Another travel firm goes bust…

Written by admin on December 21, 2009 – 5:31 am

The winter of traveller discontent continues with the announcement that Albury Travel Group has now also gone under.

Albury traded under the names Libra Holidays, Argo Holidays and Jetlife, flying sun-hungry people to hotspots including Greece, Cyprus and Egypt’s Red Sea.

Only 100 travellers are stranded overseas but there are around 4,000 forward bookings that the group won’t be able to honour.

So what should you do if you’re affected by the collapse? Read on to have your questions answered.

I have a booking with Libra, Argo or Jetlife, will I be still be able to take my holiday?

No, unfortunately all holidays are now cancelled and bookings cannot be transferred to other companies.

I booked a package holiday direct, what should I do?

You need to contact the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to make a claim under the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) protection scheme.

Package holiday providers have to pay into this so that if they do go under, there are funds available to fly people home or refund them. It’s highly likely that your holiday will be covered under this scheme.

Travellers who want to book a new holiday, with a different company should consider waiting until they are certain they qualify for a refund.

I booked a package holiday with a travel agent, what should I do?

You should contact your agent and discuss alternatives with them.

They should be able to help you make a claim from the CAA under the ATOL scheme and to assist you in making new travel plans

I have booked a flight only, direct with Libra, what should I do?

You may not be protected, as the ATOL scheme does not usually cover flights alone. Check if the company sold this under its ATOL licence – that would mean you are entitled to a refund under the CAA scheme.

If you aren’t covered but you paid by credit card, you should contact your card issuer and seek a refund under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 – section 75. This only applies to transactions of £100 or more.

If you paid by any other method then you will need to contact the administrators to register your claim. However, there’s no guarantee that there will be enough cash available in the collapsed firm to reimburse you.

I booked a flight only with a travel agent, what should I do?

You should contact your agent as soon as possible and discuss your options.

The travel agent should be able to help you make new flight plans if it sold it to you under their ATOL scheme or advise you on making new travel arrangements. If that’s not possible, your agent should be able to offer advice on getting your money back.

I’m on my package holiday right now, what should I do?

The vast majority of customers who booked their package holidays with Libra, Argo and Jetlife will be protected by the ATOL scheme. That means you should be able to continue your holiday as planned and the CAA will arrange your return flights for the end of your trip.

Representatives in the resort will let you know what the new plans are, but if you’re worried then a helpline has been set up for people currently overseas.

Call +44 (0) 2891 856 547 or check the CAA website.

If you incur additional expenses, there’s no guarantee these will be covered by the CAA. Keep your receipts to help with your claim.

Don’t forget, if you booked your package holiday through a travel agent then contact them first.

I’m on my holiday but bought a flight only, what should I do?

You are probably not covered by the ATOL scheme and will need to make your own way home through an alternative airline.

A helpline has been set up for people in this position:

From the UK – 0871 271 9000
From abroad – +44 141 332 3233

What about my travel insurance?

If you didn’t use a credit card then you may be able to claim through your travel insurance. However, not all policies protect you against the operator going under, so you should call your provider and check.

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