‘Shock and anger’ over Monarch Airlines collapse
October 2, 2017 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
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Robson Smith
Empty check-in desks pictured on Monday morning at Gatwick Airport, London
Hundreds of thousands of Monarch Airlines passengers found out early on Monday via text message or letter that the company has ceased trading. Many have expressed distress and disbelief after their holiday plans were left in tatters.
‘Shock then anger’
Katie Ode drove to Manchester airport on Monday morning from Anglesey, north Wales, for a Monarch flight at 07:00 BST.
She told BBC Radio 5 Live she received a text message at 04:00 BST when she and her friend were only 10 minutes from the airport.
When they got closer, the scene outside the terminal was “chaotic”.
“There was a massive queue of traffic. Stewards were stopping every car saying there was no point going into the airport… there was no staff, they have gone home,” she said.
Ms Ode said she felt “shock at first, then anger”, mainly because it was their only holiday booked for the year.
She has phoned her package holiday company to see if she can get another flight or, if not, a refund.
‘£900 out of pocket’
David Elrick had his flight to Dalaman, Turkey, cancelled this morning from London Gatwick, but has managed to rebook.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’m at Gatwick airport still.
“I arrived at 05:00 the flight was due 07:10 and we were met by some of the staff at Gatwick airport handing out letters saying that Monarch had stopped trading.
“It wasn’t until we got to Gatwick that we were advised… You can imagine quite a few people were quite shocked by this.”
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Reuters
Letters were handed out at London Gatwick Airport
He said he managed to book an alternative flight online, but this cost him another £600 for him and his partner.
“Plus baggage and seats, I imagine I am £800 to £900 out of pocket.
“I booked through Thomson and they are Atol protected so hopefully there will be some form of compensation, but I’ll worry about that when I’m back from holiday.”
‘Absolutely gutted’
Steve Walker, from Northampton, told 5 Live: “Travelling to Luton – or I was – to fly to Sweden to defend my world power lifting title tomorrow.
“Now driving back home. No chance of getting to Sundsvall in time, three months of hard training down the pan. Absolutely gutted.”
‘First Ryanair, now Monarch’
Chris, from Milton Keynes, told 5 Live he had his Ryanair flight cancelled a couple of weeks ago and now his Monarch flight to Lanzarote in the New Year had been cancelled as well.
‘I thought it was a prank’
Mike Olley was due to fly back to Birmingham from Malaga on Monday.
“We got a text this morning saying that Monarch had gone out of business. I thought it was a prank,” he said.
“Our flight is at 12:15 back home today. We haven’t got any information on our flight yet.
“[It is a] bit of a shock to the system, but I am reassured by the assurances of [Transport Secretary] Chris Grayling. The CAA seems very up to speed but I feel sorry for the staff.”
‘I paid for flights on Saturday’
Stewart, from Renfrew, told 5 Live he booked flights from Manchester to Dalaman on Saturday.
“They took my money knowing they might go into administration,” he said.
“I have lost £750… I may have to cancel everything, my wife and two boy are going to be gutted.”
‘Really disappointed’
Joe Alvarez, 23, from London, said: “I have a flight booked with Monarch to Spain in three weeks to take my elderly grandmother to a family wedding, I am now worried that we won’t be able to go and she will be very upset.
“The flights are not Atol protected. They had cost £80 each. Other flights are looking really, really expensive.
“I’m really disappointed. I am quite upset that we won’t be able to go to the wedding.
“My grandmother doesn’t know yet. I need to speak to her, but I want to work out a plan before I do so I don’t worry her too much.”
‘Suitcase packed for three weeks’
John Shepherd, from Tamworth, told the BBC: “I was due to fly to Cyprus tomorrow morning with my 92-year-old blind dad. He’s had his suitcase packed for three weeks.
“We’ve been very lucky in that we went straight on the internet and have managed to book flights from Manchester to Cyprus – but it’s cost a fair bit of money.
“I’m worried we’ve lost all the money on the flights. We’ve now got to go through rigmarole of contacting the credit card company and seeing if we can get it back.
“I’m amazed a company as big as them has gone so quickly.”
An employee’s perspective
One Monarch Airlines worker, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC: “We’ve had a really good performance recently so I’m shocked.
“I work in training at head office. I never thought it would come to this. That it would go this badly wrong.
“Management have been excellent and very transparent in their communications so far today. I spoke to my manager this morning and they were happy to answer any of my questions and gave me their personal number if they ever need to contact them.
“We have a meeting at the head office later this morning so I will find out what is going to happen next.”
