With more than three million Britons encountering problems with their package holidays in the past year, understanding your rights is essential. A package holiday is designed to be stress-free, but Citizens Advice reports receiving around 14 complaints daily about such trips. In the last 12 months, approximately three million people faced issues, with 42% of complaints involving all-inclusive packages abroad.
Common Package Holiday Problems
A third of complaints related to substandard services, where the quality fell short of what was agreed. Examples include misdescribed hotels, poor food, or unavailable facilities. Customer service failures accounted for 19% of complaints, such as long phone wait times, ignored complaints, and administrative errors. As a result, one in four holidaymakers experienced stress, anxiety, or upset, and 17% had to pay extra for daily expenses.
When Can You Claim Compensation?
Loss of Value
If your accommodation was inferior to what you booked, for instance, receiving a standard room instead of a deluxe, you may claim the difference in value.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
If you paid extra to fix a problem, such as bus fares to a beach advertised as 'across the road' from your hotel, you can claim those costs back. Keep all receipts and ensure expenses are reasonable.
Loss of Enjoyment
If issues like a closed pool for a large portion of the holiday caused significant distress, you could claim compensation reflecting the impact.
Full Refund
In extreme cases where the holiday was completely ruined, you may be entitled to a full refund. However, this is rare.
How to Escalate Your Complaint
If the provider hasn’t resolved your complaint, you can escalate it to a trade body such as the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). Check if your provider is a member first. For further support, visit the Citizens Advice website or call 0808 223 1133.
