In the final Public Consultation this season, The UK Department for Transport has requested that stakeholders offer their views on their proposals to update the regulatory environment for the aviation industry.  HolidayTravelWatch has responded to their detailed questionnaire, dealing with the effect of their proposals on the proposed ‘Consumer Objectives’ – Safety – Consumers – Environment.  Many of the complaints we receive centre around failures under EU Directive 261/2004 (Denied Boarding, Flight Delays and Flight Cancellations), EU Directive 1107/2006 (Rights to Persons of Reduced Mobility), EU Directive 211/2005 (Issues concerning aircraft safety – eg EU Blacklist of Airlines etc) and lost and/or damaged luggage disputes.  We have responded to this Consultation in a manner which is informative, constructive but nonetheless critical.  We have called upon  all stakeholders, to meet the challenges of dialogue and progress with Politicians and Consumers, to create a new deal and a truly sustainable future for the UK and EU airline industry! Read More

The EU Commission, through DG Mobility & Transport have ordered a Consultation into Air Passenger Rights.  Such rights involve areas such as EU Directives 889/2002 (Air Carriers Liability – particularly on the issue of mishandled luggage), 96/67 (Baggage-handling/Ground-handling), 261/2004 (Denied Boarding, Flight Delays & Flight Cancellation), 1107/2006 (Reduced Mobility Passenger Rights), 1008/2008 (Common Rules for Air Operations) and 2111/2005 (Air Safety Issues).  We have reported on the issues of flight rights, aircraft safety issues, lost or damaged luggage and financial protection for holidaymakers and air passengers. Read More

HolidayTravelWatch has been engaged in researching and drafting their latest report to the EU Commission on the future of The Package Travel Directive.  This review is the latest in a long line of Consultations either commissioned by the UK Government or The EU Commission.  The Directive has been incorporated into UK Law in 1992 as The Package Travel Regulations.  Many thousands of holidaymakers have in recent years suffered with a variety of holiday complaints, such as holiday illness (Salmonella, Cryptosporidum, Shigella, Campylobacter, Legionnaires etc), building work, significant changes to holidays, holiday price changes, name change charges, poor hygiene standards, exposure to toxins, aerotoxic syndrome, failures in kids clubs, poor safety standards, poor representation, poor responses to complaints, financial failures of airlines and travel companies and many more.  This Organisation has collated many examples of how holidaymakers have suffered and provided the Commission and Parliament with those first hand accounts of how Consumer Protection legislation is failing them.  Our report, along with the completed EU Commission questionnaire, illustrates that at the heart of this Consumer Protection debate, we remain resolute in our determination that ordinary holidaymakers view will be heard!  The challenge now rests with the EU Commission and the EU Parliament! Read More

Since the latter part of 2009 we have all watched with interest and sorrow whilst the toll of economic collapse takes place around us.  The events surrounding the fall of the latest travel company, Globespan, provides an interesting window into the workings of travel companies, so-called ‘regulation’ and the plight of the holiday consumer and their complaints. Read More

2008 and 2009 has proven to many British holidaymakers that the ‘holiday from hell’, or a less than satisfactory holiday experience exists, many with serious or catatrophic consequences? 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

The news of the FlyGlobeSpan collapse provides a timely and important reminder of the recently announced Department for Transport Consultation, to update the Regulatory Framework for Aviation.  Within the many aspects of this Consultation is the proposal to completely review the ATOL (Air Tour Operators Licence) scheme.  This follows on from a number of  high profile airline/travel company collapses which have left many holidaymakers either physically or financially stranded.  We have dealt with a number of Consumers who have been ‘bounced’ between the CAA, ABTA and the Credit Card Companies – some of whom are still waiting for their money following the XL collpase!  Read More

This is a critical moment for the future of EU holidaymakers and in particular, British holidaymakers! In 1990, the EU created the Package Travel Directive which was then adopted into various National Laws; the UK adopted this Directive as The Package Travel Regulations in 1992. Many millions of EU holidaymakers have enjoyed the benefit of Protection under this Directive – those Protections are now seriously threatened. Since 2003, there has been an attempt by the Travel Industry to reinterpret these Regulations, by reinventing themselves as ‘travel agents’, through internet sales. Whilst we are to be rightly concerned with the Financial Protection of holidaymakers, we must also be aware of the many other detriments or problems suffered by holidaymakers, which, according to online terms and conditions, are not the responsibility of these new ‘travel agents’! It is now imperative that the Consumer position is presented to the EU Commission following the announcement of their latest Consultation on Holiday Rights. It is simple; if the Commission is persuaded to keep the ‘internet’ players outside the remit of any new Directive, Consumers will be returned to the so-called pre-1992 ‘Golden Age’ of Travel when there was little or no Consumer Protection. The answers to this survey will be used to back up previous HolidayTravelWatch surveys and its findings will be presented to the EU Commission in February 2010. Your contribution is both valuable and timely – we would like to thank you for your kind assistance on this survey! Read More