Goldtrail Holidays advice for customers

I was asked to talk about the failure of Goldtrail Holidays on BBC Radio today. I went into the plush BBC Radio Leeds studios in Leeds as the radio station had received calls from worried Goldtrail customers. Here is a summary of the advice I gave.Firstly, Goldtrail Holidays had an ATOL which means that if you are abroad the CAA will arrange for you to be flown home on the same day that you were scheduled to return so that you will be able to continue your holiday as normal.Secondly, if you had booked a flight only or package holiday with Goldtrail then you will not be able to travel and you will need to re-book a new holiday or flight. You will need to pay again for the new holiday but you will be able to make a claim for the cost of your lost holiday or flight. If you have booked direct with Goldtrail then you can download an ATOL claim form from the CAA website. If you have booked with a travel agent then you need to contact them and provide them with the ATOL receipt and Goldtrail invoice. Your travel agent will complete the ATOL claim form for you and send it to the CAA. Refunds should take 2 to 3 months providing that all the correct documents have been sent with the form. Ask your travel agent to send the ATOL claim by recorded delivery.If you are still abroad on a Goldtrail holiday and you are being asked by your hotel to pay then you should tell the hotel that they will be paid by the CAA. The hotel manager can call a special telephone number at the CAA to be re-assured that they will be paid. The telephone number the hotel should call is the CAA overseas helpline number 0044 203 441 0846.If you pay your hotel again because they are putting you under pressure to pay then you will have paid twice and won’t get your money back.Finally, it is my opinion that booking a package holiday with an ATOL protected tour operator is still the best way to financially protect your holiday. Booking a separate flight and accommodation yourself has far more finacial risk than booking a package holiday. Whilst many people have had their holiday plans disrupted at least most people wiill get their money back. This may well not be the case of you have opted for the DIY holiday method.Always use a travel agent, either an online one or on the high street and you are less likely to suffer financial loss.Call Global Holidays on 0845 299 4450 if you want to book a fully ATOL protected holiday