Due to the current financial times many holidaymakers are looking for the best holiday deal around. Many now book online rather than going to a traditional travel agent and booking their holidays abroad.
This could mean booking holiday flights with one company and holiday accommodation with another. In the travel industry such 'DIY' package holidays are known as Dynamic Packages rather than the traditional ‘Package’ where flights, accommodation and/or other holiday services are booked at an all inclusive price. In 1990 the package holiday was the most common holiday in Europe, but the last 20 years have seen sweeping changes.
Today around 56% of EU citizens put together their own holidays, usually online, rather than purchasing the traditional package holiday. And that can leave them unable to claim compensation should they suffer a holiday accident, holiday illness or even if a company they have booked a flight, holiday accommodation or other travel service with goes into insolvency. That’s because different services are subject to separate contracts, so if your flights go well but your holiday hotel or villa isn’t up to scratch, it may be difficult to claim compensation for your Dynamic Package holiday on your return.
The Package Travel Directive was introduced in 1990 to provide cover for holidaymakers going abroad on package holidays – in 1997 98% of passengers on leisure flights were covered by the Directive. Today, thanks to the continuing surge of holidaymakers planning their own package holidays online, that figure is less than 50%.
That’s why the European Commission is now consulting on extending the cover provided by the original Package Travel Directive to encompass consumers who put together their own ‘Dynamic Package’ holidays. Subjects to be tabled include the information given to holidaymakers about their resort or destination, liability for sub-standard services and protection from travel firms becoming insolvent.
The consultation is open until 7 February 2010, at which point the Commission will review feedback before considering specific solutions to be proposed in autumn 2010.
It is to be hoped that the European Parliament and the Council then vote the new proposals into law to give Dynamic Package holidaymakers the same assurances and ability to claim compensation if required as their ‘traditional’
Holiday Claims Experts
If you have suffered personal injury, an accident or illness whilst on a Dynamic Package holiday, get in touch to discover if you could be entitled to claim compensation. Call our Holiday Claims team on freephone: 0808 129 3347 for an informal chat about our "No Win No Fee" services or drop us an email using our online enquiry form (http://www.simpsonmillar.co.uk/
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