'DIY' Holiday Bookers at Risk?

People creating their own 'DIY' Holidays this summer, using different suppliers for different components, could lose out considerably if any of the providers ceases trading.

This is the warning sounded by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which found that a third of the people it surveyed incorrectly believed that a DIY holiday would be covered for if their airline, hotel or car hire company went to the wall.

David Clover, spokesman for the CAA's ATOL protection scheme, said: "Our research shows that although millions of holidaymakers will build DIY breaks this summer, they don't always realise they are at risk. Holiday purchases are still a significant household purchase so we want consumers to make informed choices about financial protection.

"Those building their own Holidays using different suppliers should be aware that they will not be protected against the risks of insolvency in the same way as booking all elements with one Travel company. Booking an entire holiday with one travel company does not mean that consumers have to compromise flexibility for protection."

The body is keen to stress the benefits of booking all of a holiday's components with a single firm that is ATOL-protected.

Travel Industry News posted on 14/05/2007 16:45:54