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Travellers in limbo after British holiday firm loses licence

Travellers in limbo after British holiday firm loses licence

The company, based in Berkshire, stopped trading as an Air Travel Organiser's Licence (ATOL) holder on June 13.
The Civil Aviation Authority said: "The company based in Sandhurst, Berkshire traded under the names Your Holidays, Great Little Escapes, Tunisia First and websites www.themaldives.co.uk,www.yourholidays.co.uk, www.thecaribbean.com and www.greatlittleescapes.co.uk.
"We are currently collating information from the company and will update this page as soon as possible.
"Whilst waiting for further information, please do not submit a claim as these will be rejected."
It added: "If you are a travel agent of Great Little Escapes LLP and you are currently holding consumer payments which you have not yet paid to Great Little Escapes LLP, you must not use these funds to refund consumers until you have received instructions from the Air Travel Trust.
"Travel agents will be individually contacted by the CAA with specific instructions for these bookings."
The Civil Aviation Authority has the power to prosecute under section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006. The maximum sentence for this offence is 10 years' imprisonment.
What do I do if my holiday company goes bust?
Check that you have ATOL protection. If the travel provider was an ATOL holder, you may be ATOL protected if you purchased a flight and have not received tickets and have been given an ATOL Certificate.
This was introduced in 1973, as the popularity of overseas trips grew. The scheme is run by us at the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). When you purchase an ATOL protected trip which includes a flight, you should be given an ATOL Certificate.
Recommended reading:
If your travel company becomes a failed ATOL holder when you are abroad, they help you to continue your trip by:
Assisting you to stay in your holiday accommodation, if possible.
Reimbursing you for any money you may have spent to replace ATOL protected parts of your trip, e.g. accommodation, car hire, transfers.
Arranging flights home, depending on the circumstance.
It is important to check that the travel company you are looking to book with holds an ATOL.
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