Flybe passenger Q&A: What should I do if I was due to travel with Flybe?
Any Flybe passenger will not be able to fly after the budget airline collapsed into administration in the early hours of this morning.
It failed to obtain a £100m loan from the government to stay afloat.
The airline issued a statement saying that “all flights operated by Flybe have been cancelled with immediate effect”.
But what should you do if you were due to fly with Flybe?
What if I was due to travel today?
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has told all passengers due to fly not to go to the airport as Flybe flights will not be operating.
It urges customers to make alternative travel arrangements via other airlines, rail or coach operators.
For flights operated by Flybe’s franchise partners Stobart Air, Eastern Airways, and Blue Islands passengers should make contact with that airline to confirm travel arrangements.
Guernsey based Blue Islands has issued a statement saying that it will will operate as usual for return flights between Southampton and Jersey today .
It added that it would honour all tickets issued by Flybe and had offered to take over “with immediate effect” the Newquay – Heathrow route, and Exeter to Jersey and Guernsey route.
What other arrangements can I make?
A number of train companies have said that they will provide free travel for Flybe passengers today.
First Group, which owns rail franchises Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and Hull Trains, will today provide free tickets to anybody who can provide valid proof of bookings with Flybe.
London North Eastern Railway has also said it will offer free standard transport to Flybe staff or passengers travelling today.
Airlines have also said that they will offer special rescue fares to help accommodate Flybe customers, with Ryanair lauching a special fares service starting from £19.99.
Tickets are available for travel up until the end of April but must be booked by midnight on 8 March.
Easyjet has also offered to take any Flybe passengers for a set fee of £65 for flights until the end of May, as well as free flights for Flybe staff today and tomorrow.
Will I get my money back?
According to the CAA, if you booked directly with Flybe and paid by credit card you may be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and should contact your card issuer for further information.
Similarly, if you paid by debit or charge card you should contact your card issuer for advice as you may be able to make a claim under their charge back rules.
Martin Lewis of Money Saving Expert said: “For credit card customers – if you’ve paid for something over £100 – Section 75 offers legal protection, which means the credit card company is jointly liable with the retailer”.
He added that in the first instance it may be more effective to try and get a chargeback, where one asks a debit or credit card provider to try and get the money back from Flybe’s payment processor.
Although it’s not a legal protection, Lewis says, “it’s a locked in process for Visa, Mastercard and American Express customers, and has worked very well in the past”.
If you purchased travel insurance that includes cover for scheduled airline failure, known as SAFI, you should contact your insurer.
If you did not book directly with Flybe and purchased your tickets through a third party, you should contact your booking or travel agent in the first instance.
Are my flights ATOL protected?
ATOL – Air Travel Organisers Licence – protection can guard people against losing money or being stranded abroad.
However, The Civil Aviation Authority believes that very few Flybe passengers are ATOL protected and those people should make arrangements through their travel agent, who are responsible for providing alternative arrangements.
If you have booked a trip that includes flights and hotels with a travel firm that holds an ATOL and received confirmation that you are ATOL protected, the travel firm is responsible for your flight arrangements and must either make alternative flights available for you so that your trip can continue or provide a full refund.
Jan Carton of Citizens Advice said: “Flybe customers who bought tickets directly from the company won’t be protected by the ATOL scheme. However, if you went through a travel agent or other third party you may be covered. Some people may be able to get their money back if they paid by credit card.