Brussels, 27/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - In future, consumers purchasing a flight, car or all-inclusive travel deal online will enjoy the same level of protection as those who go through a travel agency, under a European directive which has just received the formal approval of the members of the European Parliament (see EUROPE 11409).
In Strasbourg on Tuesday 27 October, the European Parliament definitively approved the adaptation to the digital era of the directive on package travel and assisted travel services. “With this revised legislation, travellers' rights in Europe are globally reinforced. New booking models are now included in its scope of application and travellers are informed of their rights in detail. We have also succeeded in taking the economic interests of the industry into account - operators, travel agencies and hotels”, said rapporteur Birgit Collin-Langen (EPP, Germany).
Amongst other innovations, this legislation provides for: - the right of consumers to cancel a package holiday if the price increases by more than 8% with no justification; - the consumer's right to 3 nights of accommodation paid for by the travel organiser if the consumer is prevented, due to an unforeseeable event (natural disaster or attack), from returning home; - protection for the consumer in the event of the insolvency of package travel operators, who will in turn be obliged to take out insolvency insurance; - the option for travellers to cancel a contract under exceptional circumstances without charge; - agreements 'in a single click' (in which the name of the traveller, payment details and email address are transferred between service providers) will be treated exactly as for package travel. The member states will have two years to transpose this directive, which meets the urgent need to update the former directive dating from 1990, into their internal law. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)