Booking.com Cuts Atol Capacity, Hails Connected Trips Milestone

Booking.com has significantly reduced its ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence) protected capacity over the past two years, while simultaneously celebrating a milestone in its “connected trips” initiative.

The online travel agent (OTA) has stated that its ATOL protected capacity has been halved in the last two years. This reduction reflects a strategic shift in the company’s approach to offering travel protection.

Despite the decrease in ATOL capacity, Booking.com highlighted the progress of its “connected trips” feature. This system is designed to enable customers to book component parts of a trip separately and still receive ATOL protection. The company indicated that this product is now available to a significant portion of its customers.

Booking.com’s chief executive officer, Glenn Fogel, noted that the connected trips product has seen substantial development and is now a key offering. The aim of this initiative is to provide greater flexibility and choice for consumers while ensuring they are protected under ATOL regulations when booking different elements of their travel arrangements.

The OTA has been working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on the implementation of the “connected trips” model. This new approach aims to comply with evolving ATOL regulations, which are being updated to accommodate the changing landscape of online travel bookings.

Key Points

* Booking.com’s ATOL protected capacity has been halved in two years.
* The “connected trips” product is now available to a significant portion of customers.

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