Today (2/10/2017) at 4:00am (BST) it was announced that the Monarch Travel Group has ceased trading, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers.
Approximately 860,000 people have lost their bookings, with many would-be passengers not finding out until they arrived at airports today.
It is believed that terror attacks in Europe, an increase in competition, and the weakening of the pound in the wake of Brexit, are all points which have contributed to Monarch's reported £291m loss last year, resulting in a subsequent decision to cease trading.
So what does this mean for travellers?
Due to the large scale of this failure, the UK government has requested that the Civil Aviation Authority arrange replacement flights for ALL Monarch Airlines customers due to return to the UK on flights departing overseas airports on or before October 15th 2017.
Due to this, holidays will not need to be cut short, and passengers do not need to return home early.
Further information regarding this can be found at the CAA’s dedicated website monarch.caa.co.uk. This affects 110,000 customers, and therefore there may be some delays while the necessary arrangements are put in place.
What if your flight returns on or after October 16th 2017?
If this is the case for you, then your travel agent must find you a replacement flight. This, however, will not be the case if the agent you booked through is not ATOL protected. You will need to contact your travel agent as soon as possible to begin this process.
What if your replacement flight is later than the original?
Again, as long as the agent is ATOL protected, they must take responsibility for your welfare - this means that they must provide food, drink, and accommodation in the event that your replacement flight is arranged for a later date than your original flight.
What if you are yet to travel on your Monarch flight or holiday package?
It is important to know that ALL future flights and holidays with Monarch have been cancelled with immediate effect - do not go to the airport expecting to board your flight. If you had a booking for a Monarch flight or holiday package that is due to start in the future, you will need to contact your travel agent who will have 2 options:
- To provide a suitable alternative
- To issue a full refund.
Further Information
If you find yourself affected by this, then we recommend you contact your travel agent for assistance and also visit monarch.caa.co.uk for up to date information.
