Holidays are meant to bring happiness and enjoyment and most of the time they do. But, as in all areas of life, things sometimes go wrong. Should the unfortunate happen, there are practical steps that can be taken to ensure the best possible outcome for you, the consumer.
Tips to avoid a 'holiday from hell'
Extra security from ABTA / AITO /ATOL
When booking a holiday use a travel agent and / or tour operator that belongs to a trade association with a code of practice. The most well known ones are:
- ABTA (external website - Association of British Travel Agents), and
- AITO (external website - Association of Independent Tour Operators).
- Holidays with flights should also have the protection offered by ATOL (Air Travel Operator's Licence) (external website of Civil Aviation Authority) in case the company goes bust.
Be wary of 'Special Offers'
Sometimes special offers can be deceptive and holidays or flights offered for a certain price end up costing a lot more. The Office of Fair Trading has reported a particular problem with travel offers on the Internet. Make sure you get full details of the actual and full cost for the holiday before you agree to anything.
Pay with a Credit Card
When paying for your holiday, consider using a credit card. This gives you extra protection as long as the holiday costs £100 or over. If you don't get the holiday that you paid for, for example, if it was falsely described in the brochure, you will have an option to claim against the credit company as well as against the holiday company.
Holiday Insurance
Before going away it is sensible to arrange travel insurance. Many things can happen both before departure and on the holiday itself which you can insure against, including:
- illness or injury,
- loss or theft of your belongings,
- cancellation, delays and missed flights.
You can't stop these things happening but insurance can prevent you losing out financially. When you take out holiday insurance shop around as policy prices vary. Always check beforehand what is actually covered by the policy and how to make a claim if you need to.
What to do if things go wrong
If you buy a package holiday, the travel organiser (usually a tour operator) is responsible for all aspect of the holiday included in the package. If you have booked things separately then whomever you booked each service with is responsible for that service, for example, hotel, flight, car hore.
Problems before you leave
After booking the holiday, if the travel organiser makes significant changes to your holiday that you are unhappy with, you may:
- cancel your holiday,
- insist on a reasonable alternative if one is available, or
- accept the changes and try and get compensation if appropriate.
If in doubt, get advice.
Problems when you are away
Luggage
If it doesn't arrive with you, report it at the airport and fill in a Property Irregularity Report. You can claim against the airline for essential items before your luggage arrives and your insurance may also cover this.
Once on the holiday
If things go wrong let the tour operator's rep know as soon as possible. Fill in the complaint form or put the complaint in writing and keep a copy. You may get the problem resolved there and then but if not, you'll need to collect proof of the problem:
- Take photos and / or make a video.
- Take the names and addresses of any other unhappy holidaymakers.
If you incur expenses because of problems, get (and keep) receipts or bills.
When you get home
Look again at the brochure and what was promised about the holiday. Ask yourself the question: did what you receive match up with what you could have reasonably expected? If not, then write to the tour operator, sending any evidence you have that supports your complaint. Tell them what the problems were and how much you want from them to compensate you for the experience. Be reasonable about what you ask for, but be assertive - only accept what you think is fair.
Further Action
If your complaint is not resolved you can:
- Contact ABTA (external website) or AITO (external website) if the tour operator belongs to one of them - they both have schemes to help settle disputes.
- Use the small claims court, which deals with claims for sums up to £5,000.
- Get help from an advice agency that deals with consumer issues.
Need more help? Live in Manchester? Send us an email
Information Provider:
Manchester Advice
Date Written:
October 2005
This information is for guidance only and is not an authoritative statement on the law. Please read our Terms and Conditions.
FeedbackDid you find this page useful? Yes or No