How to complain about a holiday

HOW TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A HOLIDAY

The standard of holidays and services provided by ABTA companies is crucial to the reputation of the travel industry. To ensure that these high standards are maintained, ABTA regulates its Members and can provide assistance to you if you have a complaint against an ABTA company.

Have you complained to the ABTA company?

If you haven’t complained to the ABTA company, you must do so first of all so that they have the opportunity to resolve the dispute. To help with your complaint, you can seek guidance from:

ABTA Consumer Affairs Department
Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
Your local Trading Standards office

You can complain to an ABTA company by

Writing a letter
Writing an email
Phoning them – although it’s best to follow this up in writing

To check a company’s ABTA membership details, please click here.

Not happy with response received?

If you’ve received a response and aren’t satisfied, then you should write a further letter clearly detailing what you’re looking for to settle the dispute. Tell them what would be acceptable to you. The chances of getting a full refund are slim, even in arbitration or court. For a guide, see our Key Facts About the Law.

Reached deadlock?

Once you feel that you’ve reached deadlock, you can complain to ABTA. You can do this by completing Complaint Form A (if you haven’t yet been on holiday) or Complaint Form B (if you’ve returned from holiday), or by sending us a letter, email, or fax. Please include copies (not the originals) of your correspondence and the ABTA company’s replies. We’ll register your complaint on our database and may be able to help you resolve the dispute. If not, we can offer an independent arbitration scheme that’s administered by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. And for personal injury and illness claims, there’s a mediation scheme.

Please send all correspondence to our Consumer Affairs Department.

Considering court proceedings?

You may have already instigated court proceedings. If so, please note that alternative dispute resolution (ADR) schemes such as arbitration will not be available to you. Please also make sure that you know the costs of going to court. We strongly advise you to check first whether you have a good chance of winning your case. You could contact:

Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
Your local Trading Standards office

Last updated: 18 May 2006