Package Holiday Rules Change Across the UK on 6th April 2027

Last checked: 7th November 2026.

Package holidays can make it easier to organise a trip, but the way travel services are booked can affect the protections that apply if something goes wrong. Understanding the difference between a package holiday and separate travel bookings is not always straightforward, particularly when more than one company is involved.

This guide explains the package holiday rules that will apply across the UK from 6th April 2027. It looks at the legal terms behind the changes, the types of booking they cover and what travellers and travel businesses need to understand before the new rules take effect.

What is changing with package holiday rules?

The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 already give people important rights when they book a qualifying package holiday. These include protection if the organiser becomes insolvent, responsibility for making sure the travel services included in the package are provided, and rights to help, price reductions or compensation in certain circumstances.

From 6th April 2027, the rules will treat some bookings that were previously called linked travel arrangements as package holidays. The other type of linked arrangement will be removed from the regulations. The sections below explain what that means for different ways of booking a trip.

The changes also give organisers a clearer way to recover money from a supplier or another party whose actions led to the organiser having to compensate a traveller.

When do the new rules start?

The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements (Amendment) Regulations 2026 come into force on 6th April 2027. The legislation applies across the United Kingdom, including Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The date matters for bookings, not simply for the date you travel. The amendments do not apply to a package travel contract or linked travel arrangement entered into before 6th April 2027. A holiday booked before that date remains subject to the rules that applied when the contract was made, even if the departure takes place later.

What counts as a travel service?

The package travel rules cover combinations of different types of travel service. The main categories are:

Other tourist services do not automatically create a package on their own. The rules normally require a combination of at least two different types of travel service for the same trip, and specific conditions apply.

Separate bookings through one travel business may count as a package

The amended definition covers travel services supplied under separate contracts with individual providers where one trader facilitates the traveller’s separate selection of, and separate payment for, each service during a single visit to or contact with that trader’s point of sale. Simply buying a flight from one company and later booking a hotel independently with another does not automatically create a package. The legal test depends on how the bookings were arranged, not just on whether they are part of the same holiday.

Where the arrangement qualifies as a package, the organiser must meet the package travel obligations. These include responsibility for making sure the travel services are provided as agreed and the required insolvency protection. For flight-inclusive packages, the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) scheme may provide the relevant financial protection, where the booking falls within its scope.

What happens to linked travel arrangements?

The easiest way to understand the change is to compare the two types of linked travel arrangement recognised under the current rules.

Linked travel arrangements have been a separate category under the 2018 regulations. They generally involved buying at least two different types of travel service, such as a flight and accommodation, through linked but separate booking steps. They did not carry the full package holiday protections. The specific protection was mainly insolvency protection connected to the first booking provider.

Type A becomes part of the package definition

That is a stronger level of protection for travellers whose bookings meet the new definition. The package organiser becomes responsible for the package as a whole and the package rules, including insolvency protection, apply.

Type B is removed

From 6th April 2027, this type of arrangement will no longer be covered as a linked travel arrangement under the package travel regulations. It does not automatically become a package just because the second booking is made within 24 hours. Other rules may still protect you, depending on the booking.

This does not remove other consumer rights that may apply to the individual bookings. It means the special package travel protections will not apply solely because the bookings meet the former Type B linked-arrangement test.

What protections apply to a package holiday?

When a booking meets the legal definition of a package, the organiser has responsibilities that do not normally apply when you book each service independently. The main protections include:

Travellers also have rights to terminate a package contract before it starts in certain circumstances. A fee may apply if you cancel for a reason other than exceptional events that could not reasonably have been avoided.

These protections already apply to qualifying package holidays. The 2027 changes mainly affect which booking arrangements count as packages.

New 14-day refund rule when a supplier cancels a service

The 14-day deadline runs from whichever happens first: the day after the supplier cancels the service, or the day the service was due to be provided. The supplier can deduct certain amounts if it has already refunded the traveller directly under passenger-rights legislation or an applicable international convention.

This is a business-to-business refund rule. It is not a new rule saying that every holidaymaker must receive their own refund within 14 days. Your rights to a refund from the package organiser or retailer continue to depend on the package travel regulations and any other relevant passenger or consumer rights.

Package organisers get a clearer right to recover costs

For example, if an activity provider cancels an excursion included in a package and the organiser has to compensate the customer, the organiser may be able to recover the relevant cost from the supplier responsible. The exact amount and outcome will depend on the circumstances and the evidence.

Does the change apply across Scotland and the rest of the UK?

One UK-wide start date: 6th April 2027.

Yes. The amendments extend to the whole UK and have UK-wide practical effect. The same start date applies in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is not a Scotland-only change, and there is no separate Scottish implementation date.

Consumer protection is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and the UK legislation was made with the required Northern Ireland consent. The regulations also make a consequential amendment to the Government of Wales Act 2006. These points do not create a different set of package holiday start dates for travellers in those nations.

Do you need to do anything before April 2027?

If you are booking a holiday, you do not need to apply for the new protections. The rules apply to qualifying bookings made from 6th April 2027. Before booking, check whether the company is acting as the package organiser, what is included in the package and what financial protection applies. If you are booking separate services, ask the travel business whether it is treating the arrangements as a package.

If you already have a booking made before 6th April 2027, the new amendments will not retrospectively change the legal status of that contract. Keep your booking confirmation and the terms supplied when you booked, as these help establish which rules apply.

Travel agents, tour operators and other businesses that facilitate bookings should review their booking journeys, customer information, contracts and financial protection arrangements before the new rules take effect. The change to the package definition may mean that some bookings previously treated as Type A linked travel arrangements need to be handled as packages.

Does package protection replace travel insurance?

No. Package travel protection and travel insurance do different jobs. Package travel rules place legal responsibilities on the organiser and provide specific protections if the organiser becomes insolvent or the package is not performed properly. Travel insurance may cover other risks, such as medical expenses abroad, lost luggage, personal belongings or certain cancellation costs, depending on the policy.

What is staying the same?

The main protections for qualifying package holidays remain. However, booking a flight, hotel or hire car separately does not automatically make the bookings a package. The way the services are selected and booked must meet the legal test explained above.

Nor does the new 14-day supplier refund rule replace the traveller’s own rights against the organiser. It sets a deadline for a supplier to refund the organiser or retailer in the circumstances described by the legislation.

Related travel and passenger guides

Information note: This article is general information based on the legislation and official guidance available when checked. It is not legal advice. The application of the regulations can depend on the details of a booking, so check the official guidance or seek professional advice if you need help with a specific arrangement.