This week I received an interesting email where the consumer explained that they have paid for a 14 night holiday, but in reality they will only stay in the accommodation for 13 nights. This seemed a little unfair but it appears to be a regular occurrence.

Common consumer issue

Here’s what the consumer wrote to me and said.

I booked a 14 night holiday and my first night is 17 September, making 30 September as my 14th night. However the tour operator has me leaving the resort just after midnight. No 14th night. This has happened to me three times in recent years, and I was wondering if anyone else has had the same issue?

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My brother will walk into a restaurant and before ordering a meal he will first visit the toilets. If they are not in a satisfactory state he will announce to his family that they are not staying and will find another place to eat. He is firmly of the belief that the cleanliness of a restaurant’s toilets is a strong clue as to the hygiene within their kitchen.

Dirty toilets, dirty kitchen

While I am not as strict an adherent to this philosophy as my brother I do think it matters how well a place looks after its bathroom/restroom/toilet facilities. It is hard to deny that a visit to the loo does provide the customer with a direct insight into how well a business takes care of those details beyond the first impressions.

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There are many pitfalls when booking a flight online and one of the biggest traps that consumers get caught up in is when the passenger information is mistyped. I cannot tell you how many emails I receive about this travel issue.

Incorrect name on flight ticket

Last week, I booked a flight and mistakenly typed my friends surname incorrectly. I realised what I had done as soon as I received the confirmation email so I contacted the airline who has said that I will have to rebook the flight again, can you help?

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I am sure you will have heard on the media that Grimsvotn volcano has erupted and is causing problems for flights in Scotland with Loganair cancelling 36 flights today. Obviously, the recent media attention has had meant a number of worried airline passengers have emailed me asking for advice – please read latest updates below.

Check with the airline/tour operator

Last year a number of consumers cancelled their flight, this meant that they were not able to claim on their travel insurance, receive a refund, or alternative flight by the airline, so my advice is do not panic, you should check the airline or tour operators site for the latest news.

Check your holiday paperwork for the ATOL logo – this will mean that you are financially protected and the tour operator should make arrangements to get you home should your flight be affected.

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This evening I received an email from a consumer who has lodged an official complaint with an online travel agency and they have not responded to any of her letters and numerous telephone calls since February.

Concerns over consumer protection

This company has come into my radar on many occasions before and I noticed that the trading name and website was not included on the ATOL record for the company name, despite displaying the logo on its website.

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