contract will be significantly affected by unavoidable and exceptional circumstances. The new wording provides that, in addition to the place of destination, such circumstances may also occur at the place of departure, at the place of destination, or in its immediate vicinity, and may considerably affect the traveller’s journey to or from the place of destination. Under the addendum to paragraph 4, refunds must be made regardless of any prior request from the traveller. If the traveller’s payment details are invalid, the 14-day period runs only from the moment the traveller provides the correct details. If, within 14 days of the contract termination, the traveller and the organiser agree to replace the package: • Of equivalent or superior quality: the traveller is not entitled to a refund. • Of lower quality or cost: the organiser must refund the price difference between the original package and the replacement package within 14 days of the agreement. VIII. VOUCHERS The use of vouchers emerged during the pandemic, when organisers faced a serious cash-flow crisis, prompting Member States to create flexible legislation and prompting the Commission to intervene to restrict them. The regime now published in the new Article 12a does not have as its exclusive leitmotif a situation of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances as occurred during COVID-19. In situations of alteration of the price (Art. 10), alteration of other package travel contract terms (Art. 11), and termination of the package travel contract and the right of withdrawal before the start of the package (Art. 12), there is the so-called traveller’s right to a refund. The revision of NPTD consagrated the organiser’s right to offer the traveller the option to accept a voucher of a value at least equal to the refund amount to which the traveller is entitled. The organiser may offer the traveller a voucher instead of a refund, but the traveller is not obliged to accept it and retains the right to a refund within 14 days. It must have a value equal to or greater than the amount of the refund due and may be used, in whole or in part, for any travel service provided by the organiser. Voucher holders may not be treated less favourably than other customers. Before acceptance, the organiser must provide clear information, in a durable 18 CARLOS TORRES
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