ABTA Reviews 745

When there was a problem with my signing in on the portal it was resolved to my satisfaction.Glad to have it all resolved now

As I’m DeafBlind and havesupportworker

After a holiday complaint about a easyjet holiday abta got things sorted out when I contracted easyjet they where not interested in helping after 2 months back and forward abta got it sorted out and I got refund from easyjet

I was kept informed every step of the way concerning my claim. A very professional service.

Although the friendly agent Charles could not advise on whether the offer we received from Easyjet was acceptable, he did provide valuable advice on what we should expect on the next stages if we chose to pursue the matter further.
Thank you Charles, (although we're still disappointed with Easyjet)

Very professional, yet friendly process.

Absolutely waste of time, after first complaining to P&O with an unsatisfactory response i thought genuine case abta will sort it! how wrong i was!! exactly same response from P&0 to Abta and thats it!!! either except or pay for arbitration or go to court undependably, complete waste of time, and looking at reviews seem i am not the only one

ABTA we're very efficient in completing my case. Had my money back in my account before the allotted time I was given. Thank you very much.

We contacted ABTA due to a holiday we recently went on where the rating was misrepresented. From the first contact, ABTA updated us with the status of our complaint. The contact was continued throughout the process. Our case was also dealt with promptly at every stage. It was extremely quick for our case to go to a mediation stage for our request of compensation from our travel company. The mediation stage was a phone call and the ABTA mediator was very good. We secured a settlement agreement at that time of our mediation. We were extremely impressed with the quick process with ABTA. We did have all our evidence of a paper trail of emails with the travel company which made our case easier to prove. Thank you
ABTA for helping us with our dispute. I would highly recommend using ABTA for a resolution through mediation.
Michael Taaffe

after a really frustrating process with TUI, I called ABTA in and used the mediation service and the issue was resolved really quickly

Very professional - far less painful experience than I was anticipating
The mediator was friendly and reassuring
Thank you

I had a very positive experience with the mediation service. The mediator called exactly on time, spoke in a calm and professional manner, and clearly explained the process. The conversation was efficient, respectful and well organised, and I appreciated the follow-up call as well. Overall, the service felt professional, supportive and easy to navigate.

It was "great" because it worked, but the (in my opinion) unnecessary hassle in uploading the supporting documentation (i.e. it had to be in pdf format)made the process more difficult than I would have expected

Process felt automated but efficient, and had the desired effect, i.e. it got the travel company actually talking to me rather than dismissing my concerns.

Went through the arbitration process, total shambles and costly. The process really is stacked in the favour of the ABTA members, points of contract are misstated by arbitrator in original award then on appeal they become super defensive and raise the appeal bar so high, no one will be able to overturn. In hindsight I would of pursued the travel company in small claims. Really was disappointing, apparently members can act how they want and not be punished.

First time using ABTA for help resolving issues experienced whilst holidaying abroad with Easy Jet. After sending our list of numerous complaints to the holiday company, we were not happy with the outcome, so told them we would take the issue up with ABTA, only for them to reply with, ' the 15% we have offered is what ABTA states'..... Long story short ABTA set up a mediation telephone conversation with myself and the holiday company to try to resolve the issuses where we requested compensation on level more than Easy Jet had offered. After my first 10 minute call, where I got to put my points across, then the company's 10 minute call, then both of us having another 10 minutes each. A decision was reached and our compensation was more than doubled

ABTA were helpful in prompting a resolution after a prolonged dispute with a tour operator.

While ABTA correctly clarified the limits of their remit, their involvement led to the tour operator re-engaging and ultimately resolving the matter with a fair settlement. Communication was clear and professional, and the case was handled in a structured way once escalated.

The process was not quick, and it did require persistence, but ABTA’s intervention did make a difference to the final outcome. Overall, a useful dispute resolution service when direct dialogue has stalled.

Abta ensure the tour operators look after their clients and are fair.
I had an on going complaint with Jet2. I had turned down their initial, insulting offer and was fed up of constant apologies for the wait.
I registered my complaint with Abta and received another call from Jet2 within the week. The offer was double the original offer and had I have not had other stressful events going on I would have paid the £150 & gone to arbitration as I believe Jet2 had truly misrepresented the holiday we purchased.
Abta do not get involved too much but they were there to ensure the tour operators that sell the holidays follow a code of conduct and are accountable for the holidays they sell. I would never book a holiday without an ABTA licence.

ABTA has stated they will not engage with my complaint until a Section 75 claim is fully exhausted.

This is an extraordinary position. Section 75 is a credit card consumer remedy, it is not an investigation into safety, seaworthiness, or whether a cruise operator acted transparently. It does not establish facts, examine ship defects, or assess whether passengers were placed at risk.

My complaint concerns Cunard’s Queen Anne, Voyage H531 (30 Nov–14 Dec 2025), where the vessel displayed sustained abnormal movement and mechanical noises inconsistent with sea conditions, followed by an early termination of the voyage. These are not billing issues, they are safety and disclosure issues affecting around 3,000 passengers.

ABTA has declined to review evidence, challenge Cunard’s explanations, or seek clarification on whether defects were known prior to sailing. Instead, they have chosen to repeat Cunard’s “force majeure” wording and insist that a credit card dispute must conclude first.

In practice, this means ABTA will not act at all unless another party forces the issue.

If ABTA’s involvement is conditional on exhausting unrelated financial remedies, then its value as an independent consumer body is questionable. Based on my experience, ABTA functions as a shield for its members rather than an advocate for consumers.

Following ABTA’s response yesterday.

The claim that they “cannot assist” while a Section 75 or chargeback claim is active is misleading in my opinion.

Section 75 is a legal right for credit card purchases and does not prevent anyone from filing a complaint with ABTA at the same time.

The wording on “what we can and cannot help with” reflects ABTA’s internal process, not the law, and could confuse consumers.

Section 75 and a chargeback are related but distinct: Section 75 applies only to credit cards and is a legal right under the Consumer Credit Act. The credit card provider is jointly liable with the merchant in this case, Cunard/Carnival — for purchases between £100–£30,000.

Chargebacks can be used on credit or debit cards and are a voluntary scheme run by card networks, not a legal entitlement.

My contact with ABTA is about multiple points with Cunard, and I like many other passengers strongly refute Cunard’s reliance on “Force Majeure” which it is advising customers of this cruise.

I understand ABTA’s internal procedure is to wait until the Section 75 claim has concluded, and I will confirm the outcome once it is resolved.

I raised a complaint regarding Cunard setting sail on a 14 night cruise (Queen Anne) in December, knowing that the stabilisers were not working.
The ship rocked and rolled every sea day and Cunard finished it early so that it could dock in Southampton a day earlier for divers to try and fix it.
Cunard claimed it was an Act of God (Force Majeure) and refused any compensation.
It wasn't Force Majeure as Cunard were well aware of the problems before setting off.
ABTA didn't do anything except print the Cunard denial.
A waste of time