Why ATOL Protection Matters When Booking Flights Through a Package Travel Company
Adventure travel is one of the best things you can invest in—but it’s also one of the easiest places to get caught out if you’re not careful about how you book.
Every month, I speak to travellers who’ve been burned by companies offering “too good to be true” packages that include flights… and no meaningful financial protection behind them. When things go wrong, they only realise after the fact that they weren’t protected in the way they thought.
At Ultimate Adventure Travel, we don’t sell flights—and there’s a very good reason for that. It protects both you and us.
But if you are booking a package that includes flights, you should absolutely insist that the UK company you book with is ATOL-protected.
Quick note: this post is based on my understanding of UK rules and Civil Aviation Authority guidance. It’s not formal legal advice, just straight-talking advice from someone who lives in this industry.
What ATOL actually is (in normal language)
ATOL (Air Travel Organisers’ Licence) is a UK financial protection scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority. It’s there to protect you if a UK travel company selling flight-inclusive holidays stops trading after you’ve booked.
If an ATOL-holding company goes bust, the scheme steps in to:
Refund you if you haven’t travelled yet, or
Help you continue your holiday and bring you home if you’re already abroad.
It’s not the same as travel insurance. It doesn’t cover things like normal delays, lost bags, or you changing your mind.
Why we don’t book flights at Ultimate Adventure Travel
A lot of people ask why our trips are land only.
Here’s the honest answer.
1. Selling flights would likely make us an ATOL-regulated business
If I start selling packages that include flights from the UK, I’d almost certainly be treated as an ATOL-regulated tour operator. That means:
Annual ATOL licensing fees and bonding
Extra financial reporting and regulation
Additional compliance and overheads that ultimately get passed on to you in the trip price
I’d rather keep our operation lean, transparent, and focused on what we’re best at: running outstanding, safe adventure trips on the ground.
2. You can usually get a better deal booking flights yourself
When you book your flights directly with airlines or comparison sites, you can:
Pick the airport, airline, and times that actually work for you
Use Avios or other points
Take advantage of sales and flexible tickets that suit your situation
In most cases, it works out cheaper and more flexible than us bundling flights in and charging you for the admin.
3. You stay in full control
If an airline changes times, you want to change seats, or you decide to upgrade, you’re dealing with them directly—not via a middleman.
4. We can focus on the bit that really matters: the adventure
Our expertise is in getting you safely up mountains and through remote regions—not in acting as a high-volume flight ticketing service. Keeping those roles separate is better for everyone.
When a company does book your flights – why ATOL matters
This is where travellers get stung.
In the UK, if a UK-based company sells you a package holiday that includes a flight, they’re generally required to hold an ATOL licence and give you an ATOL Certificate at the point you pay.
But some companies:
Advertise “flight-inclusive” deals
Throw in flights as an upsell
Bundle flights via third-party agents overseas
…without making the ATOL position clear, or in some cases, without holding an appropriate licence at all.
If you hand over thousands of pounds for a flight-inclusive trip and there’s no ATOL protection behind it, you’re taking on a risk that many people don’t even realise exists.
Worst-case scenarios (that really do happen)
Here are a few real-world situations where ATOL protection can make the difference between inconvenience and disaster:
1. The travel company goes bust before you travel
With ATOL:
You’re entitled to a refund of the protected parts of your trip, including flights in a covered package.
Without ATOL:
You may be left trying to claim money back via your card provider or travel insurance—if you’re covered at all. In many cases, people simply lose their money.
2. The company collapses while you’re abroad
With ATOL:
The scheme can help you stay in your accommodation, reimburse certain replacement costs, and arrange flights home where possible.
Without ATOL:
You’re standing at a hotel desk or airport in Nepal, Morocco, or Peru, with a useless piece of paper and a very expensive problem.
3. Your package relies on a third-party ticketing agent
Some non-specialist operators pass flight bookings to cheap third-party ticketing services. Tickets might not be issued immediately, or customer funds might be used to cash-flow other parts of the business.
If that chain breaks and the company stops trading, ATOL protection gives you a route to refunds and repatriation. Without it, you’re relying purely on goodwill, insurance small print, or luck.
4. Confusion over what is and isn’t a “package”
Modern bookings can be messy—flights, hotels, transfers and tours all bolted together online. Under UK rules, certain combinations sold together count as package holidays or linked travel arrangements, which must be financially protected.
If a company is putting together what is effectively a package but not treating it as one, you might not get the protection the law intends you to have.
Where some companies fail their customers
From what I see in the industry, red flags include:
Vague answers when you ask, “Is this ATOL protected?”
No ATOL logo or number on the website or paperwork
No ATOL Certificate issued when you pay for a flight-inclusive holiday
Packages sold by non-UK companies to UK customers with no equivalent protection
Heavily discounted flight-inclusive deals that don’t seem to add up financially
Small operators bolting on flights “as a favour” without really understanding the regulations
None of this automatically means “scam”—but it does mean risk.
How to protect yourself when booking flight-inclusive trips
Here’s a simple checklist I’d want my own family to follow:
Ask directly:
“Is this holiday ATOL protected, and what’s your ATOL number?”
Check the number:
Look it up on the CAA’s website to confirm it’s genuine and valid.
Get your ATOL Certificate when you pay:
You should receive it straight away. It explains exactly what’s protected and who to contact if things go wrong.
Know what’s not covered:
ATOL is about financial protection if the company fails. You still need good travel insurance for cancellations, medical issues, baggage and so on.
If in doubt, keep flights separate:
Book your trip land-only with a specialist operator you trust, and arrange flights yourself through airlines or reputable agents.
Why this matters even more for adventure travel
If you’re flying to places like Kathmandu, Kilimanjaro, Cusco or Marrakech, you’re not just heading to a beach for a week—you’re starting a multi-stage journey with connections, internal flights and remote destinations.
If a company fails mid-way through that chain and there’s no ATOL protection behind your flights, you’re potentially:
Stranded abroad
Out of pocket for thousands of pounds
Scrambling to get home while dealing with altitude, jet lag, or illness
That’s the last thing you need before—or after—a big mountain.
Why we keep it simple
At Ultimate Adventure Travel, we keep it very clear:
We don’t sell flights.
You book your own flights.
We focus 100% on delivering an exceptional adventure when you land.
It keeps costs fair, roles clear, and your control intact.
But whenever you do let a company handle your flights as part of a package, especially in the UK:
Make sure they’re ATOL protected. Ask the question. Check the number. Get the certificate.
It takes five minutes and can save you a very expensive headache later.