NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW 4
Travel counsellor books helicopters to rescue clients
Ben Ireland
ben.ireland@
travelweekly.co.uk
A group of travellers are grateful they booked their trip through a travel agent after finding themselves stranded at Everest Base Camp.
Travel Counsellors agent Robert Kiernan, of Brighton, woke up to an email from 11 clients whose flights had been cancelled last month. He started juggling calls
between Travel Counsellors’ 24/7 support and health and safety teams in Manchester, insurers,
the group and the destination management company in Nepal. With the group desperate
to return, flights cancelled at Nepalese airport Lukla, and no room for 11 on a return flight for five days, Kiernan set about arranging two helicopters. “It was crucial they got back,” he said. “But there were so many things to consider in so little time. Was it safe to travel? Were the helicopters able to fly in the bad weather? We went for two helicopters and thought the [clients] would race
through Kathmandu airport, Home Alone-style.”
But there was more bad
news. Due to poor weather the helicopters were unable to land until the following morning. Fortunately the ground handlers
convinced the desk at Kathmandu airport to extend the check-in, but five of the group in one helicopter were stopped by air traffic control. As the first group boarded the aircraft it became clear the second were not going to make it. Travel Counsellors’ support
team, which covered the cost, found
five seats on a later flight and the passengers returned safely in two waves. Kiernan checked his emails at 7am the next day. He said: “I had three: one that said ‘we made it’, another that said the second group missed the flight, and a third that said they were rebooked. “It was a big relief.” He added: “When something
like this happens you have to drop everything, professional and personal. But we got them back safely, and that’s what’s important.”
Customers on one of the helicopters arranged by Robert Kiernan (inset)
5 STORIES HOT
5 Travel ‘is winning fake claims fight’
Ian Taylor
ian.taylor@travelweekly.co.uk
Claims
management companies “are pulling out” of holiday sickness
claims as “almost every claim” is reviewed for “fundamental dishonesty”, says a leading industry lawyer.
Claire Mulligan, partner at law
firm Kennedys, said: “We’ve run 80 cases to trial and won 72. Six
couples have been sent to prison and we’ve also had suspended sentences. Two claimants’ experts have run out of court in tears.” Mulligan told an Abta Travel Law Seminar in London: “Litigation is at the same level [as last year], but the number of claims has fallen. We’re seeing companies pulling out of the market. “We’re looking at fundamental dishonesty on almost every claim. Judges don’t like people fibbing. But you need clear evidence.” Sarah Prager, barrister at law firm 1 Chancery Lane, agreed
6
travelweekly.co.uk 31 May 2018
saying: “We’ve gone from judges believing claimants almost by default, to judges disbelieving claimants almost by default, and a lot of that is down to Abta.” However, Abta senior solicitor
Susan Deer warned: “We’re concerned that claims companies think they can still make money from cruises and accidents [overseas].” She said: “We’ll continue to raise
awareness and deter fake claims through the media.” In April, the government announced new rules to fix the legal costs in sickness claims and
pledged tougher regulation of claims management companies. Justice minister Rory Stewart warned: “Claiming compensation for being sick on holiday, when you haven’t been, is fraud.” Prager expressed sympathy for claimants who end up in court, saying: “They are persuaded it will be easy money, then find themselves being cross-examined and it’s terrifying. It is the claims management companies that are the problem, but they don’t bear
the risk.” › Abta Travel Law Seminar, p64
CLAIMS FIGHT
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