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ABTA
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) provides an arbitration service if a dispute arises with one of its members. However, if you use ABTA and find that you are unhappy with the outcome, you may not then be able to take further legal action against the travel agent.
Formed in 1950 by 22 leading travel companies, ABTA - The Travel Association - now represents over 5,500 travel agencies and 900 tour operations, throughout the British Isles. Our Members range from small, specialist tour operators and independent travel agencies through to publicly-listed companies and household names; from call centres to internet booking services to high street shops. All of them carry the ABTA logo, which means choice, value, and high levels of service.
ABTA’s main aims are to maintain high standards of trading practice for the benefit of its Members, the travel industry at large, and the consumers that they serve, and to create as favourable a business climate as possible for its Members.
The amalgamation of ABTA and the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) on 1 July 2008 has created a still more powerful and authoritative voice for the travel industry.
ABTA Members themselves form the policy-making and enforcement machinery of ABTA. The Board of Directors, Council of Regions, regional representatives, and a number of committees and working groups are supported in their work by a professional secretariat of some 60 staff.
ABTA’s membership extends throughout the British Isles. A regional network of ten regions plus Scotland makes it easier for Members to meet each other without having to travel to ABTA’s offices in London.
Elected regional representatives are in touch with the Members in their area and convey their views to the Council of Regions. They also organise social and educational events.
There's more about the ABTA regions, including details of regional representatives and what's happening in the regions, in the Members' area of this site.
How to Complain
If you have a complaint against an ABTA Member, please must follow the four steps below.
Step 1: Complain to the ABTA company
If you haven’t complained to the ABTA company, you must do so first of all so that they have the opportunity to resolve the dispute. You can complain to an ABTA company by
- writing a letter
- writing an email
- phoning them – although it’s best to follow this up in writing, as you may need documentary evidence at a later stage.
To check a company’s ABTA membership details click here
Step 2: Consider the ABTA company’s response
Hopefully the company’s response will help you to settle the matter in a way that’s acceptable to both parties. If, however, you aren’t satisfied with their reply, then you should proceed to Step 3.
Step 3: Write to the ABTA company again
Write a further letter clearly detailing what you’re looking for to settle the dispute. Tell the company what would be acceptable to you. Remember to be reasonable in what you are asking for – if you do end up having to take your complaint to arbitration or court, you'll have to justify the amount you’re asking for. For a helpful guide, see our Key Facts About the Law.
Hopefully the company’s response will help you to settle the matter in a way that’s acceptable to both parties. If, however, you feel that you’ve reached deadlock, you can follow step 4.
Step 4: Complain to ABTA
Use the online form to send the complaint. The record your submit will also contain an ABTA reference number.
If you haven’t yet travelled, that’s all you have to do. We’ll contact you as soon as possible - this can take up to 25 days.
If you’ve already travelled, you’ll need to send us documentation relating to your holiday. Please print off a copy of the record and send it to us with
- a copy of your holiday confirmation invoice
- copies of your letters to the ABTA company
- copies of the ABTA company’s replies to you
Please don’t send the originals. You may need them at a later date.
We’ll register your complaint on our database and may be able to help you resolve the dispute.
Please send all correspondence to:
Consumer Affairs Department
ABTA Ltd
30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ
What Happens if Your Travel Agent Ceases to Trade?
If you’ve made your booking through a travel agent, it’s important that you obtain and keep all the paperwork referred to above. This will show that you have a booking with the relevant holiday company.
You should contact the holiday company to make sure that the booking is in place. If it is, then your travel arrangements should continue unaffected.
In the unlikely event that your travel agent has failed to make your booking with a travel company you should contact your credit card company if you paid by credit card. If you didn’t pay by credit card, contact our claims enquiries office for advice and assistance. Contact: ABTA Claims, PO Box 127, Metro House, Northgate, Chichester PO18 8WQ, Tel: 01243 621 500 .
ABTA may not be able to recover your money for you but we can assist in taking the matter up with the relevant authorities.
More Consumer Information
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