Are you safe if you book online
Tuesday November 11 2008
Q I am writing to inquire about booking a flight on the internet with a credit card. My friend says that if the airline goes bust, everything will be okay if I've paid for the flight this way.
My own thinking is that, if this happens, it is my problem and I would have to organise my own flight home out of my own pocket.
What is your opinion on this?
Joe Vicars
A My opinion is that passengers in Ireland and elsewhere are woefully under-protected in the event of airline failure. The key points are whether you book directly with an airline or via a licensed travel agent, and whether you pay by credit card or not.
If you book with a licensed agent, you will be covered for repatriation or refund in the event of your airline failing. If you book direct with an airline, there is no protection available.
If you book with a credit card, in theory your mon-ey should be protected. In pract- ice, receiving full or even partial refunds can be a long, drawn-out pro- cess and the success rate for doing so is unclear.
As no-one seems very interested in protecting customers booking directly with airlines, protect yourself by seeking out SAFI (Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance) as part of a travel insurance policy. Not everyone offers this -- one company that does is Abbey Travel (www.abbeytravel.ie).
