inclusive trip.
What Is ATOL Protection?
ATOL stands for Air Travel Organiser's Licence. It is a government-backed financial protection scheme managed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), introduced in 1973 as package holidays first became popular. Every UK travel company that sells overseas package holidays including a flight is legally required to hold an ATOL licence. If they do not, they are operating unlawfully.
The scheme exists to protect you if the travel company you have booked with goes out of business — either before you travel or while you are already on holiday. If a company collapses before your departure, you are entitled to a full refund of everything you have paid. If it happens while you are abroad, the CAA will work to ensure you can complete your holiday and return home without paying anything extra.
When you book an ATOL-protected holiday, the travel company must issue you with an ATOL Certificate at the time of booking or when you make your first payment. This certificate is your proof of protection. It lists exactly what is covered — your flights, accommodation, transfers and any other included services. Always save a copy and take it with you when you travel. Since 2019, ATOL has helped bring home more than 242,000 holidaymakers and settled over 1.7 million claims, including repatriating 140,000 Thomas Cook customers in 2019 within just 14 days.
What Is ABTA?
ABTA stands for the Association of British Travel Agents. Unlike ATOL, which is a government-backed legal requirement, ABTA is a trade association that travel companies can choose to join. With over 4,300 travel brands as members, it is the UK's largest and most recognised travel trade body.
ABTA protection covers two things. First, it provides financial protection for package holidays that do not include a flight, such as cruise holidays, coach tours and self-drive packages. If an ABTA member company collapses, you will either receive a refund or be able to complete your holiday. Second, ABTA sets and enforces a Code of Conduct that all member companies must follow, covering fair pricing, accurate advertising and ethical business practices.
ABTA membership also gives you access to an independent complaints resolution service. If something goes wrong with an ABTA member's holiday and you cannot resolve it directly with the company, ABTA can step in to mediate. This applies even if the company has not gone bust, for example, if a hotel was significantly not as described or a service was not provided as promised.
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What Is The Difference Between ATOL and ABTA?
The simplest way to remember the difference is this: ATOL protects flight-inclusive package holidays. ABTA protects non-flight package holidays and sets customer service standards for its members.
If you book a package holiday that includes flights and accommodation through a UK travel company — which covers most beach holidays, city breaks and long-haul trips booked through operators like TUI, Jet2holidays, On The Beach and First Choice — your financial protection comes from ATOL. ABTA is relevant for cruise holidays where the cruise line includes the full package, coach tours, rail holidays and self-drive packages.
Many of the major UK tour operators hold both ATOL and ABTA, which means you get dual protection. TUI and Jet2holidays, for example, are both ATOL and ABTA members. This means whether you are booking a flight-inclusive package or a non-flight holiday through them, you have financial protection. loveholidays holds ATOL protection but is not an ABTA member, so the ABTA Code of Conduct does not apply, though their flight-inclusive packages are still financially protected by ATOL.
One important thing to note: neither ATOL nor ABTA is a substitute for travel insurance. Both schemes only come into play if the company you have booked with goes out of business. They do not cover cancelled or delayed flights, medical emergencies, lost luggage or trip cancellations due to illness, all of which are covered by travel insurance. We always recommend having both ATOL or ABTA protection and a comprehensive travel insurance policy for complete peace of mind.
ATOL Protection: Key Things To Remember When Booking
Book as a package where possible. Booking your flights and accommodation together through a single UK travel company is the simplest way to ensure you have ATOL protection. Booking them separately — flights directly with an airline, hotel through a different website — means neither element is likely to be ATOL protected.
Always get your ATOL Certificate. As soon as you make any payment, even a deposit, you should receive an ATOL Certificate from the travel company. Save it, email it to yourself and take a copy on holiday. It is your proof of protection and your guide to claiming if anything goes wrong.
Check the register before you book. Before handing over any money to a travel company you are not familiar with, spend one minute checking atol.org to confirm their licence is current. A company that cannot be found on the ATOL register should not be trusted with your holiday booking.
Remember that ATOL is not travel insurance. Even if your holiday is fully ATOL protected, you should still have travel insurance. ATOL only covers you if the company goes bust. It does not cover medical emergencies abroad, personal belongings, flight cancellations and delays or any of the other things that can go wrong on a holiday.
Frequently Asked Questions About ATOL & ABTA
ATOL protected means that the flight-inclusive package holiday you are booking is financially protected by the Air Travel Organiser's Licence scheme, run by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. If the travel company you have booked with goes out of business before or during your trip, you will either receive a full refund or be able to complete your holiday and return home without extra cost.
Yes. Jet2holidays is both ATOL protected (ATOL No: 9618) and a member of ABTA (ABTA No: Y1676). This means all their flight-inclusive package holidays are financially protected, and they are bound by the ABTA Code of Conduct.
Yes. TUI is both ATOL protected (ATOL No: 2524) and a member of ABTA (ABTA No: V5126). TUI's sub-brands including First Choice, Marella Cruises and Crystal Ski also fall under this protection umbrella.
loveholidays holds ATOL protection, so flight-inclusive package holidays booked through them are financially protected. However, loveholidays is not a member of ABTA, which means the ABTA Code of Conduct and ABTA complaints resolution service do not apply. It is worth noting that not all bookings made through loveholidays are ATOL protected — check at the time of booking and look for your ATOL Certificate.
ATOL covers flight-inclusive package holidays and is a legal requirement for UK travel companies selling them. ABTA covers non-flight package holidays such as cruise, coach and rail packages, and also sets customer service and conduct standards for its members. Many major operators hold both. If your holiday includes flights booked as part of a package, ATOL is the relevant protection. If your holiday involves travel by sea, rail or road, ABTA is the scheme to look for.
No. If you book a flight directly with an airline and receive an e-ticket, that booking is not covered by ATOL. ATOL protection applies to flight-inclusive packages sold by UK travel companies, not to direct airline bookings. If an airline ceases trading, ATOL does not cover you — though you may have some protection through your credit card provider under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act if you paid by credit card.
Yes, absolutely. ATOL protection only covers you if the travel company goes out of business. It does not cover medical emergencies abroad, cancelled or delayed flights, lost or stolen luggage, personal liability, or needing to cancel your trip due to illness. A comprehensive travel insurance policy covers all of these things and is essential regardless of your ATOL status.
An ATOL Certificate is a document that your travel company must provide when you make any payment for an ATOL-protected booking, even if it is just a deposit. It lists the ATOL holder's name and licence number, and specifies exactly which elements of your booking are covered — flights, accommodation, transfers and any other included services. It also tells you what to do if your travel company ceases trading. Always save a copy and take it with you on holiday.
You can check any travel company's ATOL status on the official register at atol.org. Search by company name or ATOL number. For ABTA membership, use the member search tool at abta.com. Both checks take under a minute and are strongly recommended before booking with any company you are not familiar with.
If your travel company has ATOL protection, check the CAA's website at caa.co.uk for the failed ATOL holder's page, which will have specific claims instructions. You should be entitled to a full refund. If the company is ABTA protected and does not have ATOL, visit abta.com to start the claims process. You should also contact your credit card or debit card provider to explore a chargeback claim, and check whether your travel insurance policy covers travel company failure.
Yes, this is one of ABTA's most valuable benefits. If a company is an ABTA member and you have a dispute that you cannot resolve directly with them (for example, a hotel that was significantly not as described), you can raise a dispute through ABTA's independent resolution service. This is separate from the financial protection ABTA provides when a company goes bust, and applies to issues with the quality or accuracy of what was sold to you.