ATOL Protection

1. Introduction

This page explains how ATOL (Air Travel Organiser's Licensing) protection applies to flight-inclusive holidays booked with Talvania Global Ltd ("we", "us", "our"). ATOL is one of several protections referred to in our wider Booking Protection statement, and this page sets out, specifically, what ATOL is, when it applies to your booking, and how it protects your money. Please read this page alongside our Terms & Conditions, and ask us before you pay a deposit if you are ever unsure whether ATOL applies to your specific trip.

2. What Is ATOL?

ATOL (Air Travel Organiser's Licensing) is a UK financial protection scheme, established under the Civil Aviation (Air Travel Organisers' Licensing) Regulations, and administered by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK's aviation regulator. ATOL exists to protect consumers who buy flight-inclusive holidays and other flight-inclusive travel arrangements from the UK, so that if the business responsible for that ATOL-protected trip stops trading, customers who have already paid are not left stranded abroad or simply out of pocket. Only businesses holding a valid ATOL, issued by the CAA, are permitted to sell ATOL-protected flight-inclusive holidays.

3. Our ATOL Protection Arrangement

Talvania Global works with our host travel agency, Brightsun Travel, which holds ATOL number 3856. Where the flight-inclusive Travel Arrangements you book with us meet the legal definition of an ATOL-protected trip — broadly, a package or a Flight-Plus arrangement that includes a flight — your booking is protected under ATOL 3856. We will always confirm to you in writing, before you pay, whether your specific booking is ATOL protected, and we will issue the ATOL Certificate described in Section 5 for any booking that is.

4. Which Bookings Are ATOL Protected

Not every booking made with us is an ATOL-protected trip. ATOL protection generally applies to: (a) packages that combine a flight with accommodation, car hire or another tourist service, sold together for a single price; and (b) Flight-Plus arrangements, where a flight is combined with accommodation or car hire booked separately, within a short window, through the same business. ATOL protection does not generally apply to flight-only bookings, which are instead protected through the airline's own arrangements and, where applicable, the IATA Billing and Settlement Plan described in our Booking Protection statement, nor to standalone accommodation-only or car-hire-only bookings made without an accompanying flight. We will always tell you which category your booking falls into before you pay.

5. The ATOL Certificate

Whenever you buy an ATOL-protected flight-inclusive holiday from us, you are entitled by law to receive an ATOL Certificate. This document sets out important information about your booking, confirms that your trip is protected, explains what that protection means for you and your party, and provides a link to further advice on the government's ATOL consumer information pages. Please read your ATOL Certificate carefully when it is issued, keep it safe with your other booking documents, and take it with you when you travel, as it may be needed if you ever need to make a claim.

6. What ATOL Protection Covers

If Brightsun Travel, or an ATOL holder further along the supply chain for your specific booking, fails financially, ATOL protection is designed to ensure that you are not left stranded abroad if you have already departed, and that you receive a refund of monies paid for your ATOL-protected trip if you have not yet travelled. This protection is funded and administered through the Air Travel Trust, described in Section 8, rather than being a guarantee given directly by Talvania Global itself. The precise remedy available (repatriation, alternative arrangements, or a refund) depends on the circumstances of the failure and the stage your trip has reached.

7. If We or Our Host Agency Cease Trading

Because your ATOL-protected booking is protected under ATOL 3856, held by Brightsun Travel, monies you have paid for an ATOL-protected trip are safeguarded under the ATOL scheme in the event that Brightsun Travel, or Talvania Global as the selling agent for that trip, is unable to continue trading. You should contact us as soon as you become aware of any such situation, and, where you are already abroad, you should also refer to the guidance provided on your ATOL Certificate, which explains how to access emergency assistance.

8. The Air Travel Trust

The Air Travel Trust is a fund, overseen by trustees and supported by the CAA, that exists specifically to meet claims from customers of failed ATOL holders, covering costs such as repatriation flights or refunds of advance payments for ATOL-protected trips that could not go ahead. The Trust is funded in part through the Air Travel Trust contribution collected from customers on each ATOL-protected booking, and is separate from the general finances of any individual ATOL holder, including Brightsun Travel, which is part of why ATOL protection can continue to operate even after the specific business involved in your booking has ceased trading.

9. Bookings That Are Not ATOL Protected

Where your booking with us is a flight-only booking, or a standalone accommodation, car hire or other ground-arrangement booking without an accompanying flight sold by us, ATOL protection does not apply. As explained in our Booking Protection statement, flight-only bookings are instead ticketed through Brightsun Travel's IATA accreditation (IATA 3856), and standalone accommodation or car hire bookings are generally held directly with the relevant Supplier under that Supplier's own terms. We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance for any booking, protected or not, as described in Section 12.

10. How to Verify Our ATOL Protection

You are welcome, and encouraged, to independently verify ATOL number 3856 using the CAA's public ATOL holder checking tools before you pay for your trip. If you have any doubt about whether your specific booking is ATOL protected, please ask your travel consultant before making payment — we would rather answer this question clearly upfront than leave any ambiguity about how your money is protected.

11. ATOL Compared to IATA Accreditation

ATOL and IATA accreditation are separate schemes that address different parts of your trip. ATOL, described on this page, is a UK-specific licensing and consumer-protection scheme covering flight-inclusive packages and Flight-Plus arrangements, backed by the Air Travel Trust. IATA accreditation, described in our Booking Protection statement, is an international system governing how accredited agents issue and settle airline tickets, and is not itself a consumer compensation fund. Brightsun Travel holds both an ATOL and IATA accreditation, but which framework applies to your specific booking depends on what you have actually purchased, as explained in Section 4.

12. Your Responsibilities: Travel Insurance

ATOL protection covers the financial failure of the relevant ATOL holder in relation to your specific trip — it is not a substitute for travel insurance. We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance as soon as you confirm your booking, including cover for cancellation, medical expenses, repatriation in circumstances not covered by ATOL, personal belongings and personal liability. ATOL protection and travel insurance are designed to work together, each covering different risks, so that you have the fullest possible peace of mind for your trip.

13. Making a Claim

If you need to make a claim relating to ATOL protection, please contact us first, quoting your booking reference and ATOL Certificate number, so that we can advise you on the correct process. Depending on the circumstances of a failure, claims relating to the Air Travel Trust may need to be submitted directly in accordance with the guidance issued by the CAA at the time, which we will help you access and understand. Keeping your ATOL Certificate, booking confirmation and payment receipts safe, as described in Section 5, will help any claim be processed as smoothly as possible.

14. Complaints Relating to ATOL Bookings

If you experience an issue relating specifically to the ATOL protection of your booking, please contact us first using the details in Section 16 so we can investigate and, where necessary, liaise with Brightsun Travel on your behalf. We aim to acknowledge any such complaint promptly and to keep you informed while we work towards a resolution, in accordance with the wider complaints process described in our Booking Protection statement.

15. Changes to This Page

We may update this ATOL Protection page from time to time to reflect changes in our host agency arrangements or applicable ATOL regulation. The ATOL Certificate and written confirmation provided to you at the time of your specific booking will always take precedence over the general information on this page for that booking. The date at the top of this page indicates when it was last revised.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions about ATOL protection or your ATOL Certificate, please contact us on (0203) 983-6853, via WhatsApp, or through our Contact Us page before you make payment. Our registered office address is Office 8168, 321-323 High Road, Chadwell Heath, Essex, United Kingdom, RM6 6AX.