Protection when booking package through hotel

smulx

I thought it would be easy to find to answer for this but I haven't been able to find anything conclusive, so was hoping for some advice.

I'm looking at a package including hotel and flights on the airline's website which will include ATOL protection. However, I can book the exact same thing direct through the hotel's website (which is in Mexico) and it works out quite a bit cheaper, but I'm not sure if I'd lose out on the protection from booking through the airline. It's a very reputable hotel chain, so that's not an issue, but would I get any kind of protection or insurance booking through the hotel? Just not sure what the pros and cons are of each option, or if I can do anything more to mitigate any risk of booking through the hotel, perhaps through a comprehensive travel insurance policy.

bagand96

When you say the same thing, do you mean the hotel and flights as a package via the hotel?

Westin

If you deconstruct the flight + hotel package, or buy from an overseas agent then you won’t get ATOL protection.

It is the sale of a package, or linked travel components purchased at the same time, WITH AIR travel, sold by a U.K. provider that gives ATOL protection.

You also have other consumer rights under the Package Travel Regulations if booking a package.  For example if the airline reschedules your flight or cancels it completely it would be up to the provider of the package to find replacement flights, or refund the whole cost of the package.  

In your example (let’s assume BA flights) if you book separately and with say a non-refundable hotel rate, if BA changes the day of flight or pulls the route completely then you have no automatic rights for a refund on your hotel.

smulx

bagand96 said:

When you say the same thing, do you mean the hotel and flights as a package via the hotel?

Yeah, sorry that wasn't clear. It's the exact same deal, same hotel room and the same flights.

eskbanker

It depends on specifically what protection you have in mind - The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 are the relevant UK legislation, but are unlikely to apply to a booking made with a Mexican business, which will presumably entail a contract under Mexican legal jurisdiction?

Travel insurance is a separate matter and would generally be recommended anyway to cover all sorts of other eventualities, but is a third party arrangement that effectively offers reimbursement of eligible costs, rather than the more proactive provisions of the PTRs, which require package providers to support travellers more directly.

smulx

Westin said:

If you deconstruct the flight + hotel package, or buy from an overseas agent then you won’t get ATOL protection.

It is the sale of a package, or linked travel components purchased at the same time, WITH AIR travel, sold by a U.K. provider that gives ATOL protection.

You also have other consumer rights under the Package Travel Regulations if booking a package.  For example if the airline reschedules your flight or cancels it completely it would be up to the provider of the package to find replacement flights, or refund the whole cost of the package.  

In your example (let’s assume BA flights) if you book separately and with say a non-refundable hotel rate, if BA changes the day of flight or pulls the route completely then you have no automatic rights for a refund on your hotel.

That's good to know, thanks for the advice. Sounds like it'll be better to book through the UK-based airline for that extra piece of mind. 

I wasn't sure if booking with a credit card, or taking a good insurance policy, would offer a decent level of protection in the absence of ATOL

Westin

It doesn’t have to be a U.K. based airline.  

Can I ask which Mexican hotel group is offering you an air inclusive package?  It might be possible they have tried up a selling agreement with a U.K. business.   Sandals for example do this.

bagand96

My understanding is that any flight-inclusive package originating in the UK should be ATOL protected, even if sold by a non-UK company (plenty of foreign OTA's sell ATOL protected packages such as lastminute.com)

Who is the hotel chain/which hotel? 

smulx

Thanks everyone. The hotel chain is Iberostar.

Of course I'd be getting travel insurance anyway, just wasn't sure if certain policies gave protection comparable to that of ATOL.

Westin

That’s interesting.  The Flight + Hotel packages it seems are offered by Tor Global Travel S.L.U. trading as Onlinetravel.  They are based in Madrid.  No mention of any ATOL cover despite presumably selling UK originating air inclusive packages.

bagand96

Westin said:

That’s interesting.  The Flight + Hotel packages it seems are offered by Tor Global Travel S.L.U. trading as Onlinetravel.  They are based in Madrid.  No mention of any ATOL cover despite presumably selling UK originating air inclusive packages.

Just looked up the same. Seems its a package arm of Iberostar. The package would in theory be protected under EU package travel regulations although I'm not sure how relevant that would be for a UK consumer.

I believe they should have an ATOL bond if selling UK originating holidays. Once any company achieves a decent market share their competitors start making noise! https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/tourism/caa-under-fire-for-allowing-eu-operator-to-trade-without-an-atol