ATOL & TOPP
Your booking,
fully protected.
Every Serendib & Co journey is covered end-to-end by UK Civil Aviation Authority ATOL protection and Travel Operators Protection Plan (TOPP) insurance — so your money and your trip are safe at every stage.
Financial protection
Every booking is fully protected.
Serendib & Co operates under both ATOL (the UK Civil Aviation Authority's Air Travel Organiser's Licence) and TOPP (the Travel Operators Protection Plan). In plain English: your money, your trip and your journey home are safeguarded at every stage.
Deposit
Your deposit is held in a protected client trust account. From the moment we confirm your booking, TOPP insurance covers the full value of your ground arrangements against operator insolvency.
Final balance
Once you settle the balance, an ATOL Certificate is issued for the flight portion of your trip. Keep it with your travel documents — it is your proof of CAA financial protection.
While you travel
If anything disrupts your trip — a supplier failure, a missed connection, or an unforeseen closure — TOPP funds replacement arrangements so your journey continues without out-of-pocket cost.
After you return
Should Serendib & Co cease trading at any point before your return, ATOL guarantees your repatriation and TOPP refunds any portion of the trip you were unable to take.
"If we cannot deliver your journey, you do not lose your money."
That is the simple promise behind ATOL & TOPP — and it underpins every Serendib & Co booking.
Common questions
What this means for you
What is ATOL and what does it cover?
ATOL — the Air Travel Organiser's Licence — is run by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It legally protects the flight-inclusive portion of any package you book with a UK-licensed operator. If we cease trading before or during your trip, ATOL guarantees a refund of unused flights and, if you are already abroad, a flight home at no additional cost.
What is TOPP and what does it cover?
TOPP — the Travel Operators Protection Plan — is the industry-standard supplier-failure insurance for the non-flight portion of your trip: hotels, transfers, private guides, safari fees, helicopter charters and excursions. If we, or any supplier we have paid on your behalf, fails before or during your trip, TOPP refunds the affected portion or funds replacement arrangements so the journey can continue.
When does my protection start?
The moment you pay your deposit. TOPP applies to all ground arrangements from booking confirmation. ATOL applies from the moment flights are ticketed (typically at final balance). You will receive an ATOL Certificate by email — keep it with your travel documents.
Is this the same as travel insurance?
No, and it is not a substitute. ATOL and TOPP protect you against operator and supplier failure. You should still take out personal travel insurance to cover medical care, cancellation for personal reasons, baggage loss and trip interruption. We are happy to recommend specialist underwriters.
How do I verify Serendib & Co's protection?
Our ATOL number and TOPP membership number appear on every booking confirmation and ATOL Certificate. You can verify our ATOL status directly on the CAA register at caa.co.uk, and TOPP membership at topp.org.uk.
Official policy detail
Read the full schemes on the official issuing bodies:
"Booking a luxury trip should feel reassuring, not risky. Our protection memberships exist so the only thing you have to think about is the journey itself."
— Serendib & Co, Colombo