Families who lost holidays in Thomas Cook’s collapse were dealt a fresh blow when replacement flights were cancelled at the last minute.
Travel agent FlyLolo was expected to put on flights from Glasgow Airport this weekend to help Scots rescue their holiday plans.
Scores of messages from worried customers were left on the firm’s Facebook page yesterday, including from Scots due to fly from Glasgow this weekend who had called the airport to be told there were no flights matching their bookings.
But last night the firm’s CEO Paul Dendle dropped a bombshell by confirming they had cancelled their “entire Glasgow programme for the weekend”, which includes three flights to Tenerife between today and tomorrow and a flight Lanzarote on Sunday.
It is estimated more than 900 passengers were booked on the flights.
Chris McDonald, 36, was due to fly from Glasgow to Tenerife this morning with his partner Danielle, 29, and their three children – Lyla, four months, Louie, three, and Leo, eight.
The furious dad said FlyLolo, the operator he rebooked his cancelled flights with, failed to provide a plane.
Chris, a gas mains layer from Paisley, said: “We’d been due to fly with Thomas Cook and paid £2000 for the flights before they collapsed.
“I found FlyLolo while searching for new flights on a flight scanner website and booked through them, paying an extra £1700 and still not knowing if I’d get the original money back.
“I’ve paid £1500 for a hotel but I’m self-employed so had to rearrange work around this holiday.
“When you book through the website, they send you a travel document with an ATOL certificate but there is no flight information.
“We were told we’d be sent a PDF ticket but it never arrived. As the flight got closer, the company were saying they’d be here on Friday, then on Monday. Now, we can’t reach anyone.
“I’m gutted for the kids. My oldest doesn’t understand and is asking why we can’t just get new flights. But I’m already £5000 down and don’t know if or when I’ll be getting it back.”
Last night Dendle said: “The issue was the aircraft we thought we had a firm contract on was withdrawn. We have spent the last 17 days in trying to find an alternative.
“The issue was the cost in relation to rates we had agreed. We have been in discussions all day to secure a deal with another airline, we offered them equity in the company if they would supply the aircraft.
“I have been working 18-hour days to try and resolve this issue, but alas it was impossible.
“I apologise for the disruption and disappointment caused, I sincerely feel for the affected clients.
“All clients’ monies are fully protected and held in a CAA Trust and refunds will take 10 working days.
Earlier the CEO had added insult to injury by saying they would refund the ATOL fee of £2.50pp and the SAFI insurance of £2pp which “is non-refundable but in the circumstances we are refunding these as well”.
Sussex-based FlyLolo says it specialises in “peak season only” flights, catering for families who travel in school holidays. They advertise flights to the Canaries from Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow, offering ATOL protection on all bookings.
A Glasgow Airport spokesman said: “We would ask all FlyLolo passengers affected not to travel to the airport and to contact the operator direct for further information.”
FlyLoLo can be contacted on 08444 720737.
