Online travel agents have urged the Government to remove Linked Travel Arrangements (LTAs) from Package Travel Regulations (PTRs).
An LTA is a combination of two or more travel services sold together but not considered a package.
Removing them from the PTRs is one of three key suggestions included in a white paper by Online Travel UK (OTUK), which includes On the Beach, loveholidays, eDreams ODIGEO, Expedia Group.
OTUK said ditching LTAs will ‘remove unnecessary complexity, and ensure transparency in pricing and ancillary fees’. In the white paper, it said: “A more streamlined approach that establishes clear and appropriate obligations for package organisers to provide redress when losses arise due to the actions of operators or suppliers would be a positive step forward.”
During a panel discussion at ABTA’s Travel Law Seminar on 12 May, Senior Policy Advisors Andrew Powell and Danielle Gazi from the Department of Business and Trade (DBT) revealed the government department is considering removing LTAs from the PTRs.
At the time, Andrew said: “During the call for evidence, LTAs were described as complicated and hard to understand.”
Other changes proposed by OTUK include ensuring dominant online platforms, like Google, treat all travel providers fairly in search results, advertising and AI-driven recommendations.
It also wants to see investment in digital skills and innovation incentives, along with ‘coordinated policymaking to make the UK a hub for travel technology’.
OTUK said: “The UK can be a world leader in travel-tech innovation. But only if government, regulators and industry work together now to protect consumer choice, ensure fair competition and support innovation.
“The actions outlined in our paper are targeted, practical and pro-consumer and we will continue in earnest to engage with policymakers on the detail.”
