Last Frontiers
the specialists in travel to Latin America
Booking
Last Frontiers
the specialists in travel to Latin America
Booking
A summary of this complicated area:
Each country operates its own rules to ensure consumer protection, and the UK (where we are based) has some of the most stringent requirements around, many inherited from the European Union (EU). In summary, any UK company or individual offering travel arrangements available for sale in the UK and that involve any flight as part of the arrangements has to hold an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL), granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
In addition, any company that sells a 'package' (any combination of more than one of the following: flights, hotels, car hire, other ground arrangements such as transfers) must be bonded through an approved body.
There a few areas that can fall outside the scope of the above (for example if you buy just accommodation abroad, and have bought your flights elsewhere).
Scheduled airlines do not have to hold an ATOL (charter ones do) so there is another potential grey area here, although most ATOL holders are obliged to offer refunds or alternative flights should an airline fail.
So you should always check that the company you are booking through has either an ATOL (if there are flights involved), or some other recognised bonding arrangement. If not, or if you make booking directly for hotels or services, then you will not be covered if the company through who you book goes out of business after you have paid them.
Both the Association of Independant Tour Operators (AITO) and the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) operate bonding schemes which cover travel not already covered by the ATOL system (i.e. anything without a flight). ABTA is a closed shop whose Travel Agent members sell products provided by their Tour Operator members, and while the name is probably more widely known than either ATOL or AITO, ABTA membership is not usually relevant for a specialist tour operator. ABTA provides a lower level of protection to the consumer than AITO.
In our case we hold an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) number 2793, from the Civil Aviation Authority, as required under EU Regulations, which guarantees the security of holidays sold in the UK that include flights. For all other bookings we are bonded with the AITO Trust (membership number 1097).
Last Frontiers is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. The Association represents Britain’s leading independent tour operators and encourages high standards of quality and service. Last Frontiers abides by the Association’s Code of Conduct and adheres to the AITO Quality Charter which can be viewed here. Visit the AITO website to find out more about the Association or call 020 87449280.
