How safe is your holiday?
You’ve booked your trip to the sun, bought the guide book and are counting the days until you jet off.
But what happens if your airline fails or the hotel manager does a runner? How safe is your holiday?
It’s not as straightforward as you think.
About ten years ago, buying a holiday was a much simpler process. We all bought traditional packages that provided financial protection for holidaymakers – in other words if something went wrong you got your money back.
Nowadays, many people are buying their own accommodation and teaming it with a no-frills flight. It often works out a lot cheaper.
Some companies are providing financial protection for people who book through them, but others are not.
It doesn’t mean they are all cowboys – airlines like Ryanair and easyJet do not provide protection if you buy flights or other aspects of a holiday with them.
The big question is – does it matter?
The airlines claim not, because if you survey people in the street, less than 10 per cent of people say financial protection is a big issue. But that may be because those questioned have never lost their money in that way.
Ask people who have just lost their annual family holiday if they believe their money should have been safe.
The whole area of protecting holidaymakers’ cash is a complete dog’s dinner – a historical system that defies logic and confuses people like me who have been writing about it for 20 years, let alone men in the street.
Don’t expect a change soon.
The suggestion of a £1 levy, to be paid by anyone buying a flight or holiday, to build a fund to provide cover in the event of any disaster, has already been rejected by the government.
The airlines didn’t like it, arguing that their customers should not have to pay this unnecessary fee, and they have some powerful lobbyists.
Just as when you are considering the real price of a holiday, make sure you know whether you are financially protected, so that you can make an informed judgement about what you are buying.
Guest Article by Jeremy Skidmore
Friday, May 18th, 2012
My name is Alan Potts and I'm the Editor of the UK Ferry Tickets web site and Managing Director of BUYability Limited. You can connect with me or keep up to date with new posts on this blog via the following social media sites: 
