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-   -   100,000 tourists stranded, will this impact the way you plan your trips? (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/100-000-tourists-stranded-will-this-impact-the-way-you-plan-your-trips-433099/)

FrankS Sep 13th, 2008 12:27 PM

100,000 tourists stranded, will this impact the way you plan your trips?
 
btw-I expect more of this to comein the next 12 months

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ines-bust.html

Challiman Sep 13th, 2008 01:50 PM

I posted about XL yesterday, what a shame.
We are using our FF miles in October as we were worried about American, they are already making changes to the program and charging more for "free" tickets. This time it was $339.00 for two "free" tickets to Europe.
I think this is where one needs to be very careful, check as much as possible on financial websites and search for the airlines or travel agencies, see what news is coming out about them.
It would be so awful to get stranded, can't imagine the mess that would be.
Let's hope the world economy turns around soon.

FrankS Sep 13th, 2008 02:13 PM

I know a guy that got on a plane in Boston headed for Maui via 2 airlines, and his discount carrier that was to take him from Pheonix to Hawaii Bk'd before his United flight landed

flanneruk Sep 13th, 2008 02:18 PM

There aren't 100,000 tourists stranded.

There are 90,000 tourists on holiday who bought their tickets from the buffoon, football-sponsoring, XL management. Most of them are covered by ATOL guarantees, and will be flown home free when their holiday finishes. Though why anyone would trust their money to a company that squanders it on directors' Saturday afternoon football jollies is beyond me, and why we bail such easily duped punters out beggars belief. You've only got to see the XL CEO's synthetic grief on the box to realise he's a complete flake.

Believing anything in the Daily Mail is a short route to insanity. Quoting the Daily Mail in public is a perfect way of telling people you're a gullible fool.

'If the Mail predicts it,. it'll never happen' is a pretty good guide to most things

stfc Sep 13th, 2008 02:32 PM

From today's Torygraph, there were 85,000 on holiday of whom 75,000 are covered by ATOL and will be repatriated automatically (it's happening now), there are 200,000 now worthless bookings, but perhaps most poignant 1,700 employees now out of work. Anybody who paid by credit card will be refunded.

There is a link between the Icelandic chappie who owns West Ham and XL. He has apparently taken on a £165m debt to keep a major Icelandic transport company afloat. Two Icelandic banks are amongst the main creditors of XL. Barclays Bank is the other.

I think cheap package holidays abroad are over.


Cholmondley_Warner Sep 14th, 2008 03:35 AM

And I think Icelandic banks are in for a cold bath.

(mind you this happens to any one who is associated with West Ham. It's cursed. They were once sponsored by Dagenham Motors and the Job Centre)


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