Do you discover cockroaches in your hotel room? Is there a building site instead of a lovely swimming pool? Was your rail & fly train delayed and therefore, you missed the flight? Then you can benefit from the new, fully harmonized European Package Travel Directive which will enter into force on 1st July 2018. The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) explains the recent changes.
What applies to bookings from 1st July 2018 on?
- From 1st July 2018 on travellers can either complain directly to the travel agency or to the tour operator [to be adapted / deleted according to your country]
- The tour operator is authorized to increase the price by 8% up to 20 days prior to the start of the package tour. But only, if this is mentioned in the contract and the prices for fuel, taxes or the currency rates require this. On the other hand, if these costs decrease, tourists can demand a corresponding price reduction.
- The travel package directive does not cover holiday homes and apartments anymore, which are booked directly from the tour operator without any other service. The tenancy law is now applicable.
- If the price for day trips is higher than 500 € these trips are considered as package travel tours. [to be adapted / deleted according to your country]
- Better protection for associated travel services. For example: You go to the travel agency and book the flight and the hotel separately. You receive a separate invoice for each travel service. If you pay directly to the travel agency, you are protected against its insolvency. But you are not protected against the insolvency of the airline or of the hotel.
- Linked travel arrangements are now subject of the package travel directive. For example: You book the flight on one booking website and you are forwarded to another website. On this site you book the hotel within 24 hours. Furthermore, your personal data is transferred within 24 hours, too. Having concluded such a kind of contract, you are protected against the insolvency of the booking website – who becomes the tour operator – and against the insolvency of the airline and of the hotel.
- Although you have to complain travel deficiencies immediately and directly on-site, you can complain within 2 years if you did not reach the tour operator on site or if he could not resolve the problem.
