17/08/2009
Package Holidays v Independent Travel …Counting the true cost of your holiday
When talking about holidays you’ll always find someone find that says they saved a fortune by booking it all over themselves over the internet. However , although it may ,on the face of it, be cheaper than a package holiday booked through a reputable travel agent, it can be a false economy unless you’re mindful of the pitfalls of travelling independently–
When you book a package holiday in the UK the Package Travel, Package Holiday and Package Tour Regulations 1992 will apply. They make the tour operator responsible for the hotel facilities, cleanliness, safety and food. If they fail to do so you could be entitled to claim compensation for loss of enjoyment or inconvenience.
Also all tour operators selling air holidays and flights must be bonded or protect the prepayments they hold. That means if they go bust before you travel, you should get your money back or, if you are already abroad, you'll be able to complete your holiday and get home without any extra payments.
If ,on the other hand, if you decide to put you travel arrangements together yourself independently, you do not benefit from the same protection. So there is a danger that if things went wrong you may end up stranded abroad or lose all of your holiday money.
Independent travellers should therefore check their own insurance cover to see how they will be protected in the event of any of their individual arrangements failing e.g. airline failure. They should also pay for the holiday flights by credit card even if there is a surcharge as this offers you some financial protection. If the airline goes out of business you will usually get a refund on the cost of your tickets from your credit card provider.
So when booking a holiday it’s not just the headline cost you should consider. You always ensure that you take appropriate safeguards in place even if it means paying a little more as otherwise should disaster strike your holiday will not seem so much of a bargain after all ! |
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