In recent years there’s been a surge of new airlines, many of them budget airlines that can let us travel to our holiday destination for less. This is all well and good but sometimes our flights may get cancelled or we may miss the plane through no fault of our own.
It’s annoying and can sometimes take days off our holidays, potentially even having to cancel them all together. It’s therefore important that you take necessary precautions when booking your holiday and flights. The first obvious measure to take is Travel Insurance, never leave home without it, most people don’t know how many different eventualities are covered by travel insurance, it isn’t just if you get a dodgy stomach in Spain or break your leg on the ski slopes.
Travel Insurance also covers flight related issues, flight cancellations are normally covered as well as if you have to cancel your holiday for a medical emergency. If you’re really unlucky and end up on the end of a 12 hour flight delay then you are normally covered under what is called Delayed Departure Insurance, as obviously if you’re delayed by this period of time or - heaven forbid – longer, then there’s a good chance that you’re going to miss out on a day of sun or a night in a warm bed.
The delayed departure insurance would help in the eventuality that your hotel will still charge you for your booking even if you are not even in the country yet! One point I must make is that with some insurers this cover does not come as standard and may need you to enquire about whether they offer this and if it will cost extra.
Aside from Travel Insurance there are still ways to cover your flights in case the airline shuts down or goes bust. In the case of an airline you’ve booked directly with going bust, normally you would not be protected financially. It is advised to book your flight through an intermediary such as an ATOL (Air Travel Organisers’ License), ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents), or AITO (Association of Independent Tour Operators) accredited agent.
Paying for your holidays and flights on your credit card can offer some level of protection especially for flights but again there are details you should check. You should ensure that the company or airline you are booking through has its name on the transaction, this means any losses will be refunded to you, but like most good ideas this is somewhat of a two sided blade because some cheap flights merchants like EasyJet charge extra to pay by credit card and would rather you pay by charge or debit card, thus removing your protection.
If you’ve booked your flight as a part of a package holiday through a travel agent either over the internet or on the high street then you’re normally covered under the Package Travel Regulations. This stipulates that every package deal that includes flights is covered by an ATOL (Air travel organisers licence), meaning that the flight company has enough money to recompense passengers even if they go under. To be on the safe side it is advisable to check if your travel company is ATOL bonded with the Civil Aviation Authority.
So finger’s crossed your holiday goes without a stitch but just in case it’s best to cover yourself in the event of a cancellation, a delay or any other strange reason for your holiday being disturbed.
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