TRAVEL WEEKLY BUSINESS travelweeklybusiness
LORENZ VOYAGER TRAVEL AND STUDENT ADVENTURES COLLAPSE IN THE SAME WEEK
Phil Davies
Turkey and northern Cyprus operator Lorenz Voyager Travel, trading as Green Island City Breaks, Green Island Holidays and Lorenz Voyager, was one of two travel firms to collapse last week.
The London-based company had about 150
Atol-protected passengers abroad and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it was working to ensure they continued their trips and returned home as planned. Lorenz had about 500 forward bookings,
covering about 1,000 people. Holidaymakers with package bookings wishing
to travel will do so at their own risk as it is likely they will have to pay for their accommodation again in resort, the CAA said. This can be claimed back through the Atol scheme after they return. Passengers not wishing to travel can also claim a refund. The authority said: “Consumers with flight numbers beginning with FHY are advised their trip is cancelled. Consumers with any other flight numbers will have valid flight tickets so can go ahead with their trip if they wish.” The Lorenz failure came as the CAA confirmed that student adventure company GBCE, trading as Student Adventures, had folded with 100 travellers overseas.
Its customers had scheduled airline tickets and
would be able to travel home, the CAA said. “We are looking into the impact on forward
COMMISSION REJECTS THAMES ESTUARY HUB PLAN
A proposal for a Thames estuary hub airport has “substantial disadvantages” that collectively outweigh its potential benefits, the Airports Commission has ruled. The scheme put forward by London
Mayor Boris Johnson has not made the shortlist of options for providing new airport capacity by 2030, following a detailed study into its feasibility. Commission chairman Sir Howard Davies estimated the airport would cost between £30-£60 billion of public money.
“Lorenz customers with flight numbers beginning FHY are advised their trip is cancelled”
bookings and will publish advice for consumers who are yet to travel shortly,” the CAA said last Friday.
Student Adventures had an Atol until the end
of March and consumers who received an Atol Certificate when booking are protected for any money they paid directly to the company. The CAA said: “The CAA monitors companies
after their Atol has lapsed or been removed to check they are not taking bookings for travel that should legally be protected by Atol. “The CAA’s current understanding is that this particular company has not taken any bookings since its Atol expired on March 31.”
“We do not think it is a sensible option to pursue,” he said. “The Mayor was looking for a solution. I don’t think it’s completely idiotic, but our conclusion is that we can’t take it forward.” The commission’s report said: “We are not persuaded that a very large airport in the Thames estuary is the right answer to connectivity needs. “While we recognise the
need for a hub airport, we believe this should be a part of an effective system of competing airports to meet the needs of a widely spread and diverse market such as London’s.”
He added: “There are serious doubts about a large hub airport in the estuary. “The economic disruption would be huge and there are environmental hurdles that may prove impossible, or very time-consuming, to surmount.” Dale Keller, chief executive of the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK, said: “Airlines were never convinced that the Thames estuary was an affordable or a convenient location for the majority of their customers. “Since airlines and their passengers will ultimately have to pay for the development costs, then the business case must stack up in order for the UK to remain globally competitive.”
4 September 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 87
Turkey specialist had 500 forward bookings
AMERICAN AIRLINES AND ORBITZ END DISPUTE OVER FEES
American Airlines has resumed selling tickets via Orbitz, the US-based online travel agent, after a row between the companies was resolved. The carrier withdrew its fares from Orbitz last week and had threatened to pull the fares of sister airline US Airways following a dispute over fees. Scott Kirby, president of American Airlines, said the airline wanted “to keep costs low and compete with low-cost carriers.” But the dispute was resolved. Orbitz president Sam Fulton said:
“We are pleased that our long-standing relationship with American Airlines allowed us to quickly resolve business matters and that we continue to offer a broad range of options, including American Airlines and US Airways flights.” In 2012, American and Sabre settled a
lengthy legal dispute that had centred on the airline’s Direct Connect facility.
“I don’t think [Boris’s
idea] is completely idiotic, but we can’t take it forward”
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