Citizens Advice has issued a warning to British holidaymakers, urging them to be aware of their compensation rights when booking package holidays. The charity revealed that approximately four million travellers were affected by issues in the past year, with an average of 14 complaints lodged daily to its Consumer Service.
Common Complaints and Guidance
Complaints ranged from unexpected hotel changes and denied refunds to poor customer service. Of the 3,500 package holiday complaints analysed, 42% related to all-inclusive trips. The largest portion, 33%, involved substandard services where the holiday quality fell short of what was agreed. Issues included misdescribed hotels, bad food, and unavailable facilities. Long phone wait times, ignored complaints, and administrative errors by holiday companies were also flagged.
Jane Parsons, consumer expert at Citizens Advice, said: "Too often, people are left stressed and disappointed when their dream holidays are spoiled because they’re not getting what they paid for. To make matters worse, they’re having to spend a lot of time and effort trying to resolve issues, sometimes with no luck." She advised keeping a record of any issues, including clear details, photos, and receipts.
Compensation Scenarios
Parsons outlined that if something goes wrong, travellers should report issues to the company as soon as possible, as delays may reduce compensation. Citizens Advice identified five scenarios warranting compensation: loss of value (e.g., room not as described), extra money spent due to a problem, services booked not included, a ruined holiday, and distress or disappointment.
John Herriman, chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, commented: "This research highlights the real impact poor practice in the travel sector can have on consumers, specifically the problems for consumers booking holidays online, particularly through social media. Too many people are left out of pocket or dealing with stress when holidays don’t meet what was promised."
