21 December 2009

Libra Holidays parent collapses

Libra Holidays, Argo Holidays and JetLife parent Allbury Travel Group is the latest mid-range travel company to collapse in less than a week.

The Civil Aviation Authority said it been called in to protect customers booked with Allbury Travel Group after the company ceased trading on Saturday.

The group operated air package holidays and flights out of Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and Leeds Bradford airports to Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt and sold mainly through travel agents.

There are fewer than 100 holidaymakers currently abroad and approximately 4,000 customers with forward bookings who are yet to travel.

The CAA, under the ATOL scheme, is making arrangements for customers abroad to complete their holidays and return to the UK and to fully refund those with forward bookings.

All future Allbury Travel Group holidays have been cancelled and travellers have been advised not go to their departure airport.

Hertfordshire-based Allbury’s collapse comes hot on the heels of Globespan and its flyGlobespan subsidiary which went into administration with 4,500 people stranded overseas and 550 staff made redundant.

Meanwhile, PwC, the administrator of Edinburgh-based Globespan is questioning why around £30 million was held back from the firm by E-Clear, the company that handles its credit card transactions.

E-Clear also handled credit card transactions for the Allbury Travel Group, the BBC reported.

by Phil Davies