Your flights may not be ATOL protected – here’s how you can check
Passengers who had booked tickets with FlyBMI may not be protected after the airline went into administration
HUNDREDS of passengers have been left stranded after East Midlands airline FlyBMI announced that they were going into administration.
With all flights grounded since last Saturday, many Brits may be left questioning whether they are entitled to any replacement flights or compensation.
Are FlyBMI passengers ATOL protected?
The (CAA) advises that anyone who has bought their flights as part of a package holiday to check whether the travel firm they booked with has an ATOL certificate as they would be eligible for replacement flights or a refund if so.
A CAA spokesperson told Sun Online Travel that Brits who booked their flights directly with FlyBMI are not protected by ATOL and will need to organise their return flights at their own expense.
Anyone who booked their flights using a credit card may be able to get a refund under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act or have travel insurance that includes "Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance" (SAFI).
Sun Online revealed how you can claim compensation or get a refund if you have bought FlyBMI flights.
For example, easyJet states on their website both flights and holidays are protected: "All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays sold in UK on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme."
However, Ryanair explain on their website that "flights booked directly from an airline are not ATOL protected".
, Brits who receive an ATOL certificate immediately after booking are covered when purchasing flights only, yet this is on a case-by-case basis of airlines.
Flight-only arrangements bought through a travel agent are not always protected under the scheme - so make sure you always ask.
What does an ATOL protected holiday mean?
By law, every UK travel company that sells package holidays and flights is required to hold an ATOL certificate, which stands for Air Travel Organiser’s Licence.
If an ATOL-certified travel company ceases trading, the scheme protects customers who booked holidays with the firm - making sure they don't get stranded abroad or end up out of pocket.
It's designed to reassure consumers that their money is safe, and it helps customers if their travel agent goes bust.
After the airline Monarch collapsed, those who booked a package holiday were ATOL protected and were able to get their money back.
Primera Air, a Danish-registered airline, was not part of the Civil Aviation Authority's ATOL Protection scheme and after it collapsed in October 1, its stranded customers could not claim compensation because of its lack of ATOL certification.
Brits should always book their own travel insurance before heading abroad on a holiday.
Some policies start from as little as £9 a year although these would only offer basic protection.
A no-deal Brexit could see travel insurance being void from April.