Almost three quarters of consumers set to book holidays for this summer

• 72% of consumers are planning on booking a getaway over this summer.*
• This Saturday is ‘Sunshine Saturday’, one of the busiest days of the year for booking summer holidays.
• Consumers should look out for hidden charges or additional hidden costs and always check for ATOL protection.

Almost 3 in 4 consumers are planning to book a getaway this summer, and with ‘Sunshine Saturday’—traditionally the busiest day for holiday bookings—just around the corner, the UK Civil Aviation Authority is urging travellers to book wisely and check for ATOL protected packages.

Ahead of ‘Sunshine Saturday’, ATOL has provided top tips for booking a holiday to help consumers avoid losing money if something goes wrong.

Michael Budge, Head of ATOL, UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:

“Sunshine Saturday is one of the busiest days of the year for booking holidays, with many travellers taking advantage of bargain deals.

“We’ve seen bookings grow significantly back to pre-pandemic levels, and that’s why it’s important to make smart decisions to avoid missing out on key financial protection.

“By booking an ATOL-protected holiday, consumers know they can then relax, knowing they won’t be left out of pocket should their travel firm collapse.”

ATOL is currently running a campaign throughout January and February reminding people of the importance of checking for ATOL protection before they book their next trip abroad.

Consumers can check the ATOL website before booking and use its ‘check for ATOL’ tool to see if their holiday provider holds an ATOL licence.

ATOL’s top tips to protect your 2025 holiday bookings:

Consider booking a package trip:

• Rather than organising flights and accommodation separately, a package offers consumer protection and convenience. Consumers can easily check if their holiday provider is ATOL licensed by using the Check for ATOL tool on our website.
• Consumers will also benefit from the wider protections provided under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018

Do your research and look out for holiday fraud:

• Research your travel company and planned trip before you book, particularly if it is a company you haven’t travelled with before, and shop around with other providers to check it really is a good deal.
• Check the web address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name.
• Don’t reply to unsolicited emails, texts, social media or calls with holiday offers. Links and attachments in emails may lead to malicious websites or download viruses.

Use a credit card for holiday bookings if possible:

• A credit card may provide additional protection for your trip, under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

Book travel insurance:

• It can provide extra protection if the holiday doesn’t work out quite as intended. It can protect against a range of mishaps relating from cancellations, missed transport and medical emergencies through to items lost or stolen when travelling. The type of cover will vary so always carefully check the insurance terms and conditions for full details of cover.

Look out for hidden costs and charges:

• For example, if you want to amend the booking before you travel or if you need to pay for extra baggage.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

• The UK Civil Aviation Authority is the UK’s aviation regulator. We work so that the aviation industry meets the highest safety standards and consumers have choice, value for money, are protected and treated fairly when they fly.
• The ATOL scheme offers financial protection for British holidaymakers when they book a package trip that includes a flight.  The scheme steps in to protect passengers if their holiday company ceases to trade, assisting them to get home if they are already aboard or allowing them to make a claim for a refund if they are yet to travel.
• *Savanta surveyed 2,237 UK adults online between 1st and 4th of November 2024. Data was weighted to be nationally representative of all UK adults by age, gender region and social grade.