Citation, commencement and extent

1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements (Amendment) Regulations 2026 and come into force on 6th April 2027 (the “ commencement date ”).

(2) These Regulations extend to the United Kingdom.

(3) The amendments made by regulation 2 apply to the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 (“ the 2018 Regulations ”)( 3 ).

(4) The amendments made by regulation 2 and 3 do not have effect in relation to—

(a)any package travel contract as defined in regulation 2(1) of the 2018 Regulations; or

(b)any linked travel arrangement as defined in regulation 2(3) of the 2018 Regulations

entered into before the commencement date.

Amendment of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018

2.—(1) The 2018 Regulations are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 2 (interpretation)—

(a)in paragraph (1) in the definition of “trader” omit “, trader facilitating a linked travel arrangement”;

(b)omit paragraphs (3) and (4);

(c)in paragraph (5), in the definition of “package”—

(i)after paragraph (a) omit “or”;

(ii)after paragraph (b) insert—

“; or

(c)those services are provided under separate contracts with individual service providers if a single trader has facilitated, on the occasion of a single visit to, or contact with, the trader's point of sale, the separate selection of and separate payment for each of the travel services by the traveller.”.

(3) In regulation 3 (application)—

(a)in paragraph (1), omit sub-paragraph (b) and the “, and” before it;

(b)in paragraph (2)—

(i)in sub-paragraph (a) omit “and linked travel arrangements”;

(ii)in sub-paragraph (b) omit “, and linked travel arrangements facilitated,”;

(iii)in sub-paragraph (c) omit “and linked travel arrangements”.

(4) Omit regulation 26 (insolvency protection and information requirements for linked travel arrangements).

(5) In regulation 28 (liability for booking errors) in paragraph (2) omit paragraph (b) and the “and” before it.

(6) Omit regulation 29 (right of redress) and insert—

Right to a refund

29A.—(1) Where—

the third party must refund to the organiser or, in a case under regulation 27, the retailer any payments which the organiser or retailer has made to the third party within 14 days.

(2) The 14 days referred to in paragraph (1) commence on the earlier of the day—

(a)following the day on which the third party cancels the performance of the whole or part of the travel service; or

(b)on which the relevant travel service was due to be performed.

(3) The third party may deduct from any refund that they are required to make under paragraph (1) any refund of the price of the travel service described in paragraph (1) that the third party has paid to the traveller, in respect of the non-performance or cancellation, under the passenger rights legislation or the international conventions as defined in regulation 16(10).

Right of redress

29B. Where an organiser or, in a case under regulation 27, a retailer—

(a)pays compensation,

(b)grants a price reduction, or

(c)meets other obligations,

the organiser or retailer has a right of redress, including damages, from any third party which contributed to the event triggering the obligation to pay compensation, provide a price reduction or meet other obligations under these Regulations and may bring a claim in civil proceedings to enforce that right.”.

(7) For regulation 30(1) (rights and obligations under these Regulations) substitute—

“30.—(1) A declaration by an organiser of a package that—

(a)the organiser is acting exclusively as a travel service provider, as an intermediary or in any other capacity, or

(b)a package does not constitute a package

does not absolve that organiser from the obligations imposed upon them under these Regulations.”.

(8) In regulation 31(1) (enforcement authority) for “, 25 and 26” substitute “and 25”.

(9) In regulation 32(1) (due diligence defence) for “, 25 or 26(10)” substitute “or 25”.

(10) In regulation 33(1) (liability of persons other than principal offender) for “, 25 or 26(10)” substitute “or 25”.

(11) In regulation 34(1) (prosecution time limit) for “, 25 or 26(10)” substitute “or 25”.

(12) In regulation 35 (saving for civil consequences) for “, 25 or 26(10)” substitute “or 25”.

(13) Omit the following Schedules—

(a)Schedule 6 (Information to be provided to the traveller, where the trader facilitates an online linked travel arrangement within the meaning of regulation 2(3)(a) and the trader is a carrier selling a return ticket).

(b)Schedule 7 (Information to be provided to the traveller, where the trader facilitates an online linked travel arrangements within the meaning of regulation 2(3)(a) and the trader is not a carrier selling a return ticket).

(c)Schedule 8 (Information to be provided to the traveller, where the linked travel arrangement is an arrangement within the meaning of regulation 2(3)(a) and the contract is concluded in the simultaneous physical presence of the trader (other than a carrier selling a return ticket) and the traveller).

(d)Schedule 9 (Information to be provided to the traveller, where the trader facilitates an online linked travel arrangement within the meaning of regulation 2(3)(b) and the trader is a carrier selling a return ticket).

(e)Schedule 10 (Information to be provided to the traveller, where the trader facilitates an online linked travel arrangement within the meaning of regulation 2(3)(b) and the trader is not a carrier selling a return ticket).

Consequential amendments

3. In consequence of the amendments made by regulation 2—

(a)in the Government of Wales Act 2006(4), in Schedule 7A, in Part 2, in paragraph 74(c), after "linked travel arrangements within the meaning of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/634)" insert “as they stood on 5th April 2027”, and

(b)in the Civil Aviation (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) Regulations 2012(5) in regulation 4, in the definition of “trader” omit “, trader facilitating a linked travel arrangement”.