European Parliament adapts package travel regulations to the digital age

Combined trips, consisting of several parts and purchased on the Internet for a single price or through linked sites, will have the same protection as packages contracted in travel agencies, thanks to new rules approved by the European Parliament.

 

Travelers will have more options to cancel the contract and should have clear information in advance about who is responsible in case of problems.

The regulations on package vacations apply to two types of contract: the combined ones offered by operators or designed by the traveler and a new booking method, called linked travel, in which the buyer is guided, for example, after booking an airline ticket, to book a new service –such as a rental car– through a link.

These linked offers, in which the customer's name, payment details and e-mail address are transferred from one supplier to another and a second contract is concluded less than 24 hours after the purchase of the first service s s, they will be considered a package tour for the purposes of the legislation.

Before the traveler acquires any contractual liability, the seller must make it clear that he is contracting a package and inform the user of his rights and which is the entity responsible in case something goes wrong, stresses the text approved by MEPs. Operators will also have to provide approximate information on departure and return times, as well as indication of possible surcharges.

Consumers may cancel their package and get their money back if the total price goes up by more than 8%   if the total price goes up by more than 8%  ;more than 8%  or due to exceptional and unavoidable circumstances at the destination, such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

Parliament's vote brings the legislative process to a close. Member states now have two years to transpose the changes into national law, and an additional six months to begin implementing them.

The vote by Parliament brings the legislative process to a close.