Online travel agents not keen on changes to ABTA rules

The move to include all kinds of travel services under the ABTA protection scheme has been met with an un-liking by many travel firms based on the internet. They claim that if the Package Travel Directive (PTD) is altered to include all travel services they will lose business as the public will move their business elsewhere. They argue that most booking are now made on credit cards, which offer guarantees on purchases made using their cards. ABTA have said that the decision has been backed by many UK travel agents through a consortium representing them.

Under the current PTD rules if the consumer books a holiday through a travel agent and there is a problem like flights are cancelled or the description did not live up to the accommodation, than they can claim through ABTA for compensation. However, if you book direct with an airline or hotel for accommodation an something goes wrong or it is not up to scratch you are not protected, as you have dealt directly with companies.

With so many of us turning to DIY holidays it is inevitable that the laws that govern such protection will have to be changed. The mass of low-cost airlines has helped many people get away for a break that could not previously afford to and they should all be protected exactly the same says ABTA. The collapse last month of FlyGlobeSpan has shown the extent of people that had booked their own holidays with more than 50 per cent of those affected flyers not entitled to protection under current regulations.