My flight was cancelled — how much can I claim?

Under retained EC 261/2004: £220 for short flights under 1,500km, £350 for 1,500–3,500km, £520 for over 3,500km — provided the cancellation was within 14 days of departure and not caused by extraordinary circumstances (severe weather, ATC strike, etc.). Plus a refund or rerouting and meals/hotel during waiting.

The hotel was nothing like the brochure — is that a claim?

Yes, under regulation 15 of the Package Travel Regulations 2018: the organiser must perform the package as agreed. Significant non-conformity entitles you to a price reduction proportionate to the loss of value, plus compensation for distress (Jarvis v Swans Tours principle, still good law).

How much compensation for a ruined holiday?

Loss-of-enjoyment damages are typically 25–50% of the package price for serious failings, occasionally more if the entire holiday was lost. Add reasonable consequential expenses (taxis, alternative meals, replacement accommodation). Receipts are essential.

Should I use ABTA or small claims?

ABTA arbitration is free, written-only, and binding. It works well for clear-cut disputes under £10,000 with member operators. Small claims is broader (any operator) and lets you give oral evidence — useful if facts are contested. You cannot do both.

My operator went bust — am I covered?

If the package included a flight, ATOL protection should refund you (claim via caa.co.uk). For other packages, the operator must hold insolvency cover under regulation 19 of the Package Travel Regulations — usually with ABTA, ABTOT, or a trust account.

What is the time limit for a holiday claim?

Six years for contract-based claims under section 5 of the Limitation Act 1980. Two years for some international air-travel matters under the Montreal Convention. Most operators set their own internal complaint window (often 28 days) — missing it does not bar a court claim but weakens your case.

What counts as a "significant alteration"?

Per regulation 11(2), a "significant change to one of the main characteristics of the travel services" — for example, a hotel of materially lower category, dates moving by more than a day, a different destination or airport, or an inability to meet a stated special requirement. Minor changes (room upgrade, slightly different flight time) do not trigger termination rights.

How much can I claim for a hotel that was nothing like the brochure?

A price reduction proportionate to the loss of value is the starting point — often 25–50% of the package price for serious failings. Add loss-of-enjoyment damages (Jarvis v Swans Tours principle): typically a further 10–25%. Plus consequential expenses with receipts.

Is my hotel-only booking a "package"?

Not under the 2018 Regulations — those require a combination of at least two travel services (e.g. transport plus accommodation). Hotel-only bookings fall under general contract law and (if the trader is UK-based) the Consumer Rights Act 2015 service standards.

My operator went bust before I travelled — what do I get back?

For ATOL-protected flight packages: a full refund via the CAA, usually within a few weeks. For non-flight packages with ABTA/ABTOT: refund via the trust scheme. Check your booking confirmation for the protection scheme reference.

Should I claim against the airline separately?

For flight delay/cancellation compensation under retained EC 261/2004, claim against the airline directly — this is separate from any package failure. Both can run in parallel. The package claim covers the lost package value; the airline claim covers the EC 261 fixed sum.

Holiday ruined? Get your money back.

How to claim for a ruined package holiday, cancelled flight or accommodation not as described. Package Travel Regulations 2018, flight rights and ATOL cover.

Package holiday gone wrong

Significant problems at your hotel, transfers that did not show up, or substantial difference between brochure and reality. The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 make the package organiser liable for everything in the package — even if the failure was the hotel's fault.

Flight delay or cancellation

Flights from a UK airport, or on a UK/EU airline arriving in the UK, are still covered by Regulation EC 261/2004 (assimilated as UK 261 post-Brexit). Compensation of £220–£520 per passenger plus duty of care, depending on distance and length of delay.

Accommodation not as described

A hotel-only or villa booking that was not what was advertised: pool closed, dirty rooms, far from beach, missing facilities. This is a contract claim under the booking T&Cs and (for UK-based traders) the Consumer Rights Act 2015 service standards.

If your operator collapses, ATOL Protection (for flight-inclusive packages) or the Package Travel Regulations insolvency cover should refund you. Claim through the CAA at caa.co.uk for ATOL, or via the operator's trust arrangement.

Significant alteration before departure

Under regulation 11 of the Package Travel Regulations 2018, if the organiser proposes a significant change (different airport, different hotel of lower standard, different dates), you have the right to accept the change, accept a substitute package of equivalent quality, or terminate without paying a termination fee — with full refund within 14 days.

Performance failures during the holiday

Under regulation 15, the organiser must perform the package as agreed. Significant non-conformity (no working air-con in 35°C, builders next door, dirty rooms) entitles you to a price reduction proportionate to the loss of value, plus compensation for distress where appropriate.

ATOL Protection (insolvency cover for flight-inclusive packages)

If your operator collapses, ATOL Protection through the Civil Aviation Authority refunds the package and (if abroad) repatriates you. Look for the ATOL logo and certificate at booking. Apply for refund/repatriation directly via the CAA at caa.co.uk.

Non-flight package insolvency cover

For packages without a flight, the organiser must hold insolvency cover under regulation 19 — typically with ABTA, ABTOT, or a trust account. The trade body or trust takes over and refunds.

Four main types of holiday claim

Each route has its own regulations and time limits. Identify yours first.

Your four key protections on a package holiday

The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 give you rights that go well beyond the operator’s own goodwill policy.

Refund, price reduction, or damages — which applies

Full refund within 14 days
— if the operator cancels, or makes a significant change you reject before departure (regulation 11).
— for non-conformity during the holiday, proportionate to the value you lost (regulation 16).
Compensation for damages
— further loss including distress and disappointment (regulation 16(3)). Capped where international conventions apply, such as the Montreal Convention for air travel.
— at no extra cost where return transport is part of the package and cannot be provided (regulation 17).

All four can stack: a partial refund for the days that were spoiled, plus damages for the distress, plus a refund of services you never received.

Step-by-step: claiming for a ruined holiday

Flight delay compensation under retained UK 261

Flight distance	Compensation	Trigger
Up to 1,500 km	£220	2+ hour delay
1,500–3,500 km	£350	3+ hour delay
Over 3,500 km	£520	4+ hour delay

"Extraordinary circumstances" (severe weather, security alerts, ATC strikes) defeat the claim — but airline strikes and technical faults usually do not.