Linked travel arrangements

What are linked travel arrangements?

Linked travel arrangements are services in which the vendor of the travel service directs the traveller to purchase additional services, such as flights, accommodations or excursions, individually for the same trip or holiday. In linked travel arrangements, the traveller enters into a separate contract with each travel service provider.

In addition to choosing and reserving each service one at a time, one of the following conditions is required for the arrangement to qualify as linked travel arrangement:

• The trader that sold the travel service directs the traveller to select and pay for another separate travel service on a single contact. For example, the traveller selects and pays for a flight and only then selects a hotel.

OR

• The vendor of the travel service directs the traveller to buy at least one additional travel service from another trader within 24 hours of the confirmation of the first booking. For example, a traveller who booked a flight or a train trip will be offered a link when confirming the booking to book a travel service from another service provider, such as hotel accommodation.

NOTE: A transport, accommodation or rental of vehicle combined with another tourism services constitutes a linked travel arrangement only if they account for a significant part of the total value of the travel services purchased (at least 25%) or an otherwise constitute integral part of the package consisting of the services.

Information duties of trader facilitating linked travel arrangements

The vendor of the original travel service which gives rise to the linked travel arrangements:

Before a passenger commits to a contract leading to a linked travel arrangement, the traveller must be given clear, comprehensible and prominent information regarding the following:

1. The traveller will not benefit from statutory rights concerning travel packages.
2. Each travel service provider is solely responsible for the proper performance of its own service.
3. The traveller will be protected by statutory insolvency protection concerning linked travel arrangements.

The information must be provided in standard information form if it exists.

Traders whose contract creates a linked travel arrangement:

Where a travel service contract creates a linked travel arrangement, the service provider must inform other traders whose service has contributed to the establishment of the linked travel arrangement.

Service provider’s responsibility for defects in the travel service

In linked travel arrangements, each service provider is responsible only for the performance of its own service; for example, the provider whose service gives rise to a linked travel arrangement is not responsible for defects in a service except in cases where it has neglected its information duties.

In linked travel arrangements, the assessment of defects is subject to, where applicable, the general provisions of contract law and the provisions on service defects under the Consumer Protection Act.