Financial Protection
We understand how important it is for you, our client, to have peace of mind and know that your monies are properly protected.
Your money is 100% protected – i.e. in the unlikely event that we were to cease trading, you would get your monies back – either by the ATOL scheme or through The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT).
When you book a ‘package’ which includes flights and ground arrangements (such as hotels, transfers and excursions in combination), if you are in the UK at the time of making your booking your arrangements will be covered under the ATOL scheme, unless the first leg of your journey as booked by us originates in the Irish Republic. You will also be covered for such arrangements if you are outside the UK at the time of making the booking but the first leg of your travel as booked by us originates in the UK.
When you book a package that includes a combination of ground arrangements but does not include a flight, the money you pay us for those arrangements, and the costs of your repatriation will be covered by ABTOT.
The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT)
ABTOT provides financial protection under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Steppes Travel 5488, and in the event of their insolvency, protection is provided for:
- Non-flight packages
ABTOT cover provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled or repatriation if transportation was included in your package. Please note that bookings made outside the UK are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with Steppes Travel.
In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call our 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company.
You can access The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/contents/made
You can find out more about ABTOT here: https://www.abtot.com/
ATOL
ATOL stands for the Air Travel Organisers Licence and is administered the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It is a legal requirement for us, Steppes Travel, to report all qualifying bookings to the CAA and to pay a fee for each qualifying passenger into the Air Travel Trust. In the event that we ceased trading whilst you were abroad on your holiday, the Air Travel Trust is the fund used to repatriate you and ensure you are not left stranded. If we were to cease trading prior to your holiday, the CAA guarantees all monies paid to us for your holiday and would refund it to you.
It is worth noting that in order to be granted an ATOL licence by the CAA, we are obliged to submit our accounts to the CAA for their scrutiny on a regular basis. The CAA looks for a strong balance sheet in order to satisfy themselves that Steppes Travel is a solvent going concern. This financial scrutiny should be a source of reassurance for all of you, our clients, not just those falling under ATOL protection.
The CAA provide us with standard text to state on all our collateral, and this reads: “All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ ATOLCertificate”.
Further protection for our clients – Package Travel Trust
From 2021, Steppes Travel ATOL funds are placed securely with a third party trustee (PT Trustees) until our clients return safely return from their travels. PT Trustees have been approved by the CAA to operate a trust on our behalf and have a long standing track record in the travel sector managing over £1bn of trust fund annually for a large number of businesses. By using the trust this we can ensure that there are always funds to pay suppliers or to refund clients should we not be able to operate a holiday for any reason.
Please note that this is not a substitute for travel insurance and we advise clients to arrange their own travel insurance as soon as they book a trip to ensure they are fully covered if they have any personal reasons preventing them from travelling.
Travel Regulation Insolvency Protection
Steppes Travel Ltd is a company committed to customer satisfaction and consumer financial protection. We are therefore pleased to announce that, at no extra cost to you, and in accordance with “The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018” all passengers booking with Steppes Travel Ltd are fully insured for the initial deposit, and subsequently the balance of monies paid as detailed in your booking confirmation form. The policy will also include repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Steppes Travel Ltd. This insurance has been arranged by Towergate Travel through All Seasons Underwriting Agencies Ltd.
