How much price reduction can you claim on a package tour?
Not a fixed amount — a percentage of the trip price. Geschillencommissie Reizen + ECJ Leitner: 10-15% for mild defects, 25-50% for serious, 50-75% for trip-destroying.
For a package tour that doesn't meet what was booked, there is no fixed amount — but a percentage of the trip price as price reduction (Art. 7:510 BW + EU 2015/2302). On top: compensation for non-material damage (loss of enjoyment) per the Leitner ruling (ECJ C-168/00).
Guidelines by defect type (based on Geschillencommissie Reizen rulings + Dutch case law):
| Defect type | % price reduction |
|---|---|
| Hotel category 1 star lower than booked (4★ → 3★) | 15-25% |
| No all-inclusive as promised | 20-30% |
| Noise nuisance (continuous, unfixable) | 25-40% |
| Unsanitary hotel (vermin, mould) | 30-50% |
| Illness from hotel (food poisoning, salmonella) | 40-75% |
| Location entirely different from description (sea view promised, parking lot received) | 25-40% |
| Package tour not (partly) delivered | 100% (refund) + damages |
Example calculation: Package tour €2,400 for family of 4. Hotel was 3★ instead of booked 4★ (25%) + no all-inclusive (extra 20%, partly overlapping) + noise all week (extra 15%). Total effective ~40% = €960. Plus damages for loss of enjoyment (Leitner) ~10-15% = €240-€360. Total claim €1,200-€1,320.
How to claim: send formal complaint within reasonable time (1-3 months after return). Cite Art. 7:510 + 7:511 BW + EU 2015/2302 + Leitner. Our package-tour complaint letter (€9.99) handles the legal citations. No response: Geschillencommissie Reizen (€52.50, within 1 year, ruling binding up to €25,000).
Package tour fell short? Price reduction + damages
We draft a formal complaint + claim against the tour operator (BW 7:500-511, EU 2015/2302). Including Leitner ruling for loss of enjoyment. €9.99.
Start — €9,99