ATOL query: no certificate for one-way flight?

codger

A quickie question for those who know about these things . . .

My brother-in-law and his wife are going to Spain in March, using the Plymouth-Santander car ferry and then driving south to stay with ex-pat friends living near Malaga. They are not, however, driving back to Santander: their friends have bought the car.

Accordingly, they have booked one-way flights back to the UK. They're with Thomas Cook Airlines. The online booking went OK but now in the airline's receipt T&Cs they've seen that no ATOL certificate is to be issued and are wondering why.

I'm anything but knowledgeable about ATOLs and such but am assuming that as their flight originates from outside the UK, it must be the case that ATOL protection cannot apply. They've paid by credit card, and this is a UK airline anyway (though perhaps that's irrelevant?)

Advice appreciated. Thanks.

richardw

Did they pay an ATOL surcharge ?

Gleeful

For flight only, issued immediately, you don't need ATOL

codger

Richard: never been any mention of a charge for ATOL on any ex-UK return flights or ex-UK package air holidays I've ever booked. But no, ATOL wasn't mentioned in the online Thomas Cook Airlines booking process undertaken by my brother-in-law. The only reference to ATOL was in the small print T&Cs, where it said that ATOL does not apply to that flight.

Gleeful: thanks for that. Yup, the two flights were booked online direct with Thomas Cook Airlines and paid in full, and a receipt / confirmation immediately issued and received.

Ainsley1

Direct quote from the CAA website:
"What situations does ATOL cover?

ATOL protection applies to virtually any overseas air holiday booked with a UK travel company. The law says your holiday must be protected if you book a holiday with a single travel firm that includes:

flights and accommodation (including a cruise), or
flights and car hire, or
flights, accommodation and car hire.

The scheme also applies when:

You book flights (including UK domestic flights) but do not receive your tickets immediately. This is most common with charter flights, but can also apply to discounted scheduled flights. Please note that ATOL does not apply to holidays or flights booked direct with scheduled airlines or to flights booked with airline ticket agents.
Your holiday involves at least one flight to or from the UK. For instance, a fly/cruise break where you travel out by ship and fly home, or a holiday in France where you travel out by Eurostar but fly home.
You book a package that includes UK domestic flights"

Does that give you an answer? Were the flights home booked with an airline ticket agent? In some circumstances, if I remember correctly (and hope clarification an be posted) flight might be booked by one Thomas Cook company acting as agent and the flight is with another of their companies.

Full details at https://www.caa.co.uk/ATOL-protection/Consumers/About-ATOL/

leylandsunaddict

No Atol protection for flights booked direct with an airline. Airlines don't hold an Atol.