general travel conditions

This English version is an automated translation provided for convenience only. The Dutch version of these terms is the sole legally binding text. In the event of any discrepancy or dispute over interpretation, the Dutch version shall prevail.

general travel conditions disputes committee travel for package travel agreements

Article 1: scope of application

These general conditions apply to package travel agreements booked from 1 July 2018 onwards and governed by the Act concerning the sale of package travel, linked travel arrangements and travel services of 21 November 2017.

Article 2: information from the organiser and retailer before the conclusion of the package travel agreement

The organiser and also the retailer provide the traveller, before being bound by a package travel agreement, with the legally prescribed standard information, as well as, insofar as applicable to the package travel:
1. the main characteristics of the travel services:
  1. the travel destination(s), the route and the periods of stay, with the dates and number of nights;
  2. the means of transport, their characteristics and categories, the places and dates and times of departure and return, the duration and location of stopovers and connections; if the exact time is not yet fixed, this will be communicated approximately
  3. the location, main characteristics and category of the accommodation according to the rules of the country of destination;
  4. the meals provided;
  5. the visits, excursions or other services included in the total price agreed for the package travel;
  6. if it is not clear, whether the travel services are provided to the traveller as a member of a group;
  7. the language in which other tourism services, where applicable, are performed;
  8. whether the travel is generally suitable for persons with reduced mobility;
2. the total price of the package travel, and where applicable, an indication of the type of additional costs that may be borne by the traveller;
3. the payment terms;
4. the minimum number of persons required for the performance of the package travel and the deadline for possible termination of the agreement when this number is not reached;
5. general information on the requirements in the country of destination regarding passport and visa requirements, including the approximate time needed to obtain a visa and information on health formalities;
6. the indication that the traveller may terminate the agreement by paying a termination fee;
7. information on cancellation and/or assistance insurance.
The professional ensures that the correct standard information form is provided to the traveller.
The pre-contractual information provided to the traveller forms an integral part of the package travel agreement.
It cannot be changed unless the parties mutually agree.

Article 3: information from the traveller

The person concluding the package travel agreement must provide the organiser and the retailer with all useful information about themselves and their fellow travellers that may be relevant to the conclusion or performance of the agreement.
When the traveller provides incorrect information and this leads to additional costs for the organiser and/or retailer, those costs may be charged.

Article 4: the package travel agreement

When concluding the package travel agreement or within a reasonable period, the organiser or, if a retailer is involved, the latter shall provide the traveller with confirmation of the agreement on a durable medium, such as an email, a paper document or a pdf.
If the package travel agreement is concluded in the simultaneous physical presence of the parties, the traveller has the right to request a paper copy.
The package travel agreement or its confirmation contains the full content of the agreement, including all information mentioned in Article 2 and the following information:
1. the traveller's special wishes that have been accepted by the organiser;
2. that the organiser is liable for the proper performance of the package travel, and has a duty to provide assistance;
3. the name and contact details of the entity responsible for insolvency protection;
4. the name, address, telephone number and email address of the organiser's local representative or of another service for the case that the traveller is in difficulty or wishes to complain about possible non-conformity;
5. the traveller's obligation to report non-conformity during the trip;
6. information on the basis of which an unaccompanied minor or the person responsible for them at their place of stay can be contacted directly;
7. information about the internal complaints handling;
8. information about the Travel Disputes Committee and the E.U. platform for online dispute resolution;
9. information about the traveller's right to transfer their agreement.
In good time before the start of the package travel, the organiser shall provide the traveller with:
1. the necessary receipts
2. the vouchers and transport tickets
3. information about the planned departure times and, where applicable, the latest time to check in, the planned times of stopovers, connections and arrival.

Article 5: the price

After the conclusion of the package travel agreement, prices may only be increased if the agreement expressly provides for this. In that case, the package travel agreement states how the price revision is calculated.
Price increases are only allowed as a direct result of changes in:
1. the price of passenger transport attributable to increased fuel costs or other energy sources, or
2. the amount of taxes or charges on the travel services included in the agreement, levied by third parties not directly involved in the performance of the package travel, including tourist taxes and departure or arrival taxes at ports and airports, or
3. the exchange rates relevant to the package travel.
  If a price increase is предусмотрed, the traveller is entitled to a price reduction in the event of a decrease in the costs listed above.
If the increase exceeds 8% of the total price, the traveller may terminate the agreement without termination fee.
A price increase is only possible if the organiser informs the traveller thereof no later than twenty days before the start of the package travel via a durable medium, such as an email, a paper document or a pdf, stating the reasons for that price increase and a calculation.
In the event of a price reduction, the organiser has the right to deduct the administrative costs from the refund due to the traveller. If the traveller so requests, the organiser shall substantiate those costs.

Article 6: payment of the travel price

Unless otherwise agreed, the traveller pays, upon conclusion of the package travel agreement, a portion of the total travel price as an advance, as specified in the special conditions.
Unless otherwise agreed in the package travel agreement, the traveller pays the balance of the price no later than 1 month before the departure date.
If the traveller, after having been put in default in advance, fails to pay the advance or the travel price demanded from them, the organiser and/or retailer shall have the right to terminate the agreement with the traveller by operation of law, with the costs borne by the traveller.

Article 7: transferability of the package travel agreement

The traveller may transfer the package travel agreement to a person who meets all the conditions applicable to that agreement, provided that they:
1. inform the organiser and, where applicable, the retailer as soon as possible and no later than 7 days before the start of the package travel via a durable medium, such as an email, a paper document or a pdf, and
2. bear any additional costs arising from the transfer.
The person transferring the package travel and the person taking over the agreement are jointly and severally liable for payment of the amount still due and for any additional fees arising from the transfer. The organiser shall inform the person transferring the agreement of the costs of the transfer.

Article 8: other changes by the traveller

If the traveller requests another change, the organiser and/or retailer who can comply with it may charge all costs caused by it.

Article 9: changes by the organiser before departure

The organiser may not unilaterally change the provisions of the package travel agreement, except for price changes before the start of the package travel, unless:
1. the organiser has reserved this right in the agreement, and
2. the change is insignificant, and
3. the organiser informs the traveller thereof via a durable medium, such as an email, a paper document or a pdf.
If, before the start of the trip, the organiser is forced to substantially change one of the main characteristics of the travel services, or cannot meet the traveller's confirmed special wishes, or proposes to increase the price of the package travel by more than 8%, the organiser must inform the traveller and notify them of:
1. the proposed changes and their effect on the price of the package travel;
2. the possibility of terminating the agreement without cost, unless they accept the proposed changes;
3. the deadline within which they must inform the organiser of their decision;
4. the fact that if they do not expressly accept the proposed change within the stated period, the agreement is automatically terminated, and
5. where applicable, the proposed substitute package travel and its price.
When the changes to the package travel agreement or the substitute package travel result in a reduction in the quality or costs of the package travel, the traveller is entitled to an appropriate price reduction.
If the package travel agreement is terminated under Article 9.2 and the traveller does not accept substitute package travel, the organiser shall reimburse all amounts paid to the traveller no later than fourteen days after the agreement is terminated.

Article 10: termination by the organiser before departure

The organiser may terminate the package travel agreement:
1. if the number of persons registered for the package travel is smaller than the minimum number stated in the agreement and the traveller is informed of the termination of the agreement by the organiser within the period specified in the agreement, but no later than:
  1. twenty days before the start of the package travel for trips of more than six days;
  2. seven days before the start of the package travel for trips of two to six days;
  3. 48 hours before the start of the package travel for trips lasting less than two days, or
2. if it cannot perform the agreement as a result of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances and it informs the traveller before the start of the package travel that the agreement is terminated.
In these cases, the organiser shall reimburse the traveller for all amounts received for the package travel, without being liable for any additional compensation.

Article 11: termination by the traveller

The traveller may terminate the package travel agreement at any time before the start of the package travel. Upon termination, the traveller may be required to pay a termination fee to the organiser.
The package travel agreement may specify standardised termination fees based on the time of termination before the start of the package travel and the expected cost savings and income from alternative use of the travel services.
If no standardised termination fees have been set, the amount of the termination fee corresponds to the price of the package travel less the cost savings and income from alternative use of the travel services.
However, if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at the destination that have significant consequences for the performance of the package travel or that have significant consequences for the transport of passengers to the destination, the traveller has the right to terminate the package travel agreement without paying a termination fee. In the event of termination of the package travel agreement under this article, the traveller is entitled to a full refund of all amounts paid for the package travel, but cannot claim additional compensation.
The organiser shall reimburse all amounts paid by or on behalf of the traveller, less the termination fee, no later than fourteen days.

Article 12: non-conformity during the trip

The traveller shall inform the organiser without delay of any non-conformity they have detected during the performance of a travel service included in the package travel agreement.
If one of the travel services is not performed in conformity with the package travel agreement, the organiser shall remedy that non-conformity unless this:
1. is impossible, or
2. would entail disproportionate costs, taking into account the extent of the non-conformity and the value of the travel services concerned.
  If the organiser does not remedy the non-conformity, the traveller is entitled to a price reduction or compensation in accordance with Article 15.
If the organiser does not remedy the non-conformity within a reasonable period set by the traveller, the traveller may do so themselves and request reimbursement of the necessary expenses. It is not necessary for the traveller to set a deadline if the organiser refuses to remedy the non-conformity, or if an immediate solution is required.
If a significant part of the travel services cannot be performed, the organiser shall, at no additional cost to the traveller, offer other arrangements of, if possible, equivalent or higher quality.
If the other proposed arrangements result in a package travel of lower quality, the organiser shall grant the traveller an appropriate price reduction.
The traveller may refuse the other proposed arrangements only if they are not comparable to what was agreed in the package travel agreement, or if the granted price reduction is insufficient.
If the non-conformity has significant consequences for the performance of the package travel and the organiser has not remedied it within a reasonable period set by the traveller, the traveller may terminate the package travel agreement without paying a termination fee and, where appropriate, request a price reduction and/or compensation. If the package travel includes passenger transport, the organiser shall also provide repatriation of the traveller.
If no other arrangements can be proposed or the traveller rejects the other proposed arrangements, the traveller shall, where appropriate, be entitled to a price reduction and/or compensation even without terminating the package travel agreement.
If, as a result of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, the traveller's return as agreed in the package travel agreement cannot be ensured, the organiser shall bear the cost of the necessary accommodation, for a maximum of three nights per traveller.
The limitation of costs referred to in 12.6 does not apply to persons with reduced mobility, to persons accompanying them, to pregnant women, to unaccompanied minors and to persons in need of specific medical assistance, provided that the organiser was informed of their special needs at least 48 hours before the start of the package travel.
The organiser may not rely on unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances to limit liability if the carrier concerned cannot rely on them under applicable Union law.
The traveller may direct messages, requests or complaints concerning the performance of the package travel directly to the retailer from whom they purchased the package travel. The retailer shall forward these messages, requests or complaints to the organiser without delay.

Article 13: liability of the traveller

The traveller is liable for damage suffered by the organiser and/or retailer, their employees and/or representatives through their fault, or when they have not complied with their contractual obligations.

Article 14: liability of the organiser and the professional

The organiser is liable for the performance of the travel services included in the package travel agreement, regardless of whether these services are performed by the organiser or by other travel service providers.
If the organiser is established outside the European Economic Area, the obligations for organisers apply to the retailer established in a Member State, unless the retailer proves that the organiser meets the conditions prescribed by the law of 21 November 2017.

Article 15: price reduction and compensation

The traveller is entitled to an appropriate price reduction for any period during which there was non-conformity of the services provided, unless the organiser proves that the non-conformity is attributable to the traveller.
The traveller is entitled to appropriate compensation from the organiser for all damage suffered as a result of non-conformity. Compensation shall be paid without delay.
The traveller has no right to compensation if the organiser proves that the non-conformity is due to:
1. the traveller;
2. a third party not involved in the performance of the travel services included in the package travel agreement, and the non-conformity could not have been foreseen or prevented, or
3. unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.

Article 16: duty of assistance

The organiser shall provide appropriate assistance to the traveller without delay if they are in difficulty, in particular by:
1. providing useful information on medical services, local authorities and consular assistance;
2. helping the traveller to use remote communication and to find other travel arrangements.
If the difficulties are the result of intent or negligence on the part of the traveller, the organiser may charge a fee for this assistance. Under no circumstances may this fee exceed the actual costs borne by the organiser.

Article 17: complaints procedure

If the traveller has a complaint before departure, they must report it to the organiser or retailer as soon as possible in a manner that can be evidenced.
Complaints during the performance of the package travel agreement must be reported by the traveller as soon as possible on site, in an appropriate and evidential manner, to the organiser or retailer, so that a solution can be sought.
If a complaint was not satisfactorily resolved on site or if the traveller was unable to formulate a complaint on site, they must submit a complaint to the organiser or retailer without delay after the end of the travel agreement, in a manner that can be evidenced.

Article 18: conciliation procedure

In the event of a dispute, the parties must first seek an amicable settlement among themselves.
If this attempt at amicable settlement fails, either of the parties involved may ask the non-profit Travel Disputes Committee to initiate a conciliation procedure. All parties must agree.
To this end, the secretariat will provide the parties with conciliation rules and a “conciliation agreement”.
In accordance with the procedure described in the rules, an impartial conciliator will then contact the parties in order to seek an equitable conciliation between them.
Any agreement reached will be recorded in a binding written agreement.

Article 19: arbitration or court

If no conciliation procedure is initiated or if it fails, the claimant may, if desired, initiate arbitration proceedings before the Travel Disputes Committee or bring proceedings before the court.
The traveller can never be forced to accept the jurisdiction of the Travel Disputes Committee, neither as claimant nor as defendant.
The organiser or retailer who is the defendant may refuse arbitration only if the amount claimed by the claimant exceeds 1,250 euros. They have a period of 10 calendar days for this from receipt of the registered letter or email with acknowledgement of receipt stating that a file with a claim from 1,251 euros has been opened with the Travel Disputes Committee
This arbitration procedure is governed by dispute rules, and can only be initiated after a complaint has been filed with the company itself and once it is established that the dispute could not be settled amicably or once 4 months have passed since the (planned) end of the trip (or possibly since the service that gave rise to the dispute). Disputes concerning personal injury can only be settled by the courts.
The arbitral panel composed of equal representation shall, in accordance with the dispute rules, rule on the travel dispute in a binding and final manner. No appeal is possible against this.

Secretariat of the Travel Disputes Committee:
telephone: +32 2 277 62 15 or +32 2 277 61 80 (9 a.m. to 12 noon); fax: +32 2 277 91 00
City Atrium, Vooruitgangstraat 50, 1210 Brussels
email: reisgeschillen@clv-gr.be

Last amended by the Travel Disputes Committee on 1 July 2018

Standard information planopli

The combination of travel services offered to you is a package travel within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2015/2302, transposed by the law of 21 November 2017 concerning the sale of package travel, linked travel arrangements and travel services.

Consequently, you may claim all EU rights applicable to package travel. Planopli is fully responsible for the proper performance of the entire package travel.

Planopli also has the legally required protection to refund you and, if transport is included in the package travel, to repatriate you in the event that it becomes insolvent.

Basic rights under Directive (EU) 2015/2302

Before concluding the package travel agreement, the traveller will receive all essential information about the package travel.
Responsibility for the proper performance of all travel services included in the agreement always rests with at least one professional. (see Article 17 of our special conditions)
The traveller will receive an emergency telephone number or details of a contact point through which they can contact the organiser or travel agent. (see Article 18 of our special conditions)
The traveller may transfer the package travel to another person, subject to a reasonable period and possibly against payment of additional costs. (see Article 16 of our special conditions)
The price of the package travel may only be increased if specific costs rise (for example fuel prices), if this is expressly included in the agreement, and in any event no later than twenty days before the start of the package travel. If the price increase exceeds 8% of the price of the package travel, the traveller may terminate the agreement. If the organiser reserves the right to increase the price, the traveller is entitled to a price reduction when the relevant costs decrease. (see Article 6 of our special conditions)
If one of the essential elements of the package travel, except the price, is significantly changed, the traveller may terminate the agreement without paying a termination fee and will receive a full refund. If the professional responsible for the package travel cancels the package travel before it starts, the traveller is entitled to a refund and, where appropriate, compensation. (see Article 13 of our special conditions)
The traveller may terminate the agreement in exceptional circumstances without paying a termination fee before the start of the package travel, for example when there are serious safety problems at the destination that are likely to affect their package travel. (see Articles 11 and 15.1 of our special conditions)
In addition, the traveller may terminate the agreement at any time before the start of the package travel against payment of an appropriate and justified termination fee. (see Article 15 of our special conditions)
If, after the start of the package travel, substantial elements of the package travel cannot be provided as agreed, a suitable alternative arrangement must be offered to the traveller at no extra cost. If the services are not performed according to the agreement and this has significant consequences for the performance of the package travel and the organiser has not remedied this problem, the traveller may terminate the package travel agreement without paying a termination fee. (see Articles 15.6 and 18 of our special conditions)
In the event of travel services not performed or not properly performed, the traveller is also entitled to a price reduction and/or compensation. (see Article 18 of our special conditions)
The organiser is obliged to provide assistance to travellers in difficulty. (see Article 18 of our special conditions)
If the organiser planopli becomes insolvent, the amounts paid will be refunded. If planopli becomes insolvent after the start of the package travel and transport is included in the trip or holiday, repatriation of the traveller will be arranged. Planopli has taken out insolvency protection with MSIG Europe SE. When services are not provided due to the insolvency of planopli, travellers can contact this entity or, where applicable, the competent authority: MSIG Europe SE, Koning Albert II-laan 37, 1030 Brussels, Belgium, +32 2 894 70 00. (see Article 19 of our special conditions)

Last amended by planopli on 31 August 2026 — updated to refer to the revised special conditions of planopli.