“I received a letter from the holiday company today, and they’ve told me that due to unforeseen circumstances, our holiday which is due to take place in less than three weeks has been cancelled. Apparently the hotel has been undergoing refurbishments and was supposed to have been reopened by now...but isn’t.
"Of course, they are offering me a refund of the money that I paid them, but that’s hardly the point as I have two children who have been looking forward to their holiday in Greece for most of the year, and I haven’t had the heart to tell them the trip is off.
"I’ve tried to look around for similar holidays but there’s nothing at short notice that suits us, flight wise with small children unless it’s prohibitively expensive. What can we do?”
Advice on the Next Step
Firstly, get hold of a copy of the brochure, either online or in hard copy, and study the terms and conditions. There should be details of what they will offer you in the event of this type of cancellation.
Are the tour operators ABTA members? If so, then they have to abide by the ABTA code of conduct too, which says that in the case of a cancellation like this, they should offer you an alternative, if available, or a refund. You could also be entitled to extra compensation for a really late cancellation, especially if it puts you in the type of situation that you are now in.
Even if the tour operator isn’t an ABTA member, they are bound by the Package Tour Regulations 1992, if the holiday you’ve bought is considered to be a package holiday. In your case, as you booked travel and accommodation in Greece for one, inclusive price, your holiday is a package.
The Regulations give you the choice of compensation:
Asking the tour operator for an alternative holiday of similar or better standard (at no extra cost to you)
Accepting a holiday that’s of a lower standard and claiming the difference in cost back
Cancelling the holiday altogether and accepting a refund
In your case, the tour operators haven’t given you the option and have simply offered you a refund, which is easier for them, but puts you in a difficult position with small children and three weeks until the planned holiday.
The Regulations also give you the right to ask for compensation if your holiday is cancelled – not just for financial loss, but also disappointment and inconvenience.
The only exception to these rules is if the holiday is cancelled due to circumstances that were out of the control of the tour operator – for example the hotel had burned down. In that case you would only be entitled to a refund. This is called ‘force majeure’
What Should I Do?
Contact the tour operator and explain your situation. Tell them that you don’t wish to accept a refund, and that as per the Package Travel Regulations 1992, you would like them to arrange an alternative, suitable holiday for you and your family, at no extra cost to yourself.
You have to be reasonable – if there are no possible alternatives, and they have tried to help you, your other option is to suggest that you purchase a suitable holiday to the same destination elsewhere, and claim back any additional costs from the original tour operator as compensation.
This is perfectly reasonable – although if you are going to do this, don’t book an extortionately expensive trip and expect them to foot the bill, as it only needs to be of broadly the same quality. If you go ahead and book a five star trip to a luxury destination, that costs three times as much as your initial holiday, you will get short shrift from the tour operator.
If the tour operator refuse to be reasonable, make a note of any telephone calls, and keep any written or e-mailed correspondence you have had with them. Your only option now is to book the alternative holiday – then claim the extra cost back through the court system. Write a letter to the tour operator when you return, setting out your reasons for the claim, sending copies of any receipts, and giving them 14 days to respond. If there’s no response, you should then try and issue a claim through the courts.
We booked a holiday to go to Jo-burg. Stay in a hotel over night. Next day fly to Victoria Falls.Stay at the David Livingstone for 3 nights. Walking tour of victoria Falls. Train ride and dinner on train. Sunset at Zambezi river V. Falls. River trip on Zambezi river. Flight to Jo-burg.
One night stay in hotel. Transfer to Pretoria station and catch Blue train to Cape Town. One week in Cape Town at Table Bay Hotel. On 01st April 2020, transfer to Queen Mary2. Set course for Southampton, arriving on 18th April.
Imagine Cruises telephoned us on 14th April, three days before we were due to leave and told us that the holiday had been cancelled. They said that they would be in touch, but apart from one email telling us that we were in the queue, NOTHING. We paid over nineteen thousand pound for this once in a lifetime trip. Words fall on deaf ears.
BERNIE - 26-Mar-20 @ 4:39 PM
Booked a package holiday with easy jet to Milan !
Seated on the airplane at Manchester for 3 hrs to be told - we cannot fuel the aeroplane so flight cancelled - no alternative flights so holiday cancelled!,!
Have been offered full refund but nothing else so we all have a week off work, holiday days counted off our allocation. Surely we are entitled to more than a full refund ??.
bersty - 20-May-19 @ 2:52 PM
I booked a holiday with teletext paid in full they e-mailed me all the holiday information And about 1 hour later they phoned me back And told me it was already taken
Maggie - 5-May-19 @ 9:29 AM
Have booked a trekking holiday and cruise and the hotels, transfers and internal flights via a tour operator.They have put them on two booking forms as the cruise is paid to a third party.I have booked a separate return flight via an airline agent which was a good deal but I had to pay upfront in June and is non refundable or changeable.
I fly tomorrow evening.
Yesterday evening I was informed by the holiday company that there was a risk of a strike by the airline which is providing the internal flights for the trek and that as they could not find alternative transportation they will cancel the10 day trekking holiday if the strike is not called off by the end of the working day today. They will tell us what is happening this evening, just over 24 hours before departure for the international flight (I am on the same flight as those on the full package)
My question is
Have I the right to cancel the cruise as well (as a lone female traveler I don't fancy two weeks in Argentina on my own and it's too late for me to organise something)?
Is the tour operator responsible for the cost of my flights (my travel insurance policy implies that is the case)?
Grumpytraveller - 23-Nov-18 @ 9:39 AM
Have booked a trekking holiday and cruise and the hotels, transfers and internal flights via a tour operator.They have put them on two booking forms as the cruise is paid to a third party.I have booked a separate return flight via an airline agent which was a good deal but I had to pay upfront in June and is non refundable or changeable.
I fly tomorrow evening.
Yesterday evening I was informed by the holiday company that there was a risk of a strike by the airline which is providing the internal flights for the trek and that as they could not find alternative transportation they will cancel the10 day trekking holiday if the strike is not called off by the end of the working day today. They will tell us what is happening this evening, just over 24 hours before departure for the international flight (I am on the same flight as those on the full package)
My question is
Have I the right to cancel the cruise as well (as a lone female traveler I don't fancy two weeks in Argentina on my own and it's too late for me to organise something)?
Is the tour operator responsible for the cost of my flights (my travel insurance policy implies that is the case)?
Grumpytraveller - 23-Nov-18 @ 9:12 AM
I have a cruise booked with TUI (which was booked in July 2017) and I am due to fly to Dubrovnik on Thursday to board the ship for the 7 day cruise.On Sunday I received a call to say they were very sorry but our room has been double booked and was no longer available to us.We have been offered another room of a lesser standard which is unacceptable (my husband is 6'5") so he won't fit in a single bed.At the moment TUI are unable to explain why my booking has been cancelled and not anyone else's.
JJ - 10-Sep-18 @ 2:03 PM
Flights details missing?
We have been booked to travel to Florida in only 2 weeks time. We have paid £29k for 12 members incl children to visit Disney. The travel company by the name Florida Masters Plc based in London and is an agent to Major Treval also based in London. We was sent our flight booking ref by email in May and had booked our seats on the 10.05 virgin atlantic manchester.... we thought our holiday was all sorted and the kids not to mention the grownups all looking forward to this trip of a liftime. We happend to log in to our virgin fights online lastnight just to see if there are any seats left, only to find we have no seats booked. We contacted a virgin agent who informed us that our flights were dropped cancelled on the
1 July 2018. We have had no email, calles any kind of contact from Florida Masters to inform us that our flights have been cancelled? The flights prices have now gone up to £1116 er tickek and now even if we do get booked back on theres a strong possibility that we will all be sat apart. Apart from calling and leaving messages at 11pm lastnight and sending 3 emails and facebook message to their page we have to wait till opening hrs. We the adults are so confused... it tool me months to keep on at this company as they didnt want to send us any details etc and had a right game just getting the flights booking ref in the first place. Now only to find they have removed our flights without contacting us... I can only think that this was done on purpose to get back at us for complaining as the date they cancelled the flights was my partner's birthday. Any help and advice please contact me
Paddy - 15-Jul-18 @ 7:26 AM
Holiday cancelled by Thomas Cook with 11 days to go offered full refund which I excepted, but only offered £60.00 compensation between 4 people totally unexceptable so not excepted what am I intitled to and what are my rights.
Di - 2-Jun-17 @ 6:40 PM
Hi ...we booked a holiday and paid in full with travel republic ...26 july .....2 weeks ago they informed us the hotel is closing for refurbishment ...they offered us 2 hotels but not same standard as original hotel .....they say the flights are none refundable.....we have contaccted them everyday but still no solution ...our last conversationwas we would like a hotel we know ...it is £200extra but we have £100.and they pay £100 (compensation )towards it but still no reply ....do you think this amicable or our we best cancelling the hotel and teansfers and booking with someone else ???or do we stay and fight this arguement because it eas not our fault ??? Mrs travy harden
Pickle66 - 7-Sep-16 @ 1:59 PM
I Arranged a surprise 40th birthday trip to NY for my wife. Upon check in it became apparent that the travel company had voided the ticket, a clerical error on their part, meaning that one of us couldn't fly.
The airline confirmed that we had seats reserved on the flight but they could not generate the boarding pass because of the voided ticket. They spoke to the travel company on our behalf at the check in desk but the travel company were unable to remedy their error within the needed timescale. We missed the flight.
The travel company subsequently admitted responsibility.We demanded a full refund which they agreed to.
Are we eligible to claim for addition compensation due to the inconvenience caused and arrangements put in place to accommodate the trip?
MBNY - 25-Mar-16 @ 8:54 AM
Paid for package holiday to Egypt ( shark el sheik) all flights cancelled due to possible terrorist attack, paid out £14000, am now told I can only get back £900. They say I would only be entitled to 50% of my hotel costs back, have spoken to travel insurers and they say this correct, how can this be right, it was not our fault it was cancelled.
