Licences Bonding & Membership

What is the Focus Partnership?

• The Focus Partnership was launched in 1999 and has become a forward thinking network of 90 independent Travel Management Companies within Advantage. Together, we have a combined turnover of over half a billion pounds per year, which creates enormous collective buying power and a valuable pool of business acumen from which Partners can provide benefit to their clients.
• Advantage membership is restricted to fully licensed and bonded independent travel agencies, on top of which Focus Partners have to hold ISO 9001/2000 Quality Assurance and/or IIP (Investors in People) status.

As a Partner in the Advantage Focus Partnership (which is the largest independent TMC organisation in the UK), with worldwide links through the further partnership with our Worldwide International Network in over 10 countries, we offer:

• A full range of fares, rates and services normally associated with the largest international Travel Management Companies. When combined with the independent personal service we provide as an owner-managed independent company, this makes us unique in the Corporate Travel market.
• Professional meetings, planning and booking services
• Concept-to-completion conference and incentive services
• Comprehensive support services such as travel insurance, passport and visa processing, foreign exchange, airport car parking, meet-and-greet, and chauffeur-drive transfers
• Travel policy monitoring, supplier negotiation support, and full management information provision

This is why we are able to offer such a professional, competitive and personalised service for all your corporate travel needs

"ATOL" (Air Travel Organisers Licence), is granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Firms selling consolidated air travel packaged travel arrangements in the UK are required by law to hold an ATOL. An ATOL provides consumer protection in the event of failure of that supplier and will protect you from losing money, or being stranded abroad. Before a firm is granted an ATOL, it has to lodge guarantees with the CAA; in the event of a business failure, the CAA refunds those people whose arrangements can no longer be honoured, and ensures that people already abroad are able to complete their arrangements and fly home. This protection is included in the price of any arrangements booked with an ATOL-holder.

The flights and holidays shown are ATOL Protected by the Civil Aviation Authority, and we act as agents for licensed tour operators; the relevant ATOL number is displayed with each holiday shown. The flight bookings we make are also ATOL Protected, except when tickets for scheduled flights are sent to you within 24 hours of payment being accepted, or where your payment is made direct to airlines. ATOL Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom. Medway Travel hold ATOL number 4774 and you can find out more about ATOL from their web site at http://www.atol.org.uk/ and you can review Medway Travels ATOL by typing in our ATOL number, which is 4774.

"IATA" stands for the International Air Transport Association. IATA regulate airfares and acts as a bonding agency allowing agents displaying their symbol to sell tickets legitimately. A customer who books air tickets with an IATA bonded agency can be sure that the airline has trust in the agency to sell at legitimate and fair prices. You can find out more about IATA from their web site at http://www.iata.org/

ABTA regulated travel agents and tour operators must comply with strict financial rules. These rules are to protect your money and allow ABTA to make sure that claims are paid in the event of a company failure. You can book your holiday knowing that if an ABTA regulated tour operator or travel agent goes bust while you’re on holiday, you should be able to continue as originally planned, and, in any event, ABTA will ensure you get back home. If you haven’t already started your holiday, you’ll get your money back or be given help to make alternative arrangements for the holiday to proceed. Many ABTA tour operators also provide bonds to the Civil Aviation Authority under the ATOL scheme. Medway Travel hold ABTA number D823X and you can find out more about ABTA from their web site at http://www.abta.com/

Medway Travel is proud to be one of only a small number of British travel agents to  have earned the coveted ABTA GOLD accolade, in recognition of the extent and effectiveness of our on-going staff training.

Investors in People is a national quality standard which sets a level of good practice for improving an organisation's performance through its people. Since 1991 tens of thousands of UK employers, employing millions of people, have become involved with the Standard and know the benefits of being an 'Investor in People'. With the continued growth and uptake of the Standard in the UK, international interest has been stimulated and continues to grow. You can find out more about IIP from their web site at http://www.iipuk.co.uk/

PSARA is the training and education body of the UK Cruise industry supported by 24 of the world's leading cruise lines, and PSARA Agents are trained in selling cruising and matching the right customer to the right ship.

The Accreditation Scheme is for agents such as Medway Travel, to demonstrate that they have cruise experts offering unbiased advice on choosing cruise holidays. It involves extensive cruise product training, ship inspections and cruises as well as covering a distance learning programme.

You can therefore be confident when you ask us for advice, that we will carefully and expertly match our recommendations to your requirements.

The ISO 9000 family is primarily concerned with "quality management". External audits check what the organization does to fulfil:

• the customer's quality requirements, and
• applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to
• enhance customer satisfaction, and
• achieve continual improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives.

Medway Travel is accredited to ISO9001/2000, which means that we routinely do our utmost to provide total customer satisfaction through our quality management systems.