Brochure Charities Awards Insurance

Diamond Star Experience

we provide 100% financial protection

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do Diamond Star Experience and the Travel Trust Association provide 100% financial protection for me?

Every Travel Trust Association member deposits your money into the Trust Account. A Trust Account is a bank account designated to hold the customer's money. Your money remains in the Trust Account and is supervised by an appointed trustee who is either a banker, chartered or certified accountant or a solicitor. Both the Travel Trust Association members and the trustee are required to authorise payments from the trust account. In addition to being held in trust, you also have a financial guarantee from the Travel Trust Association. Diamond Star Experience Ltd is acting as an agent for TTAFS Ltd, ATOL 10300.

TTA will guarantee the financial obligation of its members up to a maximum any one passenger of £11,000. So if you paid £2,000 we guarantee we will reimburse the loss of the £2,000, where it is not available for you from the Trust Account. Therefore, the Trust Account plus the guarantee will ensure that all the money which you have paid is safely protected and available to reimburse the money paid. When you make a booking, you will be supplied with a guarantee certificate – you can see the terms of our guarantee here.

Should the TTA member become insolvent, in most instances your money will still be held within the TTA member’s Trust Account by the designated Trustee, and available to pay for your holiday. If because of fraud or dishonesty the money is not there, then the guarantee is available to reimburse your loss. In some cases your holiday may continue as the providers or suppliers have already been paid. Where you have only paid a deposit and still have an outstanding balance, your holiday may be unaffected and by paying the balance your holiday will continue as planned. Where possible, attempts will be made to ensure that you can carry on with your original holiday arrangements.

About ATOL? (Our ATOL number is: T7641)

The ATOL scheme exists to protect consumers if their travel organiser should fail. It ensures consumers are not stranded abroad or do not lose money paid to the travel organiser for holidays and flights. The first ATOL Regulations requiring businesses to hold a licence were introduced in the 1970’s. Since then they have been replaced with new regulations in 1995 and again in 2012 (amended 1 July 2018 and 1 January 2020). The ATOL Regulations set out who can advertise and sell flight accommodation in the UK

Basically, these are:
• the operator of the aircraft;
• an ATOL holder; or
• a person who is exempt.
A business selling a Flight-Only or a flight-inclusive package (Single-contract or Multi-contract package) must fall into one of the above categories, which means that, if you are not the operator of the aircraft or you are not exempt, you must hold an ATOL to provide financial protection for your customers.

Read Less

Who are the Travel Trust Association?

The Travel Trust Association is a travel trade association. Our membership base consists of travel agents, tour operators and travel organisers.

The Travel Trust Association exists in order to provide you, the customer, with 100% financial protection and has been doing so for over 20 years. This means that every penny that you pay to our members is protected by the Travel Trust Association.

It means that you can book your holiday secure in the knowledge that Travel Trust Association will protect you in the unlikely event of a member becoming insolvent.

Should a member of the Travel Trust Association for any reason financially fail or cease trading, the Travel Trust Association will liaise with the suppliers and tour operators to ensure that you holiday goes ahead unaffected. If for any reason this is not possible, we will administer a claim for a refund of money that you have paid to a member for your holiday.

All members of the Travel Trust Association have to abide by the members Code of Conduct. This is to ensure that the customers receive the best possible service.

Read Less

How does Travel Trust Association provide 100% financial protection for me?

Every Travel Trust Association member deposits your money into the Trust Account. A Trust Account is a bank account designated to hold the customer's money.

Your money remains in the Trust Account and is supervised by an appointed Trustee who is either a banker, chartered or certified accountant or a solicitor. Both the Travel Trust Association members AND the Trustee are required to authorise payments from the Trust Account.

In addition to being held in trust, your monies are also guaranteed.

A Stand Alone Safe Seat Plan policy is a guarantee which is issued on your behalf by the Travel Trust Association member. If your money is not in the Trust Account, the Stand Alone Safe Seat Plan policy will reimburse the loss of any amount paid to a Travel Trust Association member up to the value of £11,000 per passenger.

It is the combination of the Trust Account and the Stand Alone Safe Seat Plan that ensures all of the money which you have paid to a Travel Trust Association member is safely protected and available to pay for those services which you have booked.

Please be aware that this is NOT a travel insurance policy. The Stand Alone Safe Seat Plan will only protect the money that you have paid to a Travel Trust Association member. You will need to take out a separate travel insurance policy to provide cover for cancellation, medical expenses and lost baggage, etc. The Travel Trust Association member will be able to provide you with a travel insurance policy.

Read Less

I booked with a Travel Trust Association member that entered into an event of default. What happens now?

A travel company enters into an event of default once they have ceased to be a member of the Travel Trust Association.

It is a standard term used by the Travel Trust Association when a company is no longer a member of the Travel Trust Association for any reason. If you have booked with a Travel Trust Association member who has entered into an Event of Default, do not panic! The Travel Trust Association provides total financial protection for any monies you have paid TTA members for travel.

Read Less

What does Event of Default mean?

A travel company enters into an Event of Default once they have ceased to be a member of the Travel Trust Association.

It is a standard term used by the Travel Trust Association when a company is no longer a member of the Travel Trust Association for any reason.

Read Less

What is the difference between Travel Trust Association and ABTA?

ABTA ended its consumer promise in 2006. This means that not all of the travel arrangements that you book through an ABTA member are necessarily protected in case of the financial failure of the travel company.

You will need to ask the ABTA member how financially secures their travel arrangements are. If the arrangements are not automatically protected, the ABTA member may be able to offer suitable insurance to cover you.

If you book with a Travel Trust Association member your money is 100% financially protected. This is achieved in two ways.Every Travel Trust Association member deposits your money into the trust account. A trust account is a bank account designated to hold the customers' money.Your money remains in the trust account and is supervised by an appointed trustee who is either a banker, chartered or certified accountant or a solicitor. Both the Travel Trust Association members AND the Trustee are required to authorise payments from the Trust Account.In addition to being held in trust, your monies are also insured.

A Stand Alone Safe Seat Plan policy is an insurance policy which is issued on your behalf by the Travel Trust Association member. If your money is not in the Trust Account, the Stand Alone Safe Seat Plan policy will reimburse the loss of any amount paid to a Travel Trust Association member up to the value of £11,000 per passenger.

It is the combination of the Trust Account and the Stand Alone Safe Seat Plan that ensures all of the money which you have paid to a Travel Trust Association member is safely protected and available to pay for those services which you have booked.

Read Less

I have a complaint about a Travel Trust Association member. What can I do?

In the event of a breakdown of communication or a serious disagreement between a member and their customer, the Travel Trust Association can act as an independent intermediary.

All complaints are dealt with in writing. Should you feel the need to make a complaint about one of our members, please detail the matter in writing and post it to:

Travel Trust Association
2 Crown Square
Woking
Surrey
GU21 6HR

Read Less

Speak to a Specialist

Akin has been to all these places and experienced all these holidays.

Give him a ring to discuss your holiday in detail on 0330 390 0999 or send an email.

Get in touch

Why Book with Diamond Star Experience...

Looking for something different?

Personal service tailored to you

30 years knowledge & experience

Quality customer care

All products personally inspected

100% financial protection

"We just returned from a week in Cappadocia Turkey. Diamond star Experience were really helpful and friendly throughout our experience with all aspects of the holiday. Our flight was delayed and I received contact from Oguzhan and Rica telling me that they had arrange later pick up from the airport when arriving in Turkey. Mustafa our driver was warm and friendly throughout our stay .The transfer and 3 day tours were fantastic , Our guide was really knowledgeable and looked after us while we toured this remarkable place The highlight was the Balloon ride in the morning a truly magical experience . I can not fault any part of the holiday and the service of Diamond Travel Experience . Easy to contact through what’s app anytime which was a great touch . I would strongly recommend Diamond star Experience for booking a holiday , We will def book again with them when returning to Turkey. Thanks and well done ! A truly wonderful Break" Mrs Wilson - 21 Aug 2025

"A week's trip on Perla del Mar captained by Mustafa, with chef Dohan, and crew Cem, Emre and Meric turned out to be the best family holiday we had ever booked. Akin's recommendation of the boat was spot on. Dohan's menu and cooking was absolutely excellent. The crew went out of their way to assist us at every opportunity and their care and attention to the children on the trip was exemplary. There wasn't a single fault that on the whole trip, the transfers worked perfectly, the crew were there to greet us at Marmaris and led us through the alleys to the waterside where the amazing boat in front of us was to be ours for a week. We were all taken aback and realised that Mum's mad dream was coming to fruition. A holiday found by google, sold to us by Akin who took the trouble to explain everything turned out to be beyond the dreams of all of us. Canoeing in quiet coves, swimming and snorkelling to our hearts content then served with drinks and snacks before amazing meals and enjoying the trips between coves became the order of each day. I can firmly recommend this holiday to anyone. It was simply amazing." Christine - 25 May 2025

" We went to Diamond Star experience because they offer multi-centre holidays and had good ratings. We were in no way disappointed with what was organised. We said that we wanted a few days in Athens and then a week on a relatively quiet island. Akin made a proposal (Athens then Naxos) and then, when we agreed, organised everything. The Athens hotel was central and accessible to the main sites and to restaurants, and was of very good quality. The choice of Naxos for the island was equally good and we stayed in an excellent three star hotel on the edge of the town within easy reach of the beach and restaurants. All transfers were efficiently organised and even when there was a transport hiccup (our fault!) there was a phone call from the Athens back-up team within the hour to find out what had happened.
Thank you very much, Akin and staff, for a really enjoyable holiday and for service which can be easily be recommended. " Mr Alan Fraser - 19 May 2025