ABTA looks to allay holidaymakers’ fears over Brexit

THIS is a list of responses issued by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) to frequently asked questions from UK holidaymakers concerning the impact of Brexit…

How will Brexit affect my holiday? Until the UK officially leaves the European Union, not sooner than two years’ time, there will no changes to holiday arrangements. Travellers are as free to move between the UK and the EU as they were before the vote. European Health Insurance cards remain valid and regulations such as Air Passenger Rights remain in place.

I’m going to Europe this summer, is my passport still valid? Yes.

Which queue will I go into at the airport – EU passports or all others? The same queue as you did before the vote.

Do I need a visa to go to Spain? No.

Can I still get compensation if my flight is delayed or cancelled? Yes. There will be no immediate changes to claiming compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled. The UK Government will need to implement a new law on compensation for flight delays and compensation after we leave the EU.

What about using my mobile phone abroad? Will roaming charges increase? There will be no immediate changes to using your phone abroad, and there won’t be an immediate impact on charges. The UK Government will need to implement a new law on roaming charges after we leave the EU, otherwise the service providers will be free to set roaming charges.

Can I still take money out from cashpoints abroad? Yes, you can continue to take out cash, as normal.

Will it be more expensive to go on holiday abroad? Not necessarily. If you are travelling abroad and you have already paid for all of your travel arrangements, as part of a package holiday for example, then you will be protected to a large degree from a drop in the value of the pound. However, your spending power while abroad will be impacted in the event of a weaker pound, making it more expensive to buy things such as meals and drinks.

Will the cost of flights increase? A weaker pound might impact the cost of flights in the short term, in the longer term the UK government will seek to negotiate full access to the EU’s common aviation market.

My travel company has asked me to pay more for my holiday due to the currency fluctuations. Is that ok? Check the terms and conditions of the organizer that you’ve booked with. If you’ve booked a package holiday this is covered by certain rules: the maximum surcharge by law is up to 10% of the original cost of the holiday. If you haven’t booked a package, you should check the terms and conditions of your travel arrangement.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

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