Excel Goes Bust

Corfusoon · September 20, 2008, 11:56:22 AM

Guys, too much is being made of this. Airlines like other companies are in poor shape for at least the time being.

If you buy your flights on a credit card you are covered in the event of a failure, if you take a decent holiday insurance out you are covered.

So if the worst happens at least you get your money back.

There are not many people I would hand over a stack of cash to on the promise of a service some months away. Why would flying be any different.

Credit Card payment gives you protection. Insurance gives you protection.

If you are booking without taking these precautions upon yourself then you need to take a long hard look at how you operate!

Sermon over.

Take a look at this:

http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news-views/2008/09/12/are-you-covered-against-collapsing-airlines

Joe · September 20, 2008, 07:34:16 PM

Have been directly dealing with this the past few weeks the biggest problem is not getting the money back it is the inconveniance of having no holidays after booking leave, sorting out spending money etc, etc.

You can refund peoples costs you cannot refund their time and passengers cannot protect themselves from that, that is what is causing the reaction to this. A collapse like this has been coming, I posted on these very forums at the start of the year that we would lose some major names this year and still when it happened it caught us all out.

Another issue facing us now is that for the moment demand is outstripping supply in regard to holidays next year, this may bottom out. Normally if it is a good time to book I will pop on these boards and let you know, at present I just cannot call it, spend more and book now for a guaranteed holiday or wait for cheaper prices and then no holiday available. I personally would book early for next year but as seen things can quickly change. With Excel's demise the major package holiday players are now in a stronger position so do not worry if you have booked with them, the smaller low cost airlines are there ones that will now suffer, may have mentioned this before but watch out for Air Malta and Jet 2, neither are looking healthy at the moment.

Dave n Anne · September 21, 2008, 10:31:00 PM

Sarcastic and pissed off

Thanks Joe for all the information but Sarcastic says is this the Joe who said about 3 weeks ago when all trouble started that if you are with someone like XL you should be OK . Pissed off , not been to Kos no flight with Air Malta

PS Had a great week in Scotland

PS PS only joking Joe no offence

kes · September 22, 2008, 12:59:03 AM

lost ours as well... should have been away last week...

Lindypops · September 22, 2008, 01:29:01 AM

Looking for next year, any ideas kes?

Joe · September 22, 2008, 10:12:37 AM

Quote from: Dave n Anne on September 21, 2008, 10:31:00 PM
Sarcastic and pissed off

Thanks Joe for all the information but Sarcastic says is this the Joe who said about 3 weeks ago when all trouble started that if you are with someone like XL you should be OK . Pissed off , not been to Kos no flight with Air Malta

PS Had a great week in Scotland

PS PS only joking Joe no offence

No offence taken

but equally sorry if I caught anyone out with that, it was the sheer speed of the collapse that caught us all out, we knew they were in trouble but a rescue package had been sourced and it was expected they would struggle through the rest of the summer, their website was still taking bookings after the liquidation was announced.

Dave n Anne · September 22, 2008, 01:39:07 PM

Hi Joe

No worries , looking forward to next year now . Soon be back in Arillas .

Cheers

Dave

Paul C · September 23, 2008, 04:41:43 PM

XL went bust while we were on holiday in Arillas and so had to be flown home by a "rescue flight". The rearranged flight was booked a couple of hours later than our original time to East Midlands and then a coach transfer to Bristol. This we thought was fair enough. We arrived at Corfu airport in good time, then the chaos started. The flight was also flying on to Belfast. Nobody seemed to be able to tell us which queue to join and there was just a general scrummage. The flight was supposed to be with Monarch but their flights were all running late and we were told that we were delayed and could even go back through passport control and sit outside if so inclined, so we all new it would be a fair length of time. Any way we eventually got away 4 hours late on a Spanish plane ,couldn't tell you the name. We arrived at East Midlands and the coaches were there waiting to take us to Bristol and 3 hours later arrived. Picked up the car and drove home. In all from the apartment to home 20 hours. I suppose compared to others not too bad. At least we got our holiday, but it seemed to us that nobody cared about the people on these flights.

keefy · September 23, 2008, 05:43:54 PM

A 20 hour delay you say PaulC did you not think about going back to resort for a day or two.....because 20 hours you must have been starving,thirsty. Not to mention tired how did you go on about letting family & friends back in England know what was going on....

Paul C · September 23, 2008, 06:00:54 PM

Sorry Keefe's, perhaps I didn't explain very well. It was 20 hours travelling from the apartment to our home not 20 hours delay.We normally do the journey in about half that time.

keefy · September 23, 2008, 06:40:13 PM

Sorry PaulC I am a bit fik (thick)......but a very long time double your usual time.
Wife and I came back on 5th Sep(pre EXCEL going bust). It was one of the fastest ones we have done. In fact the only delay was back in England and being locked out of passport control. We got off the bus from the plane only to be left in a corridor for about 30 mins no one was going to let us in. (is it possible they knew i was coming back)