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The ABTA Code of Conduct sets high standards that all ABTA Members must follow to help them provide customers with high quality, reliable travel experiences.
The Code was introduced by ABTA more than 60 years ago, not long after ABTA was founded, to ensure that the ABTA badge represented the highest business standards. So, when holidaymakers book and travel with an ABTA Member, they can feel reassured and confident that they’ll have a great experience. That’s not just good for customers but also good for our Members.
ABTA continually provides advice and guidance to help members adhere to the Code, we want to help them to improve and learn when necessary, but we also have disciplinary procedures in place to hold current ABTA members to account if they breach it.
You can read the Code and its guidance here:
See below for what the Code of Conduct means for customers of ABTA Members and how ABTA uses the Code to hold Members to account if they do not meet the standards.
The Code and its Guidance are assured advice meaning that Trading Standards agree that they correctly represent the legal rights of consumers.
“ABTA has been at the forefront of the travel industry, keeping the precarious balance of protecting their members and consumers. I believe this significantly reduced the number of complaints we received. Our regular meetings meant we were aware of what was happening and able to disseminate information to other Trading Standards, which allowed other regulators to provide advice and guidance with confidence.”
What the Code of Conduct means for you
When you plan to book a holiday, look for the logo, because booking with an ABTA Member is the only way to get the protection of the ABTA Code. It covers your holiday from start to finish. From the information before you book, through the booking process, to helping you if you have a complaint. The Code means that, among many other things, you can expect to receive:
The protection of the ABTA Code, and of our ADR schemes, apply if you booked in the UK.
We recently collaborated with Kent County Council Trading Standards to produce a video for consumers focusing on the ABTA Code of Conduct (play from 09:48) as well as on how to avoid travel-related fraud.
In the vast majority of cases, our Members comply with the Code. But when we know that problems have occurred, we can take up a case. We begin our own investigations, and we also investigate cases which have been brought to our attention.
If you believe a current ABTA member has breached the Code, and you booked in the UK, let us know and we’ll look into it.
What we don’t do: we won’t investigate cases that fall outside of the scope of the Code, or where there’s clearly no breach. We require evidence of a possible breach to be able to investigate; for example, if your complaint is about misleading advertising, you should show us the advert in question.
When we do find a breach of the Code there is a range of outcomes or penalties. An ABTA Member can correct the problem and improve its procedures; it can give an undertaking to not repeat the breach or ABTA can issue a fine. In very serious cases, or if we see persistent problems with an ABTA Member, we can terminate its membership of ABTA. The Code’s purpose is to prevent and correct poor practices, it is separate from our work in helping resolve individual disputes and is not concerned with compensation.
The Code doesn’t award compensation. For this you can use our low cost, fast arbitration scheme to come to a legally binding solution. If your complaint is not about a breach of the Code but is about getting compensation for a breach of contract or other problem, arbitration will be the right option for you to take and it is, in the vast majority of cases, faster and cheaper than going to the Small Claims court. See our Help and complaints section in the top menu for more details.
Cancellation and refund rights
Clause 3B of the Code of Conduct states that Members shall If they are Principals who cancel previously confirmed Travel Arrangements, inform Agents and direct Clients without delay and offer Clients the choice of: i) alternative Travel Arrangements if available; or ii) a full refund of all monies paid. Such refunds shall be sent to Agents and direct Clients without delay.
A customer made a booking for a three days’ Christmas family trip to Finland. Bad weather conditions meant the airport had to close and the flight was delayed for over 24 hours. As the change to the flight time on a three days’ trip effectively amounted to a cancellation of the trip, the clients decided not to travel and asked in writing for a full refund. This was refused by their ABTA Member travel company.
The ABTA legal department then investigated the case under the Code of Conduct and the member maintained their position that the reason for the flight delay was a force majeure situation, something outside of their control, and that as the majority of other passengers took up the option of the later flight, they did not feel a refund or compensation was due. The legal department agreed that no compensation was due, however it stressed that a delay of over a day on a three nights’ holiday represented such a reduction, that it was in effect a cancellation of the trip and the client was entitled to a refund. The matter was then referred to the Code of Conduct Committee.
The Committee looked at the case and agreed with the view of the Legal Department, it accepted that the Member made an entirely reasonable decision not to cancel the entire flight operation but did not accept the Member’s argument that all the key highlights of that particular itinerary could be provided in the remaining time available and that this was the reason why others decided to proceed. This did not take away the right of others to make a different decision and as this was a cancellation of the holiday, in accordance with the Code of Conduct the clients were entitled to either alternative travel arrangements or a full refund. As the Member hadn’t offered those options, the Committee imposed a fine. The Member later appealed the level of fine, but the appeal was dismissed.
Building works
Clause 2I of the Code of Conduct states that Members shall ensure that all prospective Clients are alerted to any building works which may reasonably be considered to seriously impair the enjoyment of Travel Arrangements and provide them with accurate information about the extent of the building works.
This Clause is found in Section 2 of the Code of Conduct which deals with the booking process. It ensures that all Clients are given the correct information relevant to their booking.
Customers made a late booking for a two weeks holiday in Malta. On their return, they lodged a complaint about various issues regarding their accommodation, including building works taking place near their hotel. They stated that this created noise from 7.00 am each day, and they were concerned about a crane above the rooftop jacuzzi which put off them using the jacuzzi.
The Member addressed the various points raised and explained that in well-established resorts the building of new complexes and amenities or the renovating of existing properties does happen as resorts and hotels are continually improving facilities for customers.
The Member explained that they closely monitor works and confirmed that they had no reports of noise disruption at the hotel either previously or during these customers' stay. The Member confirmed that no compensation would be justified in this instance.
As the customers had also contacted ABTA, the matter was investigated under the Code of Conduct. This was to see whether the building works could reasonably be said to seriously impair the customers’ enjoyment. If so, the customers should have been warned about them.
The Member confirmed that they check third-party building works as well as works taking place at the hotels that they offer. These are graded in line with the impact of the works on holidaymakers and monitored by the resort team who reports back each month. In this case, they were aware of the works taking place next to the hotel and these were graded as a level three, which means that the work is minimal and so customers were not informed prior to departure. These works continued to be monitored and no complaints were received during the customers’ stay.
In view of this explanation and the evidence provided the ABTA legal department felt that this complaint did not give rise to a breach of the Code and no further action was taken.
Where ABTA’s investigations show a breach of the Code by an ABTA Member, in most cases the best solutions are correcting the Member’s procedures, accepting undertakings as to future conduct, and issuing warnings. Some cases are referred to a Code of Conduct Committee of ABTA Members and independent representatives for a hearing, and you can see the outcomes of these hearings below.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 15 May 2024.
Tui UK Ltd (ABTA No. V5126) of Wigmore House, Wigmore Place, Wigmore Lane, Luton, LU2 9TN (which trades as Thomson Holidays), was considered by the Committee for a breach of Clause 3B of the Code, which states that customers must be offered the option of a full refund in the event of cancellation. The Committee found the member in breach and issued a fine of £400.
Tui UK Ltd (ABTA No. V5126) of Wigmore House, Wigmore Place, Wigmore Lane, Luton, LU2 9TN (which trades as Thomson Holidays), was referred to the Committee for a breach of Clause 3B, which obliges members to advise customers of their options when their travel arrangements are cancelled. The Committee accepted there was a breach and issued a Reprimand.
Wasteland Ski Ltd (ABTA No. W1042) of 2 Disraeli Road, Putney, London, SW15 2DS was fined a total of £400 for failure to pay an arbitration award on time and failure to reply to ABTA.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 27 February 2024.
Iceland ProTravel Ltd (ABTA No. Y6096) of Hofdabakki 9 D, Reykjavik, 110 Iceland was considered for a breach of Clause 6I, which requires that members provide ABTA with evidence that Public/Product Liability Insurance is in place within 28 days of its commencement. The member provided the evidence with a significant delay despite many chasers from ABTA. The Committee considered the circumstances surrounding the delay and fined the member £300.
Moresand Ltd (ABTA No. Y6438/P7124) of 10-11 Percy Street, London, W1T 1DN trading as Crystal Travel, was found in breach of Clause 5G for paying an arbitration award late. The Committee imposed a fine of £400.
Seawake Ltd (ABTA No. Y6400) of 40 High Street, Menai Bridge, Gwynedd, LL59 5EF, trading as Absolutely Snow, was brought back to the Committee for final consideration, to explain the steps it had taken to resolve the matter of the arbitration award. The committee noted the position, advised the member and issued a reprimand.
Tui UK Ltd (ABTA No. V5126) of Wigmore House, Wigmore Place, Wigmore Lane, Luton, LU2 9TN (which trades as Thomson Holidays), was fined £400 for a breach of Clause 5G for the late payment of an arbitration award.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 13 November 2023.
Seawake Ltd (ABTA No. Y6400) of 40 High Street, Menai Bridge, Gwynedd, LL59 5EF, trading as Absolutely Snow, was referred to the Code of Conduct Committee for a late payment of an arbitration award in breach of Clause 5G. The Committee imposed a fine of £600 and instructed the member to pay the outstanding registration fee and resolve the matter with its client.
Perfectstay Travel Ltd (ABTA No. Y6608) of Chase Green House, 42 Chase Side, Enfield EN2 6NF was found in breach of three parts of the Code and was fined a total of £750. The case concerned a late cancellation of a client’s holiday and a failure to resolve the problems created, and the breaches were Clause 2B, for failure to follow satisfactory booking procedures; Clause 3A, for cancelling the client’s travel arrangements after balance due date; and Clause 3B, for failure to provide the options of a full refund, or an alternative of similar standard following cancellation.
MSC Cruises SA (ABTA No. Y1379) of Avenue Eugenie Pittard 16, Geneva, 1206 Switzerland was found in breach of Clause 5G, for the late payment of an arbitration award to a client. The Committee imposed a fine of £400.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 17 May 2023.
Pure Destinations Ltd (ABTA No. Y6577/P7345) of The Cloisters, 12 George Road, Birmingham, B15 1NP was considered for a breach of Clause 6I, which requires that members provide ABTA with evidence that Public/Product Liability Insurance is in place within 28 days of its commencement. The member had provided the evidence with a significant delay, despite many chasers from ABTA and a fixed penalty notice of £400 was issued. The member disputed the fine and the matter was heard by the Committee, who found the breach to be proven and increased the fine to £500 due to the member’s failure to provide any explanation as to its delay in compliance with the Code.
Holiday Consultants.com Ltd (ABTA No. Y3196/L861X) of 2 Chitty Street, London, W1T 4AP was fined £400 in respect of a breach of Clause 6I for not providing evidence of Public/Product Liability Insurance in good time. The member had previously been issued with a warning, but had declined to accept that. The Committee found the breach to be proven and increased the penalty in view of the member’s refusal to accept that they had breached the Code of Conduct.
Travel Seen Ltd (ABTA No. Y6758/P8430) of The Salt Warehouse, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, HX6 2AG was referred to the Code of Conduct Committee as a result of the member’s appeal against a fixed penalty notice of £400. This had been issued for a breach of Clause 5C, which requires that correspondence from ABTA be replied to within the time frame requested. In this instance the member failed to reply to four pieces of correspondence. The Committee found the breach to be proven and having taken into account the explanation provided for the delay, confirmed that the member should be subject to the fine of £400.
The following case was heard by the Committee at its meeting of 5 October 2022.
MSC Cruises Ltd (now MSC Cruises SA, ABTA No. Y1379) of 5 Roundwood Avenue, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB11 1AF was fined £10,000 for breaching clauses 5B and 5C of the Code in respect of 51 cases. The Code requires Members to reply to correspondence from customers and from ABTA in a timely manner. The Member accepted that this had not been done, and it complied with undertakings requested by the Committee to deal with all outstanding customer disputes and to bring its customer correspondence processes into compliance with the Code.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 14 June 2022.
Imperial Holidays Ltd (ABTA No. 73938) of 10 Philpot Lane, London, Greater London EC3M 8AA was considered for two cases of a breach of Clause 6H, which states that clients must be refunded without undue delay. In both cases the Member arranged the refunds with a significant delay, had not yet refunded in full, and had provided the clients with misleading information as to the whereabouts of their refunds, causing the clients unnecessary stress and anxiety. The Committee issued a total fine of £4,200 and instructed that the refunds should be made in full.
The Member appealed the decision. At a hearing on 17 August 2022 the Appeal Board dismissed the appeal against the finding of the breaches, but allowed the appeal against the amount of the fines, which was reduced to a total of £2,400. The reduction of the fine was conditional to the Member providing an undertaking to the effect that future refunds to all clients would be made in accordance with the Code. The Member provided the undertaking. The Member also paid the outstanding portions of the refunds to the clients.
Festicket Ltd (ABTA No. Y6095/P7415) of Centro Forum, 74-80 Camden Street, London, Greater London NW1 0EG was found in breach of Clause 6I for not providing evidence of Public & Product Liability Insurance and a fine of £800 was imposed. The Committee also requested an undertaking that the Member would put in place appropriate insurance coverage. The Member provided the undertaking and provided evidence that insurance was in place. The Member subsequently resigned from membership.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 12 October 2021.
Anzcro (UK) Ltd (ABTA No. W4337) of Pool Innovation Centre, Trevenson Road, Pool, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 3PL was found in breach of Clause 5G and fined £1,000 for failure to pay an arbitration award to the customer and for not complying with the rules of the arbitration scheme. The Committee requested an undertaking that the award be paid to the customer without further delay. The member did not pay the fine, nor appeal the Committee’s decision and refused to provide the undertaking so its membership was terminated with immediate effect.
The Flights Guru Ltd (ABTA No. Y6355) of St Magnus House, 3 Lower Thames Street, London, EC3R 6HE was fined for a breach of 3B, which deals with the client’s right to a refund in the event of cancellation by the company. The Committee had found the Member in breach at its previous meeting and had adjourned the matter of the sanction to be applied, instructing the Member to pay a refund due within 10 days. The Flights Guru had ultimately refunded the client, but considerably outside this timescale and therefore the Committee imposed a fine of £2,500.
The following cases were heard by the Code of Conduct Committee at its meeting of 25 May 2021
PH Travel Limited (ABTA Member P7371/ Y6589 of 68a George Lane, South Woodford, E18 1LW and trading as Perfect Holidays) was fined £800 for breaching clause 3B of the Code, which requires Members to offer clients the correct options when travel arrangements are cancelled. The Member could not deliver the services, or some of the services, yet had failed to provide a full refund. The Committee also requested undertakings that the Member train its staff, and review its booking conditions, to ensure compliance with the law and Code.
The Flights Guru Ltd (ABTA Member Y6355 of St Magnus House, 3 Lower Thames Street, London, EC3R 6HE) was found to be in breach of clause 3B for failing to refund clients in full following the cancellation by the Member of the travel arrangements. The sanction will be determined at the Committee’s next meeting, when the Committee will consider whether the Member has now refunded the client.
USAirtours Holidays (UK) Ltd (ABTA Member Y1468/ L5556 of Loughton Business Centre, Loughton, Essex, IG10 3SJ) was fined £1,500 for breaching clause 3B, concerning cancellations and refunds. The Committee disagreed with the Member that the bookings in question had been cancelled by the client, and found that refunds were due from the Member, which had not been paid.
The Member appealed the decision. The Appeal Board rejected the appeal at a hearing on 19 July 2021.
The following case was heard by the Committee at its meeting of 24 November 2020.
Golf Holidays Direct Limited (ABTA No. Y6687) of Devonshire Business Centre, Works Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 1GJ was found in breach of Clause 3B in respect of 10 cases, for not offering clients the correct options on cancellations. The Committee noted that the Member provided a formal undertaking in June committing to full future compliance with Clause 3B, and that the Member had clearly now breached the undertaking. In view of the seriousness of the breach and harm caused, the Committee decided to terminate the Member’s membership with immediate effect.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 29 July 2020.
PH Travel Ltd (ABTA No. Y6589/P7371) of 68 George Lane, South Woodford, London, E18 1LW was found in breach of Clause 5B for failure to respond to the client’s correspondence in a timely manner and was fined £200. The Member was also fined £400 for a breach of Clause 6A, for providing a poor standard of service to the client whilst dealing with their refund request.
Travelopedia Ltd (ABTA Y6610/P7401) of 7 Mackenzie Street, Coleridge House, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 1XQ was found in breach of 10 breaches of the Code and was fined by the Committee a total of £5,050. The Committee considered breaches of Clause 5D, for failing to make every reasonable effort to reach a speedy solution with the clients and issued a fine of £1,200. The Committee also considered breaches of Clause 2B, for failing to follow satisfactory booking procedures and issue ATOL Certificates and imposed a fine of £2,250. A further fine of £400 was issued for a breach of Clause 1D, for misleading advertising. The Member was also fined £400 for not responding to a client in a timely manner in breach of Clause 5B and £800 for failure to respond to correspondence from ABTA in breach of Clause 5C. Following the Committee’s request, the Member also provided an undertaking that they would make sure that all obligations and requirements of the Package Travel Regulations and the ATOL Regulations be adhered to in future.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 9 June 2020.
Golf Holidays Direct Limited (ABTA No. Y6687) of Devonshire Business Centre, Works Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 1GJ was found in breach of Clause 2C for providing the client with incorrect information in relation to the financial protection attached to their booking and Clause 3B for failing to refund a package holiday that was cancelled due to the pandemic. The Committee requested urgent undertakings from the Member that it will correctly inform clients about the applicable financial protection arrangements, and offer clients the correct options on cancellations. The Member provided these, and adjusted its booking conditions to properly reflect the legal position in respect of cancellation.
Jetline Travel Ltd (ABTA No. W7104/J1693) of 7B High Street, London, EN5 5UE received a reprimand for a breach of Clause 3B, for not providing a number of clients the correct options, in a clear manner, on their cancelled bookings due to the pandemic. The Member provided an undertaking that it will comply with the substantive requirements of provision 3B.
Travelworld Vacations Ltd (ABTA No. V8302 trading as Olympic Holidays) of 1 Torrington Park, London, N12 9TB was found in breach of Clause 5G, for failure to pay an arbitration award on time. The Committee took account of the circumstances and decided not to impose a sanction.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 10 March 2020.
BRAVONEXT S.A (ABTA No. Y6407/P7211 trading as Lastminute.com) of Vicolo De’Calvi 2, Chiasso, 6830, Switzerland was found in breach of Clause 2B for failure to immediately advise the client of the cancellation of their flight and to subsequently follow the correct procedures, and was fined £600. This resulted in the holiday effectively being cancelled close to departure, which constitutes a breach of Clause 3A (cancellation inside balance due date). The Member was fined £400. The Member was also fined £400 for failure to refund the client without delay.
Broadway Travel Services (Wimbledon) Ltd (ABTA No. V917X/17088) of Jansel House, Hitchin Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU27XH was fined £750 for failure to provide accurate information at the point of sale so the client could exercise an informed choice, in breach of Clause 1A. The Committee also imposed a fine of £600 for a breach of Clause 2Q as the Member failed to issue correctly the travel documentation, including the ATOL Certificate.
We Love Holidays Ltd (ABTA No. P6847 trading as loveholidays.com) of 3 Shortlands, Hammersmith, London, W6 8DA was issued a fine of £200 for a breach of Clause 3E, for not offering the client the option of a refund on what was deemed a significant change.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 5 November 2019.
Infinity Media Promotions Ltd (ABTA Y6283 trading as Infinity Tours) of Crimson House, 449-451 Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury, London, NW9 9DY was found in breach of Clause 5G for failure to pay an arbitration award on time and was fined £200.
STA Travel Ltd (ABTA VC1958/99209) of Priory House, 6 Wrights Lane, London, W8 6TA was fined a total of £1600 in respect of two cases for a breach of Clause 2B, which relates to satisfactory booking procedures. In both instances the member failed to follow procedures as expected resulting in the clients suffering significant and unnecessary disruption with neither receiving the holiday they had planned and had been sold.
Travel (U.K.) Ltd (ABTA J529X) of 485 Yeading Lane, Northolt, Middlesex, UB5 6LN was found in breach of 5 breaches of the Code and was fined by the Committee a total of £5,200. The Committee considered a breach of Clause 2E, for not providing the client with the relevant booking conditions at the time of booking and issued a fine of £1,500. The member also failed to produce the correct receipts and confirmations as soon as reasonably practicable and failed to issue an ATOL Certificate and was fined £1,000. A further fine of £1,500 was imposed for not offering the client the option of a refund on a cancelled booking, in breach of Clause 3B. In addition, the member was fined £800 for failure to respond to correspondence from ABTA and £400 for failure to produce evidence of a valid liability insurance policy. The member did not pay the fine, nor appeal the Committee’s decision so its membership was terminated with immediate effect.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 5 June 2019.
Emerald Global Ltd (ABTA No. Y6471/P7208) of 56 Baker Street, London, W1U 7BU trading as Emerald Travel and Peoples Travel was found in breach of Clause 6I for not providing evidence of Public & Product Liability Insurance in good time and was fined £400.
Thomas Cook Tour Operations Ltd (ABTA No. V6896) of Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6FX was fined £600 for a breach of Clause 5G for failure to pay an arbitration award on time.
Travel (U.K.) Ltd (ABTA No. J529X) of 485 Yeading Lane, Northolt, Middlesex, UB5 6LN had four potential breaches of the Code considered by the Committee, with three found to be proved. The Member was fined £750 for a breach of Clause 3A, for cancelling the client’s booking after balance due date. The member was also issued with a Reprimand in respect of Clause 3F for not offering compensation for the cancelled booking. In addition, the Member was fined £400 for a breach of Clause 5C for failure to respond to correspondence from ABTA.
Tui UK Ltd (ABTA No. V5126) of Wigmore House, Wigmore Place, Wigmore Lane, Luton, LU2 9TN (which trades as Thomson Holidays) received a Reprimand for a breach of Clause 3H, in view of the client’s travel arrangement being altered as a result of overbooking.
The following cases were heard by the Committee at its meeting of 12 March 2019.
Getaway Travel (ABTA No. Y0520/95744) of 7 Bridge Street, Comber, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 5AT was found in breach of Clause 5C for not responding to correspondence from ABTA. It was fined £600 as it had failed to respond to a Fixed Penalty Notice of £400 in relation to the breach. The member was also fined £100 for failure to satisfy a debt that was due, which is a breach of Clause 6G.
Neilson Active Holidays Ltd (ABTA No. Y6127) of Locksview, Brighton Marina, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 5HA was fined £400 for failure to provide evidence of Public & Product Liability Insurance in good time in breach of Clause 6I.
Pan Express Business Travel Limited (ABTA No. Y6246/P6830) of Argyle House, Joel Street, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 1NW, trading as Ahoy Cruises, was issued with a Reprimand for a breach of Clause 1A, as it failed to provide accurate information to the client who could not exercise an informed judgment in making their choice of travel arrangements. The Member also provided an undertaking that future advertisements, newsletters and promotional material will not seek to promote, or otherwise reference packages that do not exist. The member also received a Reprimand in respect of Clause 2B, in view of the booking process being flawed which resulted in the client being booked on a different package. Following the Committee’s request, the Member also provided an undertaking that it will review its terms and conditions.
Supreme World Travel Ltd (ABTA No. W9824/K8321) of 467-469 High Road, Leyton, London, E10 5EL was found in breach of Clause 6I for failing to provide evidence of Public & Product Liability Insurance within the prescribed time and was fined £400.
Wasteland Ski Ltd (ABTA No. W1042) of 2 Disraeli Road, Putney, London, SW15 2DS was issued a Reprimand for a breach of Clause 6I for failure to provide evidence of Public & Product Liability Insurance in good time.