ABTA's HOLIDAY CHECKLIST

This is a customer care leaflet, helping the client with those important things to remember & do:

What should I do before I book my holiday?

What should I do before I go?

What do I do when I’m away?

AND

What do I do if I have a problem?

BEFORE YOU BOOK (back to top)

One way to protect your money is to ensure that your travel agent is ABTA bonded and that your Tour Operator either holds an ABTA or ATOL (Air Travel Organisers Licence). You can check this by calling ABTA on & 020 7637 2444 or ATOL on & 020 7453 6430.

ABTA also has a general travel/holiday information line which is 0901 201 50 50, calls are charged at 50p per minute and it is opened during normal office hours. Please note this is a staffed line, you will not be talking to a machine. This line will help you with various enquiries including visa & health requirements, hotels & apartments descriptions and general travel/holiday information etc.

It is important to take your time to talk through your holiday requirements with your travel agent. This should ensure that you buy the holiday that is "right" for you (often a holiday may not be "bad" as such, but "wrong" for the particular client).

Make sure that you are completely aware of the Tour Operators booking conditions, your ABTA Travel Agent will talk through these with you before the contract is made. They are commonly known as "The Small Print". It is vitally important that you are aware of these as they form the conditions of your contract.

Ask your Travel Agent for adequate travel insurance and check out the health, visa and passport requirements.

Sources of information:

Available from either your local ABTA Travel Agent or ABTA direct on 0901 201 50 50

Available from either your local ABTA Travel Agent or ABTA direct on 0901 201 50 50.

Available from either your local Post Office or Department of Health. Includes form E111.

BEFORE YOU GO (back to top)

Arrange with your ABTA Travel Agent to purchase an ABTA Phonecard, a cheaper way of keeping in contact with your family while on holiday.

Take photocopies of your passport and important documents and keep them in a safe place.

Check the best way to carry your money (credit cards, travellers cheques or foreign currency).

Consult a guidebook, for details on local customs and social etiquette.

Check whether the Foreign Office has issued any advice on your destination.

Think about your home. Ask a neighbour to watch your house and don’t forget to cancel the milk and newspapers. Contact also your local Post Office regarding "Keepsafe". Royal Mail can now hold all your post safely for any period up to two months while you are away from home. On your return, your post will be delivered on the date you choose (Recorded items are exempt from the Keepsafe service).

Do not forget about your animals, many place their animals in kennels, you can alternatively have a dog sitter. The National Association of Dog Sitters can provide a list of sitters in your area.

On the outbound journey, only write your destination on luggage labels not your home address.

Remember the sun abroad can be fiercer, take plenty of suntan lotion.

Sources of information:

WHILE YOU ARE AWAY (back to top)

Don’t carry all your money and valuables with you. Ask about safety deposit facilities at your accommodation.

Obey the law of the land of the country you are visiting. Find out the relevant laws and customs, and behave accordingly.

Avoid any involvement with drugs.

Ask advice on where to go and what to avoid. Consult your tour representative, hotel concierge, car hire staff, tourist information or the police.

When walking keep to well lit public places. Areas that may be safe during the day may not be at night and if you find yourself in an undesirable area, or one you are not sure about, head back the way you came.

When driving, keep doors locked and never leave anything on display if the car is unattended. Park legally and in a well-lit place.

Find out the number for emergency services in that country and also the location of the nearest British Government Representative.

Sources of Information:

British Consuls stand ready to protect the interests of Britons abroad. This leaflet gives advice on how to avoid trouble, and tells you what help you can expect from a British Consul. For further details contact The Foreign & Commonwealth Office on 020 7283 4503/4

PROBLEMS (back to top)

Speak up immediately – you have a legal duty to "mitigate the loss" (i.e. give the Tour Operator a chance to put the problem right)

Complete a complaint form if relevant, and take photos.

On return follow the ABTA complaints procedure:

ABTA COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Any pre-departure holiday problem should be dealt with by your Travel Agent, who, if they have difficulty will contact our Information Bureau for help and assistance.

If you need to talk to someone about your pre-departure problem you should call ABTA’s Pre-Departure Department on & 020 7307 2044.

If you need to talk to someone about your pre-departure problem you should call ABTA’s Pre-Departure Department on & 020 7307 2044.

If your holiday has already taken place and you have a complaint against a member, you can discuss your complaint with ABTA’s Information Bureau who will talk you through the complaint. Otherwise the procedure is that you address your complaint to the tour operator. If you made your booking through a travel agent, your agent may be able to assist you with the complaint. In their capacity acting as agent of the tour operator, they are responsible for ensuring that any queries are put to the operator and that the operator in question replies on the points raised.

Members of ABTA are required to provide an acknowledgement within 14 days and a full response to any letter of complaint within 28 days of receipt and should you not hear from them within that time, please let us know in writing.

If you remain dissatisfied after two letters have passed hands, you may wish to take the matter further. All copies of your correspondence should be sent to our Consumer Affairs Department, who will assess your complaint and give you guidance on the options available to you. The Association is pleased to offer an independent arbitration scheme administered by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Applications must be made within 9 months of your return from the holiday and the necessary application form would be obtained from The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Please note an Arbitration application can only be requested once we have seen your correspondence.

As an alternative, claims for £5,000 or less may be dealt with by the Small Claims Procedure of your local County Court, from whom further details may be obtained. You may wish, in addition, to seek further advice from your Citizens Advice Bureau or Solicitor, before issuing proceedings.

Both our Information Bureau and Pre-departure sections are open between 9 am & 5.30 p.m. Monday to Friday and can be contacted on:

Pre-Departure & 020 7307 2044 Information Bureau & 020 7307 1907

e-mail contacts:

information@abta.co.uk , consumer.affairs@abta.co.uk , info@arbitrators.org

ABTA ARBITRATION COSTS

NOTE: Claims can be made up to £5,000 per person or £25,000 per booking form.

ABTA Information Bureau info09 03/03