Package Travel Regulations UK: Your Rights (2026)
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Booking a holiday should feel like the start of something good, not a gamble. When you pay for a package trip in the UK, the law gives you a set of protections that sit above and beyond what you'd get from booking flights and hotels separately.
The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 are the rulebook that holds travel organisers to account, covering everything from what they tell you before you pay to what happens if the trip falls apart mid-way through. This page walks through how the rules work, what counts as a package, and the practical rights you can rely on as a consumer.
If you're trying to work out whether your booking is covered or what to do about a holiday that went wrong, you'll find the essentials here.
Overview
The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 are the UK rules that protect people buying bundled holidays from a travel organiser. A booking generally counts as a package when at least two different types of travel service, for example a flight and a hotel, a hotel and a car hire, or transport and a significant activity, are sold together for one overall price or presented as a single trip.
The rules also cover what the law calls 'linked travel arrangements', where a trader helps you put separate services together in a connected way, though the protections for these are narrower. Once a booking counts as a package, the organiser carries legal responsibility for the whole holiday working as promised, not just the individual parts.
That means if one element of the trip fails, you generally look to the organiser to put it right rather than chasing the airline, hotel, or activity provider yourself. The regulations also require financial protection, so if your organiser goes bust, there's a route to getting you home and getting your money back.
Key steps
- Check whether your booking counts as a package. Look at how the trip was sold to you. If you bought flights and accommodation together at a single price, or chose two or more travel services as part of one booking process, you're likely covered. A standalone flight booked on its own usually isn't a package.
- Keep all your booking paperwork in one place. Save your confirmation, the pre-departure information, any brochure or webpage descriptions of what was promised, receipts, and the terms and conditions. If something goes wrong, the contrast between what was promised and what you got is what your claim will rest on.
- Raise problems with the organiser while you're still on the trip. If the hotel isn't what was described, the transfer didn't turn up, or promised facilities are missing, tell the rep or the organiser straight away and ask for it to be fixed. Keep notes, take photos, and get names. Waiting until you get home weakens your position.
- Put your complaint in writing after you return. If the issue wasn't resolved during the holiday, write to the organiser setting out what went wrong, what you reported at the time, and what you want them to do about it. Include copies of evidence. Give them a reasonable deadline to respond.
- Escalate if the organiser won't engage. If you can't reach a fair outcome directly, many organisers are members of ABTA or similar schemes that offer alternative dispute resolution. Failing that, the county court small claims route is available for lower-value claims, and Citizens Advice or Trading Standards can point you in the right direction.
Common questions
Q Does booking a flight and hotel separately still count as a package?
Not usually. Buying completely separate services from different traders, with separate contracts and payments, is normally outside the package rules. However, if one trader helps you combine services in a linked way, or the services are sold to you as a single trip, you may have some protection. It often comes down to how the booking was presented to you at the point of sale.
Q What happens if my travel organiser goes out of business?
Package organisers have to put financial protection in place so customers aren't left stranded or out of pocket if the business fails. For trips involving a flight, this is often via the ATOL scheme. For other packages, it may be through bonding, insurance, or a trust arrangement. Check your booking paperwork, it should tell you which protection applies.
Q Can I cancel a package holiday if I change my mind?
You can cancel before the trip starts, but the organiser is usually entitled to charge a cancellation fee. The amount typically increases as the departure date gets closer. The cancellation terms should be set out clearly in your contract. There are separate rules allowing free cancellation in exceptional circumstances affecting the destination, such as serious safety issues.
Q What if the organiser changes something significant after I've booked?
If the organiser needs to alter a key part of the package, such as the destination, the main accommodation, or significantly increases the price, you generally have the right to accept the change, take an alternative trip if offered, or cancel and get a refund. Minor tweaks don't trigger this right, but fundamental changes do.
Q Am I entitled to compensation if things go wrong during the holiday?
If the package doesn't match what was described and the organiser can't fix it, you may be entitled to a price reduction, and in some cases compensation for the loss of enjoyment or out-of-pocket costs. The amount depends on how serious the shortfall was and how much of the holiday it affected. Keep evidence and report problems promptly.
Q Do the regulations cover trips booked abroad or only from the UK?
The UK regulations apply where the package is sold or offered for sale in the UK. If you book through a trader based overseas, your protection may come from that country's version of the rules rather than the UK regime. Paying by credit card can add a useful second layer of protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act for qualifying purchases.
Q What's the difference between a package and a linked travel arrangement?
A package is a bundled trip where the organiser carries responsibility for the whole thing working as promised. A linked travel arrangement is where a trader helps you buy separate services in a connected way but the services remain under separate contracts. Linked arrangements get some protection, mainly around insolvency, but not the full package rights.
Sources
This guide is based on primary UK law and official guidance.
- LegislationThe Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018legislation.gov.uk
- Official SourceCitizens Advice: Problem with a package holidaycitizensadvice.org.uk
Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only. It is a tool to help you find your way — not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a qualified adviser about your situation.