I booked a four-star package holiday for my young family in Montenegro with Tui. Our return flight was delayed by 23 hours.
After more than 10 hours at the airport, we were given emergency accommodation 50 minutes drive away. The rooms were dirty and full of mosquitoes. Power sockets were not secure and electric cables and plumbing pipes were coming out of the walls, so we did not risk the shower. There were no fire doors, alarms, extinguishers or evacuation notices and the toilet didn’t flush.
Tui said this aspect of my holiday was not covered in my contract. I’ve also submitted a claim for flight delay, and haven’t heard within the allotted time frame.
DP, London
Emergency accommodation certainly is within Tui’s contractual obligations. Airline operators are required to provide food and lodging for stranded passengers. Although rules don’t specify a minimum standard, you’re entitled to expect a safe and hygienic hotel.
Tui’s dismissal of your concerns is reprehensible. The company didn’t respond when I asked why you had been told it was not responsible for your extra night, but claimed it had contacted you to try to resolve your complaint. Indeed, but only after a push from the Observer. It has now paid the £1,400 compensation due under EC regulations for the delayed flight and added a “goodwill” gesture of £250 which you plan to donate to charity.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions
