The new rules are designed to provide British holidaymakers with extra protection. But there is a loophole through which agents can escape liability. If flights and accommodation are booked separately, the purchase is known as a “Linked Travel Arrangement” (LTA) and has only very limited financial protection.

Critics in the travel industry say that the Expedia campaign appears intended to steer holidaymakers towards LTAs, without mentioning that their consumer rights will be greatly diminished.

The ad, says: “A hotel can make or break a trip, and at Expedia we don’t think you should be rushed into booking one. That’s why we created Expedia’s Add-On Advantage.

Now Expedia's terms and conditions state that your contract is with the hotel, but the rule change means that if they sell the flight and hotel together (which is what holidaymakers want) then its a package - and they are responsible for the hotel booking.

A problem (they don't want that responsibility because it costs them money).

So their solution - promoted in their TV advertisement - is first book your flight and then, with a confirmed flight booking, get access to our discounts on hotel bookings. The flight and the hotel are booked separately meaning its not a package and your hotel booking contract is with the hotel and not Expedia. (Of course the TV advertisement doesn't point this out - is that one for the Advertising Standards Authority?).

But as an innovative solution to a problem all credit to Expedia (although I suspect the regulator will soon extend the rules to cover this scenario).

What has your business being doing to turn a problem into an opportunity recently?

​​​​​​​To your success.

Noel Guilford