When is a package holiday not a package holiday? When you have to pay extra to use the swimming pool at your chosen hotel or self-catering apartment.

In the last few years major tour operators such as Thomson and Airtours have introduced supplements for resort transfers and in-flight meals when holidaymakers are booking a late deal.

Greece and Cyprus specialist Golden Sun has gone one better by charging a retired couple £15 each to use the swimming pool at their self-catering property on the Greek island of Lesbos. And it's not even a late deal. The couple are travelling in early May.

The travel agent who arranged the couple's holiday, Scarborough-based Getaway Travel, has written to Golden Sun to complain.

'I could understand our client having to pay extra if the apartments didn't have a pool and they had to use a nearby hotel's pool, but this isn't the case,' said travel consultant Katie Ruston.

Ruston said the extra charges tour operators are imposing were getting out of hand. 'You can find a £199 holiday for a customer and then discover that by the time you've added on the extra charges, the holiday is £60 or £70 more expensive,' she added.

Holiday Which? assistant editor Roger Lakin said the swimming pool supplement was ridiculous. 'This is just a money-making scheme and adds to the general confusion about holiday pricing. Many tour operators are stripping out all the extras to get an attractive bottom-line price,' he added.

Golden Sun said the pool supplement would have been highlighted at the time of booking. 'The charging of supplements is standard practice in the travel industry,' said a spokeswoman. She said holidaymakers were free to shop around for the best deal.

Trading Standards Institute spokesman Bruce Treloar also criticised the move. 'Every customer who goes on holiday would expect that the swimming pool at their hotel or apartment was included in the price, particularly if the pool was pictured in the brochure. Next thing we will hear is that package holidaymakers get charged for the flight or the hotel.'