Collective Commentary about the New Package Travel Directive

Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the provisions of Directive (EU) 2015/2302 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on package travel and linked travel arrangements applying to online bookings made at different points of sale {SWD(2019) 270 final} 1. CONTEXT AND PURPOSE OF THE REPORT Nowadays, consumers combine travel services (transport, accommodation, car rental, leisure activities) for the same trip or holiday in many different ways. They buy, online or offline, ‘pre- arranged’ packages or they ‘customise’ their package by themselves. To that end, they can use the services of a travel agency or book directly several items (transport, car rental, hotel, excursions) from one or different service providers. One of the objectives of the 2015 Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Directive (Package Travel Directive) 1 was to adapt the legislation on package travel to new online booking models, in particular, to better protect consumers who are using combinations of services. To that end, the new Package Travel Directive extends the definition of ‘package’ beyond traditional pre-arranged packages. A package now also covers customised combinations of travel services (online and offline) that are put together at the request of or in accordance with the selection of the traveller. In addition, the Directive introduces the concept of ‘linked travel arrangements’ which is a combination of travel services facilitated by a trader, such as an airline. 1 Directive (EU)2015/2302 of the European parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on package traveland linked travel arrangement, amending regulation (EC) N° 2006/2004 and Directive 2011/83/EU of the European parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 90/314/EEC, OJ L 326 of 11.12.2015, p. 1.