Problem with package travel

The package travel organiser may increase the price of your trip up to 20 days before departure – but only if this right is clearly stated in the terms and conditions of the contract. If there is no such clause, the price cannot be changed.

Price increases are only allowed due to changes in exchange rates, taxes or fees imposed by third parties (such as airport or port charges), or fuel costs related to the transport included in your package.

If these factors instead lead to lower costs for the organiser, you are entitled to a corresponding price reduction.

If the price increases by more than 8% of the total cost of the package, you have the right to cancel the trip and receive a full refund.

Sometimes, a package travel organiser may change parts of the package travel. For example, an excursion you booked at the same time as the trip might be altered or cancelled, or the itinerary may be changed. If the changes make the trip worse, you may be entitled to a price reduction. The amount should reflect the value of the part of the package that is no longer provided.

If the changes are significant and cause a major disadvantage for you, you have the right to cancel the trip and receive a full refund. Whether you are entitled to cancel depends on the specific circumstances and must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. If you no longer wish to travel, you must inform the organiser as soon as possible.

The organiser may have the right to change the time or date of your package travel arrangement. However, if this happens, you may be entitled to cancel the trip or receive a refund.

If the time or date has been significantly changed and the change causes a major disadvantage for you, you may have the right to cancel the trip and claim a full refund. Whether you are entitled to do so depends on the specific circumstances of your case.

If you no longer wish to travel because of the change, you must inform the organiser as soon as possible. If you still want to go on the trip, even if, for example, it is shortened by a day, you may be entitled to a price reduction for the missed day.

Have you incurred additional costs due to changes in your package travel? If so, you may be entitled to claim damages from the organiser for those extra expenses. You will need to provide proof of the costs, such as receipts or similar documentation.

You cannot claim damages if the change was caused by you, or if the issue was due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances that the organiser could not have foreseen.

Examples of such extraordinary circumstances include:

• natural disasters
• disease outbreaks
• war

There are many circumstances that may be regarded as faults in a package travel. For example:

• The package travel is a round trip with multiple destinations, and one of the planned stops is cancelled.
• You booked excursions at the destination at the same time as the trip itself, and one of the excursions is cancelled.
• The hotel is of significantly lower standard than what was promised by the organiser.
• The hotel you are staying at has a bedbug infestation.
• The hotel or room lacks certain facilities that the organiser had guaranteed.
• You booked a trip that included food and drink, but upon arrival, neither was available.

You may first request that the organiser corrects the fault. This should be done as soon as possible.

The organiser must correct the fault or offer a price reduction

For example, if your package travel is a round trip with several destinations and one of the planned stops is cancelled, you may initially request that the organiser replaces the cancelled destination with an alternative. If this is not possible, you may claim a price reduction equivalent to the value of that part of the trip. If the change is considered significant, you may also have the right to cancel the agreement and receive a full refund.

If you booked excursions at the same time as the package travel and one of them is cancelled, the organiser must either arrange a similar excursion or offer a price reduction equivalent to the cancelled activity.

Other issues may also be considered faults. For instance, if the hotel or surrounding area is undergoing renovation, or if there is a bedbug infestation, you may request alternative accommodation or a price reduction that reflects the inconvenience.

The organiser is not obliged to correct the fault if it is caused by circumstances beyond their control and which they could not reasonably foresee or avoid. They are also not required to correct the fault if doing so would involve disproportionate costs. However, you are still entitled to a price reduction even if the organiser is not obliged to correct the fault—unless the fault is due to your own actions as a traveller.

How much of a price reduction can you claim?

The amount of the price reduction must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but it should be reasonable. There are no fixed amounts. You may submit a claim to the organiser based on what you consider fair.

You can only claim a price reduction for the period during which the fault occurred. In most cases, this is calculated from the time you reported the issue to the organiser. If the organiser resolved the fault during the trip, you generally cannot claim a refund for the entire travel.

Examples of how a price reduction may be calculated

• The organiser promised that your hotel room would have air conditioning, but it was missing. After two days, you are moved to a hotel with air conditioning. You may be entitled to a price reduction for the first two days of the trip, but not for the entire travel.
• An excursion included in the package travel is cancelled and the organiser cannot offer a similar alternative. You may claim a price reduction equivalent to the cost of the cancelled excursion.
• All food and drink were supposed to be included in the package price, but upon arrival, none were provided. You complain, but the organiser cannot resolve the issue. You may claim a price reduction. The amount depends on how much of the total price was allocated to food and drink, and whether you had to leave the hotel premises to purchase meals and beverages.

There are two types of compensation you may be entitled to if something goes wrong with your package travel: price reduction and damages.

Price reduction

You are entitled to a price reduction if the fault in the package travel is not caused by you. The reduction is calculated from the time the organiser became aware of the fault.

Damages

You may be entitled to claim compensation from the organiser for additional costs incurred due to the fault in the package travel. You must be able to prove these costs with receipts or similar documentation.

You cannot claim compensation if:

• the fault was caused by you,
• the organiser could not have foreseen or avoided the fault,
• the fault was due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.

If you and the organiser have agreed that you are entitled to a price reduction and/or compensation for additional costs, but the organiser fails to pay, you may seek assistance from the Swedish Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden) by applying for a payment order.

This is a way to get help in receiving the payment you are owed. Contact the Swedish Enforcement Authority for more information.

The Swedish Enforcement Agency's information on payment orders

If your baggage is delayed, lost or damaged during a flight, you should contact the airline. You may also contact the package travel organiser.

Read more on our pages about delayed, lost or damaged baggage:

Delayed or missing baggage after air travel

Damaged baggage after air travel

If your flight within a package travel is cancelled or delayed, you should contact the package travel organiser.

If the flight is delayed, you may be entitled to a price reduction for lost time at the destination.

If the flight is cancelled, the organiser must first attempt to arrange an equivalent means of transport, such as booking a new flight for you. If this is not possible, you may have the right to cancel the entire package travel and receive a full refund.

Compensation under EU air passenger rights

If your flight is cancelled or delayed by more than three hours, you may also be entitled to compensation under EU air passenger rights. This compensation is intended to cover the time you have lost. You must submit this claim directly to the airline.

If you would like help calculating how much compensation you may be entitled to, you can use our free tool, the Flight Calculator.

The organiser may cancel a package holiday if too few travellers have booked the trip. The minimum number of participants required must be clearly stated in the booking terms and conditions. The organiser must also inform travellers in good time if the trip is to be cancelled.

A cancellation must not occur later than:

• 20 days before the scheduled departure date, if the trip was planned to last more than 6 days
• 7 days before the scheduled departure date, if the trip was planned to last between 2 and 6 days
• 48 hours before the scheduled departure date, if the trip was planned to last less than 2 days

The organiser may also cancel the trip if it cannot be carried out due to extraordinary circumstances. These may include natural disasters, armed conflict, or an outbreak of a serious disease at the destination. In such cases, the organiser must inform travellers of the cancellation as soon as possible.

You are always entitled to a full refund if a package travel you have purchased is cancelled.

Contact the travel organiser—preferably in writing via email—and request a refund. You are entitled to receive your money back within 14 days from the date the package travel was cancelled.

If the refund is delayed

If you and the organiser have agreed that a refund will be issued but the payment has still not been made, and you feel the delay is unreasonable, you can seek assistance from the Swedish Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden) by applying for a payment order. This is a way to help you recover the money you are owed.

Contact the Swedish Enforcement Authority for more information about how the process works.

The Swedish Enforcement Authority's website

If you paid by credit card or invoice

If you paid for the trip using a credit card or invoice, you are protected under the Consumer Credit Act. This means you may be able to claim a refund from the credit provider (usually your bank) if the company fails to reimburse you.

Contact your credit provider and explain that you wish to invoke your right of objection under the Consumer Credit Act.

Getting your money back if you made a credit purchase

If your package travel is cancelled or interrupted because the travel operator declared bankruptcy, you can receive compensation through the travel guarantee with the Swedish Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Kammarkollegiet).

Apply for reimbursement under the travel guarantee act (Kammarkollegiet)

You may request a price reduction if the organiser decides to interrupt your trip. This means you can get part of the amount you paid refunded. Contact the travel organiser and explain why you are requesting a refund.

The price reduction should be reasonable in relation to how much of the trip you missed. If the entire purpose of the trip has been lost, you may be entitled to a full refund.

If your package travel is interrupted, the organiser must arrange equivalent return transport at no cost to you. This applies regardless of the reason for the interruption, provided that return transport was included in your package travel. If your return journey is postponed, the organiser must arrange accommodation for you until you can travel home.

There may be limits to how many nights the organiser is required to provide accommodation:

• If a flight or train journey included in your package travel is cancelled, there is no limit to the number of nights the organiser must provide accommodation.
• If a boat journey included in your package travel is cancelled, the organiser is only required to provide accommodation for three nights.
• If no transport at all is included in your package travel, the organiser is only required to provide accommodation for three nights.

Need accommodation for a longer period? Contact your insurance provider to check whether you can receive compensation for additional nights.

The three-night limit does not apply if you have special needs, for example if you:

• have reduced mobility
• are under 18 and travelling alone
• are pregnant

However, you must have informed the organiser of your special needs no later than 48 hours before the start of the package travel.

It is important that you submit a complaint to the package travel organiser as soon as possible if you are dissatisfied with your package travel.

Ideally, you should raise the issue both on-site at the destination and in writing, for example by email. This helps you demonstrate that you have made a complaint and when it was submitted. Be clear about what you are dissatisfied with and what you are requesting.

When reporting a fault, you may inform the organiser that you expect the issue to be resolved within a reasonable timeframe. If the organiser fails to rectify the fault within that time, you may be entitled to claim compensation for any necessary expenses incurred in resolving the issue yourself.

If you and the company cannot reach an agreement, you can file a complaint to the public authority the National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN).

ARN will assess your case and make a recommendation on how to resolve the dispute. Most companies follow ARN’s recommendations.

A normal processing time is approximately six months.

What does it cost to file a complaint with ARN?

It costs SEK 150 to file a complaint with ARN. When you submit your complaint, you can request that the company compensates you for the cost if ARN makes a recommendation in your favour.

Requirements for ARN to review your case

• The company has rejected your claims or has not responded within a reasonable time.
• The amount you and the company disagree on exceeds the value limit set by ARN. You cannot include the application fee to ARN.
• You file the complaint within one year from the first time you complained to the company.

File a complaint on ARN’s website