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Have you protected your holiday?
| Published: 22nd April 2009 11:06 |
North West air travellers urged to plan smartly to protect their holidays
As peak travel period approaches, survey reveals consumers unaware of their rights and the financial protection available to safeguard their holiday
The Government has launched a new campaign to help consumers make informed choices about the financial protection of their holidays.
A YouGov survey, on behalf of the Department for Transport, reveals that almost half (47%) of holidaymakers from the North West don't always check if their holiday is protected when they book.
In addition, more than a third of the people surveyed from the North West (36%) admitted not knowing where to go for advice on whether their holiday is protected, or for advice on what to do if their travel company or airline goes out of business (44%). To help consumers with their travel planning, information on financial protection for air travellers is now available on the Government's Directgov website at http://www.direct.gov.uk/holidayprotection.
Although it is very rare for an airline or tour operator to go bust, the Government's campaign aims to help travellers know what protection is available to ensure they are fully informed when booking their holidays and should things go wrong.
The options for financial protection of air travel can be different depending on whether you have booked a package holiday or made plans independently. The YouGov survey showed 30% of those planning holidays from the North West would not be booking a package holiday; the money they have paid could be more vulnerable, whereas package holidaymakers are protected under the ATOL scheme.
Even amongst those holidaymakers surveyed who had travel insurance, at least 31% of holidaymakers from the North West fail to check if their travel insurance covers them against airline failure. Many policies exclude scheduled airline failure insurance (SAFI) so consumers should read the small print if they want this.
There is also confusion surrounding the financial protection offered by credit cards; 42% of people from the North West believe that their money is always protected when paying by credit card, but in fact only purchases over the value of £100 are normally covered.
It is hoped that the newly published information on Directgov will encourage consumers to establish whether or not they are protected and to understand the various types of financial protection available.
The Government suggests independent travellers think about the following factors when considering financial protection for their trip:
- The cost of the trip
- How cheaply or easily a traveller could get home if something goes wrong
Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"Half of those surveyed are planning a trip in the next 12 months so we want to ensure that holidaymakers have the right information about what they can do to protect their holidays.
"There are numerous types of financial protection available, so the launch of the 'holiday protection' information on Directgov aims to outline the facts and help you make the right decisions according to your travel plans. It's only very occasionally that holidays go wrong, but smart planning can make all the difference in helping you return home with minimal problems and expense".
Michelle Shambrook, operations manager, Consumer Direct commented:
"Having handled many calls from confused holidaymakers in the past, we know just how essential it is for consumers to have the right information. If there is any uncertainty when booking holidays or flights our recommendation to consumers is to seek advice about the protection available."
Further information on travel protection is available on http://www.direct.gov.uk/holidayprotection More useful numbers and websites Local news What's on
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