Agents have been picking up the pieces week, hitting thousands of customers and


Joan (right) and Graeme Brett (second right) with Westoe Travel team


Agents scramble to rebook clients


Amie Keeley


Many agents worked flat out to rebook clients leſt without holidays aſter the collapse of Super Break. Super Break had 400 customers


on holiday overseas or in the UK when its parent Malvern Group went into administration on August 1, and 20,000 forward bookings affecting 53,000 customers. Graeme Bret, owner of Westoe


Travel, had 133 bookings affecting 623 customers, including one group booking for 92 people. “We worked until 2.30am on


Friday because we had 42 people going away over the weekend, most of them to London. Tankfully they were all packages. “We have some customers where


we’ve booked the hotel but Super Break hadn’t sorted the rail fare because it wasn’t ready to book.” Barrhead Travel, which had


just under 200 bookings, set up an emergency team to contact all affected customers and made alternative arrangements. Te Travel Network Group chief


executive Gary Lewis said a “good number” of members were impacted. “All worked hard to assist


4 8 AUGUST 2019


We worked until 2.30am on Friday because we had 42 people going away over the weekend


customers who were either on their holiday with Super Break or due to travel, while at the same time having to cope with the challenges that such a failure has had on agents.” Althams managing director


Sandra McAllister said the collapse had affected the agency “badly”, with more than 700 passengers due to travel in August and September. Ken Mcleod, president of


the Scotish Passenger Agents’ Association, said: “Tere will be very few Scotish agents who do not, or have not, used Super Break. “We acted swiſtly to give our


members all the information they needed to work with their clients. Te Super Break set-up means there are different processes for different products to get money back or make alternative arrangements. We sent this [information] to all members within four hours of the news breaking.”


Super Break co your agency co


Amie Keeley


Abta has urged agents to review supplier agreements aſter some were leſt thousands of pounds out of pocket over hotel-only bookings in the wake of Super Break’s collapse last week. Many agents were shocked


to discover accommodation- only bookings they had made with the operator were not protected by Abta, with some accusing the association of allowing misleading information in Super Break’s brochures. But the association’s financial


and that Super Break’s agency agreements made clear that only packages were protected. However, he said: “Clarity on


STORY TOP


this is important. Has Super Break set out to mislead? I’m not sure. Should the trade be compelled to make proactive statements about what is not protected? Tat is a question. Te more important thing is clarity of understanding and ensuring you know the


terms you are working on.” In its brochures, Super


protection chief, John de Vial, said such bookings have not required protection for more than 10 years aſter members voted against it in 2007 (panel, page 5). De Vial said members had


wanted the “commercial freedom” to choose what was protected


Break said it was Abta-bonded and Atol-protected. At the botom of a page featuring hotels, it stated ‘Peace of mind with Abta and Atol protection’. Simon Morgan, chief executive


of 18-branch Tailor Made Travel, which could face a £20,000 bill, said: “If you pick up a brochure that says Abta all over, you feel like you are doing the right thing [for


‘Petrifying how little agents know on protection’


Protected Trust Services has called for more education in the trade on financial protection in the wake of the failure of Super Break parent company Malvern Group. Head of marketing communications Jacqui Cleaver said agents needed to


understand their protection requirements and consider other models, such as trust accounts and supplier failure insurance. “There is such confusion over what is covered and what is not. It’s petrifying how little


agents know about financial protection. They need to be better educated to stop them pointing the finger and blaming the wrong people. “Agents are just realising how exposed they are with protection solutions they


have chosen to date. However, there are solutions available that do offer full coverage, including hotel-only.”


travelweekly.co.uk


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