More than three million people had problems with a package holiday last year

Research from Citizens Advice shows denied refunds, misdescribed hotels and poor customer service left millions struggling to get money back.

Citizens Advice has revealed that more than three million people experienced a problem with a package holiday in the past year. 

The charity receives around 14 complaints a day about package holidays, with the most common issues including hotels that fall short of what was advertised, denied refunds and poor customer service. One in four of those affected said they suffered stress, anxiety or felt upset as a result.

Jane Parsons, consumer spokesperson at Citizens Advice, said: 

“Too often, people are left stressed and disappointed when their dream holidays are spoiled because they’re not getting what they paid for. To make matters worse, they’re having to spend a lot of time and effort trying to resolve issues, sometimes with no luck.”

If your holiday fell short of what you paid for, you may be entitled to compensation, and in some cases you could claim back the full cost.

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What can go wrong with a package holiday

When things go wrong on a package holiday, the impact can go well beyond a disappointing trip. One traveller who paid £6,300 for an all-inclusive week in Lanzarote found herself without electricity, water, food or internet after flooding hit the hotel – and with no representative from her operator available because it was a weekend. While other travel companies had staff on hand to support their customers, she was left to manage alone.

She said: “I feel a victim twice over because I had the stress of our holiday being ruined, and then months of trying to get compensation.”

It is a situation that is familiar to many. Citizens Advice says the most common complaints it receives involve hotels that do not match their descriptions, facilities that are unavailable, poor food and operators that are difficult or slow to respond when things go wrong.

How millions of package holidays went wrong

Citizens Advice surveyed 2,018 adults and found that 76% had been on a package holiday, with 34% having experienced a problem at some point. Of the 3,521 complaints made to the charity in the past year, 42% involved all-inclusive packages abroad.

The most common issues were hotels being misdescribed or facilities being unavailable (33% of complaints) and customer service failures including long waits, ignored complaints and administration errors (19%). One in four of those affected said they suffered stress, anxiety or upset, while 17% had to pay extra for daily expenses. A third of those who experienced a problem said it was eventually resolved but required significant time and effort.

John Herriman, chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “Too many people are left out of pocket or dealing with stress when holidays don’t meet what was promised. 

“What should be a time to relax and unwind can turn into the opposite,” he added. “Businesses must meet their legal obligations and ensure they deliver the standard of service people have paid for – and resolve issues raised quickly.”

What you can claim if your package holiday goes wrong

If something went wrong on your holiday, you may be able to get compensation from the company you booked with, but the sooner you raise it the better. Citizens Advice says waiting until you get home could mean you receive less compensation or none at all.

You may be entitled to claim if your holiday was lower in value than what you booked, you had to spend extra money because of a problem, or a large part of the services you paid for were not provided. 

You could also have grounds to claim if something went wrong that caused significant distress or disappointment, or the holiday was completely ruined. In the most serious cases, you may be able to ask for the full cost of the holiday back.

How to make a complaint and claim compensation

If something went wrong, tell your operator as soon as possible – waiting until you get home could reduce or eliminate your entitlement. Write to the customer services department with your booking reference, details of what went wrong, photos, receipts and the amount you are seeking. Keep a copy of everything you send.

If the company’s offer feels too low, you can ask for more. If you remain unhappy and your operator is a member of ABTA (the Association of British Travel Agents), you can register a complaint on the ABTA website. As a last resort, you can take the company to the small claims court.

For more help, contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 or visit the Citizens Advice guide to claiming compensation for a holiday.