ABTA is to amend its Code of Conduct so that members no longer need to immediately refund clients whose departures are delayed for reasons beyond their control.
The move is in response to the severe weather last December which grounded flights at London Heathrow and left hundreds of package holiday customers eligible for their money back. Under existing ABTA rules, customers are entitled to a refund after a delay of 12 hours or more.
ABTA says it agrees with members that it isn’t reasonable or practicable for them to refund passengers for delays caused by ‘force majeure’, in other words, when they are not to blame.
The Association’s senior solicitor Paula Macfarlane said guidance to the Code would be clarified so that members would no longer be obliged to refund passengers for ‘force majeure’ delays, including severe weather.
Under Package Travel Regulations, members will still be obliged to provide refunds if they make significant alterations to a holiday.
By Linsey McNeill
