Have you planned a holiday for next year yet? How might your plans be affected by the possibility that Britain leaves the EU five months or so from now, without a deal?
The UK Government has published information on what the implications might be of a ‘no deal’ outcome (in which it emphasizes over and over again, is unlikely). The gov.uk web-site (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/how-to-prepare-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-with-no-deal) contains our government’s view of what could face us in the event there is no deal when we leave the EU in March 2019. Sadly, a lot of that information is confusing because it is not presented in simple English.
It would seem that the following things that might affect your holiday could change after March 2019 in the event of ‘no-deal’.
- The regulations affecting package holidays where the company providing the holiday goes bust.
- The validity period remaining on your passport when you enter or leave the Schengen area if you are a UK passport holder. (The EU countries NOT currently in the Schengen area apart from the UK are Ireland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Cyprus).
- Surcharge-free roaming for mobile phones and other devices (this could also be affected if there is a deal).
- The arrangements for taking a cat, dog or ferret into the EU (unless the UK becomes a Part 1 Listed country under the EU pet travel scheme).
- Requirements for proof of car insurance. You might require a green card to prove you have the necessary level of insurance cover to allow you to drive in the EU country you wish to visit.
According to the UK Government, one thing will not change after March 2019 – deal or no deal. Passengers booked on flights departing the UK will have the same passenger rights as apply today because EU passenger rights legislation will be retained in UK law (although whether this applies to flights entering the UK has yet to be confirmed).
So here is a reminder of the present situation regarding compensation for delayed and cancelled flights. If you book flights with an airline your rights to compensation in the event of delays or cancellations and how much you get will depend on various factors. The flight must either depart from the UK, the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland or be with a UK or EU airline to somewhere in the UK, EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland for EU law to apply. If it does, your rights and the amount of any compensation will depend on the length of:
– the delay,
– the flight,
– the time before departure when the flight was cancelled.
If your baggage is lost or delayed after checking in what you can expect from the airline is usually limited to money for the bare essentials you need and part of the cost of replacing or repairing lost luggage and contents. Airlines often want receipts for everything included in your claim, and they will NOT usually pay: more than around £1,000 total compensation – and it’s usually a lot less. Whatever your complaint it is important that you provide all the required information to whichever organisation you are complaining against as soon as possible.
Citizens Advice cannot help you to decide if and when you should decide to book a holiday, or to take any decision which might be affected by the way we leave the EU. Rest assured that what ever your problem may be the advice and information Citizens Advice provides will be the most up to date available.
So, if you’re worried about something?
Don’t put it off – Citizens Advice Waverley can almost certainly help.
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