2012-07-18 — /travelprnews.com/ — The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has today announced that the Advantage Travel Group is the latest travel organiser to meet the necessary criteria to become an Accredited Body.
Under reforms introduced by the Government in April 2012, members of Accredited Bodies can sell ATOL protected holidays without having their own ATOL. Membership of an Accredited Body may therefore be a suitable option for some travel organisers to ensure they comply with the new ATOL regulations.
Andy Cohen, Head of ATOL, said: “Accredited Bodies act as another method for travel organisers to ensure the holidays they sell are covered by the ATOL scheme, protecting consumers and benefitting firms, so I would like to thank Advantage for their close cooperation during this process.”
John McEwan, CEO of Advantage Travel Centres, said: “We are delighted to have gained Accredited Body status as an ATOL capability completes the offering of our managed services arm AMS; it will enable current and potential members to thrive in the modern travel agent environment. AMS has been a great success since its inception in 2009 and the development of an ATOL capability will ensure that its offering continues to be at the forefront of the managed service arena.”
More information about Accredited Bodies and ATOL reform more generally is available from the CAA’s ATOL reform web area at www.atol.org.uk/reform.
For further media information contact the CAA Press Office on: 0207 453 6030; press.office@caa.co.uk and you can follow the CAA at @UK_CAA
Notes to Editors:
1. The ATOL scheme ensures people who have booked an air holiday with an ATOL holder are protected if their travel organiser ceases trading – bringing them back to the UK if abroad, or refunding them if yet to travel. However, with the emergence of the internet meaning people now book holidays in different ways, there is often confusion amongst the public over whether holidays are protected or not. To address this situation, the Government introduced a series of reforms to the scheme in April 2012.
2. The CAA is the UK’s specialist aviation regulator. Its activities include: making sure that the aviation industry meets the highest technical and operational safety standards; preventing holidaymakers from being stranded abroad or losing money because of travel company insolvency; planning and regulating all UK airspace; and regulating airports, air traffic services and airlines and providing advice on aviation policy from an economic standpoint.