One of the regional airlines, Flybe, canceled all its flights just hours before tickets were booked by customers after announcing its collapse on Saturday morning and requesting that people avoid going to the airport. Andrew Gibbins was one of the hundreds of travelers throughout the UK who expressed their outrage.
For a work trip from Birmingham to Edinburgh, Gibbins from Daventry had scheduled a flight on Sunday. Around 2 am, he was prompted to check in after receiving a text, and after 10 minutes, a second message was received that announced the collapse of the airline.
“I’m in a fortunate position compared to many because my company can pay for new flights. Anything else would have been tricky three days before payday in January,” he stated.
The airline canceled all its flights immediately, leaving many passengers stranded, and even those passengers who had paid for the flight suffered a few hours before the news broke.
Sharing the frustration, one of the passengers posted the news on Twitter: “Little frustrating as I only booked my flight for Thursday.” Another questioned: “I booked a flight at 7 pm last night—how could they let the booking go through?”
One passenger reported that the news of their flight being canceled was told three hours earlier. “I got up at six and left the house before seven.”
“I got to Hatton Central and I checked my email, and it says they’ve gone into administration. “It’s just outrageous.”
Some passengers recalled the misery they’ve encountered with Flybe in recent months and shared it on social media.
For a flight from Birmingham to Belfast that was canceled on short notice last October, Tracy Flannigan from Bangor is still awaiting a refund and compensation.
“This was the first trip I had gone on with my teenage daughter since before the pandemic, and we wanted to make it extra special, but it ended very stressfully. I had to fork out extra money for hotels and food when our flight was canceled, and despite chasing numerous times, I never got an apology or any compensation from Flybe.
“It’s the principle that upsets me—and knowing I’ve been lied to.”
Flybe customers were advised to opt for an alternative mode of transport, such as booking a new flight or taking a train or a coach.
Passengers who had booked their tickets were advised to seek reimbursement from their credit or debit card provider, claim on their travel insurance, or their travel provider if they had not booked with Flybe directly.
Out of 321 of Flybe’s employees, 277 would be fired, leaving only 44.
Ryanair has offered assistance to those who have been fired by establishing a quick hiring process for those fired Flybe employees.
- Published By Team Timeswire