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Reviews 4.3.

94,898 total

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Quick & efficient

Quick, efficient service and the request for wheelchair access was picked up and confirmed quickly by Michelle Vincent. Haven’t received the e-ticket yet though but it does say 72 hours so should arrive soon….

Date of experience : 26 April 2024

Booked accommodation only for Tenerife…

Booked accommodation only for Tenerife through Travelup after seeing prices/availability on Tripadvisor. Paid small deposit and checked with hotel directly (after reading reviews on here which made me doubt the legitimacy of the company). Hotel confirmed they had my booking, and had no concerns over the Broker (HotelBeds) that TravelUp had booked through. Paid full balance 2 weeks before hols…and no issues with hotel on arrival. Reservation was there and fully paid already. So whilst I had concerns, they turned out to be unnecessary for me!

Date of experience : 29 March 2024

Reply from TravelUp

Good afternoon, James, We are excited that you have had a great experience while booking your preferred property online. Our team works very hard to ensure we deliver our best services. Your review has already made our day and we are glad that you enjoyed the amenities at the property. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great afternoon ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Appereciation goes to Kyle Roberts

KYLE ROBERTS, was very helpful all the way, he was so patient trying to get me cheaper rates, flight has been booked, waiting to get on board.....The customer care service is top notch,this voucher has been hanging for a very long time, And now I am able to use it by adding some money to it, All thanks to Kyle who was very helpful 😀 👍, kudos to travel up

Date of experience : 24 April 2024

Good afternoon, Ms. Nwaefuna, Thank you so much for sharing your 5* feedback about our service. We are glad to hear that Kyle Roberts's performance exceeded your expectations regarding your trip. We will make sure that our representative receives the recognition he deserves. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great afternoon ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Great price compared to others

Great price compared to others. Easy to book. The only issue is that they refused to allow hyphens on my kids names on the site. I am not sure why that is, given the growing popularity of double-barrel names. I hope this will not pose a problem at the airport. Otherwise, great experience with the booking process.

Date of experience : 25 April 2024

All good so far

Never booked with Travel up before. Booking was easy. I got the confirmation with the reservation number immediately Flight was with BA. it was £100 cheaper that what BA showed me for the same flight (without any added extra) I was able to add that reservation to my BA account. So I am hoping the reservation is genuine. Fingers crossed. Hope I will able to fly without any issue in two months

Date of experience : 21 April 2024

Good evening, Ravi, Thank you for sharing your 5* review with our community. Your feedback is important to us, and we will continue to strive for the same level of services in the future. Hope to hear from you again about your upcoming trip. Regards, TravelUp

i am happy with the booking good deal…

i am happy with the booking good deal good price and matched my travel needs, easy transection took 5 minutes to book my tickts

Date of experience : 27 April 2024

They have always kept up their Travel…

They have always kept up their Travel News regularly, no matter where they are. The bookings and transaction went smoothly without a hitch. The only problem I have is not owning a printer to print out e-tickets.

Date of experience : 22 April 2024

Good morning, Subramanian, We are grateful and do appreciate you taking the time to share your 5* reviews with us. We are glad you enjoyed our product & services seamlessly. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great day ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Travel up is selling flights with Air…

Travel up is selling flights with Air Malta even though the airline has ceased to operate on the 30th of March 2024. There is another airline called KMalta in operation, but the airline logo on Travel up is definitely that of Air Malta. BE CAREFUL!!!

Does not include cabin luggage like makes out during the booking

I have just completed a booking with Travel Up. During the booking and what made me decided to go with Travel Up than its competitors on Sky Scanner is Travel Up gave the impression that a standard cabin bag (20kg or similar) was included in the price. After the booking it then stated hand luggage only. What is wrong with these companies and always trying to deceive people.

Exceptional Service from Ghani Usman at Travelup!

Ghani Usman from Travelup provided exceptional support when I booked my flight on April 18th. He was incredibly responsive and helpful throughout the process. I highly recommend his services for anyone looking to book through Travelup.

Date of experience : 18 April 2024

Good morning, Shanaka, Thank you for your 5-star rating. Ghani Usman will be motivated after hearing your feedback and will strive to keep serving you ahead in the future. Regards, TravelUp

Milo provided excellent service very…

Milo provided excellent service very attentive and dealt with my query in a swift prompt matter

Shawn Sampson is an excellent and trust…

Shawn Sampson is an excellent and trust worthy travel agent. He has a big helping attitude and solved the problem with ease earlier today. I have bought tickets via TravelUp a few times over the years and never had any problem. I certainly recommend TravelUp to future travellers.

Date of experience : 16 April 2024

Good afternoon, Yousuf, Thank you for your 5-star rating. Shawn Sampson will be motivated after hearing your feedback and will strive to keep serving you ahead in the future. Regards, TravelUp

Subject: Feedback - Appreciation for Kyle Roberts Kyle Roberts I wanted to express my sincere gratitude to Kyle Roberts for his outstanding assistance in purchasing my ticket. He was exceptional at his job and made the process seamless. Thank you, Omid Samari

Date of experience : 19 April 2024

Good morning, Omid Samari, Thank you so much for sharing your 5* feedback about our service. We are glad to hear that Kyle Roberts's performance exceeded your expectations regarding your trip. We will make sure that our representative receives the recognition he deserves. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great day ahead. Regards, TravelUp

its great and good experience very easy…

its great and good experience very easy to book every body must use this side

Nice and easy

Nice and simple layout with nice and clear add on's. Plus I've booked the same flights what Booking.com said were not available.

Frustrating calls to travel up when…

Frustrating calls to travel up when wishing you pay my outstanding balance. Apparently you can't pay from your ipad or mobile phone. Absolutely ridiculous. So three call and 1 hour later I have achieved nothing.

Date of experience : 23 April 2024

Really simple instructions

Really simple instructions, Booking process was completed really quickly. No problems encountered.

They just cancelled my return flight

They cancelled my return flight and requested a refund from the airline unknown to to me. Got to the airport 3 hours before my flight only to be told that my flight was cancelled. At that point no one was available to help, or just won't help. I was stranded, still stranded. Still trying to get some resolution. I was told that by them that the airline cancelled my flight. The airline said that the travel agency cancelled my flight and requested a refund which was processed and sent to them. I am deeply, totally unsatisfied with these company and will never use them again. In fact I will never book through a third party agency again. The saving is just not worth the headache. Never, never again!!!!!!

Date of experience : 30 March 2024

Straightforward booking with the…

Straightforward booking with the cheapest flights, fingers crossed all goes well when I get to the airport.

Good afternoon, Thank you for the 5*review. We are glad you liked our online booking process and found the services smooth and straight forward to use. Thank you for booking with us. Regards, TravelUp

the online booking experience

the booking experience was good other than expecting to provide passport details and finding this was not required. It would have been nice to have known that prior to starting the booking, or even during it as it gave me an uneasy feeling.

Date of experience : 17 April 2024

Good morning, Mr. Brooke, Thank you for sharing your 4-star review. It is unfortunate to see that you had a challenging time while booking in order to feed the passport details as these days it has been kept mandate by the airlines to feed these details beforehand. However, we are glad you made the booking successfully. Your feedback is important to us as we take all the reviews seriously and use them as an opportunity to deliver the quality expected. We appreciate your patience. Regards, TravelUp

Suggested companies

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has travel up gone bust

TravelUp   Reviews

In the Flights Search Site category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Your profile picture

Write a review

Reviews 4.3.

94,898 total

Most relevant

Quick & efficient

Quick, efficient service and the request for wheelchair access was picked up and confirmed quickly by Michelle Vincent. Haven’t received the e-ticket yet though but it does say 72 hours so should arrive soon….

Date of experience : April 26, 2024

Booked accommodation only for Tenerife…

Booked accommodation only for Tenerife through Travelup after seeing prices/availability on Tripadvisor. Paid small deposit and checked with hotel directly (after reading reviews on here which made me doubt the legitimacy of the company). Hotel confirmed they had my booking, and had no concerns over the Broker (HotelBeds) that TravelUp had booked through. Paid full balance 2 weeks before hols…and no issues with hotel on arrival. Reservation was there and fully paid already. So whilst I had concerns, they turned out to be unnecessary for me!

Date of experience : March 29, 2024

Reply from TravelUp

Good afternoon, James, We are excited that you have had a great experience while booking your preferred property online. Our team works very hard to ensure we deliver our best services. Your review has already made our day and we are glad that you enjoyed the amenities at the property. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great afternoon ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Appereciation goes to Kyle Roberts

KYLE ROBERTS, was very helpful all the way, he was so patient trying to get me cheaper rates, flight has been booked, waiting to get on board.....The customer care service is top notch,this voucher has been hanging for a very long time, And now I am able to use it by adding some money to it, All thanks to Kyle who was very helpful 😀 👍, kudos to travel up

Date of experience : April 24, 2024

Good afternoon, Ms. Nwaefuna, Thank you so much for sharing your 5* feedback about our service. We are glad to hear that Kyle Roberts's performance exceeded your expectations regarding your trip. We will make sure that our representative receives the recognition he deserves. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great afternoon ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Great price compared to others

Great price compared to others. Easy to book. The only issue is that they refused to allow hyphens on my kids names on the site. I am not sure why that is, given the growing popularity of double-barrel names. I hope this will not pose a problem at the airport. Otherwise, great experience with the booking process.

Date of experience : April 25, 2024

All good so far

Never booked with Travel up before. Booking was easy. I got the confirmation with the reservation number immediately Flight was with BA. it was £100 cheaper that what BA showed me for the same flight (without any added extra) I was able to add that reservation to my BA account. So I am hoping the reservation is genuine. Fingers crossed. Hope I will able to fly without any issue in two months

Date of experience : April 21, 2024

Good evening, Ravi, Thank you for sharing your 5* review with our community. Your feedback is important to us, and we will continue to strive for the same level of services in the future. Hope to hear from you again about your upcoming trip. Regards, TravelUp

i am happy with the booking good deal…

i am happy with the booking good deal good price and matched my travel needs, easy transection took 5 minutes to book my tickts

Date of experience : April 27, 2024

They have always kept up their Travel…

They have always kept up their Travel News regularly, no matter where they are. The bookings and transaction went smoothly without a hitch. The only problem I have is not owning a printer to print out e-tickets.

Date of experience : April 22, 2024

Good morning, Subramanian, We are grateful and do appreciate you taking the time to share your 5* reviews with us. We are glad you enjoyed our product & services seamlessly. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great day ahead. Regards, TravelUp

Travel up is selling flights with Air…

Travel up is selling flights with Air Malta even though the airline has ceased to operate on the 30th of March 2024. There is another airline called KMalta in operation, but the airline logo on Travel up is definitely that of Air Malta. BE CAREFUL!!!

Does not include cabin luggage like makes out during the booking

I have just completed a booking with Travel Up. During the booking and what made me decided to go with Travel Up than its competitors on Sky Scanner is Travel Up gave the impression that a standard cabin bag (20kg or similar) was included in the price. After the booking it then stated hand luggage only. What is wrong with these companies and always trying to deceive people.

Exceptional Service from Ghani Usman at Travelup!

Ghani Usman from Travelup provided exceptional support when I booked my flight on April 18th. He was incredibly responsive and helpful throughout the process. I highly recommend his services for anyone looking to book through Travelup.

Date of experience : April 18, 2024

Good morning, Shanaka, Thank you for your 5-star rating. Ghani Usman will be motivated after hearing your feedback and will strive to keep serving you ahead in the future. Regards, TravelUp

Milo provided excellent service very…

Milo provided excellent service very attentive and dealt with my query in a swift prompt matter

Shawn Sampson is an excellent and trust…

Shawn Sampson is an excellent and trust worthy travel agent. He has a big helping attitude and solved the problem with ease earlier today. I have bought tickets via TravelUp a few times over the years and never had any problem. I certainly recommend TravelUp to future travellers.

Date of experience : April 16, 2024

Good afternoon, Yousuf, Thank you for your 5-star rating. Shawn Sampson will be motivated after hearing your feedback and will strive to keep serving you ahead in the future. Regards, TravelUp

Subject: Feedback - Appreciation for Kyle Roberts Kyle Roberts I wanted to express my sincere gratitude to Kyle Roberts for his outstanding assistance in purchasing my ticket. He was exceptional at his job and made the process seamless. Thank you, Omid Samari

Date of experience : April 19, 2024

Good morning, Omid Samari, Thank you so much for sharing your 5* feedback about our service. We are glad to hear that Kyle Roberts's performance exceeded your expectations regarding your trip. We will make sure that our representative receives the recognition he deserves. Thank you for your compliment. Have a great day ahead. Regards, TravelUp

its great and good experience very easy…

its great and good experience very easy to book every body must use this side

Nice and easy

Nice and simple layout with nice and clear add on's. Plus I've booked the same flights what Booking.com said were not available.

Frustrating calls to travel up when…

Frustrating calls to travel up when wishing you pay my outstanding balance. Apparently you can't pay from your ipad or mobile phone. Absolutely ridiculous. So three call and 1 hour later I have achieved nothing.

Date of experience : April 23, 2024

Really simple instructions

Really simple instructions, Booking process was completed really quickly. No problems encountered.

They just cancelled my return flight

They cancelled my return flight and requested a refund from the airline unknown to to me. Got to the airport 3 hours before my flight only to be told that my flight was cancelled. At that point no one was available to help, or just won't help. I was stranded, still stranded. Still trying to get some resolution. I was told that by them that the airline cancelled my flight. The airline said that the travel agency cancelled my flight and requested a refund which was processed and sent to them. I am deeply, totally unsatisfied with these company and will never use them again. In fact I will never book through a third party agency again. The saving is just not worth the headache. Never, never again!!!!!!

Date of experience : March 30, 2024

Straightforward booking with the…

Straightforward booking with the cheapest flights, fingers crossed all goes well when I get to the airport.

Good afternoon, Thank you for the 5*review. We are glad you liked our online booking process and found the services smooth and straight forward to use. Thank you for booking with us. Regards, TravelUp

the online booking experience

the booking experience was good other than expecting to provide passport details and finding this was not required. It would have been nice to have known that prior to starting the booking, or even during it as it gave me an uneasy feeling.

Date of experience : April 17, 2024

Good morning, Mr. Brooke, Thank you for sharing your 4-star review. It is unfortunate to see that you had a challenging time while booking in order to feed the passport details as these days it has been kept mandate by the airlines to feed these details beforehand. However, we are glad you made the booking successfully. Your feedback is important to us as we take all the reviews seriously and use them as an opportunity to deliver the quality expected. We appreciate your patience. Regards, TravelUp

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Booking Help

Just a brief reminder to all passengers not to forget to re-confirm your flights 72 hours prior to your departure from the UK and again prior to your return flight. There has been a spate of small timing changes by some of the airlines, and it is important that you remember to check, as you do not want to miss a flight or find yourself running across the terminal in a panic.

General FAQs

What is an e-ticket, can i change the details of my booking, can i pre-book my flight seats, how do i cancel my flight ticket, my name is spelt incorrectly on my flight ticket, what can i do, how long does it take to process a refund for my flight, how do i log a comment or complaint.

You may prefer to post your comment or complaint, if so our address is as follows:

ESTA regulations for USA travel

U.S Customs and Border Protection have changed the procedure in applying for an ESTA and real-time approvals are no longer available.

It is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure they have made their application and have the authority to travel beforehand.

All passengers travelling under the VWP who do not have ESTA authorisation will not be permitted entry onto any flight by their carrier. We therefore highly recommend that travellers apply for their ESTA as soon as they've made arrangements for travel to the US.

Is my holiday protected if my chosen airline goes under?

What is a one-way combinable, and how can i benefit from it, can i e-mail travelup for a travel quote.

Please contact our call centre on 0856 127 111 . If you are phoning from outside the UK, then please use this number: 00441189566464 .

How do I receive my tickets?

Where can i find airport parking and lounges, changes to hand baggage restrictions.

Below is a guide to the requirements that will be in place as well as advice to help passengers pass through the security check as quickly as possible.

Liquids that cannot be placed inside the re-sealable bag must be packed into the hold luggage and checked in. Liquids of any amount can still be carried in luggage checked into the aircraft hold.

*Any other solutions and items of similar consistency

Essential medicines and baby food may be permitted in larger quantities above the 100ml limit, but will be subject to the authentication that is already currently required.

Pushchairs, walking aids and wheelchairs are permitted but will be screened.

Laptops and other large electrical items (e.g. a large hairdryer) will still have to be removed from cabin baggage and screened separately. A laptop bag will be regarded as your one item that is allowed in the cabin.

All items of luggage which do not fit in the permitted cabin baggage size (maximum length 56 cm, width of 45 cm and depth of 25 cm) must be checked in to be placed in the aircraft hold. Musical instruments will, as an exception, be allowed as a second item of cabin baggage, but will need to be screened and passengers should check with their airlines if special arrangements (e.g. purchasing an extra seat) for these large instruments will be required.

Passengers are asked to bear in mind the following advice to help make their passage through the airport as efficient and comfortable as possible:

*Check any queries you have with your airport or airline before travelling to the airport.

Duty free / departure lounge purchases may take on board liquid items of any size that are purchased after the security check in the departure lounge (sometimes referred to as 'Airside'). Duty free or similar purchases will be given to you in a special sealed bag. Do not open this bag until you have reached your final destination. You should also retain your proof of purchase throughout your journey. You will be required to show it at all transfer points. Please note: restrictions apply to duty free purchases made on return journeys where passengers change flights at an EU airport.

Travelling from an airport in the EU, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland: The arrangements outlined above will apply, except that larger cabin bags will be permitted on a transitional basis until April 2007.

Local arrangements will apply.

If your journey involves changing flights at any EU airport, special restrictions apply. You may only take duty free purchases through the security check point at your connecting airport if they have been purchased at another EU airport, or on board an aircraft operated by an EU carrier. You will need to show proof of purchase to demonstrate this. Purchases from other airports or on board other airlines may only be carried as hold baggage on the connecting flight.

What is my baggage allowance?

If you are travelling with two different airlines, or the weight limits differ from one connecting flight to the other, then you will be required to take the lesser amount.

How can I pay for my Travelup Flight/holiday?

Please be aware that all our prices are quoted in GBP (Great British Pounds - £ - Sterling). To check GBP against another currency please click the below link to a free web based currency converter.

If you are phoning from outside the UK, then please use this number: 00441189566464 .

How can I make a hotel booking?

How can i pay for my booking, what is the minimum age requirement to book a hotel, what are your hotel cancellation charges, what’s the hotel refund process, what does my hotel price include, why do your hotel prices change, why don’t you collect all the taxes and charges for hotel, do any of the rooms you sell have children’s beds, what meals are included in the room prices shown, how do i know my payment details are secure, what is 3-d secure, how do i know if my hotel booking has been confirmed, i cannot visualise or download my hotel voucher, do i need to contact the hotel to confirm my reservation, i called the hotel with a query and they can’t locate my booking, new bookings made over the telephone, who is travelup owned by, can i get refund from travelup, what is the atol number for travelup, how do i cancel a reservation with travelup, how do i know if a travel agency is legit, where is travelup based, do you need atol protection if you have travel insurance, is travelup a member of abta, who is the director of travelup, what is travelup, is travelup a legit site, is travelup safe for travel booking, are there any hidden fees that i should be aware of when booking with travelup, can i trust the reviews on travelup for hotels and flights, how do i book flight reservations with travelup, how do i book a hotel with travelup, how do i book holiday with travelup, can i book travel insurance with travelup, how do i cancel a flight reservation with travelup, how do i cancel a hotel reservation with travelup, how do i cancel a holiday reservation with travelup, what is the privacy policy of travelup, can i book car hire with travelup, how do i change passenger details with travelup, what kind of customer support does travelup offer, and how can i contact them, are there any promotions or discounts currently available on travelup, how secure is my personal and payment information when using travelup, does travelup offer customised holiday packages, do i need to confirm my flight directly with the airline after booking through travelup, can i book activities and tours through travelup, is travel insurance included with bookings made through travelup, or do i need to purchase it separately, can i book flights for groups through travelup are there any group discounts, what are the options if my flight is cancelled or delayed when booked through travelup, can i book multi-city flights through travelup, no need to call. cancel your trip, redeem a credit voucher or track your refund online, new flight reservations.

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Airlines must cough up cancellation cash and can no longer hide fees under new federal rule

A federal rule announced Wednesday will require airlines to quickly give cash refunds — without lengthy arguments — to passengers whose flights have been canceled or seriously delayed, the Biden administration said.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them — without headaches or haggling,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The rule from the Transportation Department says passengers who decline other reimbursement like travel credits are to get cash refunds.

Image: Salt Lake City travellers

It applies when a flight is canceled or has a “significant change,” the administration said.A “significant change” includes when departure or arrival times are three or more hours different from the scheduled times for domestic flights or six hours for international flights, and when the airport is changed or connections are added, it said.

Passengers are also to get refunds when their baggage is 12 hours late in delivery for domestic flights.

The new rule comes after promises to hold airlines accountable after major disruptions that made travel hell for passengers, including the 2022 Southwest Airlines meltdown , which resulted in almost 17,000 significantly delayed or canceled flights and a missing baggage nightmare.

The Transportation Department said that the new rule means refunds are automatic and that "airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops."

Also announced Wednesday was a rule requiring airlines to more clearly disclose so-called junk fees upfront, such as surprise baggage or other fees, the department said.

It said that rule is expected to save fliers around $500 million a year.

The surprise fees are used so tickets look cheaper than they really are, and then fliers get the unwelcome surprise of fees on checked bags, carry-on bags or reservation changes — or even discounts that are advertised but apply to only part of the ticket price, officials said.

Airlines will also have to tell fliers clearly that their seats are guaranteed and that they don't have to pay extra to ensure they have seats for flights, according to the Transportation Department.

Airlines for America, an industry trade group, said that its member airlines “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers from first search to touchdown” and that they do offer cash refunds.

The 11 largest U.S. airlines returned $10.9 billion in cash refunds last year, an increase over $7.5 billion in 2019 but slightly down from $11.2 billion in 2022, the group said.

“U.S. airlines are providing more options and better services while ticket prices, including ancillary revenues, are at historic lows,” Airlines for America said.

Left out of the federal changes announced Wednesday are those involving "family seating fees," but the Transportation Department said in a statement that "DOT is planning to propose a separate rule that bans airlines from charging these junk fees."

Travelers have complained to the Transportation Department that children weren’t seated next to accompanying adults, including in some cases young children, department officials said last year.

Fees on bags specifically have made up an increasing amount of airline revenues, the Transportation Department said Wednesday in announcing the new rules.

A Transportation Department analysis found that airline revenue from baggage fees increased 30% from 2018 to 2022, while operating revenue — which is from the flights themselves — increased by only half that amount, the department said.

Jay Blackman is an NBC News producer covering such areas as transportation, space, medical and consumer issues.

has travel up gone bust

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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' class=

Has anyone had any bother with Travel Up of late?

It would appear that Travel Up made some sort of contact with KLM/Etihad/Aer Lingus but never finalised the payment, thereby leading to no flight bookings despite initial reservation.

This has resulted in last minute extortionate new flights as we have commitments in Thailand which we must arrive for this weekend.

How do you suggest we go about taking this matter further? ATOL, ABTA?

' class=

Following is what I presume is their description of themselves. It would be funny, if people didn't just throw their money at jokers like these.

Travelup is well established Travel company situated in Reading with a vast network of several branches and representative offices which is based on fundamental Understanding of complex world of travel, provides a medium through which to Monitor the needs of customer in travelling around the world and adds an international perspective to company’s activities.

has travel up gone bust

Have Travelup offered any comment?

What was the "e ticket" issued? Was this simply Travelup's own reference number or the airline's e ticket?

Small.claims court (money claims online). Claim the extra cost between original cost and what you paid last minute. Presuming you did get your money back.

' class=

Thanks all for comments. Agreed, poor analysis by me... And I usually research everything to the enth degree! Bank and trading standards contacted, lets see what that brings.

We got the E-Tickets etc initially and they look the part, we were sent a change of flight times email through at on point and they flight times were slightly better so it was win win, however I realised it says in small print that we had to confirm the flight times which seemed odd and also to confirm the flights direct with the airline 72 hours before departure? When you book flights a year in advance you shouldn't have to check they actually exist 72 hours before the off! We travel abroad three times a year and have never had to confirm a flight exists 72 hours before going! I emailed Travelup yesterday and await a response.

The thing is I checked on Air Europa to see if the flight times were still as per the new times only to find they are different to the new times we were given! I have again emailed Travelup for clarity on this. However with what I have read on TA tonight, the other half is going to phone Air Europa tomorrow to check we are booked in at their end.

It just goes to show that it pays to check everything is in place a few weeks before you are due to travel! I am just amazed that Skyscanner still affiliate with them! Having said that I found a few review sites that were awash with great reviews about them! Don't know what to think now!

You reconfirm your booking to check for changes, which you should do regularly on the airlines website anyway. It's not to see if the flight exists.

No you should check months before that, flight times and even dates aren't written in stone, if you book a year in advance odds are they may change several times and you should keep an eye on them, third parties and even airlines are notoriously poor at informing people that times changed or even routes we cancelled

there are several stories in here of people, who booked well in advance like you did, never checked, turned up at the airport and found the flight left hours previously.

I wouldn't touch this company with a barge pole but it's just as well you took heed of their warning isn't it?

>>It just goes to show that it pays to check everything is in place<< ... right up until the day of.

Good advice, thank you for posting that.

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Outgoing Wheels Up Exec’s Exit Package Includes Salary, Flight Privileges

has travel up gone bust

Embattled business aviation provider Wheels Up’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Form 8-K released on May 9 reveals that outgoing chairman and CEO Kenneth Dichter will continue to receive his $950,000 annual salary for the next two years. Dichter, who founded Wheels Up and will remain a director on its board, will also receive a lump sum payment of $3 million, “which represents an amount in lieu of a bonus payment that could otherwise be payable under the Employment Agreement, dated April 17, 2020,” according to Tuesday’s filing. Dichter will also “be eligible to receive a prorated annual bonus based on the number of days he was employed during fiscal year 2023.” A Form 8-K is defined by Wikipedia as “a very broad form used to notify investors in United States public companies of specified events that may be important to shareholders or the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.” 

The outgoing executive will also continue to receive company health insurance coverage, as well as be eligible for 200 hours per year travel on Wheels Up aircraft, among other benefits.

Wheels Up is facing financial headwinds and recently announced plans for a possible reverse stock split , followed by the addition of new executives , leading up to the May 9 announcement of Dichter’s departure, included in the Form 8-K.

Aviation consultant and contributing writer Brian Foley wrote on Forbes.com that recovery options for current Wheels Up management could include securing more investment cash from its largest shareholder Delta Air Lines, a possible return to the private sector and further fundraising and/or combining with a “strategic” (long-term financial strategist). Foley wrote: “Reorganizing through bankruptcy is another possibility, and if a private equity or other acquirer ever became involved, would presumably be a prerequisite.” Though a Wheels Up spokesperson told the online news source Private Jet Card Comparisons, “We are not considering bankruptcy.” The news site also reported today that Wheels Up has just cut flight pricing up to 26 percent under new flight-services agreement.

11 COMMENTS

Wow, pretty sweet job if you can get it.

Yep, he founded the company and is an entrepreneur, deserves every penny. That’s the deal when take the risk to start any company. Good for him. That’s not the reason they will go under, it will be for other reasons.

I fail to see the risk when failure means keeping your salary, bonuses, and benefits.

Whoever said you can’t get wealthy in aviation never met this guy.

Gee wiz, the airlines I worked for went bankrupt and I got nothing and the execs who trashed them got millions. It’s the American way.

A Private Jet Card Comparisons story posted in 2021 listed Wheels Up’s thirteen Chief (something) Officers and an additional Chairman of marketing. Seems very, very top-heavy.

All of this compensation on the backs of the stakeholders who put their trust in him. Dichter is a charming fellow. Tons of personality. Loved by most. He is probably the greatest salesman that ever lived. He “convinced” (salesmanship at its best) a lot of people to follow him by investing, but so did Bernie Madof.

The question you need to ask yourself is whether WUP ever intended to make money for their stakeholders, or just for the top 13 execs. I worked there for two years. I saw the absurdity of the waste and mismanagement.

You also need to ask yourself If Dichter jumped ship while there was still a few bucks in the till so he could get “his” before anyone else got “theirs”. Kenny got out while he could still bilk the stakeholders for more money. Shameful. Think about it as if he were the Captain of the Titanic. Responsible for running into the berg and then scampers for the first life-boat ahead of the women and children. There is no honor in this, only shame.

WUP(Gama) still owes me vacation pay which I earned in 2019 that I should have been paid in 2020 and Dichter leaves the ship with more than $5M.

That thing may be legal but is, undoubtedly, unethical. Period!

Wheels Up spokesperson; “We are not considering bankruptcy.” English translation: If we can’t extort more cash from Delta, we’re declaring Chapter 11. In corporate America, the first thing a CEO does when starting or joining a new company is to set up his/her severance package (aka Golden Parachute). In that regard, Dechter is small potatoes. A company I used to work for was in financial trouble, so they hired a new hot-shot CEO to “turn the company around”. In a meeting, I specifically asked him if the financial steps he was taking was setting the company up to be sold. His answer was “Absolutely not. We are here for the long run.” Less than a month later he announced we had been acquired and he was stepping down. His reward was a $35 million dollar severance package. Over half our original employees’ reward was two week’s severance. If you are looking for fair or ethical, don’t look for it in the corporate boardroom.

When the corporate spokes person says the “b” word in a press release its over….I feel for the hard working employees that don’t get a bag of cash on the way out like the slick haired CEO.

He makes almost as much as the president of AOPA.

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What happens if the travel company I’ve booked with goes bust?

Can your holiday still go ahead and how do you go about getting a refund.

has travel up gone bust

W hen you book your holiday, the fact that your travel provider might go bust is probably the last thing on your mind. While it’s relatively rare, it does happen — Flybe and Monarch are just some of the big names that have folded in the last decade. The good news is that in some cases, your holiday can still go ahead. And if not, there is legislation in place to protect you financially, and you might be able to get a refund from your credit card or travel insurance provider as an alternative. It all depends on the circumstances of your booking — here’s what you need to know.

Main photo: Flybe planes at Manchester Airport (Alamy)

What to do if your travel company goes bust

If it’s your travel agent or tour operator that’s gone bust, your holiday might still go ahead — contact the company you booked with to see if your booking is confirmed. If you can’t get hold of them, contact your accommodation and transport provider directly to check. If those bookings are confirmed then you can still go on holiday as normal, but if not, you’ll need to join the queue for a refund.

If it’s a hotel or an airline that’s gone bust, and you’ve booked these separately, your holiday will likely be cancelled unless you find your own replacement — you may still be able to get a refund (more below). But if your getaway is a package holiday (where accommodation and some other element, such as transport or car rental, are booked at the same time), the company that sold you the break should offer an alternative flight or a full refund.

Does travel insurance cover it?

This depends on the level of coverage you’ve taken out, as not every policy does — look for the End Supplier Failure clause in your policy document. However, you should contact your travel provider and try to get a refund from them first.

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Monarch Airlines went bust in 2017 (Alamy)

Can I get my money back if an airline goes bust?

Possibly, but you’re unlikely to get this back from the airline itself.

In the case of flight-only bookings, if you booked your flights using a credit card and the cost was over £100, you will be covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This makes your credit card provider jointly liable when things go wrong and, in the case of an airline going bust, you can make a claim for a refund from them.

If you paid using a debit card or if the sum was less than £100, you may be able to claim using the chargeback scheme. Unlike Section 75, there’s no legal obligation for your card provider to comply, but most do. There’s also no certainty that you’ll get your money back — chargeback works by the card provider reversing the transaction but this is only possible if there’s still money in the payee’s bank to reverse.

Travel insurance, if you have it, would be your final port of call.

For flights booked as part of a package holiday, you should have Atol (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) protection. Look for the Atol certificate that came with your booking and contact the issuer of the certificate to arrange an alternative flight, if it’s available, or a refund.

• Which airlines offer a flexible booking policy?

Can I get my money back if an Abta member goes bust?

Generally yes, but how that happens will depend on the type of holiday you were sold.

Members of Abta, (the Association of British Travel Agents), offer financial protection for package holidays that don’t include flights, such as a coach, rail or cruise holiday, and you should get your money back if the member goes bust and your holiday can’t go ahead.

Double-check how your holiday is protected, though, as the financial protection could be with either Abta or the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust (Abtot) or by some other arrangement. You can also contact Abta for help.

Package holidays sold by Abta members that do include flights are protected under the Atol scheme, so you have to make a claim through the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which administers the scheme.

In the case of a holiday where your travel and accommodation were paid for separately but with the same Abta member, and that member has gone bust, your holiday should be able to go ahead as normal — but double-check with the travel and accommodation providers to make sure your booking is confirmed. If not, you may have to make a claim through your credit or debit card.

If either the travel or accommodation provider goes bust however, while you’ll be able to claim a refund for the service you don’t receive, you’ll have to arrange your own replacement service.

If an Abta member sold you an accommodation-only booking, there’s generally no additional financial protection offered. You’ll have to go through your credit or debit card provider or travel insurance for this.

Package holidays are the best bet in terms of financial protection (Getty Images)

How to protect your booking

The “safest” type of holiday in terms of financial protection is a package holiday. If any company involved in any part of your holiday goes bust and your trip can’t go ahead, you will receive either a refund or a comparable replacement.

Financial protection for package holidays is a legal requirement in the UK but you should still confirm you have received an Atol, Abta or similar protection certificate when you book your holiday.

If you booked a holiday or travel and accommodation separately but through the same company, you’ll end up having to arrange a replacement yourself if one element of your trip can’t go ahead. In some cases, this might mean a last-minute booking at surge prices.

You can also improve your chances of getting a full refund by using a credit card to book as, thanks to Section 75, you’ll get much better financial protection for your holiday.

Finally, it’s always worth stumping up for travel insurance. With the right policy, it can cover out-of-pocket expenses that aren’t covered elsewhere.

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• Will travel insurance cover flight cancellation? Everything you need to know • What happens if I miss my flight because of security queues? • Nine steps to a stress-free holiday

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Are travel agencies going out of business?

How the pandemic has impacted travel agencies, early pandemic, plummeting revenues.

  • 93% of travel agencies reported business income down at least 75%compared to 2019.
  • 78percent reported that income was down 90% or more.

Major downsizing

  • Of respondents with W-2 employees at the start of the crisis, 75% had laid off or furloughed at least one employee, but most had laid off more.
  • More than 43% said that they had laid off or furloughed three-quarters or more of their staff.
  • More than 16% said that they had laid off or furloughed between 50 and 75% of staff.
  • Nearly 9%had laid off or furloughed 25-50%of staff.
  • Only 7%had laid off or furloughed less than 25%of their employees.

Store closures

  • Australian travel agency Flight Centre closed 421 out of its 740 stores.
  • German tour operator TUI closed 166 stores throughout the UK and Ireland in 2020, and a further 48 in 2021.
  • British travel company Hays Travel closed 89 of its stores following the UK’s third national lockdown in early 2021.

Big companies going bust

  • STA Travel , a UK-based company that specialized in trips for young people, including gap years and volunteer projects, was forced to close in mid-2020. STA had more than 50 shops throughout the UK.
  • Upside Business Travel was the first major business-focused travel agent to go out of business when it ceased operations in 2021.
  • Business travel management firm Lola was also forced to close in 2021.

2021 Resurgence

  • According to a poll by ASTA in March last year, 76% of travel agents saw an increase in customers in 2021 compared to before the pandemic, with 81% saying they were hearing from customers who had never used a travel agent before.
  • This poll also found that more than one-quarter of travelers (27%) always or often used a travel agent prior to the pandemic. But nearly half of travelers (44%) said they were more likely to use a travel agent after the pandemic is over.

Challenges facing traditional travel agencies

Rise of online travel booking platforms, building online credibility and presence, high fixed costs, the evolution of the travel agent, crisis managers, global issue experts, focusing on fewer customers, independent contractors, the modern way of booking business travel.

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Travel Republic customers furious after holiday company closes phone lines over deluge of refund enquiries

Company has been inundated with calls since fco advice change, article bookmarked.

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FCO advice change on Spain triggered a surge of holiday cancellations

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Travel Republic customers have expressed their frustration after the company closed its phone lines because it was inundated with calls.

The online travel agent stopped taking incoming calls in early August following Spain’s removal from the Foreign Office’s list of countries exempt from its blanket advisory against all non-essential travel.

The policy change triggered a huge round of holiday cancellations and saw a surge in calls from customers enquiring about refunds and checking whether their trips would still go ahead.

Instead of attempting to deal with all the calls, Travel Republic said it would be “reaching out to customers in departure date order”.

It added: “While we do this, we have taken the precaution to pause automated final balance payments and reminders for all customers due to travel in August and September.”

  • Ryanair, Virgin Atlantic and Tui still failing to pay refunds on time

Customers have vented their anger at the lack of communication via social media.

“Still waiting on a reply to my two DMs and my customer requests regarding the rest of our refund from 27th May can not get in contact with anyone, it’s ridiculous,” tweeted one user.

Another said: “please let me know how can I obtain my refund – we were due to travel in April I have tried to contact you numerous times with no luck PLEASE reply!”

“Still no response on credit notes for holidays that were cancelled in May. Nobody answering messages or phone calls. Poor service,” added another frustrated holidaymaker.

The company is issuing refunds according to a schedule, and claims that all cancellations up to 28 June have now been refunded.

However, some customers booked from 13-17 March are yet to get their money back.

“We are very sorry for the delay in issuing these,” the travel agent tweeted.

Travel Republic also apologised that it would be unable to respond to all customers on social media “due to the high volume of comments and messages.”

A spokesperson from Travel Republic told The Independent they currently expect to reopen phone lines in early September.

The best beaches in the world

They said: “Since May, we’ve cancelled nearly 70,000 holidays and refunded almost 190,000 customers. However, such is the volume of enquiries caused by the continued dynamism of the situation that the whole UK travel industry is dealing with – such as the overnight removal of Spain and its islands from the FCO’s ‘safe’ travel list – we have taken the difficult decision to temporarily close our phone lines for incoming calls to enable our service team to focus on proactively contacting those customers due to depart imminently, or who are currently overseas and need assistance in returning to the UK.

“We appreciate this is frustrating for those who are trying to contact us and urge them to keep an eye on our daily social media updates for news about our refund schedule. Resource has been added to the teams who are monitoring and processing enquiries, and all customer service requests logged online are seen and will be dealt with in date departure order. We apologise for any distress customers are experiencing and thank them for their patience.”

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26 famous airlines that have gone out of business

  • British airline Flybe went out of business in March 2020 thanks to coronavirus-related drop in travel demand — Air Italy fell just one month earlier
  • Thomas Cook is just the latest airline to shut down this year.
  • Here's a list of 26 airlines that went bust over the past couple of decades. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Insider Today

British regional airline Flybe ceased operations in early March.

The 40-year-old airline shut down after a prolonged financial struggle, but a decrease in bookings caused by COVID-19 anxieties pushed it over the edge.

It wasn't the first European airline to collapse this year — Air Italy folded in February.

Over the past two decades, a number of well-known airline brands have disappeared from the aviation landscape. A large number of these brands have gone away due to mergers as airlines joined together in order to survive the brutally competitive market place.

Read more : Roughly 600,000 travelers are stranded around the world after the British travel provider Thomas Cook declares bankruptcy

Northwest and Delta merged to form the new Delta Air Lines. United and Continental merged to create the new United Airlines with planes painted in Continental livery. TWA was acquired by American Airlines. America West and US Air merged to become US Airways. American Airlines and US Airways then merged to form a new American Airlines under US Airways management. Virgin America was acquired by Alaska Airlines while AirTran Airways and Morris Air were acquired by Southwest Airlines. 

In Canada, Canadian Airlines was merged into Air Canada. While in Brazil, Varig was acquired by Gol. The UK's British Caledonian and British Midland were both acquired by British Airways, itself created by the 1974 merger of British Overseas Airways Corporation, British European Airways, and two smaller regional carriers. 

But with the tremendous number of airlines that have collapsed amid a wide range of problems, we at Business Insider decided to compile a list of airlines that went out of business the old fashioned way, running out of money. 

Here's a closer look. 

This article was originally published by Benjamin Zhang in March 2019. It was updated by David Slotnick in March 2020.

Lakers Airways Skytrain: defunct 1982.

has travel up gone bust

Founded by Sir Freddie Laker in 1966, the airline and its fleet of McDonnell Douglas DC-10 "Skytrains" promised low-cost travel across Atlantic for half the price of its competitors. Unfortunately, the airline could not sustain the business and collapsed under the weight of £270 million of debt in February 1982. 

Braniff international Airways: defunct 1982.

has travel up gone bust

The Texas-based airline was one of the most interesting and colorful companies in the business from its unique multi-color livery to its Emilio Pucci designer flight attendant uniforms. Sadly, the airline went belly up in May 1982 after racking up $733 million in debt. Subsequent attempts to revive the brand have proven to be unsuccessful. 

Eastern Air Lines: defunct 1991.

has travel up gone bust

Miami-based Eastern Air Lines was one of the biggest names in the US airline business. Unfortunately, Eastern was plagued by labor strife and an inability to compete effectively post-deregulation. Eastern filed for bankruptcy in 1989 before ending flight operations in January 1991. 

Midway Airlines: Defunct 1991.

has travel up gone bust

Midway Airlines began flying in 1979 following the deregulation of the US airline industry. The Chicago-based airline was able to survive the surge in fuel prices and the drop in passenger traffic resulting from the Gulf War. The airline shut down in November 1991. 

Interflug: defunct 1991.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1958, Interflug succeeded Deutsche Lufthansa (different from West Germany's Lufthansa) as the national airline of East Germany. The airline failed to find a buyer after the reunification of Germany. Interflug shut down in February 1991. 

Pan American World Airways: defunct 1991.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1927, Pam Am is arguably the most iconic name in the airline industry.  Unfortunately, the airline ran into financial trouble during the 1970s and 80s before going out of business in 1991. 

Tower Air: defunct 2000.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1983, New York-based Tower Air operated scheduled passengers flights as well as military and leisure charters using its fleet of Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The airline ran into financial and operational troubles in the mid-1990s before shutting down in May 2000. 

Ansett Australia: defunct 2001.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1936, Ansett Australia was the second largest airline in Australia when it shut down in September 2001. The airline's owner, Air New Zealand had to be bailed out by the New Zealand government to avoid bankruptcy following Ansett's collapse. 

Sabena: defunct 2001.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1923, Sabena was Belgium's national airline until its collapse in November 2001. 

Swissair: defunct 2002.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1931, Swissair was at one time one of the most respected airlines in the world. Unfortunately, the Swissair's "Hunter Strategy" that saw it take equity stakes in a handful of other airlines during the 1980s and 90s stretched the company's finances too far. Swissair ceased operations in March 2002. Its assets were transferred to regional subsidiary Crossair which was then reorganized into the Swiss International Air Lines. 

Aloha Airlines: defunct 2008.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1946, the Honolulu, Hawaii-based airline ceased passenger flight operations in March 2008. 

ATA Airlines: defunct 2008.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1973, Indiana-based ATA Airlines filed for bankruptcy and ceased flight operations in April 2008. The airline cited the loss of its military charter business as a contributing factor to its demise. 

Mexicana: defunct 2010.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1921, Mexicana was Mexico's largest airline when it ran into financial trouble and shut down in August 2010. 

Spanair: defunct 2012.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1986, Spanair was for much of its existence a subsidiary of SAS Group, the owners of Scandinavian Airlines. In 2008, SAS Group sold off its controlling share in the Barcelona-based airline. The loss-making airline shut down in January 2012 after the local Catalan government failed to find new investors for Spanair. 

Malev: defunct 2012.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1946, Malev was Hungary's national airline until it ceased operations in February 2012 after the Hungarian government declined to continue funding the loss marking carrier. 

Kingfisher: defunct 2012.

has travel up gone bust

Kingfisher was founded in 2005 by flamboyant Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya as part of his UB Group business empire. The airline was known for its colorfully painted aircraft and top-notch service. Kingfisher ceased flights October 2012 after the Indian government pulled the heavily indebted airline's operating license. 

Transaero: defunct 2015.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1990, Transaero was one of Russia's largest privately-owned airlines. Unfortunately, Transaero collapsed in October 2015 due to $4 billion in debt. Fun fact, two Boeing 747-8 airliners that were due to be delivered to Transaero before its shut down will be converted into the next generation US presidential planes, aka. Air Force One. 

Monarch Airlines: defunct 2017.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1967, Monarch Airlines a major player in the British leisure charter business. The airline ceased operations in October 2017. According to the Economist , it was the largest airline to ever fail in the UK.

Air Berlin: defunct 2017.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1978, Air Berlin was once Germany's second largest airline. The carrier ceased operations in October 2017 after major shareholder Etihad Airways declined to continue financial support of the money-losing airline. 

Primera Air: defunct 2018.

has travel up gone bust

Primera Air was a subsidiary of Icelandic tourism company Primera Travel Group. The low-cost carrier ceased operations in October 2018. 

Germania: defunct 2019.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1978, Berlin-based Germania offered by charter and scheduled passenger service. The airline ceased operations in early February 2019 citing financial insolvency. 

Flybmi/British Midland Regional: defunct 2019.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 1987, Flybmi was once the regional arms of British Midland International. The airline was sold off in 2012 following BMI's acquisition by British Airways. Flybmi shut down in February 2019. 

Wow Air: defunct 2019.

has travel up gone bust

Founded in 2012, the Icelandic ultra-low-cost carriers collapsed in March 2019 after failing to secure new investment from Icelandair and private equity firm Indigo Partners. 

Thomas Cook: defunct 2019.

has travel up gone bust

After 178 years and various forms, the British airline and travel company collapsed in September 2019 after failing to secure emergency funding demanded by its creditors.

Air Italy: defunct 2020

has travel up gone bust

After launching its first flights in mid-2018, Air Italy ultimately failed to build a sustainable or successful model. It ceased operations in February 2020.

Flybe: defunct 2020

has travel up gone bust

Although Flybe was purchased by a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium in summer 2019, it could not turn its financial struggles around quickly enough. As the British government debated a bailout, the struggling airline finally ran out of cash in March 2020, as travel demand plummeted thanks to the new coronavirus outbreak.

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Number of travel firms going bust jumped by fifth last year as sector was devastated by 'on-off' Covid restrictions

By Daily Mail City & Finance Reporter

Updated: 17:08 EDT, 13 February 2022

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The number of travel firms going bust jumped by a fifth last year as the sector was devastated by 'on-off' Covid restrictions. 

International travel was down by around a third on pre-pandemic levels across 2021 and 82 travel agents and tour operators folded – up from 68 in 2020. 

This year has started with a rise in insolvencies in the sector, which employs 500,000. Last month 15 travel firms went bust, up from nine a year ago. 

Devastating: International travel was down by around a third on pre-pandemic levels across 2021 and 82 travel agents and tour operators folded

Devastating: International travel was down by around a third on pre-pandemic levels across 2021 and 82 travel agents and tour operators folded

Research by Mazars found that the Omicron variant hit demand over a peak winter period. 

The firm said a boom in staycations, where families spend holidays in the UK, has compounded the sector's troubles. 

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Partner Rebecca Dacre said: 'Many travel companies went into the off-season in a precarious position and have not come out the other side. 

The on-off nature of travel restrictions has left lingering damage.' 

She added that Omicron will have hit the sector's recovery, meaning the spike in insolvencies could 'just be the beginning'. 

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If the world has gone digital, why do so many of us still want cookbooks?

Joan Nathan's Passover Pecan Lemon Torte With Lemon Curd at a Seder held at Akasha in Culver City.

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Still cookbook crazy in a digital world, plus the Koreatown bakery where fans wait up to two hours for cake, a new croissant contender, new brunch and lunch picks, and why a vegan restaurant will start serving meat. I’m Laurie Ochoa, general manager of L.A. Times Food, with this week’s Tasting Notes.

Get your cookbooks dirty

Kismet chefs and cookbook authors Sarah Hymanson, left, and Sara Kramer at the L.A. Times Festival of Books.

Can cookbooks survive in a world where so many of us look for recipes on websites, social media or YouTube channels?

Even though I have hundreds of cookbooks — so many that I have stacks on every step up the staircase in my front hall — I frequently find myself online looking for recipe ideas or basic cooking information.

But the experience often leaves me unsatisfied. I might get the basic information I was seeking, but it’s only when I slow down and page through an actual cookbook — lingering over the photos or line drawings, taking in the stories behind the pictures and recipes, absorbing whether the author is a forgiving or strict teacher — that I fully immerse myself in a cook’s world and discover new ideas and old traditions about how we eat. It’s also how I come across recipes I wouldn’t have thought to put into a search field.

I’m not alone in my cookbook obsession. Food memoirs and cookbooks are consistently among the strongest areas of the book industry.

“Cookbook sales in the U.S. grew 8% year-on-year between 2010 and 2020, with sales numbers boosted even further by the pandemic,” wrote Kate Gibbs in a 2022 story in the Guardian .

Of course, as Gibbs pointed out, many buyers don’t actually use their cookbooks as cookbooks. Her cookbook author grandmother, Margaret Fulton , would often examine the books fans had brought her to sign and then scold them: “You’ve never cooked from this book. Where are the splatters, the markings of the kitchen, the stuck-together pages?”

If you saw the batter-stained pages in my copy of “ The Breakfast Book ” by Marion Cunningham , you’d know that my family has made a thorough exploration of the pancakes loved in the mid-1980s by Cunningham, the woman who revived “ The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. ” Silver-dollar-sized Bridge Creek Heavenly Hots, lemon pancakes, Zeppelin pancakes (named for their lightness) and the buttermilk pancakes that became so much a part of our breakfast lives we only take the book out as a talisman of sorts when we make them because we long ago memorized the recipe.

A well-loved cookbook is a well-worn cookbook. We shouldn’t be afraid to get our cookbooks dirty.

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"Koshersoul" author Michael W. Twitty at the 2024 L.A. Times Festival of books.

I got an up close look at beloved cookbooks and cookbook authors over the weekend at the L.A. Times Festival of Books . Ken Concepcion and Michelle Mungcal , owners of the downtown L.A. bookshop Now Serving , co-hosted a booth with L.A. Times Food and brought some terrific authors with devoted followers. Even though some of their books weren’t out yet, festival goers were excited to meet and get pre-orders in for the new “Kismet” cookbook from chefs Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson , Karla Vasquez ‘ “SalviSoul,” and Ruth Reichl ‘s new “The Paris Novel,” filled with some pretty enticing scenes set in some of France’s great restaurants. (By the way, the cookbook shop Kitchen Lingo is hosting a signing and conversation with me and Reichl on May 14 at the Art Theater in Long Beach.)

I asked Veggiekins website founder Remy Morimoto Park for one of her go-to recipes from her book “Sesame, Soy, Spice” and she named the scallion pesto. It’s a subrecipe made with miso, basil and green onions from her “very green beans” recipe. She says it’s great on pasta or anything else you’d use with pesto.

Rie McClenny named tonkatsu as her go-to recipe from her book “Make It Japanese.” “The great thing about it? After you make tonkatsu, if you have leftovers you can make katsu don,” she says, with the pork cutlets simmered in eggs and dashi and served over rice.

Elizabeth Poett said her go-to recipe from her “Ranch to Table” book is blueberry yogurt pancakes. When she showed off the pristine page, it looked like it was only missing a few batter splotches to break in the book.

Over at USC’s Ray Stark Family Theater, I moderated a conversation with France-based cooking teacher Rosa Jackson (“Niçoise: Market-Inspired Cooking From France’s Sunniest City”); chef, writer and magazine founder Klancy Miller (“For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food: Interviews, Inspiration, and Recipes”), and “My Life in Recipes” author Joan Nathan, whose Passover Pecan Lemon Torte With Lemon Curd from the book was served with other Nathan dishes at a Seder Monday night hosted by Akasha Richmond at her Culver City restaurant Akasha.

Miller talked about how she wrote “For the Culture” as a book “that my younger self would have wanted to read. As I was coming up through culinary school I just didn’t have that many role models who looked liked me.” One of the chefs she discovered was Lena Richards. “She was a domestic cook in New Orleans ... [who] ended up owning her own cooking school. She had a TV show and published her own cookbook. She had a line of food. She was a traveling chef — I think of her kind of as a chef who did pop-ups all over the country. I just feel like, holy smokes! She was the blueprint. She had it all going on. And this was in Jim Crow South.”

On Sunday at the festival, “Koshersoul” author Michael Twitty and “Fieldwork” author and Michelin chef Iliana Regan had an impromptu conversation at the booth about the challenges of writing their very intimate memoirs.

“For me, one of the big challenges in writing my food-slash-personal-slash-cookbook memoir was the vulnerability,” Twitty said. “I went really deep into my emotions ... my family history. There’s a lot of personal stuff ... that comes up. So the biggest challenge is trying to figure out what stories to tell and what stories to hold close and not tell.”

“It was so complicated,” Regan agreed. “People have said to me, ‘Wow, you were so honest and so raw.’ If I was thinking about who was reading, I probably wouldn’t have written the things that I did. Going into things that are taboo. ... So for me [the challenge] was not letting it hold me back, thinking about my audience.”

Why a vegan restaurant will now serve meat

Sage Vegan Bistro, now Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery, in Echo Park. Right, regenerative noodle bowl with carne asada.

The choice to eat meat or to go vegan or vegetarian is highly personal. Some come to the decision primarily with the hope of preventing cruelty to animals. Others choose the diet for individual health reasons or for the environment.

Chef and farmer Mollie Engelhart , after specializing in serving vegan food at her Sage Vegan Bistro locations, made the risky decision to change the orientation of her restaurants in the name of regenerative agriculture. As Stephanie Breijo reported this week , she is renaming her restaurants Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery and will add some meat dishes to the menu from animals raised using regenerative farming practices.

“The backlash on social media was swift,” Breijo wrote.

“It’s vulnerable to publicly say, ‘I believed one thing, and maybe I was wrong and now I believe something else,’” Engelhart told Breijo in an interview, “but I hope that it inspires people in their own lives to be willing to be open-minded when something else makes more sense to you.”

Consider the meatball

Paola Briseño-González's Caldo de Albondigas de Camaron.

“Meatballs don’t always have to be meat,” writes Paola Briseño-Gonzalez in her latest story for L.A. Times Food . “Along the Mexican coast, you can find brighter variations of meatballs made with ground fish and shrimp that shatter your expectations of what albóndigas can be.” Briseño-Gonzalez describes some fantastic-sounding places along the Mexican coast that serve shrimp meatballs, including Albóndigas de Camarón Las Originales in Playas de Tijuana and tiny Makai in Punta Mita. Then she gives us a recipe she developed for brothy shrimp meatballs with Sungold tomatoes . A perfect spring soup.

Cakes of the moment

Layer cakes at Harucake in L.A.'s Koreatown.

I’m thrilled that Khushbu Shah , whose cookbook “ Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora ” comes out June 4, is our newest freelance contributor. In her first L.A. Times Food story , she takes us inside the world of Harucake , created by Ellie You , “a master of the Korean minimalist cake-decorating style popularized by bakeries throughout Korea, images from which have persistently flooded Instagram over the last couple of years.” Shah says lines for Harucake’s whole and sliced cakes on weekends can last up to two hours. And even on less-hectic weekdays the cakes tend to sell out. “In flavors such as Yogurt Green Grape, Strawberry Milk Cream and Lotus Mocha,” Shah writes, “[the cakes], made from layers of fluffy génoise sponge and frosted with airy milk cream ... hit that ‘not too sweet’ sugar level deeply prized.”

Ellie You, owner of Harucake, holds a slice of mugwort injeolmi cake.

And if you’re looking for more bakery lines, Stephanie Breijo waited her turn at Fondry , Eagle Rock’s new pâtisserie, the newest contender for “L.A.’s most sought-after croissants.”

Have a question?

  • Restaurant critic Bill Addison went through his most recent 101 Best L.A. Restaurants guide and made a list of 16 Southern California brunch favorites from Calabasas to Long Beach.
  • And assistant Food editor Danielle Dorsey worked with our Food team to update our list of 28 of the best lunch restaurants in L.A .
  • Ashley Ahn reports that food recalls have reached the highest level since the pandemic , with undeclared allergens seen as the biggest reason for the rise.

Eat your way across L.A.

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Laurie Ochoa is general manager of Food at the Los Angeles Times.

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Airlines are going bust in droves, so why do so many people try to launch them?

has travel up gone bust

Professor of Strategy, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick

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has travel up gone bust

Yet another airline has collapsed – this time British operation Flybmi, costing almost 400 jobs as hundreds of flights were cancelled at short notice. It is the latest in a string of recent European airline failures, including Air Berlin , Alitalia , Monarch , Primera , Azur and Cobalt . This is despite years of good growth in worldwide air passenger demand, including in Europe. So why are so many airlines going out of business?

Aviation is an unattractive industry from an investor point of view at the best of times, notwithstanding the passenger growth. Aeroplanes are expensive assets with few alternative uses, which limits the ability of airlines to reduce their capacity during lean periods – compared to, say, a manufacturing business that can close a plant and lay off workers. Airlines also have to deal with fluctuating expenses like fuel, which accounts for around a third of total costs. There is also extensive regulation, combative unions, relatively low barriers to entry and the fact that travellers can so easily shop around.

The sector did become more profitable in the early years of this decade, but this was due to lower fuel prices rather than any underlying improvements. When fuel prices began climbing again in 2016, airlines were hit. This is particularly true of those like Flybmi and Monarch which were buying fuel in pounds sterling, since the currency has weakened in the wake of the 2016 Brexit vote . The political uncertainty has not helped British airlines either – though equally we must generally beware of companies using this as a scapegoat for bad performance.

The future’s not bright

The net result is that it is very difficult for airlines to consistently turn a profit. Business failings are particularly likely to be punished – in the case of Flybmi, for instance, neither the company’s costs nor its fares were low enough to compete effectively. It didn’t have enough passengers for the number of routes it was offering, and could not change capacity without incurring more costs.

It seems extremely likely that there will be more collapses in the sector, and more consolidation as weaker players get weeded out – Ryanair’s takeover of the Austrian airline Laudamotion is one recent example; another is the Virgin Atlantic tie-up with Flybe. The attractions of growing through acquisition are much the same as in many sectors: it gives you greater control of purchasing costs by boosting your negotiating power, while also potentially reducing the downward pressure on ticket prices by taking competitors out of the market.

Takeovers are not a panacea, however, since fuel prices will still fluctuate and underlying negatives like high sunk costs into aeroplanes don’t go away. At the same time, there is no shortage of competition from new entrants who are seemingly oblivious to the challenges in the industry.

In 2017, for example , 79 new airlines launched around the world at the same time as 25 went bust. In Europe, it was 29 entrants and 14 collapses. This rate of market entry is surely unsustainable, particularly in a mature market. It’s also financially irrational when you reflect that the airlines sector produces among the poorest returns on investment. Yet even during recessions, the rate of airline launches sometimes increases – see the graphic below.

Your chances of launching a successful airline nowadays are far lower than, say, in the 1970s, when far fewer went under: there is overcapacity across the industry now, with one in five passenger seats empty across the world. Today’s competition rules also make it much harder for nations to prop up failed airlines. The trouble is that this is a sexy industry; who wants to make widgets when you can pose in front of a plane? There is also a lot of hubris – driven by the handful of airlines that do make good returns, even as most do not.

has travel up gone bust

This brings me to Ryanair, the biggest carrier in Europe, which has itself issued several profit warnings – the most recent in January. The Irish airline, which boasts a 15% market share and 142m passengers, blamed the warning on reduced ticket prices in response to cutthroat competition.

has travel up gone bust

But don’t look to Ryanair to become another of the casualties: chief executive Michael O'Leary still expects the company to make profits after tax of around €1 billion to €1.1 billion (£871m to £958m) for the financial year 2019. Ryanair is in line to make a net profit margin in the region of the 20% it has achieved in recent years, higher than any European competitor.

As the airline with the highest internal efficiency by some distance, the lowest customer fares, an ambitious expansion plan and the greatest geographical coverage in Europe, Ryanair retains its fundamental competitive advantages. Softer fares might have hurt the company, but they will have hurt other European airlines much more. Besides all the other factors that make life so difficult for the likes of Flybmi, getting thumped by Ryanair is another almost inevitable pitfall of being in the airline business.

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List of Holiday Companies that have gone Bust: 2019 - Present

As coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in many countries - including the UK - the travel industry is taking stock of the economic damage done by the pandemic.

Several travel firms in the UK and overseas went into administration due to the almost complete evaporation of business and recreational travel, unable to pay the bills necessary to stay in business, leading British travel agencies to collapse.

What travel firms went bust in 2019?

Superbreak & late rooms .

Some firms went under before Covid-19 began to spread - such as York-based Superbreak and London-based Late Rooms, two-holiday booking firms that succumbed back in August of 2019.

Thomas Cook

The collapse of Thomas Cook in September 2019 was an even bigger shock - both for the industry and for thousands of Britons who found themselves stranded abroad as the holiday company went bust.

Airlines (FlyBe)

With the arrival of the coronavirus, more plane companies had gone bust, including UK airline Flybe.

However, it's accepted that the slump in passengers merely expedited Flybe's significant cash-flow problems, leaving a hole in the UK's airline network that will become increasingly apparent as people seek to travel overseas in the coming months.

Loans to avoid travel companies going bust?

Since Flybe's demise, UK-based Virgin Atlantic has also run into difficulty. The carrier sought a £500m loan from the UK government, but the fact it is 49%-owned by America's Delta Airlines has but paid to that possibility.

EasyJet, a UK PLC, was more fortunate, having secured a £600m loan from the UK government, helping to ensure Europe's second-biggest budget carrier will weather the Covid-19 storm and stop the British travel company from going out of business.

What overseas airlines entered administration?

Overseas, many other airlines, including Virgin Australia, Compass Airlines and Air Mauritius, fell into administration.

Shearings coach holidays

Back on land, Specialist Leisure Group (SLG) has also gone under, taking with it the Shearings coach holiday brand and thousands of jobs.

Shearings was founded in 1919 and until this spring was Europe's largest coach tour operator, running coach and river tours across the UK and mainland Europe.

Have any travel companies survived going bust?

Some long-established airlines and holiday firms have disappeared, but before Covid-19 many of these were profitable enterprises.

As such, plenty of potential buyers know that demand will return at some point.

Purchase of travel firms that have gone bust, by competitors

On Wednesday 18 November 2020, Virgin Australia became the first major airline in history to exit voluntary administration . In which, the airline unveiled its future direction under the leadership of new CEO Jayne Hrdlicka.

Shearings brand acquired by Leger 

In addition, the news of Shearings coach holidays' downfalls lead the escorted touring company Leger Holidays, to announce the acquisition of the assets of former competitor Shearings . The deal will see Leger Holidays acquire the Shearings brand, website and customer database.

Have any travel companies expanded their business since the Coronavirus pandemic?

Let's not forget that some travel firms see huge opportunities as the mists of coronavirus clear. For instance, Hungarian low-cost carrier WizzAir plans to expand routes across the UK and Europe : they expect demand to rise in the coming months, at a time when other no-frills airlines like EasyJet and RyanAir are cutting staff and routes.

List of travel companies that have gone bust:

  • Superbreak & Late Rooms - August 2019
  • Thomas Cook - September 2019
  • Fly365 - online flight booking - Feb 2020
  • Flybe - March 2020
  • Air Mauritius - April 2020

What should you do if your holiday company goes bust?

if your overseas holiday was booked with an  ATOL member  then you can apply to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for a full refund before you’re due to travel.

What happens if my holiday company goes bust whilst I’m abroad?

If you’re already on holiday when the company goes bust, if your holiday was booked with an ATOL member, the CAA will repatriate you.

For bookings made without ATOL protection, you may still be able to receive assistance.

Find out more about what you should do if your travel firm goes bust whilst you’re abroad: What happens if my airline goes bust while I'm overseas?

Will my travel insurance cover me if my holiday company goes bust?

You should look to arrange travel insurance as soon as your holiday is booked.

Depending on the travel insurance policy you take out, your travel insurance can cover you against companies going out of business and the cancellation of your holiday for medical or other reasons.

Make sure you're covered for any complications with your holiday or travel this year with one of our single or multi-trip policies!

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Could Trump Go to Prison? If He Does, the Secret Service Goes, Too

Officials have had preliminary discussions about how to protect the former president in the unlikely event that he is jailed for contempt during the trial.

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Several men and women wearing dark suits standing around an airport tarmac.

By William K. Rashbaum

The U.S. Secret Service is in the business of protecting the president, whether he’s inside the Oval Office or visiting a foreign war zone.

But protecting a former president in prison? The prospect is unprecedented. That would be the challenge if Donald J. Trump — whom the agency is required by law to protect around the clock — is convicted at his criminal trial in Manhattan and sentenced to serve time.

Even before the trial’s opening statements, the Secret Service was in some measure planning for the extraordinary possibility of a former president behind bars. Prosecutors had asked the judge in the case to remind Mr. Trump that attacks on witnesses and jurors could land him in jail even before a verdict is rendered.

(The judge, who held a hearing Tuesday morning to determine whether Mr. Trump should be held in contempt for violating a gag order, is far more likely to issue a warning or impose a fine before taking the extreme step of jailing the 77-year-old former president. It was not immediately clear when he would issue his ruling.)

Last week, as a result of the prosecution’s request, officials with federal, state and city agencies had an impromptu meeting about how to handle the situation, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

That behind-the-scenes conversation — involving officials from the Secret Service and other relevant law enforcement agencies — focused only on how to move and protect Mr. Trump if the judge were to order him briefly jailed for contempt in a courthouse holding cell, the people said.

The far more substantial challenge — how to safely incarcerate a former president if the jury convicts him and the judge sentences him to prison rather than home confinement or probation — has yet to be addressed directly, according to some of a dozen current and former city, state and federal officials interviewed for this article.

That’s at least in part because if Mr. Trump is ultimately convicted, a drawn-out and hard-fought series of appeals, possibly all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, is almost a certainty. That would most likely delay any sentence for months if not longer, said several of the people, who noted that a prison sentence was unlikely.

But the daunting challenge remains. And not just for Secret Service and prison officials, who would face the logistical nightmare of safely incarcerating Mr. Trump, who is also the presumptive Republican nominee for President.

“Obviously, it’s uncharted territory,” said Martin F. Horn, who has worked at the highest levels of New York’s and Pennsylvania’s state prison agencies and served as commissioner of New York City’s correction and probation departments. “Certainly no state prison system has had to deal with this before, and no federal prison has had to either.”

Steven Cheung, the communications director for Mr. Trump’s campaign, said the case against the former president was “so spurious and so weak” that other prosecutors had refused to bring it, and called it “an unprecedented partisan witch hunt.”

“That the Democrat fever dream of incarcerating the nominee of the Republican Party has reached this level exposes their Stalinist roots and displays their utter contempt for American democracy,” he said.

Protecting Mr. Trump in a prison environment would involve keeping him separate from other inmates, as well as screening his food and other personal items, officials said. If he were to be imprisoned, a detail of agents would work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, rotating in and out of the facility, several officials said. While firearms are obviously strictly prohibited in prisons, the agents would nonetheless be armed.

Former corrections officials said there were several New York state prisons and city jails that have been closed or partly closed, leaving wings or large sections of their facilities empty and available. One of those buildings could serve to incarcerate the former president and accommodate his Secret Service protective detail

Anthony Guglielmi, the spokesman for the Secret Service in Washington, declined in a statement to discuss specific “protective operations.” But he said that federal law requires Secret Service agents to protect former presidents, adding that they use state-of-the-art technology, intelligence and tactics to do so.

Thomas J. Mailey, a spokesman for New York State’s prison agency, said his department couldn’t speculate about how it would treat someone who has not yet been sentenced, but that it has a system “to assess and provide for individuals’ medical, mental health and security needs.” Frank Dwyer, a spokesman for the New York City jails agency, said only that “the department would find appropriate housing” for the former president.

The trial in Manhattan, one of four criminal cases pending against Mr. Trump and possibly the only one that will go to a jury before the election, centers on accusations he falsified records to cover up a sex scandal involving a porn star. The former president is charged with 34 counts of felony falsifying business records. If convicted, the judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, could sentence him to punishments ranging from probation to four years in state prison, though for a first-time offender of Mr. Trump’s age, such a term would be extreme.

If Mr. Trump is convicted, but elected president again, he could not pardon himself because the prosecution was brought by New York State.

Under normal circumstances, any sentence of one year or less, colloquially known as “city time,” would generally be served on New York City’s notorious Rikers Island, home to the Department of Correction’s seven jails. (That’s where Mr. Trump’s former chief financial officer, Allen H. Weisselberg, 76, is currently serving his second five-month sentence for crimes related to his work for his former boss.)

Any sentence of more than a year, known as state time, would generally be served in one of the 44 prisons run by New York State’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

The former president could also be sentenced to a term of probation, raising the bizarre possibility of the former commander in chief reporting regularly to a civil servant at the city’s Probation Department.

He would have to follow the probation officer’s instructions and answer questions about his work and personal life until the term of probation ended. He would also be barred from associating with disreputable people, and if he committed any additional crimes, he could be jailed immediately.

Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.

William K. Rashbaum is a Times reporter covering municipal and political corruption, the courts and broader law enforcement topics in New York. More about William K. Rashbaum

Our Coverage of the Trump Hush-Money Trial

News and Analysis

The criminal trial of Trump featured vivid testimony about a plot to protect his first presidential campaign  and the beginnings  of a tough cross-examination  of the prosecution’s initial witness, David Pecker , former publisher of The National Enquirer. Here are the takeaways .

Dozens of protesters calling for the justice system to punish Trump  briefly blocked traffic on several streets near the Lower Manhattan courthouse where he is facing his first criminal trial.

Prosecutors accused Trump of violating a gag order four additional times , saying that he continues to defy the judge’s directions  not to attack witnesses , prosecutors and jurors in his hush-money trial.

More on Trump’s Legal Troubles

Key Inquiries: Trump faces several investigations  at both the state and the federal levels, into matters related to his business and political careers.

Case Tracker:  Keep track of the developments in the criminal cases  involving the former president.

What if Trump Is Convicted?: Could he go to prison ? And will any of the proceedings hinder Trump’s presidential campaign? Here is what we know , and what we don’t know .

Trump on Trial Newsletter: Sign up here  to get the latest news and analysis  on the cases in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C.

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Palm trees and a man fight the wind and the rain in the Florida Keys

When holiday operators go bust – Q&A

H ertfordshire-based travel company Dream Holidays, specialists in trips to Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, has gone bust, affecting an estimated 525 holidaymakers already abroad and 1,800 people with bookings.

Customers of Dream Holidays are protected under the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) protection scheme, so those abroad will be able to complete their holidays and return to the UK, while those yet to travel will be reimbursed. But Dream Holidays may not be the last travel company to go under this summer season so other travellers might not be so lucky. What are your travel rights?

I am a Dream Holidays customer stranded abroad. What should I do?

The CAA is working to ensure all protected customers who are overseas can stay in their accommodation until they are due to travel home. But some are being asked to pay again for their accommodation. If you are being pestered to pay, do so but keep a receipt and send a claim to the CAA on your return home so that a refund can be considered. Those customers protected under Dream Holidays' ATOL should receive a refund.

Will I be able to fly home as planned?

The CAA will ensure that all Dream Holidays' customers are able to fly home as planned, so you should go to the airport for your flight as normal.

I'm still worried. Can I speak to someone about this?

ATOL-protected Dream Holidays' customers who are abroad and experiencing difficulties should contact the CAA for more information on 0044 (0)161 444 5810. Those with bookings requiring general advice about refunds under the ATOL scheme should go to the CAA website or contact the CAA on 08444 933037.

I've booked a holiday with a travel company that is an ATOL member. Am I OK?

The ATOL scheme protects people who buy package holidays that include a flight, through UK tour operators. Whether you've booked for a complete air holiday package or just a flight, ATOL protects you from losing money or being stranded abroad if the tour operator goes out of business.

Under the ATOL scheme, if your holiday operator goes bust you will get a refund if you haven't flown yet. If you are already abroad, you will be able to continue your holiday as normal and your costs for coming home will be covered.

The CAA will try to get you on a return flight as close to your original departure time as possible, but should you need to pay for extra nights, transport and other outgoings, these will be covered if considered reasonable.

I paid for my flight with a credit card. Can I claim it back?

If you booked by credit card, you can make a claim via your card company. A part of credit card law, introduced in the 1970s and known as section 75, means credit card companies must take responsibility for refunding customers if the goods they bought don't turn up or the supplier goes bust. The total cost of the goods you are paying for must be more than £100 and less than £30,000 for the law to apply.

I paid for my flight with a debit card, would I be protected?

Anyone who made their purchase with a Visa debit card is covered by its Chargeback scheme, which offers similar protection to section 75. To make a claim customers must contact their card issuer, which then contacts the company's payment-processing bank to reclaim the money. This means that even if a company goes into liquidation it is possible to reclaim money, as the claim is made against a bank not the company.

My credit or debit card company is refusing to refund me

Sometimes card issuers misunderstand the section 75 and Chargeback rules and refuse a claim. Anyone in this situation should make sure they know their rights and argue their case. If all else fails contact the Financial Ombudsman .

The company I booked with does not seem to be an ATOL member but I have travel insurance. Will it cover me?

Check your policy as not all cover the collapse of travel providers.

  • Consumer rights
  • Consumer affairs
  • Travel insurance
  • Credit cards

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