Airline Failure Protection

Airline Failure Protection (AFP)

The ATOL and ABTA Bonds protect consumers in the unlikely event of that a Travel Company should cease trading. But what about protection of your money if an airline should stop flying?

Definitive Tours has put in place an additional financial protection to safeguard our passengers and their money in the unlikely event of a scheduled airline failure which importantly enables Definitive Tours to act quickly in providing alternative flight arrangements for passengers overseas or passengers in the UK still due to travel.

What is AFP?
AFP is a scheme designed to totally protect Definitive Tours customers against the financial failure of any airline they have booked.

All airlines sold by Definitive Tours are Protected

Unlike many other practices in the market place Definitive Tours Airline Failure Protection protects customers who book any Scheduled or No Frills flight tickets with Definitive Tours. In the event of the financial failure of an airline, Definitive Tours will either fully refund all monies paid for the flights or provide re-protection onto another suitable carrier. If the passenger has already departed, we will offer alternative onward or return flights to the UK.

Who is Protected?
All passengers purchasing Airline tickets from Definitive Tours and named on the Definitive Tours Confirmation/Invoice and Airline Ticket.

What is the Protection?
Should an airline fail prior to departure, a full refund of the flight ticket will be made for any monies paid in advance of the failure (eg. deposit or full balance less any amendments or ancillary charges).

In the event of the airline failure after departure, Definitive Tours AFP will repay;

a) additional pro rata costs incurred by the passenger in replacing that part of the flight arrangements to a similar standard to that originally booked or
b) if curtailment of the holiday is unavoidable - the cost of return flights to the nearest airport to the point of original departure to a similar standard to that originally booked. Definitive Tours AFP will pay up to the value of the Air Ticket not exceeding £3000 for each passenger (£1500 for a one way journey).

What is excluded?
Definitive Tours AFP does not cover:

a) Scheduled flights not booked from the UK
b) Scheduled flights not booked through Definitive Tours or booked direct with a scheduled airline
c) The financial failure of:

i. Any scheduled airline who is bonded or insured elsewhere (even if the bond is insufficient to meet the claim) i.e. they have other cover elsewhere which would cover such claims
ii. Any travel agent, tour organiser, booking agent or consolidator with whom the customer has booked a scheduled flight.

Once an airline has failed or is in danger of failure, Definitive Tours will withdraw that airline from general sale. Any subsequent tickets bought for this airline after this date at the passenger’s request will be the passengers own financial risk. (Note: AFP will not appear on the confirmation invoice)

Procedure in the Event of an Airline Failure
In the event of an airline failure, Definitive Tours will endeavour to immediately contact all passengers or their Travel Agents with a view to reprotecting their intended flights, or to help with repatriation, in the following sequence

1) Within 24hrs - all passengers caught up in the failure overseas and anyone due to fly within 72 hours.
2) After 24 hrs and within 72 hours - all passengers who have a booking with the failed airline should have been contacted.

Any occurrence which may give rise to rescheduling should be advised to passengers or their travel agents within 4 days. In the unlikely event that you have not been contacted by Definitive Tours when an airline has reportedly failed, please speak to the Definitive Tours Operations Department who will assist you with your specific situation.

With ABTA, IATA, ATOL and AFP - your money is safe with Definitive Tours!