XL Air Information by flightholiday

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
18/08/2008 18:01

Not good news for next week - this is aimed to cause chaos on peak return dates!



This is an extract from an article that I have just received from a travel trade bulletin - you need to keep an eye on the news if you are travelling to or from the UK at the end of August:-



"Holidaymakers travelling through Gatwick and Stansted face disruption after members of trade union Unite voted to strike.



With similar votes among Swissport employees due at Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle airports, there are warnings the disruption could be widespread.



At Gatwick and Stansted, baggage handlers and check-in staff will walk out on August 25, the Monday bank holiday and the following Friday, a peak travel time. Workers have rejected a 3% pay rise offer and the union has demanded 5%.



At Gatwick the biggest disruption will be for Virgin Atlantic, Thomsonfly, Monarch and First Choice customers, while at Stansted, easyJet and Ryanair will be the airlines most affected.



It is estimated the strikes could impact on the travelling plans of 400,000 people."



Tom

IAH Ltd

Main UK agent.

Kadir's Treehouses Olympos

FezBus, Middle Earth Travel

Kaleidoskop, Amphora Diving

Mithra Travel, Proper Travel

Divers Delight



0871 855 2925 Phone

0870 855 2929 Fax

info@flightholiday.co.uk



***********

Sorry that this is the third time I have started this thread - in the other bb's I do not seem to have this problem - probably down to my computing skills.

I can't seem to get into the two previous versions. I feel it is nice to try to keep to one thread so we all know where to go for information and advice.

***********

murray


Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 71

Message Posted:
18/08/2008 19:29

thanks for the information

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
21/08/2008 14:08

Further to my post a few days back re strikes - the news today said that the "baggage strikes are off" but there still might be a strike of security staff at some UK airports. So be aware and allow plenty of extra time for the inevitable queues. As always keep an eye on the news.



Our heart felt sympathy goes out to the victims and kin of the Madrid incident.



Tom

IAH Ltd

Kitty Kat Jac


Joined: 18/03/2008
Posts: 230

Message Posted:
21/08/2008 17:04

Hi Flightholiday im hoping to get on the same flight as my boyfriend to go back the Heathrow from Ercan on the 4th of October (i think it is about 8.30) and return on monday the 13th October



Please Help

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
21/08/2008 21:34

Hi KKJ Please email me if you want flights or tours*. We dont transact business on bulletin boards for your security and also so we can keep a proper business record.



* With all the details and your name and number



Thanks

Tom

info@flightholiday.co.uk

PS I dont think BB's were created for the buying and selling process but for information and so we can help others.

PPS I would be delighted to try and help.

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
25/08/2008 00:36

At http://www.flightholiday.co.uk we hope to have up on our site the CTA and Pegasus winter schedules as known; after this long weekend.



Their flight prices are always very complex so we are trying to give the top and the bottom ones only so you have an indicator. The info takes hours to compile and many hours for our webmaster to work on so please bear with us.



Tom

IAH Ltd

Main UK agent.

Kadir's Treehouses Olympos

FezBus, Middle Earth Travel

Kaleidoskop, Amphora Diving

Mithra Travel, Proper Travel

Divers Delight



0871 855 2925 Phone

0870 855 2929 Fax

info@flightholiday.co.uk



http://www.iah-holidays.co.uk

http://www.fezbus.co.uk

http://www.flightholiday.co.uk

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
12/09/2008 11:15

XL AIR - we are most sorry to have heard of their collapse this morning and hope none of you are stranded.



I am sure you are aware that XL Air which also traded under other names that we will list had closed it's flights from about 01.00 this morning UK time. (Unhappily our web master is on holiday so we can't take their link off our http://www.flightholiday.co.uk web site till he is back. Their administrator does give advice and phone nmbers from the links though.)



I hope that most of you are not affected but if you are may I make the following suggestions:



Please in the first instance contact your travel insurer as they will have an advice line.



If you bought your tickets direct on a credit card you should apply to the c/c company.



If you bought your tickets as an ATOL bonded package or from an ATOL holder whose contract says that the tickets were purchased on their own ATOL (Not a travel Agent or as a sale as an agent of XL.) You should conatct the ATOL holder.



Note if your tickets were to travel from other than the UK as a return flight the ATOL will most probably not apply to you.



Try the following help line number +44 (0) 2891 856 547.



The following should happen if you are covered by the UK CAA's ATOL bond.



If you are stranded outside the UK contact the CAA help line and they will advise you and try to get you back to the UK.



If you have not yet gone to the airport do not go there. Talk to your tour operator, travel agent and travel insurer. If your holiday or flights were covered by an ATOL bond talk to the bond holder and then the CAA (unless it was XL or one of the ones below in which case the CAA).

If the flights or package were purchased in the UK and traveling from or returning to the UK claim is in this order; if paid by credit card the c/c company, if ATOL bonded get a claim form from the CAA.



THE CAA WILL BE SEVERLEY OVERLOADED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS THEY WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH STAFF FOR SUCH A LARGE COLLAPSE SO PLEASE BE PATIENT AND DO NOT TRY TO JUST MAKE A CLAIM AS THEIR PRIORITY IS TO GET TRAVELLERS HOME. BY NOW THEY WILL HAVE TRIED TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT TRAVELLERS FROM THE AIRLINES OFFICES (THEY WORK VERY FAST WHEN THEY HAVE THESE PROBLEMS).

YOUR CLAIM (IF IT IS ONLY MONEY NOT REPATRIATION) WOULD BETTER WAIT IF IT CAN FOR A FEW DAYS EVEN MORE THAN A WEEK SO THAT THEY CAN HELP THOSE IN MORE NEED. Do keep all receipts for costs and losses as you may be able to claim some of them as long as they are reasonable. If you booked through XL (or any airline) direct the CAA may not be able to assist you.



The list of names:

XL Leisure Group Plc, XL Airways UK Limited, Excel Aviation Limited, Explorer House Limited, Aspire Holidays Limited, Freedom Flights Limited, Freedom Flights (Aviation) Limited, The Really Great Holiday Company plc, Medlife Hotels Limited, Travel City Flights Limited, Kosmar Villa Holidays plc



Under these names you might also find:



The Really Great Holiday Company PLC - ATOL 3827

Trading as: Cruise City, Excel Holidays, The Florida Skytrain, Transatlantic Vacations, Travel City Direct and Travel City International

Kosmar Villa Holidays PLC - ATOL 1760

Trading as: Kosmar Holidays



Freedom Flights Limited - ATOL 5296

Trading as: Freedom Flights

Aspire Holidays Limited - ATOL 6536

Trading as: Aspire Holidays



There is good advice on the XL web site http://www.xl.com and also on the CAA ATOL web site http://www.caa.co.uk .



Please note that all of this posting is not advice but thoughts that we hope will assist. (I am sorry that I have to put on this rider but otherwise I or my company might be liable.)



Tom



0871 855 2925 Phone

0870 855 2929 Fax

info@flightholiday.co.uk

http://www.flightholiday.co.uk

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
12/09/2008 17:32

If you bought your tickets on your credit card via an Agent then please note that your credit card company will not settle your claim as they will state that the Agent fulfilled their obligation in booking your flights and issuing you with tickets. In this instance you will need to claim via the CAA. You should be able to find the relevant forms and information on the CAA's website.



I know this to be true because when Jewels of the World collapsed in 2006 it took me months to get my money back. It took my credit card company 6 months to give me the information in paragraph 1 and return all my original paperwork and I then had to apply to the CAA.

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
12/09/2008 17:56

joandjelly



Sorry to hear about your problems after the TWI problems - hopefully your agent gave you plenty of assistance. It did take some of our clients a while to get there money but none that I heard of took that long.



Luckily we were able to help a lot of our clients with options on new flights so they had to rely less on the CAA (that was quite a logistical exercise over about 3 days).



I just hope that not too many people have been stranded in the TRNC.

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
12/09/2008 19:45

Hi Tom



You were my agent. You sent me all the relevant paperwork and I phoned my CC company and sent it all to them. Unfortunately, they were useless and took months to tell me they couldn't help. I then went to the CAA. It didn't help that I was in TRNC whilst all this was going on.



Regards.



Jo

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
12/09/2008 20:11

Hi Joandjelly



I remember one client who seemed to come through the CAA rather late - that must have been you. I hope what we tried to do to help was up to what you would have hoped for.

Mouse


Joined: 21/05/2008
Posts: 58

Message Posted:
12/09/2008 20:15

We were booked on one of their flights to arrive on Sunday, paid by credit card and through a travel company hopefully we will get our money back. Have managed to book again so we will still be coming over on Sunday but the credit card has got a megga dent in it now. We were flying into Larnaca from Glasgow now its Ercan from Manchester. Need to organise car hire, we had this arranged for Larnaca so have lost the deposit for that.

Yvonne

Mouse


Joined: 21/05/2008
Posts: 58

Message Posted:
12/09/2008 20:28

Hey,

There's me moaning some people have lost everything, I am really sorry for them.

Yvonne

gardenmaker


Joined: 01/09/2008
Posts: 170

Message Posted:
13/09/2008 08:09

hi mouse sorry to hear of your wo good luck with money back if you want a car to meet you at the airport try sun car rental never let me down and reasonable john

Highland Cow


Joined: 03/05/2008
Posts: 9

Message Posted:
13/09/2008 15:56

Hi, any advise please. My sister had a disaster of a trip from Glasgow to Larnaca last Sunday, with xl. Usually goes through Istanbul from Aberdeen but thought they would try the Larnaca route, took them longer that way than going through Istanbul. My sister paid cash for her flights so she does know that she wont get her money back. I now have to look for flights for her for coming home. She has to get to Glasgow as car is booked in at air-parks. Any recommendations of who to get in touch with. Went on internet last night, without much success.

Any advice would be much appreciated

Thanks

Highland Coo

Coachie



Joined: 29/07/2008
Posts: 2135

Message Posted:
13/09/2008 16:06

H.C.....Have you tried Easy jet from larnaca, Monarch from larnaca also CTA from ercan.Another member on one of the other pages got her son aflight from ercan to stanstead with Pegasus then Easy jet to glasgow, perhaps if you look at the other posts about XL you will see the one I am on about.She post under the name of Phylray.

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
13/09/2008 18:05

Highland Cow

Think you must have been on same flight as my son & friends last Sunday

which was delayed horribly. They have managed to get flights with Pegasus

airlines which flies from Ercan via Istanbul, Stansted & then up to Glasgow

with Easyjet or Ryanair. He booked over internet as our neighbours in TBV

lent him their housekey for the evening. As Coachie says CTA is another one

If all else fails contact British Embassy. This was advice from XL helpline when

I finally got through. Hope this helps They are due back Mon. late I hear.

Highland Cow


Joined: 03/05/2008
Posts: 9

Message Posted:
13/09/2008 21:17

Many thanks Coachie and Phylray for your advise. Going to spend ev on internet to see what flights i can get.

Cheers

Highland Coo

Mouse


Joined: 21/05/2008
Posts: 58

Message Posted:
14/09/2008 00:17

Hya Highland Coo,

Hope you manage to get everything sorted out for your sister.

Yvonne

jackeen


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 222

Message Posted:
14/09/2008 03:32

Hello, I have been listening to Radio London and they have reporters at various airports. Some people who were stranded have been lucky enough to have been flown home from Europe. I dont know the full story but I hope that those who now find themselves in trouble and not able to get back to UK immediately will get back soon. I only wish there was some way that I could help and I really mean that.

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
14/09/2008 18:45

Hope you had some success for your sister Highland Coo.

Just been talking to my neighbour who works for Ryanair

at Prestwick and he heard rumours on MONDAY last week

that XL were in trouble. Then nothing was heard til shock on

Friday.

Checkmate


Joined: 31/08/2008
Posts: 140

Message Posted:
14/09/2008 22:38

Hi Phylray



Were are you from in Scotland, do you live in Ayr?

Highland Cow


Joined: 03/05/2008
Posts: 9

Message Posted:
15/09/2008 00:37

Hi Phylary and Mouse, thankyou for your concerns about my sister. I managed to find info on flights from Ercan/Istanbul/London then up to Glasgow, pricing about £350 single trip, there are four of them. She has txt me to say that they have been told to turn up at Larnaca airport two hours before they are due to fly and they should get a flight home. Not so sure about that one. I will let you know how she gets on.

Thankyou everyone

Highland Coo

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
15/09/2008 01:04

Highland Cow

Sounds hopeful, fingers crossed for them.



Checkmate

I am from West-Kilbride, Ayrshire, originally, and now live few miles from

there in Dalry. Only moved here 18 months ago from Beith where I lived

over 35 years. Where are you from yourself?

ilovemydogs



Joined: 20/04/2008
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
15/09/2008 08:02

welll blow me down.. minding my own buisness i was . thinking about packing for our visit in october. 10pm last night we get the text to check our booking for may next year . and yes it is with xl. good job we got it, we thaught we were with monach ,same as the october one. never mind could have been worse . i would be cying if it was the october one.

Coachie



Joined: 29/07/2008
Posts: 2135

Message Posted:
15/09/2008 13:00

I>L>M>D>...Lucky escape there. Will you get your money back for theXL flight....

ilovemydogs



Joined: 20/04/2008
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
15/09/2008 14:54

don't know yet coachie, trev is going to find out.

Coachie



Joined: 29/07/2008
Posts: 2135

Message Posted:
15/09/2008 16:12

I.L,M.D......from what Ihave read and herd on the box, if you dealt with XL direct and used your CC then you can claim off the card company.If you dealt through a ticket agency,you may have problems, as the card company are likely to say that the agency completed there obligation to them,but you had better check it out.

ilovemydogs



Joined: 20/04/2008
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
15/09/2008 18:17

coachie.. it was booked through travel republic. so we don't know where we stand yet. i suppose there are a lot more urgent cases than us. i am just thankful it wasn't a lot more money. we can just rebook with someone else.

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
16/09/2008 12:13

I heard today that a lot of holiday makers & travellers are still stuck on Cyprus.



If that includes you can we help?



Have you let the car park in the UK know your dilema? It is a courtesy at least, they may want to charge you extra and if not as a worst case scenario they might be able to treat it as dumped

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
16/09/2008 14:43

Following on on XL:



Below is a direct copy of information just received from travelmole which is a travel trade only publication:



Confusion among XL customers



The CAA has issued a statement with regard to the collapse of XL Leisure following confusion among customers.



It is urging customers protected by ATOL not to cut their trips short but to continue their holidays as normal.



“Some holidaymakers are going straight to the airport and even buying flights home with other airlines when they should have continued their holidays as normal,” said a spokesman.



He said staff with Thomas Cook, Thomson, First Choice, Virgin Holidays and other tour operators are helping to make sure XL customers are aware of the ATOL protection.



The CAA estimates there are around 30,000 customers who booked packages with XL, or XL owned tour operators such as Travel City Direct and Kosmar, still on holidays in resorts throughout the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Florida.



The CAA is also offering capacity to enable those passengers who had bought only a flight with XL Airways - and are therefore not ATOL-protected - to fly back to the UK at a reasonable price.



It confirmed that 29,610 customers have either returned to the UK or flights have been arranged for their return since the collapse of XL on Friday morning.



Currently 126 flights have been arranged. UK airlines - BA, bmi British Midland, Monarch Airlines, First Choice Airways, Jet2.com, Astraeus and Virgin Atlantic - are providing aircraft to fly to 37 destinations around the world bringing passengers back to nine UK airports.







By Bev Fearis

Al the Badger


Joined: 06/02/2008
Posts: 130

Message Posted:
16/09/2008 15:25

We returned overnight from Ercan 14/15 Sept via CTA. Plane was nigh on empty leaving Ercan. Great, we thought, stretch out on the seats after Turkey touchdown. Not so, plane filled to the gunnells at Turkey with families, children, crying babies, the lot. Spent 5 hours bolt upright surrounded by a plethora of noise with no chance of kip. Reckon it must have been a mass airlift of XL customers. Shouldn't be to hard on them but boy was I a zombie for the rest of Sunday.

tyofidleness


Joined: 29/07/2008
Posts: 16

Message Posted:
16/09/2008 22:30

If you have bought future flights direct and are not ATOL protected by having purchased through an ATOL agent then you will have recourse if you purchased on your credit card.



Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes credit providers who are tied to the supplier (Debtor/Creditor/Supplier agreements) equally liable for breach of contract as long as the purchase was over £100. This means that because they allowed their credit to purchase the flights they are "equally liable". This is why you should always use a credit card for a risky purchase if possible. The credit card companies hate this provision of the Act which the courts have recently ruled also applies to purchases made abroad. So for any breach of contract that cant be claimed against the supplier (because they have gone bust in this case) they are liable.



If you purchased using a debit card you may have some recourse via your banks chargeback procedure but you need to contact your bank urgently to see if this applies.



ty

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
18/09/2008 17:39

I'm sorry to say there will probably be more reports like this one over the next few weeks:-



Gay tour operator Throb Holidays has ceased trading as a direct result of the failure of the XL Leisure Group.



The company, which had been running for 14 years, specialised in holidays to Spain.



A statement on the company’s website said: “It is with regret that we have to inform you that, despite our best efforts,

Throb Holidays Ltd has ceased trading.



“As a result of the collapse of XL Airways/XL Leisure Group (who were our main flight provider) we have unfortunately been unable to contain the damage this causes us in both the immediate term and in the future, where the lack of flight capacity we would have relied upon from XL Airways for new reservations makes continuing trading impossible.”

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
08/12/2008 15:01

Just received from TTG a major travel trade publication:-

December 08, 2008 from Rupert Murray (the correspondant credited by TTG for this update).



Thousands of XL Leisure creditors will not be invited to a creditors' meeting at Wembley Arena next week.



Administrator Zolfo Cooper said there was no money left in the pot, which means many of the 300,000 creditors have lost any chance of getting their money back.





Creditors to just five of the company’s 13 underlying companies will be in attendance at the December 16 meeting.



The administrators' proposal came out on Friday, a month later than planned after being granted extra time to look at the complicated collapse.



The CAA will not be among those attending the meeting. A CAA spokesman said: “We ensured we had a £42 million bond from XL.” said the spokesman. “That money was to guard against XL going into receivership."



Note from Tom - If the bond was not enough the ATOL contribution may have to rise in 2009.

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
26/01/2009 14:03

An Extract from TTG live a Travel Trade info Mag.





CAA rejects some XL credit card claimants



Monday, January 26, 2009 - Lee Hayhurst



The CAA is rejecting thousands of claims following the collapse of XL Leisure Group from customers who part-paid on credit cards.



According to reports at the weekend, the authority had taken advice on whether it was liable if some of the cost of the holiday was paid on a credit card.



The CAA is facing a huge bill following the collapse, with some estimates suggesting it will eat up all but £12 million of a £50 million overdraft facility it had agreed with Barclays Bank.



Originally, the authority advised customers who had paid in full on a card to contact the credit card company, but claims from customers with part-payment on plastic are being turned down.



Customers who have waited weeks for a decision on their claim while building up interest on their credit card debt have accused the CAA of --------- not best news sorry.

argyle


Joined: 11/08/2008
Posts: 10

Message Posted:
26/01/2009 15:02

I am waiting for a refund from XL for flights to Tenerife last October, booked through Holidayhypermarket (First Choice). My application has been processed and passed to CAA however due to the high volume refunds will take 6 to 12 months! I paid by credit card and the credit card company WILL NOT refund until CAA confirm non refund in writing.



Your comment above that the authority advised customers who had paid in full to contact their credit card company may be correct but it's not how the credit card companies see it as I mentioned above!!



Don't give up yet........

mikea11


Joined: 15/06/2008
Posts: 254

Message Posted:
26/01/2009 16:32

Took us about ten weeks for them to re-inburse us but at least we got it in the end.

ilovemydogs



Joined: 20/04/2008
Posts: 514

Message Posted:
26/01/2009 16:44

we had a letter from the caa travel claims service stating that our claim had been successful and we had only paid part of the flight money by debit card and the money would go directly into our bank account.