Travel question of the day: Simon Calder on Atol cover for DIY trips

Have a travel question that needs answering? Ask our expert Simon Calder

The airlines serving Hong Kong from the UK, such as Virgin Atlantic, are not at risk of collapse (Getty)

Q Last week you talked about someone who wanted a stopover in Hong Kong en route to Australia. You said they could use an agent, or “you could do it all yourself”. But if you do this, then don’t you lose Atol cover?

Name withheld

A The Air Travel Organiser’s Licence, or Atol, is a scheme that was brought in to limit the damage when package tour operators go bust. The idea is to protect holidaymakers’ pre-payments, and to allow travellers to continue their holiday if the firm goes bust.

Scheduled flights bought direct from an airline are not covered. But looking at the carriers flying between the UK and Hong Kong – British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic – they are all rock-solid companies that are not going to vanish between booking a flight and departure date.

There are some advantages of packaging up the trip – such as buying accommodation the same transaction – but that is because it earns the benefits of the Package Travel Regulations, which basically require the tour operator to deliver the trip as planned or sort out problems when they arise.

Every day, our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder