The actions of a dishonest few “food bug fraudsters” are threatening the plans of many British holidaymakers.
The warning came from the boss of Jet2holidays as he demanded government action to clamp down on false holiday sickness claims
Jet2holidays CEO Steve Heapy said: “We want our customers to have a great holiday and to continue to enjoy the benefits of all inclusive.
“But the danger is that these fake food poisoning claims put the all inclusive holiday at risk.
“The sharp rise in the number of sickness claims is costing hoteliers and travel companies dearly, and it’s frustrating when so many are made a year or more after the holiday has ended.
“We risk the actions of the dishonest few spoiling the plans of many British holidaymakers.”
He added: “My message is simple. No one cares more about you on holiday than us. If you have a problem on holiday, we are there for you and we take genuine claims very seriously.
“But the food bug fraudsters are fooling customers into thinking they can make a claim even when they weren’t ill without any consequences, which is not true.
“These are the same guys that made so much money out of whiplash cases. I’m calling on the Government to crack down on the food bug fraudsters.”
He spoke out as the operator revealed the details of a false claim made by a couple more than 15 months after returning from an all inclusive holiday in Gran Canaria in the summer of 2015.
Neither Jet2holidays nor the hotel had received any complaint from the customers at the time of the holiday or subsequently.
But a law firm claimed the couple both suffered “stomach cramps and severe diarrhoea”, and both were “bed-ridden during an acute period of illness”.
The symptoms allegedly came on from the second day of the holiday. The claim alleges that the illness “spoiled the rest of the holiday”.
In the course of investigating the claim with the hotelier, it came to light that records showed that the couple continued to enjoy a range of alcoholic drinks throughout the time of their illness including cocktails, spirits and beer.
