Last Updated on November 14, 2026
Read a short summary
General summary
Travel carries real protection schemes with public checks. It is also a trade of logos, and logos are claims. Check the ATOL number on the Civil Aviation Authority’s ATOL website before you pay for a package with flights. Check any ABTA claim on ABTA’s public member search. Get your ATOL certificate when you pay. Check the company at Companies House and match it to the name on the booking terms.
Bullet points
- Check the ATOL number on the Civil Aviation Authority’s ATOL website before paying for a package with flights.
- Check any ABTA claim on ABTA’s public member search. A logo is only a claim.
- Get your ATOL certificate when you pay. If none arrives, ask for it the same day, in writing.
- Check the company at Companies House and match it to the name on the booking terms.
- Pay by credit card where you can.
Basic explainer
If a travel firm fails, you could be stranded abroad or lose your money. ATOL and ABTA are schemes that protect travellers. ATOL is run by the Civil Aviation Authority and covers packages that include flights. Anyone can check whether a firm really belongs to them. This guide shows how, in a few minutes, before you pay.
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Travel is the trade where a firm’s failure strands you in another country, which is why it carries real protection schemes with public checks. It is also a trade of logos, and logos are claims. Here is how to check the claims, in minutes, before paying.
The quick version
- Check the ATOL number on the Civil Aviation Authority’s ATOL website before you pay for a package with flights.
- Check any ABTA claim on ABTA’s public member search. A logo is only a claim.
- Get your ATOL certificate when you pay. If none arrives, ask for it the same day, in writing.
- Check the company at Companies House and match it to the name on the booking terms.
- Pay by credit card where you can. Never pay by bank transfer to a personal account.
Check the ATOL number
Any firm selling flight-inclusive packages should display an ATOL number, and the CAA’s ATOL website lets you check the number and the business holding it. Check the name on the licence against the name taking your money: travel brands, franchises and homeworking agents often sell under one name on another’s licence, which is lawful, and worth understanding before you pay rather than during a failure.
Check the ABTA claim
ABTA’s member search is public. A displayed ABTA logo with no findable membership is your answer about the firm generally, not just the logo. Remember what each scheme is: ATOL is the CAA’s statutory scheme for flight-inclusive packages; ABTA membership brings its code and protection arrangements for many non-flight packages. One does not imply the other.
The certificate is the proof
On a protected flight-inclusive booking, an ATOL certificate must be issued when you pay, naming the protected parties and what is covered. This document is the difference between protection and the vibe of protection. If payment happens and no certificate appears, ask for it the same day, in writing.
The company behind the brand
The usual check still applies: the firm at Companies House, active, matching the name on the booking terms. Travel’s long history of weekend-collapse firms is exactly why the schemes above exist; the entity check tells you who you are actually trusting between booking and departure.
Paying like a professional
Important: Pay by credit card where you can, for the card issuer’s protection on top; keep the ATOL certificate and booking confirmations; and treat any request for bank transfer to a personal account as the end of the conversation. Protection schemes are good; not needing them is better.
