Package holiday firm collapses, leaves 67,000 stranded.

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Beeb

Thousands stranded by XL collapse

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XL Chief Executive Phil Wyatt says he is devastated by the collapse

The collapse of the UK's third largest package holiday group has left tens of thousands of Britons stranded abroad.

The decision to place XL Leisure Group into administration has also left thousands of staff facing the axe.

Chairman Phil Wyatt said he was "totally devastated" by the failure which has grounded XL's 21 planes. The company flies to about 50 destinations.

There are 67,000 stranded who booked directly with XL, and another 23,000 who booked via other companies.

The Civil Aviation Authority(CAA) also said the firm had 200,000 advance bookings.

"We've made every effort, myself and my fellow directors, to find new funding for the business - and it's a very sad day for me personally. I am totally devastated," XL chairman Phil Wyatt said.

David Clover, a spokesman for the CAA, said it was making arrangements to help customers of the four tour companies within the XL group.

"In respect of people who are currently abroad we're making arrangements and working very closely with the travel industry to organise repatriation flights.

"Clearly though, with XL Airways no longer operating, we're having to bring in substitute aircraft to bring people home."

He said package deals are covered by the CAA's Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) scheme and those customers will be offered repatriation flights or their money back if they have an advance booking.

Struggling

However, those who booked directly with the airline or XL.com - who are in the minority according to the CAA - will face a fee.

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Angry passengers stranded in Orlando

Anyone yet to take their flights should check their insurance policies, and with their banks or credit card companies about refunds, he added.

XL - which carried 2.3 million passengers last year - is the latest travel business to face financial difficulties, as the industry struggles with high fuel costs and an economic downturn.

But an agreement has been reached whereby Straumur investment bank has acquired XL's German and French subsidiaries, which Straumur considers to be financially viable and sustainable businesses.

They will continue operations as separate commercial entities.

Share prices in holiday firms TUI Travel and Thomas Cook were up 6% and 7% following the collapse of their rival.

Economic downturn

"As the travel industry matures in Europe, there was always going to be pressure on those operating in the mid-market," said Lastminute.com chief executive Ian McCaig.

A statement on the XL group's website said: "The companies entered into administration having suffered as a result of volatile fuel prices, the economic downturn, and were unable to obtain further funding."

BBC travel correspondent Tom Symonds added that the industry would be facing an "enormous challenge" as it deals with the fall out of XL's collapse.

"XL wasn't just an airline it was a fundamental link Britain's package holiday industry," he said.

"Getting these people to and from their holidays will be an enormous challenge not least because of the shortage of aircraft caused by so many airline collapses in recent weeks.

"XL can't use its own airliners for among other reasons it has no insurance now."

The CAA said it was working with the travel industry to bring stranded holidaymakers home, and denied it had been responsible for the grounding of XL's planes.

Airlines BA, Easyjet, BMI, Flybe and Ryanair have offered to fly some of the stranded passengers home.

Easyjet chief executive Andy Harrison told the BBC that its fuel efficient planes had helped it cope with the high cost of aviation fuel although on Thursday it said it would cut up to 60 jobs to remain competitive.

Fuel pressures

Mr Wyatt added that spiralling oil prices had increased the firm's costs "year-on-year by over $80m".

"So where many people have been making hay with high oil prices, this is the repercussions of that hay - 1,700 people potentially out of work today in the UK," he said.

Rival TUI warned that rising fuel costs meant that "airlines with less than robust business models" - such as XL and Futura - were now failing.

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David Clover from the CAA

It added that the government should take steps to ensure all holiday companies must belong to the Atol scheme, which offers package holiday makers financial protection.

In the US, one flight from Orlando to Manchester managed to set off, while one bound for Gatwick was grounded. A source at the airport said accommodation was being found for the "distressed" passengers.

In the UK, air traffic control prevented three XL aircraft from taking off from Manchester Airport.

The XL group, which is based in Crawley, West Sussex, runs an airline and owns several travel companies, including Travel City Direct, Medlife Hotels Limited, The Really Great Holiday Company, Freedom Flights and Kosmar Holidays.

'Going nowhere'

The company flies mainly from bases at Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow airports.

Travel writer Simon Calder warned that many thousands of XL customers hoping to fly to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, North Africa and North America, from airports across the UK in coming weeks and days "simply won't be going anywhere".

Jim Duwaine, from Portsmouth, said he was given the news when he arrived at Gatwick where he had been due to catch an early morning flight to Menorca.

He said: "Absolutely devastated. Got up at midnight planning on going on holiday, but got let down, unfortunately. We're here, just trying to get some other flights, but it's not looking good. I think everyone else has got the same idea."

Other holidaymakers have said they have been quoted vastly inflated prices for replacement flights.

Robert Spurgeon, of Norwich - an XL customer who had been due to fly to Tenerife from Gatwick - said: "We've not been told anything but my wife's been quoted £2,000 for alternative flights."

Also among those affected are a 130-strong choir on tour to Canada from Wales who were booked on Zoom and lost £50,000 when it folded last month, and then re-booked with XL.

XL is the current kit sponsor of West Ham United football club.

Between this and the Chunnel being shut down, your looking at perhaps over 100,000 people essentially stranded for a while, especially if they cant afford the tickets being made available by other firms.

[Dartzap]

Leaved? Good gravy

Can a nice mod perhaps change that to leaves? Pretty please with a pint of gin on top?

[El Moose Monstero]

Not stranded, but certainly without flight. We've had to cancel our holiday as our flight was with XL, fortunately I used my credit card, but unfortunately I booked it through XL, which I didn't realise wasn't ATOL registered (and didn't think to check). I get my money back, but only after a lot of paperwork.

What really hacks me off is that prices have jumped, literally from this morning - this morning I was trying to book a flight which cost 50 more than the flight we initially had, at lunchtime, the same flight was listed at 100 more, and by this afternoon, the company was calling me back to say that the booking I just made had gone up by 250. We cancelled in short order.

Friend of mine had to pay an additional 500 so he could give his unofficial god-daughter away in Grenada after their XL flight went. He said the prices seemed to be going up by about 50 per hour.

[Dartzap]

Friend of mine had to pay an additional 500 so he could give his unofficial god-daughter away in Grenada after their XL flight went. He said the prices seemed to be going up by about 50 per hour.

I suspect the the greedy bastards would make a weak claim about "Supply and demand" Bastards, the lotta 'em.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Airlines sell tickets in lots, and each successive lot is more expensive than the previous. So the latter you buy, the more expensive it gets.