Makes you nervous doesnt it?!!

[Kaz65]

My sympathy goes to all booked with TCD.


Only really becoming aware of this ATOL protection thing since this all happening. We booked directly through Virgin Atlantic and now discovering that we will not be ATOL protected either if thinks go wrong with them. Virgin Holidays are covered though - dont know about you guys but there is a lot of confusion regarding different operatives practising under similar names - really must do homework when booking independantly. Fingers crossed though we paid via credit card so will be protected that way and according to ATOL website if we make sure we have 'insolvancy protection' in our personal insurance we would be OK to arrange flights home if the worse happened whilst out in Orlando. Roll on March is all I say

 

[Netty]

we always book direct with Va, what I don't understand is why we are not protected by ATOL??
I suppose I should get a bit of reading done on this, and find out how to book better protected for the next holiday

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

We've always booked via Virgin Holidays.
However I was very tempted by TCD for next year with the prices,and new planes so on...Now I am glad I didnt but I can't help but feel bad for so many others who did So awful.

I never would of researched this before,but glad its come to light and will definately do my homework before booking holidays.

 

[carolfoy]

Virgin aren't going anywhere in the near future. If the worse happens and they do go bust do remember that the Civil Aviation Authority is always there to help too.

 

[Dimplenose]

We've always booked via Virgin Holidays.
However I was very tempted by TCD for next year with the prices,and new planes so on...Now I am glad I didnt but I can't help but feel bad for so many others who did So awful.

I never would of researched this before,but glad its come to light and will definately do my homework before booking holidays.

The same for us we so very nearly went TCD. I would only ever book a package to Florida now since we had trouble will a villa agent in 2005. We'd decided to use a UK ABTA bonded agent as it felt safe but near the time of travel lots of "odd" things happened - they would only take a cheque for payment (alarm bells!!) then they dropped out of the ABTA scheme, then they didn't send us details of our villa until 2 days before travel (after 2 weeks of phone calls from us) - and it wasn't the villa we'd booked (but on the same development). It turned out OK for us, but the company folded soon after our return.

Holidays are such a gamble in so many ways.

 

[princess jackson]

We have a flydrive with virgin booked via travel agent. Does this mean we are not covered by atol.

 

[Claire L]

We have a flydrive with virgin booked via travel agent. Does this mean we are not covered by atol.

You are covered fine, the only time you are not covered by ATOL/ABTA is if you book direct with the airline for a flight only.

Claire

 

[Snowy-girls]

Virgin aren't going anywhere in the near future. If the worse happens and they do go bust do remember that the Civil Aviation Authority is always there to help too.

Carol may i ask you a question-sorry i know you're probably swamped with them .
I always book your everyday package holiday to Florida with Virgin Holidays,i know it's more expensive but i feel it's safer+easier than booking DIY.Question is-i don't have credit cards,i have an Abbey Visa Debit Card and our deposit plus the remaining balance is always paid using this.If the worse was to happen,would i be entitled to anything back whatsoever ?I don't have Virgin's insurance.(I don't have any at the moment for next years holiday,but will probably be booking it very soon with AA).Thanks Carol.x.

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

Carol may i ask you a question-sorry i know you're probably swamped with them .
I always book your everyday package holiday to Florida with Virgin Holidays,i know it's more expensive but i feel it's safer+easier than booking DIY.Question is-i don't have credit cards,i have an Abbey Visa Debit Card and our deposit plus the remaining balance is always paid using this.If the worse was to happen,would i be entitled to anything back whatsoever ?I don't have Virgin's insurance.(I don't have any at the moment for next years holiday,but will probably be booking it very soon with AA).Thanks Carol.x.

We are the same,I would prefer to pay ours via Abbey Debit card as we dont want to use the CC's with paying them off (about time ) So would we be covered? we always book travel insurance but we book with another company rather than Virgins insurance?
x

 

[Vana]

I always book your everyday package holiday to Florida with Virgin Holidays,i know it's more expensive but i feel it's safer+easier than booking DIY.Question is-i don't have credit cards,i have an Abbey Visa Debit Card and our deposit plus the remaining balance is always paid using this.If the worse was to happen,would i be entitled to anything back whatsoever ?I don't have Virgin's insurance.(I don't have any at the moment for next years holiday,but will probably be booking it very soon with AA).Thanks Carol.x.

Not sure about your answer by maybe it might be worth while getting a credit card and using it purely to book holidays with and then clearing the card at least you would have the protection of the card.


Im my opinion if Virgin went bust BA would too they are too big.

We booked our flights separately though using a credit card but through a Flight Shop so I would presume we are atol protected??

 

[carolfoy]

virgin holidays are ATOL/ABTA bonded so makes no difference whether you booked with C/C or debit. Should it ever come to an ATOL claim you would need further proof of purchase from your bans re money transferred but you are still covered

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

virgin holidays are ATOL/ABTA bonded so makes no difference whether you booked with C/C or debit. Should it ever come to an ATOL claim you would need further proof of purchase from your bans re money transferred but you are still covered

Thank you,thats reassuring

 

[Vana]

virgin holidays are ATOL/ABTA bonded so makes no difference whether you booked with C/C or debit. Should it ever come to an ATOL claim you would need further proof of purchase from your bans re money transferred but you are still covered

what if you purchase flights through a third party i.e. Flight Shop are you protected ?

 

[LORNA ANN]

we always book direct with Va, what I don't understand is why we are not protected by ATOL??

I suppose I should get a bit of reading done on this, and find out how to book better protected for the next holiday

I thought they were we are booked with them for January holiday should I be worried !!!!! Its all so confusing,I thought booking holidays was supposed to be fun !

 

[carolfoy]

ok, to clarify: booking direct with VA through, say miles and money etc, you are NOT covered by ATOL/ABTA. booking direct with VA through standard website, you are NOT covered
booking a f/o through a consolidator, i.e. Airline network, you ARE covered.
bookinmg through Vholidays you ARE covered.

there is far too much panic surrounding Virgin, they are perfectly safe, Mr Branson has too many fingers in too many pies and can draw the millions needed for a rescue package from any of his many other companies. The airlines that are in trouble are smaller independant charters.
TCD were not brought down solely by their Florida product. Kosmar holidays (part of Xl) were a huge part of the fault being many peoples choice of cheap and cheerful Greek and Cyprus holidays.
Also if TCd had kept to the first Choice/Thomas Cook mode of operation and flown just once or twice a week to the states rather than trying to oust Virgin by ofering multiple (sometimes half empty) flights they'd have been safe.
XL holidays were also offering 'cheap' caribbean flights. You CANNOT operate a flight to grenada at little more than the cost of, say, a Larnaca return
When Xl scrapped their caribbean programme little over a week ago it was obvious they were in dire straits.

 

[Snowy-girls]

Thank you very much Carol,much appreciated for replying.

I agree fully with a comment you made 'Mr Branson has too many fingers in too many pies' .x.

 

[paulh]

as there all listed companys no airline or travel company is safe,if they carn`t pay there loans or rase money they go under.
I rember freddie laker going under a long time ago.even the biggest firms go under,fredie mac and fanny may were taken into govenment hands so they wouldent fold, with a value of 7 trillion $ there were a lot bigger than any airline outfit.
Dont ever say a firm carnt go under,because it can. i know there are firms that will ride this out and firms that wont. and it will be the last minite we will find out.even with XL they were on the verge of new funding which fell througth last minite.
Thats the fact of economics
Paulh

 

[carolfoy]

very true Paul and i should correct my statement by adding that No airline is safe but Virgin is safe for the time being. There are many others that would go first.
I was trying to stop the panic.

 

[Lizzybear]

Personally i'll still be DIYing not least because the holidays we plan to do for the next couple of years would be over the odds expensive as a package and because I prefer to flexibility of being able to modify components myself but I will be continuing to always use a credit card for payment. I prefer to think positively rather than worrying about something no-one can truly predict. However, I think it's wise to go by the old saying: If it seems too good to be true it probably is!

 

[Kaz65]

Thanks for all your expertise and comments. I agree that you can never say never but all things considered I think it prudent that we are all aware of the small print when booking independently. Like I said in my OP I made an assumption that becasue VH are ATOL bonded that VA were too. Now I know, this wouldnt stop me again booking directly, as I too like the flexibility, but I would definatley recommend booking via credit card and consider an insurance that would assit us if we ever became stranded abroad