Replying to a consultation launched by the European Commission on the review of the Package Travel Directive, ECTAA submitted its views and opinions on various issues that need to be addressed in an updated Package Travel Directive. 
In particular, ECTAA provided input to the European Commission on the scope of the future Package Travel Directive, insisting on the need to clarify the scope by developing clear and robust definitions of the notions of package, organiser and consumer.

ECTAA also advocated for more flexible information requirements, for keeping the possibility of the organiser to set a minimum number of participants as a condition for the package to take place, for reinforcing the organiser’s right to an indemnity from his suppliers who do not adequately provide their services to the consumer and for maintaining the right of the organiser to review the price agreed in the contract in specific instances, e.g. when transportation costs vary. ECTAA also strongly opposed the idea of granting the consumer a general right of withdrawal from the package contract without paying compensation to the organiser.

In addition, ECTAA expressed itself in favour of a compulsory protection of passengers holding stand alone airline tickets against airlines’ bankruptcy, insisting on the need to establish a level playing field between airlines and tour operators but also between all travellers, whether they booked a stand alone ticket or an air package travel.

Date of publication: 08/02/10