The Money Saving Expert founder has warned you also need to check your insurance
With summer holidays almost here and millions of Brits booking trips abroad, a potential jet fuel shortage is adding uncertainty to the travel industry. Martin Lewis is urging holidaymakers to avoid a common booking mistake that could see them lose out on hundreds or even thousands of pounds if flights are cancelled.
In a clip shared on his official TikTok, the MoneySavingExpert founder explained that the way you book makes a big difference to your consumer rights. Get it wrong and you could be left paying for a hotel you cannot reach – especially with the Government now working on consolidating flights to prevent a fuel crisis.
Martin was asked whether you definitely receive your money back, even for a hotel booking, if flights are cancelled. His answer was clear: “No, no – and this is what I think people need to be very aware of.”
He explained: “If you have booked a package holiday, where you booked everything in one, and under the Package Holiday Regulations and rules and protections, generally, if your flight went, you will get everything back. So actually, at the moment, package holidays give you a certain level of extra surety that you wouldn’t get if you did a DIY booking – where you book your hotel and flight separately.”
Then he described the risk with DIY bookings: “Because the point is, if you lose your flight in your DIY booking, there is nothing wrong with your hotel. The issue is you can’t get there. Your hotel is still there. It’s not faulty. It’s not cancelling. So you don’t get those consumer rights.”
Many travellers assume credit card or debit card protection would help. Martin said: “It won’t work, because there is nothing faulty – and that’s just giving you the same rights that you’d have with a retailer.”
If you think travel insurance can help, Martin Lewis revealed that he checked 40 policies. “Of those, only a few would have covered you for the knock-on eventuality of your flight being cancelled due to jet fuel, and then your hotel costs. Only about three or four – most of those were packaged bank accounts where it is linked to your bank account. Only one standalone provider. So we need to be blunt: at the moment, there is a big risk in those circumstances.”
He advised: “If you are booking, you want something with free or limited cancellation quite short before, so you could just cancel it. You should always talk to the provider and ask.”
He added: “If you are in that position, once you understand you have no right, and then they say, ‘Well, we will give you a voucher and you can come back in six months,’ you suddenly realise you are doing well, not badly – right – if you didn’t have free cancellation.”
With the Government saying there is no jet fuel shortage at the moment but working on consolidating flights, Martin warned: “People’s hotel costs – if they booked separately – and other knock-on costs are potentially at risk.”
A spokesperson for travel experts Lapland Famille said: “With summer holidays here and fuel shortage fears adding uncertainty, travellers should keep an eye on the news and plan ahead. Don’t stop travelling – but be smart with how you book. Consider packaged deals where possible, and always check cancellation terms before you pay.”
Martin’s advice shows that protecting your holiday money comes down to understanding how you book – and that a voucher may end up being a better outcome than you think.
