Scores of angry Shropshire and Mid Wales holidaymakers were today facing a travel nightmare following the collapse of the major holiday group XL.
Travel agents across the region were contacting clients either already on holiday or who were planning to travel with the company over the next few weeks.
See also - XL collapse strands thousands
Ros Walsh, of Travel Counsellors, has six clients on the Greek island of Kefalonia.
“I spoke to them this morning, they are fine and covered by ATOL. Therefore, they will head home on Sunday as scheduled after the CAA have issued new flight numbers to them.
“Luckily they booked through an agent so they receive the personal service, unfortunately those who booked directly through the internet may have more problems.”
Mrs Walsh said she believed the biggest losers would be people who had booked through XL’s non-ATOL protected companies, including Travel City Direct.
“Travel City undercut everyone on flights to Florida, so people planning a trip to Florida who have booked with them will not be covered”, she added.
The Civil Aviation Authority said it was working with the travel industry to bring tens of thousands of holidaymakers home.
A spokesman said: “The CAA will make arrangements for those customers currently abroad who booked their holiday or flight with an ATOL tour operator to complete their holidays and fly home.
“All future departures with the XLUK tour operators and XL Airlines have been cancelled.”
Lucy Jones, 22, of Rhewl Lane, Gobowen, was due to fly with XL in two weeks’ time. She was planning to use the firm to fly back from a holiday in Gran Canaria to Manchester Airport with her friend Carrie Martayn.
She said: “I have just woken up to this news and I am absolutely gutted.”
Tony Cater, from Telford Travel World Choice in Wellington said he had two sets of customers currently on holiday who had booked through XL, and 30 forward bookings from people who will also be affected. He said all his customers would receive some kind of compensation from the companies ABTA and ATOL.
Drover’s Travel, of Bishop’s Castle, revealed today that a couple who booked their holiday to Crete yesterday would have to find alternative flights.
Owner Grant Perry said the couple who booked with Freedom Flights would be found alternative flights, but that he could not promise that it would be on the original date they had booked for their holiday.
Mr Perry also added the couple would have to pay for their new flights to Crete, but would be refunded for their old flights at a later date.
By Faye Barker and Amy Bould
Share this article:
What are these?