Secret agent: Shameful profiteering after XL collapse
Travelmole’s Secret Agent is appalled by the ‘shameful’ profiteering of some tour operators following the collapse of XL Leisure Group.
“Oh my god…didn’t see that one coming. Poor old XL. It seems to be nothing but doom and gloom for the trade at the moment.
First l heard of all this was an answer phone full of messages from worried customers at 9am this morning, and at that point we had no direction from anybody as to what to advise customers. So we played the pacify and wait game until about 11.30. Then all hell let loose.
For me l have one family stuck in Santorini, still not sure how they are going to get home. I had one couple due to fly out tomorrow morning, luckily we found some Easyjet flights, good old Easyjet, and we booked them…with no mark up. I had a family due to fly to Lanzarote on Thursday, and have had terrible problems trying to find alternative flights and have now had to move their date to October. Again l booked flights for them and changed their accommodation and have done it all at nett, as l feel so sorry for them.
I too have personally been hit by all this, l was due to fly XL on Monday. So l feel the public’s frustrations. I have been lucky enough to rebook myself on a flight with Easyjet, somewhere completely different. So the accommodation l have booked has had to be cancelled, at FULL cancellation costs.
The biggest shock to me is the cost of new flights. They have nearly doubled. And this is where l now needed to rant.
Why is it that after this mornings news slowly started to filter through about the demise of XL, did nearly every tour operator and airline put up their flight costs…in some cases double !!
This is shameful. Do they not think that these poor people that have lost their holidays have not suffered enough. Not only do these customer have to pay for new flights or holidays, but their new holiday is going to cost them 30-50% more because there are some very greedy people out there.
This is why l agreed all my rebooks today to be done at net, as l have a conscious.
Its also a bit of a mixed bag on the accommodation only suppliers, some are being very sympathetic and changing things free of charge or for a small admin fee, whilst others are charging cancellation charges.
Its also hit the poor customers who have not even booked their holiday yet. Customers that l quoted a holiday for a couple of days ago, are now having to pay £400 more as the flights have gone up, due to money grabbing tour operators. But they booked because they were frightened it may go up again.
I would love to name and shame the biggest culprits but l think anyone working in sales will know who they are.
It’s awful to think companies are willing to profit of other peoples misery. I hope the fat cats who have made the decisions to hike up the prices sleep well. All l can say is shame on you.”
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025