MOVERS AND SHAKERS
◗ UK start-up Culture Trip has confirmed Andy Washington’s
departure two months after he oversaw the launch of its OTA platform. Washington, who joined in July last year, is understood to be on gardening leave.
◗ Lee Marshall, the Inspiring Travel Company’s director of agency
sales, will leave next month after 15 years to set up a consultancy buying and selling vintage cars. Abi Hyslop started as head of trade relations this week.
◗ Norwegian Cruise Line president and chief executive
Andy Stuart is to step down at the end of December after 31 years. NCL Holdings international president Harry Sommer replaces Stuart, who will remain as an advisor until March 31.
◗ James Coughlan is to join Abercrombie & Kent as sales
and business development director. Coughlan has previously worked at Holiday Malta, Thomas Cook and Affinion International Travel.
◗ Suntransfers. com hopes to “break into the B2B arena” with
the appointment of Andy Baker as global partnerships director. Baker will join in November from rival HolidayTaxis.
Freedom agents must ask clients to ‘assign’ refunds
Juliet Dennis
Former Freedom Travel Group members who paid thousands of pounds to fund clients’ holidays following Tomas Cook’s collapse must ask customers to “assign” money back to them. Agents who footed unpaid
supplier bills under Freedom’s Atol will need to explain the situation to clients, who will need to apply for the refund on behalf of the agent from Abta or the CAA. One agent forked out a
“five-figure sum” to ensure clients’ trips went ahead instead of making them pay again and claim back later. “Te bed bank cancelled. I was mortified. It’s been a real challenge,” said the agent, who did not want to be named. Niall Douglas, managing director
of Full Circle Travel, paid an £8,000 hotel bill in Greece aſter a bed bank said it would cancel unless the clients paid again in resort. He said: “It’s been an incredibly stressful and emotional time. We were not clear what to do and made executive
Super Break failed owing £50m to 900-plus creditors
Super Break collapsed owing about £50 million, new documents reveal. Documents filed at Companies
House show the short-break specialist owed £46.6 million to Indian-based Yes Bank, which had an 18.5% stake in Cox & Kings India. Cox & Kings India in turn held
8 10 OCTOBER 2019
a 49% stake in Super Break parent Malvern Group from 2016 until this summer. Te documents also reveal Super
Break had a list of more than 900 creditors, largely made up of hotels. Jumbo Tours is owed £242,000, while rail firms LNER and West
Andrew Earle (left) and
Niall Douglas We were not clear
what to do and made executive decisions to make sure clients were looked after
He said: “It’s no surprise Freedom agents put their hands in their pockets. We all realise that although it’s a one-off, clients do remember.” Abta’s director of financial
decisions to make sure clients were looked aſter.” But Douglas, whose agency is
now part of the Midcounties-owned Co-op Travel Consortium, suggested: “Agents can turn this into a positive PR message. Clients will be happy they were looked aſter.” Andrew Earle, of Andrew
Earle’s Holidays, also now part of Midcounties’ consortium, paid around £2,000 to save bookings.
protection, John de Vial, said: “Agents who fronted the rebooking cost can make an assigned claim on the Abta bond or Atol. Te customer still has to fill in the form but they can assign it so the payment goes to the agent. Te CAA has indicated it will do the same. It is the customer who is entitled to make the claim, but they assign the benefit to their agent.” De Vial added there was a
“generation of agents” who had not dealt with a major failure and said daily Abta and CAA briefing calls on the Cook fallout had been well supported by agents.
Coast Trains are owed £190,000 and £90,000 respectively. Super Break ceased trading on
August 1 aſter Malvern Group failed to find investment or a buyer. It collapsed with 400 customers
overseas and 20,000 forward bookings affecting 53,000 customers. A number of agents were
leſt out of pocket for hotel-only bookings, which they believed were Abta-bonded. Administrators KPMG have valued the brand’s assets at almost £2.1 million.
travelweekly.co.uk
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