So looking to book a holiday for the family – I can either book the whole package with Easyjet for £1500, or I can book the flights only with Easyjet for £600 and the hotel directly for £700 – saving me £200.

Is there any real benefit to booking the whole package to make the £200 difference worth paying for?

I assume the package is ATOL protected where if you do individually it is not and therefore if flights are cancelled you still need to pay hotel!

If your flights get cancelled they reimburse your flights on the cheap option. if you book the package and flights are cancelled they owe you another holiday. for £200 I would book the package

I assume you don’t get transfers included with the package?

It depends on your appetite for risk. A big factor for me would be “how easy would it be to get there if my flights are cancelled?”, because as above you’re taking that risk. If it was somewhere Malaga or Alicante, there would be dozens of flights a day from UK airports. If it was somewhere more niche then the £200 would be a good deal.

Transfers.

ATOL gives you “get me home” cover if something goes really wrong, while with separates it is down to you and your insurer.

ATOL will also cover the whole package for some risks that insurers might avoid (volcanos, etc).

Personally, for £200 I’d buy separately. My only niggling doubt right now is the impact of Brexit and ATOL would be safer.

A big factor for me would be “how easy would it be to get there if my flights are cancelled?”, because as above you’re taking that risk.

Mostly this risk can be covered by travel insurance. There will be a few exclusions that ATOL probably cover and a lot of insurers won’t, at least on cheaper policies. More of a PITA doing it yourself than just leaving it to ATOL.

Might be worth getting some quotes for travel insurance in the current climate and seeing whether the price has risen significantly, and what they will cover and what they exclude.

Might bring the package holiday price more in line with the DIY version.

Separate

I get what some people are saving about ATOL and all that, but also travel insurance covered cancellations.

Plus, more than that, I wouldn’t be entirely sure EasyJet are a Travel Agent per-se, they sell flights and offer you extras like Car Hire, Insurance etc – it’s a decent bet that if your flight is cancelled you’d get your hotel costs back, but I wouldn’t assume it at all.

Personally, I’d buy with a credit card, if you have one, and buy travel insurance now, if you don’t already. I’d bet on that being better cover and less hassle than dealing with EasyJet.

Thanks for all the answers. Decided not to risk it and bought the package deal on a credit card.

I see it’s too late but the only time I’ve ever booked a package is for ski holidays, and only because it’s cheaper due to (usually) the cost of transfers.