How to deal with 'risk destination' holiday complaints

The world is a complex and at times a troubled place! When we look at the gloss of a brochure, it suggests that we can get away from all the strife and trouble of our daily live's to an oasis of calm and tranquillity. The reality for some holidaymakers is that this is not the case and we have noticed in recent weeks that some holidaymakers contacting us, are concerned that they are being sold or sent to a holiday destination where there is civil strife!

The pattern is clear; whenever holidaymakers raise their concerns, they are told by tour operators that they are relying on Foreign Office advices and therefore it is safe to go.  However, holidaymakers also watch the news and when they see problems in Egypt or Tunisia or other countries, they begin to doubt the wisdom of travelling to these destinations!

It is not helped by the fact that these same holidaymakers also speak with other holidaymakers who share their experiences within the various travel forums.

A recent comment by Richard Branson, calling for the end of travel advisories where 'terror' exists, ignores one basic fact - holidaymakers do not want to expose themselves or their families to risk and they deserve to be informed so they can make a choice whether to travel or not.

It really is quite simple; selling or sending you to a 'risk destination' constitutes in my view, a significant change and this means you have rights under the Package Travel Regulations. If you are going to challenge a travel company on this basis, make sure you have gathered all the information that proves your point about risk and send that along with your complaint to your travel company!  If you get into difficulties, don't forget that you can always give us a call and we will guide you further!

Changes made to your Package Holiday and your rights!

This last few weeks we have received quite a few calls from concerned holidaymakers, telling us about the changes that travel companies are making to their holidays.  The majority of Consumers who are contacting us are due to take their holidays in August or September this year, but there are some holidaymakers who are about to go on holiday and are now faced with the problem of dealing with the problems created by their travel company!

Such complaints involve:

1. A change of flight time by several hours;
2. A change of airport - some to airports hundreds of miles from where they live;
3. A change of hotel or resort.

Many of our callers are at a loss on what to do, particularly when they are faced with a travel company that wants more money or are just simply ignoring requests to resolve the problem!

Whilst there are some travel companies that claim that they are not selling Package Holidays (and therefore you have limited rights), the majority of holidays will be Package Holidays and are covered by the Package Travel Regulations.

We have a dedicated page on our website that deals with these regulations and should be your first port of call whenever you find that you are having to deal with holiday complaints!

The changes I talk about are classed as 'significant changes' because they affect the operation and nature of your contract with your travel company.

Where changes are made to your holiday before departure, Regulations 12 & 13 apply:

1. If they make a change, they have to tell you and allow you to accept the changes or have a full refund;
2. If they make a change they also have to offer you an upgrade where it is available, a downgrade where it is available with the price difference being refunded or a refund - in some cases, you will also be entitled to compensation.

So if you find yourself caught up in the 'significant change' roundabout, then visit our page or call us and we will guide you further.