CODE OF CONDUCT & APPEAL BOARD DECISIONS

The following cases were heard by the Code of Conduct Committee at its meeting held on 12 May 2010:

School & Group Travel Ltd (ABTA Member 46818/W9735 of 53 Middle Abbey St, Dublin 1 and trading as PAB Travel & Tours) was found to have breached clause 6K of the Code which requires principal Members to provide evidence to ABTA of current public and products liability insurance. A fine of £400 was imposed. The Member was also fined £400 for failing to reply to ABTA about the matter.

School & Group Travel Ltd subsequently resigned from membership.

Airborn Ltd (ABTA Member J1829/Y0624 of 12b Bridge Close, Romford and trading as Airborn Direct) was fined £500 for a breach of clause 2A, which requires Members to make every effort to ensure that the travel arrangements sold to their clients are compatible with their clients’ individual requirements, and £500 in respect of clause 5C, which requires Members to reply to correspondence from ABTA.

Bookable Holidays Ltd (ABTA Member K2109/Y054X of Calleva Park, Aldermaston, Reading trading as www.bookableholidays.co.uk) was fined £500 for a breach of clause 2B and £1000 for a breach of clause 5D. Clause 2B requires Members to operate satisfactory booking procedures and clause 5D requires Members to make every effort to reach a speedy solution when dealing with disputes with clients.

Bookable Holidays Ltd was also found, in a separate case, to have failed to respond to its client within 28 days (breach of 5B) and failed to operate satisfactory booking procedures (clause 2B). Fines of £1,000 and £500 respectively were imposed.

Thomas Cook Tour Operations Ltd (ABTA member V6896 of Thomas Cook Business Park, Peterborough) was fined £500 for a breach of clause 3E. The Member had failed to offer a client a refund when a long delay meant that a significant change to the holiday had occurred.

Thomas Cook Scheduled Tour Operations Ltd (ABTA member V2185 of Thomas Cook Business Park, Peterborough) was fined £750 for a breach of Clause 2B, which requires Members to operate satisfactory booking procedures and £500 for a breach of clause 5C, which requires Members to reply to correspondence from ABTA.

There was one appeal from a Member, therefore that decision is not reported here, pending the outcome of the appeal hearing.