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Your rights on a package holiday in Ireland

What the law gives you when you book a package holiday from Ireland: price rises, cancellations, insolvency cover and flight delay compensation.

Updated Saturday 17 October 2026

The rules that protect you depend on how you book. A package gives you strong protection. Booking flights and a hotel separately gives you less.

This is general information, not legal advice.

What counts as a package

Irish law on package holidays comes from the EU Package Travel Directive. Ireland put it into law through S.I. No. 80/2019, the European Union (Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements) Regulations 2019.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) explains the basics. A package combines at least two types of travel service, such as a flight and a hotel. It is sold at an inclusive price by the same provider. It must last more than 24 hours or include an overnight stay.

You can still build your own package. If you pick the flight and hotel yourself but buy them together, at one point of sale and one price, it is still a package.

The organiser is responsible

This is the most important right. The organiser is responsible for every part of the package, even when another company provides the service.

If the hotel is not as described, you complain to the organiser, not the hotel. The organiser must fix the problem unless that is impossible or would cost far too much. You may be entitled to a price reduction or compensation.

The CCPC advises reporting problems to the local representative during your trip. Take photos or videos. If the organiser does not fix a problem within a reasonable time, you can sort it yourself and claim back necessary costs. Complaints made after you get home should be sent within 28 days of the holiday ending.

Price changes and the 8% rule

An organiser can only raise the price after you book if your contract allows it. Increases can only reflect three things: fuel or power costs for transport, taxes and fees, or exchange rates.

The organiser cannot change the price within 20 days of departure. If the price goes up by more than 8% of the total, you can cancel and get a full refund.

Significant changes and cancellations

If the organiser makes a significant change, you get to choose. Examples include different dates, a shorter trip or lower-grade accommodation. You can accept a comparable replacement, take a lower-grade option with a refund of the difference, or get a full refund.

If the organiser cancels, you get a refund or a replacement.

You can cancel at any time yourself, but you may have to pay a fee. The fee must be reasonable and set out in your contract. As a rule, the closer to departure you cancel, the more you lose.

There is one key exception. If “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” at or near your destination significantly affect the trip, you can cancel without a fee. Examples include natural disasters, serious health risks and airport closures. You get a full refund within 14 days, but no extra compensation.

You can also transfer your package to someone else with at least seven days’ notice. You may have to cover the organiser’s costs of doing this.

Insolvency protection, licensing and bonding

Every package organiser must have insolvency protection. If the company goes bust, this covers refunds and getting you home if you are abroad.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) licenses tour operators and travel agents established in Ireland. Trading without a licence is an offence. The IAA runs a consumer protection scheme for customers of these businesses, and it handles claims when one collapses.

Before you pay, check the IAA’s “Booking a Holiday? Am I Protected?” list. It shows licensed Irish businesses and companies that have lodged insolvency cover with the IAA. If a company is not listed, ask the IAA at traveltrade@iaa.ie.

Booking flight and hotel separately

Many of the best late deals mean booking a flight on one site and a hotel on another. That is often cheaper, but it is not a package.

Each company is then responsible only for its own part. If your flight is cancelled, the hotel does not have to refund you. If the hotel overbooks, the airline owes you nothing.

There is a middle category called a linked travel arrangement. This applies when you book a second service through a link or in the same visit, within 24 hours. The protection is limited. You are covered only if the first provider goes bust, and then only for a refund and, if needed, getting home. The business must tell you clearly that package rights do not apply.

latedeals.ie does not sell travel. When you click through to a travel company such as Trip.com, read the booking page and terms closely before you pay. They should say whether you are buying a package, a linked arrangement or separate services, which company is responsible for your trip, and how your money is protected if a company goes bust. If the terms don’t say, ask before you book.

Flight delays and cancellations (EU261)

Your flight rights come from separate EU rules, often called EU261. They apply to flights departing from an EU airport on any airline. They also apply to flights into the EU on an EU airline.

If you arrive at your final destination three hours or more late, you may get compensation:

  • €250 for flights of 1,500 km or less
  • €400 for flights within the EU over 1,500 km, and other flights from 1,500 to 3,500 km
  • €600 for flights over 3,500 km

There is no compensation for “extraordinary circumstances”. Examples include air traffic decisions, bad weather and security risks. Most technical faults and the airline’s own staff strikes do not count as extraordinary.

While you wait, the airline must offer care. That means meals and refreshments, and a hotel if you are moved to the next day. If your flight is cancelled, you can choose a refund, rerouting or a return flight.

Belfast is in the UK, not the EU. If you fly from Belfast International or Belfast City, check which rules cover your flight before you claim.

Sources

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