For a long time those who have chosen to book their holiday without the use of a travel agent or tour operator have not been protected by Air Travel Organisers Licensing (ATOL). This is a government funded organisation that insures the general public when they have booked a holiday through one of its members in case of the company going bankrupt; so that they do not lose their holiday or money.

The British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) has now made the change to its major policies regarding the inclusion of travellers who wish to book their own travel arrangements. So for all those web-surfers, who trawl the internet for hours on end looking for that best deal, they will now be covered on insurance cover that was purchased after the 5th of October 2009.

BIBA are representatives of more than 1,500 insurance intermediaries and brokers within the UK. They say they have changed their policies because of a recent study that showed almost half of the trips that originate from inside Britain are not covered by ATOL. The recent recession has also caused considerable pressure on travel firms and airlines and there could still be some big failures to come this year and next.

If this new addition to the policy would have been around when SkyEurope collapsed last month passengers would have been able to claim their lost flight money. In addition the travellers who were left stranded away from their home country would have been repatriated at no cost to them.