ABTA’s suggested millennium bug brochure statement
“We have taken all reasonable steps to ensure that our own and our suppliers’ computer systems are year 2000 compliant.
“We cannot, however, guarantee that there will be no disruption to holidays travelling over the New Year 1999/2000 period or afterwards.
“We have no ability to check on compliance in many areas such as air-traffic control systems, airport facilities etc, and even local traffic lights which may have computer chips embedded within them or rely upon computer systems to operate effectively.
“The year 2000 problem is widely known and foreseeable but equally there is little that we as responsible tour operators or you our customers can do to prevent problems occurring that affect us in our day-to-day activities, other than make sure that our own systems comply.
“For this very reason, we are sure that you understand why clause xx of our booking conditions on page xx of this brochure excludes responsibility for year 2000-related problems that are not reasonably our fault or the fault of our suppliers.
“We are also sure that you will take this into account if you suffer some (probably no more than slight) inconvenience to your holiday.”
Suggested booking condition
“As stated on page xx of this brochure, we do not accept any responsibility for disruption, inconvenience, cancellation or alteration to holidays due to problems caused directly or indirectly by the year 2000 problem (where computer systems may be unable to cope with the change from midnight December 31 1999 to 12.01 am on January 1 2000 as well as other dates in 1999 as well as 2000). Where these problems are not our fault or the fault of one of our suppliers or could not have been avoided in any way even though all reasonable care had been taken.”