Essential tips on how to complain about your holiday
By Darren Cronian on Monday, June 2nd, 2008

Maybe I expect too much from tour operators and travel agencies but I would expect to find somewhere the companies complaints procedure. To me it makes sense to have a process that a customer has to follow to complain.

Essential tips on how to complain about your holiday

It’s not like us Brits complain enough, but today I visited a few online booking websites including Thomas Cook and Kuoni Travel to find their complaints procedure, and after spending a while searching around I could not find any mention of what the process is.

As a customer I would want to know who to send the complain to, how long they will take to respond, and what channels you can go down should the company not be able to deal with your complaint to your satisfaction.

Here’s some advice from my own experience filling a complaint:

It’s important that you mention any complaints to the tour representative before you depart as you may have to fill in paperwork, and other holidaymakers might have had the same problems which will back up your complaint.

• Collect evidence, i.e. photographs and videos of your complaint.
• Find the companies head office address and write a letter, send it recorded delivery
• Send photocopies of your documentation
• Be clear about exactly what happened
• Give them two weeks to respond.

Hopefully, the company concerned will deal with your complaint.

ABTA have a code of conduct ensures that their members have to respond to any complaint within strict time limits. If you can’t resolve a dispute, the next step is for you to contact their consumer affairs department who will be able to assist.

The Travel Trust association works with independent travel agencies and like ABTA has a customer complaints procedure should you not be able to resolve the complaint direct with the travel agency. The website has tons of useful information about how to complain.

I’d be interested to hear consumers experiences with complaint procedures or any additional feedback from any travel agencies reading this blog. Feel free to leave any comments relating to the content of this blog post, as it’s important that it is accurate.


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10 responses to “Essential tips on how to complain about your holiday”

Julie | 3 June, 2008 at 12:27 pm

Two weeks to respond could be confusing. So here are fuller requirements.

The Travel Trust Association (TTA)
14 days from receipt for an acknowledgement to be sent and
not later than 28 days from receipt for a full reply to be sent or a reply containing a detailed explanation for delay.

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Darren Cronian | 3 June, 2008 at 12:58 pm

@ Julie

Thanks for the clarification. Out of interest do you work for a travel agency or for the travel trust association?

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Lee Harrison ( Owner Select World Travel) | 3 June, 2008 at 2:13 pm

Quote Darren”It’s important that you mention any complaints to the tour representative before you depart as you may have to fill in paperwork, and other holidaymakers might have had the same problems which will back up your complaint.”

I’d Maybe like that to be re-phrased to something like this. If a problem occurs the first point of call is to visit the Tour Operators Representative or local agent as soon as the problem occurs or exists. usually they can resolve problems if informed at the time,as they happen. If they can’t then It is important that a written report is gained from the rep or Agent at the time of complaint, and it is the customers right to insist on this. Sometimes it is also worth speaking with the Hotels Manager or reservations staff as they can also help to put things right.

If Handled correctly, and politely most complaints can be sorted amicabally so as not to ruin the rest of the holiday

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Julie | 3 June, 2008 at 4:44 pm

@ Darren / No, I do not work for the TTA. Yes I do work in the travel business and know the difference between a Travel Agent and a Tour Operator and the difference between ABTA and ATOL, which is always a good start.

I think your site is useful and appreciate you taking advice as well as posting it.

@ Lee Harrison I agree with what you have written.

Most complaints and concerns can be resolved while on holiday to everyones satisfaction. If you keep your calm, find out the correct person to speak with, make your concerns know and what you’d like resolved, you will certainly be in a better position to enjoy the rest of your holiday. It’s of benefit to everyone, to correct any problems as they happen, rather than leaving them until you return home.

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Darren Cronian | 3 June, 2008 at 5:11 pm

@ Lee

Thanks, I will put a link through to your comments.

@ Julie

I’m a consumer, and do not have any inside knowledge of a travel agency, which I think is the reason why this blog is so useful.

It is good though to get the insider tips and advice from people like yourself and Lee, because then you are getting both sides.

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Julie | 3 June, 2008 at 5:35 pm

@ Darren, thank you.

I do think that it is important to try and resolve matters as they happen.

Your item is about how to collect evidence and make a compliant, but aimed more at when you return home. I would suggest to try and resolve things, as Lee says, while on holiday.

Obviously some complaints may not be possible to resolve on holiday and may also be totally beyond the control of the travel organiser, but I expect the majority can be resolved while on holiday, with some common sense on both sides.

I often think, when reading holiday complaint forums, that people take their sun cream and passports in place of their common sense and balanced reasoning which they leave at home : )

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Darren Cronian | 6 June, 2008 at 8:20 am

@ Julie

Fair point, the post was aimed more at those that don’t get a resolution at the resort, who are the people that tend to come to Travel Rants for assistance.

I agree though if you can get it all sorted whilst you are on holiday then it is better for all parties concerned in the long run.

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ann maybin | 19 April, 2009 at 1:38 pm

I recently booked a 5 star hotel in Spain for 4 nights through Thomas Cook Flexible Trips online. When my daughter and I arrived at the hotel it was locked up and we were told by locals it had been closed for 6 months. I won’t go into the details here but we eventually- after a lot of expensive calls to England and a lot of stress-were given a new 4 star hotel which wasn’t anything like what we had originally planned. I have emailed 2 different addresses at Thomas Cook and a week later I have still received nothing. Does anyone know what my rights are? It was very stressful.

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Andrew Jones | 30 April, 2009 at 9:03 am

It is extremely important to raise any complaints during the holiday to your representative this way they can be actioned immediately and will hopefully eliminate any costly phone calls. If the complaint is rectified the impact on your holiday should be minimal and sure eradicate the need for a formal complaint on your return.

The Thomas cook fiasco mentioned above is disgraceful and must be down to the fact that these large organisations rely on systems rather than personal contact with their portfolio of hotels.

Can I ask if people are receiving an increase in bogus complaints purely to receive compensation?

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Oli | 9 July, 2010 at 3:53 pm

I had a two day stay in Bangkok booked with Gold Medal Travel (part of Thomas Cook) at the end of our honeymoon in Thailand. FCO advice at the time of travel was not to travel to central Bangkok and people were being shot dead in the street – our hotel was in the middle of the trouble and we refused to travel. Gold Medal didn’t offer us any alternative and refused to refund us.

I made a complaint via the agent when we returned and was informed that, as an ABTA bonded company, they are obliged to respond within 28 days. This is day 43 and no response! I have drafted a letter setting out my expectations and threatening to complain to ABTA. I am going to send it tomorrow if there isn’t a reponse on my doorstep when I get home.

The next step is to take the matter to arbitration, which is run independently by IDRS. There is a sliding-scale fee for this (starting at around £100) but, if you win, you will get this back in addition to any compensation. If you are not happy with the outcome of the arbitration you can challenge the decision (for a non-refundable fee of £350) and you can pursue the matter further in the courts.

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