TheTravelPage

Loads of holidaymakers who lost their money are still waiting for a refund from ATOL, 6 months after xl.com folded.  ATOL is operated by the Civil Aviation Authority.

These holidaymakers did the right thing by booking their holiday with a tour operator who was ATOL-protected.  Many also protected themselves further by using a credit card to pay for their Holiday.  However, for some this double protection has been their undoing.

Many holidaymakers are being bounced back and forth between the credit card company and ATOL, each saying they should pursue the other for a refund of their money.

It doesn’t look like this will be solved any time soon, although ATOL say they will get through the backlog of letters and claims, so what can you do?  Well, I recommend

1. if you have been directly affected, that you keep pressing both ATOL and your credit card company
2. if you want better protection going forward, take a look at my earlier blog post Thomascook.co.uk Guarantees Holiday Makers’ Money is Safe and Protected.  In summary, through Thomas Cook Holidays’s initiative all holidays, flights and cruises booked through them will be protected and should the company the holidaymaker has booked with fail, Thomas Cook will refund the customers’ money within 24 hours, regardless of ATOL membership