Holidaymakers are being hit by surcharges of £100-plus this summer as the pound hits its lowest ever point against the euro.
A total of 18 travel companies - mostly operating to Spain - are demanding the extra cash from customers.
They have been given permission by industry body the Association of British Travel Agents to impose supplements equivalent to up to 10 per cent of the holiday.
Watchdogs last night said it was unfair that operators should be allowed to backdate extra charges for holidays already booked.
Rebecca Leach of consumer group Which? said: "This never happens in reverse. When the pound was rising in value against the euro, holiday companies were not contacting customers offering some of their money back."
Uk Holiday Group are imposing a £3 per person a night surcharge, meaning a family of five taking a week's holiday would have to find an extra £105. Spokesman Harold Burke said: "The dramatic fall of the pound has left us with no alternative than to pass some of this on to customers. We're absorbing a greater percentage of the loss ourselves."
Perry Mahoney, of Good News Holidays, said customers who had booked a typical package deal costing £500 now faced a £12 surcharge.
He said: "We are finding that airlines are more expensive while the cost of booking hotel accommodation abroad has risen considerably."
Post Office travel spokeswoman Helen Warburton says the weakness of the pound - it has fallen by 18 per cent from 1.5 to 1.21 euros in the last year - is causing a shift away from EU countries like Greece and Spain to other hot spots like Turkey and Tunisia.
She said: "Families on a budget are now thinking hard about whether the euro zone represents the best value for money."
Major operators like Thomas Cook have so far ruled out any surcharges.
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