Package holiday, who pays for new flights if flights are cancelled?

Westin

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81943682#Comment_81943682

Exactly this. @Grumpy_chap

A refund is all that the travel operator needs to provide.

eskbanker

Our flight is likely to be cancelled (Qatar) and our travel agent says if that happens, we have to pay the difference in flight cost if we want our holiday to continue with a different airline, saying it's 'force majeure'. We thought that the travel agent would need to pay the difference in flights under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018…

Just to reiterate, there are two separate sets of regulations that may apply in the situation where the airline cancels the flights.

The Package Travel Regulations don't oblige the agent to offer a reroute at no extra cost.

However, the UK261 flight delay/cancellation regulations do require that the airline offers a reroute at no extra cost…

purplemusky

Hi - can anyone assist with my query which slightly differs to the post. Holiday booked as package with Hays Travel to Thailand flying Manchester with a layover in Doha to Phuket with Qatar. The flight was cancelled on Thursday and our travel provider through Hays offered us flights with Emirates from Manchester with a layover to Abu Dhabi same dates but we had to sign a waiver. Having checked with our travel insurance they advised that if we travel our insurance will be invalid for the whole duration of the holiday, hence we do not want to do this.

The travel provider through Hays are now stating we either travel when FDCO regulations state only essential travel is allowed to the Middle East, lose our money or a credit voucher which expires Oct 2026. I just want a full refund and I thought we would be entitled to this as the alternative route they are offering is against Government/FDCO advice.

With regards to the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 - the evised itinerary requires me to transit through a country that is currently subject to UK government advice against travel. This is not a minor change. It materially alters the nature of the holiday I originally booked for the following reasons:

- Travel through such a destination typically invalidates standard travel insurance, leaving me effectively uninsured

- It introduces a significantly increased level of risk that was not present in the original booking

- This is not the service I agreed to purchase

As a result, this constitutes a significant change to the package, and I am entitled to reject it without penalty.

Thankful for any information anyone can share.

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952029#Comment_81952029

I'm not sure that the significant change angle is the correct way to address this - they're basically substituting travel via one country on the FCDO list with another, so in itself flying via UAE is essentially the same risk as via Qatar, and therefore it's not a significant change as such.

On the other hand, there's the question of whether either is safe, but that's one to pursue under other aspects of the PTRs, i.e. the unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances provisions.

Worried_fool

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81952029#Comment_81952029

I suggest you clarify with your travel insurance… most of the industry still covers holidays that include transit through an airport in the Middle East, so long as you don't leave the airport. Is it possible that your insurer misunderstood what you need to do?

Westin

The initial poster has not logged back in since they posted on 30 March. I am not sure if any comments read. Hopefully they got things sorted.

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81954417#Comment_81954417

OP isn't due to be flying until the end of the month and it's plausible (but not guaranteed) that last night's news may lead to a change in the FCDO guidance by then.