safe travel
Safe Travel
A Message from your Trusted Holiday Provider.
With the unfortunate news of yet another travel company involved in bridge holidays collapsing recently, we wanted to offer some guidance below and reassurance, from a company that has not only traded successfully for over 30 years, but also survived the challenges of the recent pandemic, all while complying fully with UK holiday regulations and improving our own reputation in the process.
At Bridge Overseas Ltd and Guaranteed Events Ltd, we are proud to operate independently. Both companies are owned and managed day-to-day by myself. We have no shareholders demanding annual dividends, and we are not tied to larger corporations dictating how we should run our business. We do have our own ATOL and TTA bonding and can book flights and packaged holidays, and we can act as a Travel agent and Tour operator and comply with all UK holiday regulations.
We introduceD a new and unique booking system that allows you to pay a small upfront deposit and the balance of the holiday only when your holiday starts.
We introduced this during the pandemic so that we did not have to keep refunding everyone each time we went into lock down and a holiday had to be cancelled.
We kept this booking system in place, in part because it is very simple process but mainly to demonstrate that we are a financially secure business and we do not trade on our client’s money, unlike many others.
Our ethos is simple:
We look after our clients in all circumstances and aim to deliver premium holidays and service but without premium prices.
How to Check If a Holiday Company is Safe
Having an ATOL or ABTA licence or being part of an industry bonding scheme doesn’t necessarily mean a travel company is financially secure. Both large and small operators can face bankruptcy, so it’s worth doing some basic checks before you book your holiday.
Here are some simple ways to assess whether a travel company is trustworthy:
1 Check their social media presence.
Are they regularly updating their Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter) accounts? A current and active social media presence often reflects an engaged and operational business.2 Look at their Google rating.
Do they have reviews on Google? If not, ask yourself why. Google reviews is completely fee to use and open to the public and negative reviews cannot easily be removed, even if they are false. Some companies do NOT like this and prefer to use paid for review services, where it is much easier to filter out poor feedback. Be cautious if you only see glowing testimonials on their own website.3 How long have they been trading?
You can easily check this by searching their company name on Companies House. Or you can search the company director names to see how many companies they are currently or have been involved with. A long list of directorships with closed companies in many cases is not a good sign. Some companies will say they have been in the business for many years but have moved from one failed company to the next.4 Can you easily find their contact details and office address?
A reputable firm should make it easy to find their physical address, landline number, and customer service email.5 Ask for a credit report
A trustworthy company should be happy to provide this, though you can also get one yourself through a credit reference agency (usually for a fee of around £25). Keep in mind that companies which survived the pandemic may have slightly lower than expected scores – this isn’t necessarily a red flag.6 Paying Deposits
Some companies let you pay a small deposit upfront and the balance closer to the departure date. This reduces your financial risk and shows the company has the resources to operate without needing all the money immediately up front. Be wary of large upfront deposits.
Ask why they need a significant sum straight away, could it be a sign they’re short on cash?7 Have they recently changed names or merged with another company ?
Frequent name changes or mergers might suggest financial instability or poor management. You can track this history via Companies House for free.8 Ask around
Word of mouth still matters. Have friends, family, or colleagues had good experiences with the company? If they had a bad experience how was it dealt with.9 Customer Care
Every business needs to turn a profit, but do they seem genuinely committed to customer care – or are they only in it for the money? Do they keep your deposit if you have to cancel ? do they try to resell your booking ? Look for signs of long-term customer relationships and quality service.
10 Pay by credit card
If you're being asked for up-front payments and deposits, pay by credit card, this will give you some insurance cover if a company fails to deliver your holiday.