Spanish strikes could hit 100,000 Irish sun-seekers

MORE than 100,000 Irish people are not guaranteed refunds for dream Spanish holidays if they are ruined by a threatened airport workers strike, because the trips were booked with “unbonded” companies.

Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) president Pat Dawson has warned the scenario could be facing the vast majority of holiday-makers whose search for the cheapest online deals means they are not fully protected by existing laws.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Dawson said that 120,000 people travelling to and from Ireland and Spain could be caught up in the mooted union strikes on August 18 and 26.

However, he said just 15% of these people are believed to have booked their flights and hotels with Commission for Aviation Regulation bonded bodies — with the other 85% running the risk of not receiving compensation for hotels and non-flight expenses if the industrial action ruins their holiday plans.

“The big thing here, and we keep on saying this, is that these people are not necessarily protected under the law,” Mr Dawson said.

“All ITAA members have to be bonded and licensed, which means they must compensate customers for flights and hotel bookings which cannot be used in these circumstances.

“You can only be bonded if you are an ITAA member or from the commission. But 85% of the 120,000 going back and forth to Spain over those two days won’t have booked with members,” he added.

Under the Travel Agency and Tour Operators Act 1982, bonded firms are obliged to refund customers for trips unable to be used as a result of crises such as the Spanish industrial action threat.

People who have booked package holidays are also fully covered, and protected by the industry watchdog, the Commission on Aviation Regulation.

However, while the number of people who have purchased cheap deals through online websites are guaranteed flight refunds, their hotel and other planned costs are not covered.

This means more than 100,000 Irish holiday-makers could be facing yet more financial problems not of their own making.

The situation was revealed as the possibility of the nationwide Spanish airport workers strikes on August 18 and 26 continued to loom large on the horizon.

The potential industrial action has been threatened by 60,000 members of three unions over the laying off of four colleagues based at Barcelona airport and employed by private company WFS — one of whom has yet to be re-employed.

The unions said the action — the first day of which will coincide with the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Madrid for the Catholic Church’s world youth day — will hit all airports.

However, due to holiday-makers’ tastes, the strike is most likely to damage Malaga, Alicante and the Canary Islands, all of which are key hubs for the sun-soaked country’s most popular resorts.

Industry experts have reminded holiday-makers that while the strike threat is still in place, recent history in Spain suggests it is by no means guaranteed that industrial action will ultimately occur.

Ryanair and Aer Lingus have yet to make alternative arrangements for would-be passengers due to travel on the potentially affected days.

* www.itaa.ie

* www.aviationreg.ie (Commission for Aviation Regulation)