Dissatisfied with package travel

What counts as an error in package travel?

There are many different things that can count as an error in package travel. This may, for example, be that:

• The package travel is a tour where you travel around to different destinations, and any of the stops on the trip are cancelled.

• You booked excursions at the destination at the same time that you booked the actual travel, and any of the excursions is cancelled.

• The hotel is of a much worst standard than the operator had promised.

• The hotel you stay at has bedbugs.

• The hotel or the room lacks certain facilities that the operator promised would be present.

• You had booked a trip where food and drink were to be included, but that it then turned out on-site at the destination that there was neither food or drink.

What you can demand in the event of errors in package travel

If anything is wrong with package travel or if you did not receive what you and the package travel operator agreed on, you can first demand that the operator correct the error, which the operator must do as soon as possible.

The travel operator should correct the error or give you a price reduction

If the package travel is, for example, a tour where you will travel around to different destinations, and any of the stops on the tour are cancelled, you can first demand that the package travel operator resolve it by replacing the destination with something else. If the operator cannot arrange such an alternative, you should be able to demand a price reduction corresponding to that part of the trip. The same thing applies if, for example, you booked excursions at the same time that you booked the package travel. If any of the excursions are cancelled, the operator should arrange another comparable excursion or give you a price reduction that corresponds to the cancelled excursion.

Other problems that can also be counted as errors, and that you can demand the operator fix are, for example, that the hotel or hotel area are being renovated or that there are bedbugs at the hotel. In such a situation, you can demand that the operator arrange new lodging for you or give you a price reduction that corresponds to the error.

The travel operator is not obliged to correct the error in the travel if there is an obstacle beyond the operator’s control, which the operator cannot influence, or if the resolution of the error would entail unreasonably high costs considering the scope of the error.

How large a price reduction can you demand?

The price reduction you can demand must always been assessed case by case, but it should be reasonable in relation to the actual error in the package travel. So there are no set amounts, but rather you may direct a demand for compensation to the operator that you consider to be reasonable. If the operator refuses to provide you compensation, there is a possibility to go further with the dispute for review.

It is only possible to demand a price reduction for the time the error on the trip existed. If it is an error that the operator succeeds in resolving during the trip, you can accordingly not demand to receive a refund for the entire trip.

Here are some examples of how the price reduction can be calculated:

• You are dissatisfied with the hotel since the room both has no air conditioning and the hotel area has no pool even though the operator had promised there would be both. After two days, you switch to another hotel that better agrees with what the operator had promised. Then, you may be entitled to a price reduction for the first two days of the trip, but not for the whole trip.

• An excursion you booked when you booked the trip was cancelled and the operator was unable to book in a comparable excursion for you. You can then demand a price reduction corresponding to what the cancelled excursion would have cost.

• All food and drink was supposed to be included in the price of the package holiday, but once there, it turned out that neither food nor drink were available. Then, you can demand a price reduction that corresponds to the cost of the food and drink.

Compensation for expenses due to the error in the trip

If you can prove with receipts or the like that you had extra costs due to the error in the package travel you may be entitled to demand compensation from the operator for those extra costs. It is not possible to demand compensation for anything other than the actual extra costs that you can prove that you had due to the error in the trip.

You cannot demand compensation if the error in the package travel was because of you or if the error was due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances that the package travel operator could not have foreseen.

Lodge a complaint with the package travel operator as soon as possible

If you are dissatisfied with anything in your package travel, it is important that you complain as soon as possible to the package travel operator. Preferably lodge a complaint directly on-site at the destination and also in writing, such as by email. In this way, you can also prove afterwards that you complained and when you complained. Be clear about what you are dissatisfied with and what demands you have.

When you complain about an error, you can tell the operator that you want the error to be fixed within a certain period of time as long as the time is reasonable. If the operator does not manage to correct the error within that time, you can demand compensation from the operator for the necessary expenses you had for you to correct the error yourself.

Keep in mind that the size of the price reduction can be affected depending on when you complain to the operator. If there is already anything wrong with the hotel from the first day and you wait until the third day to complain, you will probably not be able to get any price reduction for the first two days.