What does ATOL protection cover?
Checked October 2026
It depends on what you book and who sells it, so read the seller's own statement. The law makes anyone who holds themselves out as able to provide flights disclose the capacity they act in, and bars them from indicating they hold an ATOL they do not hold. The JLT Group's protection wording sits at the foot of every page.
What does ATOL protection cover?
It depends on what you book and who sells it. So read the seller's own statement. The JLT Group's protection wording, supplied word for word, sits at the foot of every page.
Operators split their own cover by what you book. The Aurora Zone says its land-only bookings sit under ABTA bonding. Its flight-inclusive holidays are covered differently. Best Served names a different body, ABTOT, for bookings without flights. A cruise-only or hotel-only booking is not flight-inclusive. So don't assume one scheme covers every part of every trip.
What isn't covered?
Check two things before you rely on any cover.
First, any part of the trip not listed on your paperwork. [The statement at the foot of this page says which document to look for. It is the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA's) wording, supplied by The JLT Group.] Best Served's financial-protection page says that, without an ATOL Certificate, a booking has no ATOL protection. Check that every part of the trip you expect to be covered is on it. If something is missing, ask the seller before you travel.
Second, flights you arrange yourself. If you live outside the UK and book your own flights, The Aurora Zone says you are covered by neither scheme.
Ask the seller to confirm what its cover applies to.
Who holds the licence?
The law says the seller must be clear about this. Regulation 16 of the ATOL Regulations 2012 bars anyone from indicating they hold an ATOL they do not hold. It also requires them to disclose the capacity they act in. We read it on legislation.gov.uk on 15 October 2026.
That is why every page on this site names who takes your booking. The footer names The JLT Group and the ATOL number it books under.
How do the 2018 travel regulations fit in?
They define a combined holiday. Regulation 2 of the 2018 travel regulations sets it out. It needs at least two types of travel service for one trip. They must be put together in one of several listed ways. Being combined by one trader is one. Being bought at one point of sale is another. The regulation words a third like this:
Package Travel Regulations 2018, regulation 2: sold "at an inclusive or total price".
Advertising a trip under that term, or a similar one, can count too. On this site, the seller is The JLT Group.
Do I need travel insurance as well?
Yes. The FCDO is the UK government's travel advice service. It says to take out insurance before you go. Our booking questions page covers what to ask about it.
Sources, all read on 15 October 2026: ATOL Regulations 2012, regulation 16 · 2018 travel regulations, regulation 2 (legislation.gov.uk) · FCDO, foreign travel insurance · The Aurora Zone, financial protection · Best Served, financial protection. The operators speak for themselves.