NEWS


Bailey seeks more agents in fight for insurance payout


Juliet Dennis


A travel agent has made a further plea to rally more agents together for a class action to force insurance companies to pay out on business interruption insurance. So far, 48 agents have put their


names forward after a call led by Bailey’s Travel owner Chris Bailey. Bailey is now contacting a lawyer


to assess the chances of a successful action with a group of this size, but said more agents would strengthen the case. He had hoped for at least 50


agents to come on board, ideally with the same policy. He took out business interruption insurance with Axa through broker James Hallam. He said: “Ideally, I’d like more


agents because it spreads the cost, should it go to court. “The more agents we have, the


better our chances. “It’s going to be a long slog but


this is a cause worth fighting because it could make the difference between paying off debt for the next five years or clearing it, or even the difference between surviving or not.” A Supreme Court ruling in


Chris Bailey is seeking to lead a class action over business interruption insurance


January found in favour of small firms. The court ordered insurers to pay out business interruption insurance claims where companies were affected by Covid-19. Bailey had hoped to claim


between £200,000 and £250,000 in lost earnings on his business interruption insurance. Despite the ruling, Bailey’s


claim was again rejected, based on the wording of his policy, which referenced a “notifiable disease manifesting itself at the premises”.


In a separate legal challenge, Abta


is now analysing the government’s response to its intention to take action over the level of Restart Grants. Agents are currently entitled to a one-off grant of up to £6,000 from their local council, whereas gyms, hairdressers and pubs can claim up to £18,000. An Abta spokesman said the


association was working out its next steps after receiving a response to its ‘letter before claim’ advising of its intention to take action.


Lobbying messages ‘getting through’ Ben Ireland


Abta insists lobbying messages are “getting through” to decision makers after multiple MPs raised the need for sector- specific support for the travel industry in a House of Commons debate last week. Luke Petherbridge, director of


public affairs at the association, told Travel Weekly: “Many MPs expressed their disappointment with the current state of affairs and backed our calls for financial support. It’s urgent that this support comes through.” MPs from across the political


divide urged the government to do more to support the industry if travel restrictions are not eased this


travelweekly.co.uk


month. Comments came ahead of confirmation of a four-week delay to the June 21 domestic ‘Freedom Day’. Shadow tourism minister Alex


Sobel told the debate: “Travel agents wait for sector-specific funding while a lack of inbound and outbound travel and uncertainty over testing regimes and quarantine continue to hit bookings.” Henry Smith, chair


of the Future of Aviation Group and MP for Gatwick constituency Crawley, said furlough must be extended beyond September if the aviation and travel


Luke Petherbridge


sectors are not able to “regenerate themselves by being able to operate, at least to some meaningful degree” in the summer. Wimbledon MP Stephen


Hammond, chair of the all-party parliamentary group for business travel, highlighted problems faced by agency Swords Travel in his constituency. He said the sector would not have a future “unless there is clarity on the future of international travel or more government support if it’s not allowed to


open more quickly”. Transport select committee chairman Huw


Merriman followed the debate by calling on Boris Johnson to “provide transparency” by answering seven questions by June 28. These include if the government will provide sector-specific support, extend furlough for travel and aviation, publish its traffic light list criteria, confirm use of the green watch list and clarify policy on overseas travel. As the debate unfolded on


Thursday, Petherbridge tweeted to say: “Our messages are getting through – let’s keep up the momentum.” He called on parliamentarians, Abta members and the wider industry to “get behind the industry’s Travel Day of Action


planned for June 23”. i Get Social, page 27


17 JUNE 2021 7


PICTURES: Shutterstock/Armmy Picca; Zoe Macaulay; Robin Stanley


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