20 Feb
2019

Change to ATOL Rules effective 1 April 2019 – securing flights

The CAA is making some changes to its ATOL Standard Terms (ASTs) on 1 April.

ABTA is providing information on this, to keep Members informed and to help you to prepare.

New AST 6.4 has now been published by the CAA in its Official Record. It states:

Securing Flights
AST6.4
Wherever a consumer is invited to choose from a service that is ATOL protected or is available to be combined into an ATOL protected service, and where the ATOL holder is required to make the consumer aware of the flight information required by AST1.4B (a), (b), (c) and (d) relating to the flight offered as part of the service, the ATOL holder must not enter into a contract for that licensable transaction unless:
a) the ATOL holder also confirms that booking with the airline, either before or as a part of the same process as accepting the consumer’s booking and deposit / payment; or
b) if a) is impossible, the ATOL holder confirms the booking with the airline as soon as possible after accepting the consumer’s booking and deposit/payment and at no extra cost to the consumer.

Where the flight information required by AST1.4B (a), (b), (c) and (d) relating to the flight offered as part of the service is not known to the ATOL holder at the time the consumer is invited to choose the service the ATOL holder must not enter into a contract for that licensable transaction unless:
a) it informs the consumer at that time of booking that the flight information is not yet available and that it will be provided when it is known; and
b) confirms the booking with the airline as soon as possible after accepting the consumer’s booking and deposit/payment and at no extra cost to the consumer.

The CAA has said its aim is to make it less likely that consumers will not get the flights they thought they had bought. 

Note that the new Term requires different action from the ATOL holder depending on whether all the information about the flight is known or not. 

If you have any questions about this, please contact the ATOL team at the CAA, or ABTA’s Members Information Line on 020 3117 0597 or membersinfo@abta.co.uk.