Holidays 4 UK enters into administration as the peak summer
holiday season starts
Holidays 4 UK has today gone into
administration, leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded
abroad. The Brighton-based budget holiday tour operator has
become the first large holiday company to run into financial
difficulties as the peak UK summer holiday season starts.
It is expected that the Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA) will arrange for the 12,000 Britons presently
estimated to be holidaying with Holidays 4 UK to be
repatriated. This will be done under the ATOL scheme.
Holidays 4 UK is reported to have protected its holidays through
ATOL bonding and other securities.
Some 50,000 holidaymakers have holidays booked
for the coming summer season with Holidays 4 UK. These
holidaymakers will also be protected by the CAA and should receive
a full refund for the booking price, provided they have booked an
ATOL protected package holiday. Claims should be made through
the CAA, although in view of the scale of the collapse of Holidays
4 UK, it is likely to take some time for the CAA to process any
requests for refunds. Those who booked their holiday through a
travel agent should consider contacting the agent in the first
instance as they may be able to assist with repatriation or refund
arrangements through the CAA.
The estimated cost of the company's collapse
to the ATOL scheme is £9.5 million. There will be a direct
£5m shortfall in the bonds and securities provided by Holidays 4 UK
that will be picked up by the ATOL fund.
Holidays 4 UK specialised mostly in holidays
to Turkey, much like the ill-fated Goldtrail that went bust in the
summer of 2010 leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded in
Turkey and Greece.
