Regular followers of HolidayTravelWatch will have noted our recent press release, in which we highlighted the 40 most appalling holiday complaints for the 2010 season!  Through our helpline and e mail service, we speak to many holidaymakers affected by holiday complaints.  This organisation has a reputation in particular for guiding holidaymakers affected by illness in their hotel complexes or onboard cruise ships.  What we find is a steady consistency in how the Travel Consumer is ‘guided’ by tour representatives or travel companies when an illness scenario arises!  Whilst we hear from many holidaymakers affected by illness, we also recognise there are many holidaymakers who simply do not make holiday complaints!  If you are one of those holidaymakers who has been affected by illness, or if you are a holidaymaker about to travel to your destination, you would do well to consider the following reasons as to why should should at the very least contemplate making a complaint if you have been affected by illness: Read More

Once again, it has so far been a thoroughly miserable summer for British holidaymakers!  Poor standards in holiday contracts, complete failures to provide consumer rights under the Package Travel Regulations, mass holiday sickness, reports of salmonella, e coli, cryptosporidium and other diseases, and now the collapse of Monster (which appears to have its bookings being honoured by The Freedom Travel Group) and Goldtrail, which has resulted in some 16,000 holidaymakers being stranded abroad and many others in the UK whose holiday plans are now in doubt! Read More

I was struck by the article from Travel Weekly (8/7/2010), in which concern was expressed that agents would be in line to receive more complaints from Travel Consumers, as a result of an EU Commission led campaign, to highlight their rights where they suffer with flight or rail delays, denied boarding or cancellations!  Indeed, ABTA described the information campaign as ‘unhelpful’ and that they were concerned that the views of the travel industry had not been accounted for before the campaign was launched!  This was followed by an apparent comment from the Association’s spokesperson, who is reported to have stated, “The posters do not reflect our interpretation of the regulations and we don’t want confusion. We are asking the EC to review the campaign” – further comment was made that the regulations were drafted for a purpose and not drafted to deal with issues such as the recent Volcano Travel Crisis! Read More

[Article first published 19/2/2010] I was in London last week discussing amongst other things, the future Consumer Objective and Regulation of the Airline Industry in the UK.  During that meeting, I discussed with one member of the stakeholder group, the issue of safety and in particular, the growing awareness surrounding the Aerotoxic or Sick Aircraft Syndrome issue.  I expressed the view that whatever the current enquiry commissioned by Parliament, this issue is real and will not go away.  I predicted that whilst some ‘interested parties’ are engaged in ‘naysayer’ activities on this subject, the next 3 to 5 years will see the growth of groups of airline passengers taking action because of their exposure to toxic fumes!  As if to underline this point, today’s news surrounding the emergency landing of a British airline jet, is surely a timely warning to the industry and the authorities! Read More

If this summer holiday season has taught nothing else, it is that there are many holidaymakers returning with complaints of illness and are simply not getting themselves checked out by their GP or local Environmental Health Officer.  Why is this important? Quite simple really – QED – Quick and Early Diagnosis!  Consider this: at a recent conference I attended, one speaker advised that of all holiday sickness or illness reports, some 40% go on to suffer a permanent condition or disability!  So much for the ‘Spanish Tummy’, ‘Turkey Trots’ or Pharoahs Revenge’ Brigade! Read More

Do resort reps think that they are fireproof?  Do travel companies know what their resort reps are saying or are they complicit?  Yes, I am back again to report on an old friend – Resort Representatives openly advising holidaymakers at welcome meetings, that the new holidaymakers WILL suffer holiday illness and that the way to deal with it is to buy ‘brand X’ drug from the local pharmacy!  I don’t know about you, but if I had been told at a welcome meeting that I would very probably become ill during my holiday, I would be at the front of the queue asking to get out of there!  I have dealt with this issue before, in the first blog we dealt the issue of holidaymakers freely accepting ‘medical advice’ and taking drugs that are banned in Western Countries; the second blog dealt with the ’surprise’ advices at a welcome meeting where holidaymakers are told that they will become ill! Read More

“We need pan-European enforcement of EU Passenger Rights legislation.  Again, there must be a level playing field. No airline company should benefit from a competitive advantage by avoiding its legal obligations. The European Commission will be very active in ensuring common standards of enforcement this area“.  This was the view expressed by the EU Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, on Tuesday 27 April 2010.  Read More