Travel firms don't inform travelers about their rights: Consumer assoc.

Travel organizations- and agencies do not properly inform their online customers about exactly what type of trip they are booking and the cancellation costs involved. As a result, travelers are often not aware of their rights, consumers' organization Consumentenbond said based on its own research.

According to the consumers' associations, travel organizations are obliged to inform travelers about their type of booking and rights involved by means of "standard text and a link to a standard form containing all basic rights". Consumentenbond booked package holidays with 15 online travel providers to test this. Only 5 of them showed the mandatory text, and only 6 linked to travelers' rights. Only 6 were clear about their cancellation costs before the booking was completed.

"Travel providers must inform consumers about what type of trip they are booking before completing a booking," the Consumentenbond said. This is because travelers have more rights in some types of bookings than others. For example, when booking a package holiday, consumers have more rights than when booking just accommodation or just a single flight. They then have a stronger case in fighting cancellations, negative travel advice, and bankruptcies.

Only Corendon and Expedia had the standard text on type of booking, a link to travelers' rights, and a clear explanation on cancellation fees. KLM, Prijsvrij, Sunweb, Transavia Holiday, and Treinreiswinkel fell short on all three these points, Consumentenbond said.

According to the association, D-Reizen, De Jong Intra, KLM, Prijsvrij, Transavia, TUI, VakantieXperts and Vliegwinkel promised to adjust their booking process so that all requirements are met. Vakantie Discounter, Ryanair and Sunweb told the association that their information provision was already sufficient. And Treinreiswinkel was not available for comment.

Consumentenbond will inform the Dutch authority on consumers and markets ACM about its findings.