Booking terms use lead passenger, or lead name, for the person who acts for the whole party. The CAA uses the term in its ATOL Certificate guidance. The Package Travel Regulations do not use it, so what the role involves depends on each company’s terms.

How booking terms use it

For example, two tour operators’ published terms say:

• Jet2holidays. The lead name must be 18 or over and must travel if everyone else on the booking is under 18. They are responsible for making all payments, including any cancellation or amendment charges. They must also give the party accurate information about the booking and any changes. The lead name may cancel the holiday before departure.

• Viking. Its UK booking conditions, as at 1 January 2026, say the contract is with the Lead Name on the booking form, who must be at least 18. The Lead Name must make sure the rest of the party knows the booking conditions and agrees to the Lead Name acting for them.

ATOL Certificates and travellers’ rights

The CAA says an ATOL Certificate must include the lead passenger name when it is issued. For a package, the passenger names can be limited to the lead name. A flight-only certificate must list every known passenger, including infants.

The rest of the party still have rights. The Package Travel Regulations define a traveller as anyone seeking to make a contract, or entitled to travel under one. ABTA’s arbitration rules, for example, let a claim be made by or for anyone named on the booking form, although only one claim can be made per booking reference.