Since the latter part of 2009, Consumer Organisations and The Travel Industry have been engaged in a lengthy Political Consultation process, to determine the future of Consumer or Travel Industry Rights and Obligations or Safety Issues.  HolidayTravelWatch has been fully engaged in this process and has responded to the UK Department for Transport on the future regulation of the aviation industry. Read More

Since the latter part of 2009, Consumer Organisations and The Travel Industry have been engaged in a lengthy Political Consultation process, to determine the future of Consumer or Travel Industry Rights and Obligations or Safety Issues.  HolidayTravelWatch has been fully engaged in this process and has responded to the European Commission’s request for Stakeholders to provide comment upon Air Passenger Rights.
The report centres in on the Commissions questions on EU Directives 889/2002 (Air Carrier Liability), 96/67 (Baggage Handling/Ground Handling), 261/2004 (Denied Boarding, Delayed Flights and Cancelled Flights), 1107/2006 (Reduced Mobility Rights), 1008/2008 (Common Rules for Air Operations) and 2111/2005 (Air Safety Issues). Read More

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

Enforcement comes from the verb ‘enforce’ which means ‘to make people obey a law, or to make a particular situation happen or be accepted’.  Tell that to a group of airline passengers, some of whom spent a very uncomfortable Saturday night on the floor of an airport in Slovakia!  Those passengers paid good money to travel with a well known low cost airline, to travel back to the UK, only to have their flight cancelled, apparently due to adverse weather conditions!  Strange, the passengers didn’t seem to think it was that bad!  This is obviously a case of ‘Extraordinary Circumstances’.  So, once the ‘airline’ cancelled the flight, they them told the passengers that they would be returned to the UK on Tuesday – yes that’s right, Tuesday – presumably next week! Read More

The flight was turned around before landing because the craft was unsuitable for landing in the weather. FlyBE failed to put on an aircraft that was able to make the journey. The craft returned to Birmingham and I had to wait over 12 hours for a replacement flight to be put on. FlyBE seem to think that this kind of delay is acceptable and no compensation was given. Read More

It has been an interesting week at Birmingham International Airport! On Friday I went to collect a relative, but on arrival, they called me to advise that the flight was being delayed by 2 hours for ‘technical reasons’. Read More