Are you looking to become ABTA-protected? Whether you are a travel agent or a tour operator, our team of experienced travel consultants can simplify the ABTA membership process for you. From assessing your financial stability to helping you secure bonds or Financial Failure Insurance, we provide end-to-end support to ensure your business meets ABTA’s membership criteria.

What is ABTA?

ABTA, the Travel Association, provides insolvency protection to ABTA members and support to consumers in the event of an ABTA member’s insolvency.

How to Become ABTA Protected

The Air Travel Consultancy is an ABTA Partner and can organise Bonds and Financial Failure Insurance for your ABTA membership. Becoming ABTA protected requires you to join the Association and adhere to its membership criteria. Here is how the process works:

1. Determine how you trade

ABTA offers membership to Travel businesses that organise retail and principal (tour operator) business 

• Retail: have agreements in place with principals who appoint you as an agent 
• Principals (Tour Operators): Companies that organise and sell package holidays and have booking terms direct to the consumer. 
• Both Retail and Principal business
   

You will need to determine how you trade before applying for ABTA membership.

2. Meet financial and membership criteria

• Financial Stability: Your business must demonstrate financial stability, which is assessed through your accounts and financial forecasts. 
• Insurance: ABTA requires principal members to have adequate professional indemnity insurance to protect against potential claims.

3. Application 

The ABTA membership application process requires applicants to complete the ABTA application form and submit a comprehensive set of financial documents. ABTA will assess your application to ensure you meet its criteria and we can provide further assistance by responding to ABTA enquiries on your behalf. 

Once your application is approved, you will receive a decision letter that notes the level of bonding and membership fees ABTA requires to meet its criteria. 

A Bond is a type of financial guarantee which can be:

• Insurance backed where you pay an annual premium to the Insurer. Insurance backed bonds are usually unsecured. The bond value and annual premium is confirmed by the Insurer completing a financial risk assessment on your company. 
• Bank backed bonds require you to set aside cash security against the bond. The Bank may ask you to deposit the full value of the bond in a bank account.

Alternatively, ABTA accepts Financial Failure Insurance instead of bonding. 

How We Can Help

The process of becoming ABTA protected can be time-consuming and complex, but that is where we come in. As experienced consultants, we simplify the process for you by:

Pre-Application Consultation

We assess your business’s financial health and how you trade to determine your readiness for ABTA membership.

Documentation Assistance

Our team helps you gather and prepare the necessary documentation, including financial statements, supporting information about the business and any insurance policies, ensuring that your application is complete and meets ABTA’s requirements.

Navigating the Financial Requirements

We assist with securing the required bonds or financial failure insurance 

Post-Membership Support

After your ABTA membership is confirmed we can continue to support you by completing your membership administration such as quarterly and annual reports