Travel firms offer holidaymakers redundancy protection

Two travel companies are offering holidaymakers who book by the end of February a full refund if they are made redundant.

Thomson (www.thomson.co.uk ) and sister company First Choice (www.firstchoice.co.uk) said the money back guarantee was in response to warnings that unemployment could reach three million by this summer.

The redundancy protection covers holidays booked in Thomson and First Choice travel agencies before February 28 for travel between May 1 2010 and April 30 2011.

It only covers the cost of the main part of the holiday, however, and does not include extras such as travel insurance, car hire or excursions.

Holidaymakers can only claim if they have proof of redundancy and if they can show that they were previously employed full time by the same employer for at least two years.

All claims must be made within seven days of redundancy and at least 28 days before the holiday departs. Holidaymakers will be refunded the cost of the trip, without any cancellation fees.

Thomson and First Choice distribution commercial and trading director Helen Deegan said: ''January and February are traditionally the busiest time for holiday bookings, perhaps even more so with Britain shivering under snow and ice at the moment!

However, we do understand that some people might feel uncertain about paying for a holiday now, given the chilly forecast on the job front.

"That's not to say that we won't look to continue it beyond that time, as we review all our promotional offers on a regular basis."

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