Brits’ holiday protections at risk of being watered down in EU laws 'bonfire'
Brits face losing out on vital legal protection that protect them when holidays go wrong as the government forges ahead with its bonfire of EU legislation.
Right now the millions of UK residents who take package holidays each year are protected by laws formed by legislators in the bloc.
Package Travel Regulations (PTR) help holidaymakers when a trip doesn't live up to expectations.
Such protection will no longer be offered once the government passes its Retained EU Law Bill, which would see a swathe of EU-derived laws scrapped or hurriedly altered by the end of the year.
Which? Travel is one of the bodies currently calling on the government to save the vital holiday protections.
UK and EU reach customs deal that could end Northern Ireland logjam, says report
Former Business Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who introduced the Retained EU Law Bill, said last year that he hoped to get rid of the Package Travel Regulations for holidays in the UK, and the government is planning to consult on changes to the regulations soon, Which? reports.
The PTRs exist to ensure that no traveller ends up out of pocket as a result.
The laws come to the aid of spurned holidaymakers (PA)
The legislation is due to be scrapped later this year (PA)Shane and Galina Bolster are among those to have benefited from the protections offered, though their experience was not without difficulties.
When Loveholidays made changes to the Bolsters’ honeymoon two weeks before they were due to depart, the couple were dismayed to find their luxurious five-star star hotel in Bodrum, Turkey was switched to a questionable four-star alternative.
They were shocked to arrive at the back-up hotel to find a dirty sock in their bed.
Despite this, there was no downward price adjustment offered to reflect the downgrade between the two hotels.
Their experience was so poor that they decided to move hotels after two days, at a cost of £800, and racked up a £130 phone bill in overseas calls to Loveholidays.
Loveholidays eventually agreed to reimburse the Bolsters for their disappointing holiday, which should have been the trip of a lifetime.
Sharon and Geoffrey Hewlett booked a trip to Turkey for August last year with easyJet Holidays, but when they landed they were informed that there was no record of their booking and the hotel was full.
The package firm had used a partner agency to manage accommodation bookings on its behalf and somewhere along the lines, their booking had gone awry without notice to the Hewletts or easyJet Holidays.
Rishi Sunak must suspend Dominic Raab during bullying inquiry says union chief
The legislation helps customers who are fighting for refunds (PA)EasyJet Holidays acted swiftly to find them alternative accommodation, making arrangements for the couple the next day.
However, the replacement hotel lacked many of the amenities that had drawn them to their original choice, including a spa, evening entertainment and a choice of a la carte restaurants.
Initially easyJet Holidays only offered a £200 holiday voucher to the couple, leading the couple having to push for a cash refund.
After weeks of back and forth, easyJet holidays finally agreed to reimburse the couple a third of their total holiday costs.
Travellers have the right to expect the package holiday they paid for, and if it is not of the same standard, the company they booked with is responsible for putting things right.
If the new holiday is of a lesser value than the one they booked, they should receive a price reduction , or they may be able to claim compensation for the loss of enjoyment suffered as a result.
When holidaymakers run into difficulties, the PTRs give them the legal standing to keep fighting their corner.
Jo Rhodes, deputy editor of Which? Travel, said: "It’s bad enough that holidaymakers can face the disappointment of having their accommodation downgraded at the last minute, they certainly shouldn’t be left out of pocket as a result.
“Alarmingly, there is a very real danger that the protections relied upon by millions of travellers every year are at risk of being watered down.
"It’s vital that these protections for holidays at home and abroad are retained - and strengthened - to give consumers full confidence when planning their getaways.”
The Retained EU Law Bill will put an end to the EU protections (PA)A spokesperson for LoveHolidays: "We are sorry Mr Bolster’s experience did not live up to our usual high standards.
"We are investigating the relocation error with our accommodation supplier to ensure it does not happen again, and have been in touch with Mr Bolster to apologise and reimburse his accommodation costs.”
An easyJet holidays spokesperson said: “We’re really sorry for the inconvenience caused to Ms Hewlett and her husband on their recent holiday.
"As soon as we were made aware that there was an issue with their original hotel booking, which our supplier hadn’t informed us about, we worked hard to find an alternative hotel of the same star rating and board basis.
"As the facilities at the new hotel slightly differed, we offered Ms Hewlett a 30% holiday refund to recognise any disappointment caused.
"We’d like to reassure our customers that last minute changes to holidays are a rare occurrence and where this does happen, we will always endeavour to find a directly comparable, or better, alternative."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
