Travel agents selling flights can continue to avoid the need for a licence after the end of the month for transactions where the customer pays the airline directly by credit or debit card and a confirmed ticket is immediately issued.
The Flight Plus exemption is included in the Standard Terms for ATOL holders published by the Civil Aviation Authority. It says all invoices and receipts must clearly state that the flight is not protected under the ATOL scheme for the exemption to apply.
The exemption will only apply if the customer’s card is used to pay the airline, not the agent. It will not apply if the flight forms part of a package, or if the customer books accommodation or car hire as part of the same trip, even if this does not form part of the same transaction.
The CAA also confirmed IATA agents will not need to hold an ATOL and business travel sales and sales to corporate bodies, including charities and schools, will also be exempt.
Final details of the new ATOL regulations, which come into force on April 30, can be found on the CAA website.
By Linsey McNeill
