Have you been told that ‘normal booking conditions apply’?  Has your holiday been changed before departure from what you thought you would receive? In the first of a series, we discuss a travel Consumers rights where a ‘Significant Change’ has been made to their holiday. We highlight the rights contained under Regulation 12 of The Package Travel Regulations and discuss what could consitute a ‘Significant Change’.  In the last few years many holidaymakers have experienced ’significant changes to their holiday contracts; this is something that is causing serious concern at the EU Commission!  We would also recommend that you read our article on your Regulation 13 pre-departure rights as this provides further obligations on travel providers! Read More

The HolidayTravelWatch PTR Tip, within the latest edition of ‘Get’Away’, highlights the rights enjoyed by a travel consumer under Regulation 15 of The Package Travel Regulations (this is the Regulation that provides for liability against a travel provider in a holiday contract), and the defence that can be employed by a Travel Organiser. Read More

When HolidayTravelWatch was first formed, it was quickly realised that holidaymakers needed a checklist to guide them when they encountered problems. Over the years HolidayTravelWatch has gained invaluable experience which it has endeavoured to share with as many holidaymakers as possible. To underline the present need for holidaymakers to have an invaluable guide, you should read three items we have published – 20 holiday complaints written in the holidaymakers own words for the 2010 holiday season - 40 of the current holiday complaints received by us for the 2010 season – and – our latest full report to the EU Commission which again sets out, in the holidaymakers own words, the problems they experienced in the 2009 holiday season! Read More

As our article in 2009 proved, many British holidaymakers experienced a ’holiday from hell’, or a less than satisfactory holiday experience!  Many holidaymakers suffered a holiday with serious or catastrophic consequences!  Our latest articles for the 2010 holiday season (20 holidaymakers comments and a list of 40 current complaints), demonstrate that this year is unlikely to be any different for British holidaymakers!  So if you have a holiday complaint – what can you do about it? Do you put it down to ‘just another experience’? You may have a holiday food poisoning claim, the facilities in the hotel or cruise ship were not up to standard, or your suffered at the hands of an airline! Did you suffer from a holiday accident? Read More

Last year we highlighted 20 of the most appalling holiday complaints for the 2009 holiday season!  This year we again repeat the process at the start of the current 2010 holiday season, to highlight the wide range of problems that holidaymakers face!  This year we have seen the following holiday complaints come through on our e mails alone; building work, exposure to building dust causing respiratory problems, numerous so-called norovirus complaints, missing hotel facilities, slipping on wet unsignposted hotel floors, incorrect visa information supplied by travel agents, repeat hotel illnesses, poor and inedible hotel food, E-Coli, inadequate travel insurance cover, failure to provide significant change rights, DIY holiday complaints, poor beach conditions, leaking sewage, holiday price changes, unsafe ship conditions, cockroaches and dust in holiday accommodation, poor information on luggage allowances, denial by tour companies of mass outbreaks of illness, unannounced flight departure changes, illnesses following room pesticide use, insistence on tour companies in sending holidaymakers to destinations following adverse weather events, hotel not open on arrival, misrepresentation of hotel accommodation in holiday brochures, failure of all-inclusive facilities, booking problems, problems with terms and conditions, airline collapse financial complaints, grey bed linen, cracked bathroom tiles, leaking ceilings, no hot water in hotel rooms, no holiday bookings made, overbooking, false teeth and corn plasters found under bed, mass holiday hotel illness, vomitting and blood passing following hotel illness, Salmonella, Hot air balloon excursion accident, Volcano/Ash Travel Crisis complaints and Shigella!  Here is a selection of 20 appalling holiday complaints and problems (we have ommitted the names of tour companies etc and left the complaints made in the holidaymakers own words): Read More

The Government has recently announced that they are widening the system in place for Road Traffic Accidents, whereby the cost of medical treatment provided by the NHS, is refunded by the offending party and extending this scheme to all personal injury claims. We highlight this announcement in the latest edition of ourTravel-Zine, and ask if this now means that Travel Providers will have to pay back taxpayers for treatment provided to a returning holidaymaker. Read More

HolidayTravelWatch has provided comment and observation, to The (Rt Hon. The) Lord Brennan QC, ahead of his presentation of a Bill before the House of Lords, designed to compensate victims of terror attacks overseas. Read More