On the 29 th of November, 2023 the European Commission published a proposal for the revision of the Package Travel Directive [2015/2302]. The revision has been informed by various matters, including, the 2019 collapse of Thomas Cook, the COVID-19 Pandemic and the reports of the EU Commission and other bodies on the functioning and effectiveness of the PTD.

Here are some of the headline changes in the proposal:

• 25 % limitation on prepayments with the possibility collect higher payments if they are directly related to the organisation or performance of the package;
• Refund claims and refund vouchers are to be protected by the organiser’s insolvency protection;
• Organiser’s will have a right of refund from travel service suppliers for un-performed services, which is to be paid within 7 days;
• The definitions of Packages and Linked Travel Arrangements have been amended;
• New rules applicable to refund vouchers are included;
• UECs – The situation at the place of departure or return is to be taken into consideration in determining a traveller’s right to a refund.

Further information can be found here.