Teletext holidays abta / atol protection

donna1979

Hi if I booked a holiday with teletext would it be a proper package protected by abta and atol? I am concerned as my last holiday abroad was Easter 2010 and we were left stranded for a week due to the ash cloud. We had booked with lowcostholidays what I believed to be a protected package but it turned out not to be. We were left stuck at the airport and then had to pay a further £800 for the rest of the week and didn't get a penny back as the airline promptly went bust! Turns out they were the latest incarnation of XL. As you can imagine it was a difficult and stressful week.

Grumpelstiltskin

Put Teletext in search on this forum and you will see a number of threads of people's experience with them.

donna1979

Ah I hadn't thought to do that since I thought they were reputable! I saw they were suggested on Martin's guide and did book through them years ago when it was actually on the tele! Thanks.

bagand96

Teletext are just a "Flights Plus" agent like many others. They'll book you a flight only and then a hotel to match as well as transfers. You'd be as well booking direct with the airline and making arrangements for hotel and transfers yourself.

They will be ATOL bonded and a member of ABTA. However this only protects you if your airline or agent go bust. It'd be no help in a situation like the ash cloud.

It's true that package holiday operators looked after travellers during the ash cloud at their expense. People on DIY bookings had to fork out in the hope they could claim back from the airline. If you want a true package holiday your essentially looking at the main players Thomson and Thomas Cook for Europe. There are smaller ones lol or Olympic, Cosmos, Mercury but they're few and far between now.

That said the ash cloud was a freak event that personally I wouldn't worry too much about repeating.

hollydays

donna1979 wrote: »

Hi if I booked a holiday with teletext would it be a proper package protected by abta and atol? I am concerned as my last holiday abroad was Easter 2010 and we were left stranded for a week due to the ash cloud. We had booked with lowcostholidays what I believed to be a protected package but it turned out not to be. We were left stuck at the airport and then had to pay a further £800 for the rest of the week and didn't get a penny back as the airline promptly went bust! Turns out they were the latest incarnation of XL. As you can imagine it was a difficult and stressful week.

Yes for reasons no one can fathom, they are still included in martins guide, despite the threads on here since they have been taken over by Truly ( dreadful) Travel.

donna1979

How about jet2?

Grumpelstiltskin

At least Jet2 have their own airline.

Alan_Bowen

If you book a Jet2.com holiday you will be buying a fully protected package holiday but if you just book the flights you will not. Although they are very successful, those who suffer delays with them would recommend never booking with them at all, so beware

leylandsunaddict

Teletext don't arrange the holidays they sell. They're arranged by Truly Travel, and Truly don't sell packages. They aren't members of Abta, but they are members of the TTA. Teletext Holidays is just a trading name.

Jet2 sell packages, as do Easyjet. I've had several flights with Jet2 over the last couple of years and not suffered with any delays at all. I've got another one with them in May.

If you want the protection of the package regs but don't want the rigidity of a ready made tour operators package, ask an good independent agent who has Atol facilities to package exactly what you want.

If you go for a flight plus, or just DIY, if you have the correct insurance cover for that type of holiday you would be able to claim for consequential loss.

donna1979

Thanks. I know the ash cloud thing was a rare occurrence but it has left an uneasy feeling. The insurance we had classed it as an act of god! Turns out my oh had been looking at teletext stuff at lunch time yesterday (he has a look then leaves the rest to me) and found that lots of there published tripadvisor reviews on each hotels page were for the wrong hotel! I know I would always check but I imagine there are many who wouldn't - seems very underhand to me and I'll be staying well clear!

Jaffa_cake

hollydays wrote: »

Yes for reasons no one can fathom, they are still included in martins guide, despite the threads on here since they have been taken over by Truly ( dreadful) Travel.

I beg to differ,

A few poor results of people having difficult times with Teletext.

Compare to what must be tens of thousands of folk who repeatedly go with them every year.

Sure always a few difficult times , but we have found them very good,

Jaffa.