Hi Kelly

There must be a huge amount of emloyees also involved, who I feel really sorry for.

I for one although should have been flying with XL gave the employees some thought. It is one thing loosing your holiday but a totaly different thing loosing your job and lively hood.

Good luck and all the best to the XL staff
Graham

Hi Kelly,

I have lost a job like this in the past and I do sympathise with you - it's not a nice situation to be in.

I think one of the problems with a company going into recievership is that ( I believe) the management of the company are no longer allowed to make any statements or give information out - it all has to come from the receivers. So until they get their heads around what's happening, everything goes very quiet.

Good Luck

John

Atlantic Holidays always use(d) XL for their packages to Madeira Island.

Heartache all round, watching the press conference you could see the complete and utter despair.

I have a friend and her family stranded in Tenerife who also booked direct so are not covered.

I watched it too and he looked completely gutted, but i think that is a mutual feeling between many of the staff.

Thanks for the people that left a comment regarding my earlier post. To 'Kiltman-Graham' I did see your earlier post about the employees so sorry for that. Its just horrible not kowing what to do now

I've just downloaded a claim form but can anybody give me an address as to where i send it ?

We were due to travel in 4 weeks !!!!!!!! At least we will eventually get a refund.......I feel sorry for those that booked direct with XL as there not covered by Atol.

I hope it all works out for you Kelly

kelly, - I know it's easy to say it, but you'll just have to sit tight at the moment.
Quite often in these situations, a rival company will cherry pick the best bits of the business and buy them from the receivers and keep some of the staff, so there is a glimmer of hope.
Sincerely hope that things work out for you.

cheers for the imput. ive had to book flights with easyjet, cheapest i could find cost me £1034.00 for 2 adults and 1 child. Luckily i had the money. i feel so sorry for the people who have been saving to go away for the past12-24 months.

Hi,
just realised that my Travel Republic booking for my parents was with XL. Had e-mail from TR this morning telling me to seek a refund from the company. I've tried 2 links this morning only to be told the server is too busy. I did pay by credit card. Can I just contact my CC company and start the refund procedcure with them or do I need to contact the airline. I've never had to do this sort of thing before, so all advice on the best steps to take to claim a refund will be gratefuly received. Thanks.

Hi Shirley

The best thing to do is contact your credit card company and see what advice they can give, they may be able to deal with your claim over the phone.

Graham

Hi Shirley ... with over 200,000 XL customers affected and looking for refunds, the CAA website is understandably overwhelmed at the moment. There is some info and advice available HERE from Travel Republic and as Graham suggests, speaking to your credit card company is also an option at the moment.

David

Some information available here - http://www.caa.co.uk/AdvanceBookingsMakingAClaim.html

At present the CAA/ATOL site is being overloaded so it might be easier to wait until later in the day or over the weekend.

As far as I recall if payment was made by CC then you claim against the card supplier. In your case following the link above it may be possible for you to assign your claim to Travel Republic and book another holiday with the. They have however got problems of their own according to their website having booked a lot of people onto XL holidays so you will probably have difficulty getting hold of them.

As far as claiming on your CC it is a fairly painless process - I had to do so earlier this year. I first of all rang them and they do need the reference number and statement date - they can only access the last three months so if it is further back unless you have it then you will have to write and ask them to trace it for you.

I then wrote stating I was making a claim for reimbursement under Section 75 of The Consumer Credit 1974. They then sent me a form which I signed and returned together with a copy of the claim details shown on the ATOL site. You do not need to download the form so just copy and paste it into word and print it off.

The money was back in my account within a few days - whole thing took about four weeks from my telephone call.

fwh

XL Leisure Group in administration

XL Leisure Group, the UK's third largest tour operator, went into administration early today leaving the holiday plans of thousands in tatters.

The West Sussex-based company had 85,000 holidaymakers abroad and 200,000 forward bookings, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

All flights were immediately cancelled and aircraft grounded. XL had a fleet of 21 aircraft.

A message on the group's website said the group had entered administration as a result of volatile fuel prices, the economic downturn and a failure to obtain additional funding.

Chairman Phil Wyatt said the company's costs had gone up by $80 million year on year due to rising fuel prices.

The failure is the biggest to hit the travel industry since ILG in 1990 and follows Cheshire based operator Seguro Holidays ceasing trading earlier this week and the collapse of airlines such as Zoom and Silverjet.

Besides charter airline XL Airways, XL ran the tour operating brands TravelCity Direct, Kosmar, Aspire, Medlifehotels and Freedom Flights, the UK's largest flight-only firm. The group employed 1,700 people worldwide and carried 2.3 million passengers last year.

A separate North East-based company operating under the Freedom Flights brand is not affected.

Joint XL administrators Alastair Beveride, Nick Cooper, Simon Appell and Stuart Mackeller from Leeds-based Kroll said they were "unlikely to be able to trade the business or operate the aircraft".

Holidaymakers away on ATOL-bonded package holidays should be able to complete their holidays with the CAA arranging flights home.

But those who booked flights only are not protected along with those booked through Medlife Hotels.

A CAA statement said: "The Civil Aviation Authority and the travel industry are working together to protect customers of the XL Leisure Group UK (XLUK) after it ceased trading.

"The CAA estimates that there are 50,000 tour operator customers of XLUK abroad, and a further 10,000 abroad with XL Airways, and 25,000 with other tour operators who shared the XL flights. A further 200,000 customers have advance bookings with the XL tour operators.

"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.

"Customers due to travel from the UK are advised not to go to their departure airport.

"Tour operator customers will be able to claim a full refund from ATOL."


CAA sets up emergency helpline for XL passengers

The Civil aviation Authority has set up emergency helplines for holidaymakers affected by XL Leisure Group's failure.

For customers abroad the number is: +44 (0) 2891 856547. For those in the UK with advance bookings, the number is: 0870 5900927.

A massive repatriation operation is underway following the UK's third largest tour operation going into administration.

The CAA is working with the group's administrator, Kroll, major tour operators, including Thomson, First Choice, Thomas Cook and Virgin Holidays, and airlines to ensure that UK customers currently abroad are taken care of.

Arrangements will be made to pay hotels and in-resort staff to ensure that holidaymakers that booked with XLUK tour operators can complete their holidays and fly home, according to the authority.

"Since XL Airways is no longer operating, flights to bring people home will be made with other airlines. The CAA plans to operate these flights as close as possible to the original schedule and we ask customers to be patient while these arrangements are being made," the CAA said.

The authority issued advice for those abroad and the many others due to travel.

XL ran ATOL bonded tour operations offering passenger protection against company failure but also ran flights and accommodation-only deals which carry no protection.

CAA consumer protection group director Richard Jackson said: "This is a huge undertaking and we are working closely with the travel industry to protect and bring home the customers of the failed tour operators.

"Hotels and other suppliers will be paid so that those protected by ATOL will be secure while arrangements to fly them home are made.

"Flights to bring people home will differ from their original timings, but our aim is to minimise disruption to holidaymakers as far as we possibly can.

"We ask customers to be patient while these arrangements are made."

For passengers abroad, the CAA said: "If you booked a package holiday with an XLUK tour operator or a flight with Freedom Flights then the Civil Aviation Authority's ATOL scheme covers you and you will be flown home without needing to pay any money.

"If you booked a package holiday or flight through another tour operator and were travelling on an XL flight then the tour operator covers you and you should be flown home without needing to pay any money. Please contact your tour operator.

"If you bought only a flight from XL Airways through xl.com or a travel agent, even though you are not covered by the Civil Aviation Authority's ATOL Scheme, the CAA will endeavour to bring you home with the minimum of delay.

"However, there will be a fee to cover the cost. You are not obliged to use the CAA arrangements."

For passenger yet to travel, the CAA said: "All future XLUK tour operator holidays are now cancelled and people with advance holiday bookings will not be able to travel.

"Outbound customers are advised not to go to their departure airport. Customers who booked with tour operators will be able to claim a full refund from ATOL. Information on how to claim is available on the CAA website (INVALID URL

XLUK included four UK tour operators, all of which held Air Travel Organisers' Licences:

The Really Great Holiday Company PLC - ATOL 3827

Which traded as: Cruise City

Excel Holidays

The Florida Skytrain

Transatlantic Vacations

Travel City Direct

Travel City International

Freedom Flights Limited - ATOL 5296

Aspire Holidays Limited - ATOL 6536

Kosmar Villa Holidays PLC - ATOL 1760 which traded as: Kosmar Holidays

XLUK tour operators flew mainly from Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, Bristol, Nottingham and Glasgow airports. XLUK arranged holidays in the main holiday resorts of the Mediterranean including Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, as well as the Canaries, Portugal, Malta and Egypt. It also operated long haul holidays in Florida and the Caribbean. The majority of holidays were sold through travel agents.

"People who have made advance payments will be able to claim refunds," the CAA said.

Customers are being advised to see their travel agent and ask whether their booking can be transferred to another holiday.

Agents and customers will be able to download claim forms from the ATOL website.

The group's UK airline, XL Airways (XLA), also sold seats direct to the public. People who booked with the airline are not ATOL protected. An estimated 10,000 passengers are abroad that booked direct with the airline.

Passengers with advance bookings paid by credit card should contact their card issuer or contact their bank if they paid by debit card. If they took out travel insurance, they should check whether their policy covered airline insolvency, according to the CAA.

The group also operated separate airlines in France and Germany. XL Airways France (operating under flight numbers starting XLF) and XL Airways Germany (GXL) are unaffected by this failure.

People who booked though accommodation-only arm Medlife Hotels are not ATOL protected.

"Those with advance bookings paid by credit card should contact their card issuer or contact their bank if they paid by debit card. If they took out travel insurance, they should check whether their policy covered holiday company insolvency," the CAA said.

*Further advice is available for XL Airways and Medlife Hotels customers from the group's administrators, Kroll, at http://www.xl.com or by telephone: 0800 068 8991 for customers in the UK; +44 (0) 208 242 4783 for customers abroad.

XL failure highlights passenger protection loophole

The collapse of XL Leisure Group has once again highlighted loopholes in passenger protection regulations.

Those affected who booked package holidays through the group's ATOL-bonded tour operations should receive refunds or be flown home.

But those who booked flights direct with XL Airways or accommodation with Medlife Hotels will be left out of pocket unless they had the appropriate travel insurance.

Some who paid using credit cards may be protected under the Consumer Credit Act but it depends on the card issuer.

Paul Mclean, director of International Passenger Protection Limited, which offers financial failure insurance, said: "This is a sad and time changing collapse which will have adverse effects on the travel industry for a long time to come.

"Even with oil prices now just over US$100 a barrel, the world facing long term effects from the credit crunch which is hitting banks and their ability to save financially such large operations already in financial problems.

"Luckily many passengers booked an inclusive package which should be covered through the CAA but there will be a huge number of passenger who simply bought flights only and will very likely not be covered highlighting the need once more for agents to protect themselves and their passenger with scheduled airline failure insurance."

IPP has responded by launching an online holiday financial failure protection website http://www.protectmyholiday.com where holidaymakers can purchase a financial protection policy from next Tuesday.

Around 24 airlines that have failed this year including Zoom, MaxJet, Eos, SilverJet, Oasis Hong Kong and Nationwide.

"Consumer protection has always been unclear in this respect and many of us take for granted that we are automatically covered," IPP said.

"The fact is if you book a holiday independent of a package and a growing number of people are, you could face a lack of financial protection for the elements of your holiday going bust such as the airline.

"There is a form of perception that paying for your holiday by credit card will fully protect you but you are usually only covered for transactions over £100 and if your stranded abroad, credit card companies do not cover repatriation costs which are always far more expensive than the original return ticket."

Thomson and First Choice to rescue stranded XL holidaymakers

TUI Travel operators Thomson and First Choice estimate that 10,000 XL Leisure Group holidaymakers have been left stranded without financial failure protection.

Managing director Dermot Blastland said: "Unlike customers who booked with package tour operators, customers who booked with scheduled airlines, low cost airlines and online intermediaries often do not have the benefit of financial protection.

"This means that, in the event of a failure, customers may be stranded overseas or unable to get their money back.

"We estimate that more than 10,000 people have travelled without ATOL protection and could be stranded if we and others don't step in to help."

He reiterated calls for the government to introduce industry-wide consumer protection measures.

"For quite some time, we have been lobbying the government to recognise the need for a level playing field for all providers of overseas leisure travel arrangements," said Blastland.

"We are frustrated with the government for not stepping in sooner which means we are now faced with a situation whereby those passengers who were not ATOL protected, need our assistance with repatriation and will have to pay for their flight seats home."

As angry XL travellers tried to make alternative travel arrangements, transport secretary Ruth Kelly issued a statement saying: "I have been holding discussions with my officials about this situation and both they and the Civil Aviation Authority have been monitering developments and putting rescue plans into action.

"The CAA have a wealth of experience in dealing with these sorts of situations and are puttting systems in place to get people home, while the government stands ready to provide the CAA with operational assistance should they need it.

"The industry has reacted well to this collapse of a major tour company and are assisting the CAA with the recovery of plans to ensure that affected passengers are repatriated as soon as possible."

Thomson and First Choice said they would do everything possible to assist passengers on ATOL-protected flights or holidays, whether it be by aiding their repatriation or helping those who are yet to travel in arranging another holiday and claiming a refund.

"We will also where possible do our utmost to assist with the repatriation of those who booked a flight-only or a dynamic package and were not protected.

"If available, they will be able to purchase seats home on our flights."

XL customers currently overseas will be able to continue with their holidays as planned.

"We are currently organising the repatriation of customers who booked ATOL bonded packages and are stranded in Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Sardinia and Egypt and these flights will take place as close to the passengers original departure dates as possible.

"Our overseas teams will be working closely with the existing XL representatives in resort to facilitate the repatriation of customers back to the UK."

Customers with XL forward bookings made through Thomson and First Choice agencies are being advised to take confirmation of their booking to any branch.

"Our retail team will be able to arrange an alternative holiday for them and assist with claiming the refund for their XL holiday or flight," the statement said.

"Customers who have booked with another travel agent are advised to visit the travel agent that sold them the holiday who can look at other options with First Choice and Thomson Holidays. Again both businesses will assist with the refund and arrange the paperwork on behalf of the customers."

A helpline for those not near a First Choice or Thomson shop has been set up at: 0871 231 5704.

Paul Riches, youtravel.com sales and marketing director, said: "At times like this it is crucial that all elements of our industry pull together to help salvage what is possible.

"We're working very closely with our agent partners and are doing everything we can to assist them with rebooking.

"We are being as flexible as possible to ensure as many customers get away on holiday as they planned to."
Renaldo Scheepers, chief executive A2B Transfers, said: "We are being as supportive as possible for our agent partners and have drafted in extra staff to help deal with the high number of calls to our offices.

"For the agents who are worst affected by the XL collapse we are offering them a dedicated manager to look after all their queries and rebookings on a direct dial number, this way we can ensure that they and their customers are looked after in the most efficient way possible.

"We are of course posting regular updates on our website for both our trade partners and direct customers, at times like this there is no such thing as over-communicating, and we are doing everything we can to keep everyone as up to date as possible."

With permission from Travelmole

Hello we're looking for a case study of someone in Bristol who has been affected by XL going bust.
If anyone would be willing to give us their story please email k.sutherland@bepp.co.uk (Bristol Evening Post) today if you can. Thanks

I fear that as a result of this collapse of the 3rd largest tour operator in the UK there could be more companies to follow as a direct result.

As I mentioned in the now locked duplicate topic ( might have been a good idea to merge it) this collapse could well effect others travel companies.

We were due to fly out to Rhodes with XL as part of a package booked with Olympic.
Olympic have just informed us that they will not be replacing the cancelled flights from Glasgow, so we will be left with no option but to cancel the holiday and get a full refund.

If companies who have already assumed that they had sold these holidays and had been guaranteed the subsequent income are having to refund passengers this will be a huge drop in their income and could easily lead to them going under themselves.

Watch what happens over the next few days
EDIT: Hi Graham .. we were perhaps understandably a bit swamped with duplicate XL topics today. The one you refer to was locked temporarily while duplicate posts were sorted out and both topics are now combined here.
David HT Mod

There has been some confusion about credit/debit card refunds.
These bits of plastic might look similar but in reality they couldn't be more different.
If you paid by credit card then you bought your flight off the credit card company, NOT off XL. It is the credit card company who are out of pocket. If you haven't paid the bill yet just demand that they remove that charge from your next statement because they haven't provided what you've ordered. If you have paid, demand a refund.
There is no such legal obligation with debit cards. Visa have a "chargeback" scheme, totally voluntary, which is supposed to cover you. Whether the banks will honour it is anyone's guess. If there are thousands of customers demanding millions they may well decide not to. Maestro don't even have that. In law, paying by debit card is the same as if you paid by cash or cheque. You bought off XL and might need to join a long line of creditors.

This is why I never use my debit card for anything but ATM withdrawals. I once asked Barclays for a card which had no debit facility, just for ATM use, but they refused. "We don't do those anymore" (because we can't make as much money off you if we can't charge shops for card purchases?)

It also makes you wonder how much the bond held with ATOL was........

With the Seguro/Futara and Zoom failures recently - how much money do they have in the pot ?

Not sure who would underwrite them - The CAA ?

John.

Interesting link a to information about Visa Debit 'Chargeback' including refunds for airlines that have gone into liquidation.

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/general-consumer-issues/125992-via-debit-card-chargeback.html

HTH

John.