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Mid-Ulster holidaymakers are left ‘high and dry’ again

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

Proprietor Shirley Smyth of ‘Worldchoice’ Thomas Street Dungannon assists local lady Marie (Dungannon) and her two friends with alternative holidays after being failed by ‘Gold Trail’.dd2930

MID-Ulster travel agents have come to the aid of local travellers left "high and dry" abroad following the collapse of British tour operator Goldtrail Travel.
Goldtrail Travel, which specialised in holidays to Turkey and Greece, went into administration on Friday last completely "out of the blue".
As a result travel agents in Dungannon, Cookstown and Magherafelt have been working flat out to assist holiday-hit tourists who are fearful of not getting home and having to pay out more money in a bid to do so.
A number of travel agents from the three towns are currently endeavouring to ensure customers abroad get home; rescheduling cancelled holidays and providing customers with assistance in completing reimbursement forms to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Liz McVeigh, partner in Century Travel, Dungannon, speaking on Monday, said: "Twelve of our customers booked with Goldtrail are coming home this evening. Another 35 customers are either due home at the end of July or have had their holiday cancelled.
"The biggest problem is getting people rebooked who didn't get to fly. They will have to pay considerably more for a holiday at this point in the Summer and may have to wait a long time before getting their money back. The CAA is now saying people may have to wait two years."
According to the CAA, all seats on chartered airlines booked through Goldtrail have been cancelled, leaving passengers or travel agents to arrange alternative flights home, which will be reimbursed by the CAA.
Shirley Smyth, Managing Director at Worldchoice Holidays, Dungannon said: "Three girls, one from Dungannon, were due to fly to Turkey today but after being failed by Goldtrail, we booked them to Crete... and it was £120 cheaper.
"We are letting people purchase rescheduled holidays from us on credit and we are waiting for the money to be returned by the CAA.
"Goldtrail holidays have been £200 cheaper with the result many people booked them."
Ulster Travel, Dungannon has also been helping affected customers. Managing Director, Anne Relph, said: "We had a party of 10 due to fly out to Turkey today and are trying to get them on another flight to Crete.
"We have couples and families, totaling about 40 people, who were due to fly to Turkey in August, but we are getting them relocated. Most people only have one family holiday a year and still want to get away.
"Travellers affected will be reimbursed through the CAA, though it could take 18 months to two years."
A Spokesperson for The Co-operative Travel in Magherafelt said: "We have very few customers in resort with Goldtrail, but everyone who books with The Co-operative Travel is fully financially protected, and we are in dialogue with our customers and the CAA to help those currently on holiday. We are also contacting all those holidaymakers who are yet to travel to make alternative arrangements. All our customers will be taken care of either by being offered an alternative holiday or a full refund, depending on their circumstances."
This is the second time this year Ulster holidaymakers have had to face disappointment, following the grounding of hundreds of flights in and out of Northern Ireland and the Republic, due to the volcanic ash disruption in April.

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