Travel expert Simon Calder has issued an urgent warning for anyone with a package holiday booked, urging them to act 'as soon as possible' if they encounter problems. His advice comes ahead of the peak travel season and follows new research by Citizens Advice, which reveals that four million people have faced issues with their package holidays over the past year.
Good Morning Britain segment highlights complaints
On today's (June 8) episode of ITV's Good Morning Britain, host Kate Garraway spoke to correspondent Nick Dixon about the findings. Dixon reported that complaints involved all-inclusive holidays not matching glossy brochures. Citizens Advice found that 33% of holiday complaints were about poor quality hotels, bad food, and unavailable facilities, while 19% related to poor customer service, including long phone waits and ignored complaints. Additionally, 25% of complaints led to stress, anxiety, or upset.
Dixon advised keeping records of everything to have a chance of getting money back. British travel journalist Simon Calder then shared a crucial message for those with package holidays, especially if they encounter problems during their trip.
Calder's immediate action advice
Calder said: 'If you get to your destination and things aren't right, maybe there's a problem with your room, maybe the facilities are simply not as described, then you have to give the travel company immediate notice and allow them the opportunity to sort things out.' Reporting a problem right away is a legal concept called 'mitigating your losses'. If you don't allow the travel provider to address the issue while you're there, you could hurt your chances of receiving a full refund or compensation.
Citizens Advice states: 'If you're still on holiday, tell the company or travel agent about the problem as soon as possible. You might be able to get it sorted quicker - like if there's a problem with the room. If you don't say anything until you get home, you might get less compensation or none at all.'
How to claim compensation for a holiday
The person you need to contact depends on how you arranged your holiday. For a package holiday, contact the tour operator's customer service team. If you organised it yourself or set up a linked travel arrangement, contact the accommodation or service provider directly, such as the hotel or excursion company. Make sure you include your booking reference, clear details of what went wrong, copies of any evidence (like photos), copies of receipts, and how much compensation you want.
Citizens Advice adds: 'It's a good idea to send the letter by registered post and keep a copy, so you have proof that the holiday company received it. You can also email them - some of them have online forms. Keep a copy of what you send. If the company makes you an offer that you think is too low, you can ask for more. They might come back to you with a higher offer.'
