Financial Security

We are licensed by the UK Goverment through the Civil Aviation Authority and hold an Air Travel Organisers Licence. This means that we are permitted to sell you holidays which include air travel. The licence, together with the associated bonding, is renewed annually and we are required to go through a rigorous inspection before it is renewed. Our ATOL number is ATOL 5359. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom. Click on the ATOL logo if you want to know more.

In The Saddle is a tour operator member of the Association of British Travel Agents, probably the most widely known standard setting body of the travel industry. As with the ATOL licence we must renew and be checked annually. ABTA sets extremely high standards to which tour operators should comply with. We are also bonded with ABTA for the holidays we sell which do not have a flight element.

We are also members of the Association of Independent Tour Operators, having met yet another rigorous check and satisfied financial and other criteria. As an association of independent and usually specialist companies, we share a common dedication to high standards of quality and personal service.

AITO Quality Charter
AITO is the Association for independent and specialist holiday companies. Our member companies, usually owner-managed, strive to create overseas holidays with high levels of professionalism and a shared concern for quality and personal service. The Association encourages the highest standards in all aspects of tour operating.

EXCLUSIVE MEMBERSHIP
AITO sets criteria regarding ownership, finance and quality which must be satisfied before new companies are admitted to membership. All members are required to adhere to a Code of Business Practice which encourages high operational standards and conduct.

FINANCIAL SECURITY
An AITO member is required to protect money paid by customers to the member for any holiday sold under the AITO logo.  This protection applies to customers who are in the UK at the time of booking or to overseas customers who have booked directly with the member.  Members have to comply with the UK Government Regulations in this respect.  Members submit details of their bonding or guarantee arrangements to the Association on a regular basis.

ACCURATE BROCHURES AND WEB SITES
All members do their utmost to ensure that all their brochures and other publications, print or electronic, clearly and accurately describe the holidays and services offered.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENTS
All members are committed to high standards of service and believe in regular and thorough training of employees. Members continually seek to review and improve their holidays. They listen to their customers and always welcome suggestions for improving standards.

MONITORING STANDARDS
AITO endeavours to monitor quality standards regularly. All customers should receive a post-holiday questionnaire, the results of which are scrutinised by the Association.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
All members acknowledge the importance of AITO's Sustainable Tourism guidelines, which recognise the social, economic and environmental responsibilities of tour operating. Those demonstrating their achievements beyond the pure acceptance of this principle are recognised by the award of 2 to 5 star status.

CUSTOMER RELATIONS
All members endeavour to deal swiftly and fairly with any issues their customers may raise. In the unlikely event that a dispute between an AITO member and a customer cannot be settled amicably, AITO's low-cost Independent Dispute Settlement Service may be called upon by either side to bring the matter to a speedy and acceptable conclusion.