Expert holiday answers

Simon Calder answers your queries

Mary Richards: I have just watched your article about compensation for delayed or cancelled flights. What happens if this happens before the holiday? Flights on a european short break were significantly altered from daytime to night flights and although I complained I have been refused compensation. I always travel by train to the airport so these changes caused difficulties. I contacted ABTA but it would cost me over �70 to go to arbitration. Many people like myself are tied into specific holiday dates but alterations after booking by the tour operator seem almost expected and they don't appear to be accountable.

First, let's look at why flights are changed. Sometimes it is because the airline has sold seats on flights for which it doesn't actually have slots. This tends to happen most if you book a long way in advance. The airline sells tickets in the fond belief that it will be able to operate the service, but turns out not to be able to do.

Perhaps more commonly, in my experience, flights are cancelled on commercial grounds. I had flights booked for a day trip to Baden Baden in Germany on Ryanair, out in the morning and back in the evening. A month in advance the airline said it was now operating only once a day. The option they suggested would have given me exactly 25 minutes in Germany. But they did offer a full refund. The standard rule is that flights can be changed anything up to a fortnight before departure without compensation.

The trouble is, of course, if you have booked and paid in advance for other facilities, from train tickets to accommodation. The supplier will say "it isn't my problem" if your flight is changed - they have made the sale to you in good faith.

Expect this practice to become more common as the price of oil rises still further, making airlines are more inclined to cancel flights if they don't have enough bookings to cover the cost of fuel.

Peter from Orpington: I will be visiting a Greek Island this summer. I will be hiring a car, probable have a lunch and want to pay with my visa card. My question is what is the cheapest way to pay? Should I be charged in euro's or should I be charged in pounds sterling? I have an Alliance and Leicester current account.

Neither of the above! Source euros in the UK at the best rate you can, then take cash and pay for everything with that. You will have locked into a better rate that your bank is likely to offer, and will avoid all the charges that mean a �20 lunch can cost you �2 more if you pay, for example, with a debit card. Or switch your bank to Nationwide, which makes a point of not charging customers for using their plastic.

Glyn Gregory: Why oh why in this day and age have those amongst who now find themselves "single" have to pay 'single supplement' for our holidays? This excessive minimum of about 25% can, depending on the length of the prospective holiday nearly double the cost for singles, in many instances a couple can get the same holiday pro rata much cheaper. A good number of people have commented on the poor accommodation offered in some instances, almost like being second class citizens.

Sonia: Where can a person wishing to travel alone get a reasonable priced holiday, some say no single supplement, but the cost of those is so high. It does seem so unfair that single travellers are penalised.

Answer for Glyn and Sonia: Sure, the situation you describe applies to package holidays. But you don't have to be on one! Become an independent traveller and you will find that the world become a level playing field.

A Jacobsen: When booking a flight with JET2.com. The online price for example is �59.99 per passenger. When I move onto the final payment including seats at �3.99 each, fuel charges at �7.64 per passenger and baggage at �5.99 per bag I find the fair has suddenly increased to �82.49 for the booking adding on the extra's the total become's �100.11 per passenger (excluding credit card charges). How is this justified? I thought prices should be transparent.

The OFT rule is that all non-negotiable charges should be included on all prices on websites. It is widely ignored and the OFT has not indicated any appetite for dealing with Jet2 nor several others. I find it personally baffling that our watchdog should allow this state of affairs to prevail. But while it does the only rule is to test fares all the way to the last minute rather than looking at the "headline" fare.

Dave Cremin: Can you be asked for a surcharge once you have paid for the holiday in full?

Yes.

Stephen Bolton: I am a wheelchair user from birth and have had a kidney transplant therefore I am taking a lot of anti-rejection drugs. Please can you tell me the rules and regulations regarding taking prescribed medication abroad (to Canada) and on aircraft?

No, but your airline can.

GA Greive: Could you kindly give me some info as to where we could find Travel Insurance for over 70's? We are struggling to find affordable cover.

Help the Aged, and Saga.

Don Ashley: I thought you ought to know about a major problem with travellers cheques in Belgium. We only go abroad for about 2 weeks every year and always rely heavily on travellers cheques. 2 years ago while holidaying in Ypres, Belgium we could not find a bank that would exchange them. As far as I can remember we tried every single bank in the town and one or two elsewhere. The story we had from the banks was all the same. "that since the introduction of the euro, they no longer had the mechanism for exchanging travellers cheques". This has obviously coloured our opinion of travellers cheques and after many years of using them, we are now very wary. Has anyone had a similar problem and what should we have done at the time?

Travellers' cheques are looking more and more like a "niche" product; I have also heard for people finding it difficult or impossible to use them in countries such as Portugal and Greece. The value is that if they are lost or stolen, you get your money back. But the extra cost of obtaining them, and the lessening acceptability - particularly in Europe - reduces their appeal. The only time I use them is for the US, where you can still spend them like cash.

Lesley: What rights do people have when booking holiday rental property online? I booked a property for a week in August, sent the deposit and was sent a confirmation. I was then told that the owner of the property wanted to use it that week instead and was told that they had the right to cancel at any time. However if I had withdrawn I would have lost my deposit. What does a confirmation mean? It appears to mean nothing.

You're right - it doesn't. Very inconvenient for people booking flights/hire cars, If you want more security, book a package through a UK operator.

The opinions expressed are Simon's, not the programme's. The answers are not intended to be definitive and should be used for guidance only. Always seek professional advice for your own particular situation.

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