Holiday companies have called on the government to take stronger action against airlines that fail to uphold consumer rights.
They want industry watchdog the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to be given extended powers to fine operators, which it cannot currently do.
In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which was sent jointly with consumer champion Which?, the companies urged the government to take "decisive action on behalf of British holidaymakers".
The operators, which include loveholidays, On the Beach, Riviera Travel and Thomas Cook, called for the King's Speech on November 7 to include a Bill focused on strengthening the CAA’s capacity to enforce breaches of consumer rules.
"As a coalition of consumer advocates and travel companies, we urge you to show your support for British holidaymakers affected by this summer's air travel disruption by agreeing to strengthen the Civil Aviation Authority's enforcement powers through this autumn's King's Speech.
"This summer has seen the all-too-familiar sight of holidaymakers' plans ruined by air travel disruption; this time through UK and European strike action, thousands of summer flight cancellations and the terrible environmental impact of wildfires.
"While some of these issues are outside of airlines' control, they are routinely failing what's in their control: to uphold their customers' legal rights to rerouting and refunds, and provide clear and timely passenger information."
It comes after thousands of flights to and from UK airports have been cancelled this summer due to issues such as air-traffic control restrictions and wildfires on Rhodes and other Greek islands.
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Many affected holidaymakers claim airlines have ignored their legal responsibilities during disruption, which can include booking customers a ticket with a rival airline so they reach their destination as quickly as possible, and providing meals and overnight accommodation.
Airlines are supposed to reroute passengers, offer accommodation and issue refunds, in some cases, if flights are cancelled.
At the moment, the CAA can apply for an enforcement order via the courts to make an airline comply with the law, which may – or may not – result in an order to pay a fine.
The Department for Transport last month said in its response to a consultation that the CAA would be given the power to fine airlines but gave no timescale for when legislation would be introduced.
CAA joint-interim chief executive Paul Smith said: "We have long called for a stronger enforcement toolkit to bring us in line with other UK regulators.
"The plans recently announced by the government would achieve this and help ensure that the UK Civil Aviation Authority is better equipped to hold the industry to account in meeting their obligations to passengers."
In June the government dropped plans to entitle more passengers to flight delay compensation from initial reforms aimed at protecting consumers.
It launched a consultation last year on allowing travellers to claim payouts for domestic flights that arrive at their destination an hour late.
But the government said “further work” was needed before the rules were changed.
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The specs
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- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
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Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
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The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
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Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
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Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
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Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
