Guides › Package Holidays and Hotels › Holiday Company Went Bust
Holiday Company Went Bust
If your package holiday company goes bust, check whether your booking had ATOL, ABTA, ABTOT or BCH protection. Covered customers get a refund if they have not travelled, or a finished holiday and transport home if they are already away. If you paid by card, your card provider may also help.
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
If the Company Fails
If the Organiser Goes Bust
If a package organiser goes bust, check for ATOL, ABTA, ABTOT or BCH protection. Covered customers get a refund if they have not travelled, or a finished holiday and transport home if they are already away. source
Is It a Package?
What Counts as a Package
You likely have a package holiday if you booked 2 or more travel services (for example flights and a hotel) for the same trip from one organiser, and the trip lasts over 24 hours or includes an overnight stay. source
Linked and Independent Bookings
Linked arrangements (services from different companies, paid separately) and independent bookings give you fewer rights, and foreign-based companies may not be covered by UK law. Report problems quickly and keep receipts. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- 14 daysRefund after a cancelled packageWithin 14 days of the cancellation
- 6 yearsLegal claimGenerally 6 years in England and Wales, 5 years in Scotland (not stated on the Citizens Advice pages, so check before you wait)
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Find your booking confirmation and look for an ATOL certificate or an ABTA, ABTOT or BCH number.
Step 2 of 5
If you are covered, follow the scheme’s instructions for claiming a refund, or for getting home if you are already away.
Step 3 of 5
If you are not covered, or the claim is refused, ask your card provider about Section 75 or a chargeback.
Step 4 of 5
Keep every receipt for extra costs, and copies of everything you send and receive.
Step 5 of 5
If you are not sure whether you had a package, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Card Provider: Section 75 or Chargeback
You paid by card and the company has not put it right. Use the Financial Ombudsman Service if the card provider refuses.
Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline: 0808 223 1133
You are not sure whether you have a package holiday or what to do next.
ABTA Complaint, Mediation or Arbitration
The company is an ABTA member and has not put the problem right. A fee applies for mediation or arbitration.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Linked arrangements and independent bookings give you fewer protections than a package. Check what you booked.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 12 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.