Bargain Holidays - Don't get ripped off! Advice from HolidayHolidayHoliday.co.uk

Created by HHH Team - 28/02/2010

As the winter drags on, many of the UK population are searching for bargain holidays to banish their winter blues. But with so many millions of holiday, hotel and flight websites available online now how do you know which ones are real and which ones are a scam? How do you choose which one to use and how do you avoid getting ripped off?!

"At holidayholidayholiday.co.uk consumer trust is very important to us" says Director Emma Healey, "Our holiday comparison website displays millions of bargain holidays updated on a daily basis, from hundreds of UK based travel agents. Part of our strict advertising agreement with these travel agents is that they must be ATOL and ABTA bonded to be allowed to advertise" ABTA and ATOL are well known in the travel industry and offer help with protection for your holiday in case anything goes wrong, helping to give the consumer peace of mind.

So how do you tell if a website is real and how do you protect yourself when booking a holiday? Emma advises:

1. ABTA and ATOL are strict about who displays their logos/numbers. Look for statements that the website is protected and look for the ATOL and ABTA logos on the website. "On holidayholidayholiday.co.uk we place the ABTA and ATOL numbers and logos on each specific holiday offer, as we have millions of bargain holidays that could be from a number of different agents/operators. That way the consumer can see exactly what protection they are covered by for each holiday offer and can call the travel agent directly to confirm what is covered" confirms Emma.

2. Check that the agent is who they say they are: Both the ABTA & ATOL websites allow you to search on the number supplied by the travel agent to ensure that they are a real travel agent and are part of the ABTA/ATOL scheme.

3. Check for elements on the website such as a trading name, address and contact number. If the offer is vague on contact details then there may be an element of doubt with regards to the authenticity. You could check the company details with Companies House also.

4. DIY holidays can be dogged with problems if something goes wrong and you're not covered. On average, according to the CAA, one in five holidaymakers believe their holiday is covered when it isn't. No frills airlines are not protected by the ATOL scheme and could cause you problems if a flight is cancelled.

5. Paying for your holiday by credit card can help protect your holiday financially if the company you booked with goes bust. It is worth checking your credit card issuer's terms and conditions on this just to make sure you are protected.

6. Some travel insurance policies will cover you if the airline goes out of business for example but again check with your provider to make sure if you have any doubts before you book.

"If you are looking to book a holiday online choose a website you can trust" says Emma, "Many people want a fantastic deal on their bargain holidays and perceive that 'doing it themselves' is a sure fire way to ensure this when actually, by using a holiday comparison website like holidayholidayholiday.co.uk, the holidaymaker has access to hundreds of bona fide travel agents on one website who they can haggle with still for money off, but with the extra peace of mind that if they book with one of them, the holiday should be protected".