Globespan collapse

If you’re one of the unlucky travellers, predominantly Scottish, who’s booked a holiday or flight with Flyglobespan, the subsidiary of Globespan, you may be wondering what is going to happen.

Globespan has gone into administration, leaving many passengers stranded abroad. People who booked an entire package holiday are covered under the Civil Aviation Authority's Atol scheme, which kicks in when a travel company fails. This means they will continue their holiday and will be offered alternative flights home, free of charge. People who’ve booked hotels with Globespan may find themselves being asked for payment for their stay, especially if they are just staying a couple of nights before or after a cruise. In this case, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says it’s best to pay and keep any receipts, because the money can be reclaimed the money through Atol. The same will be true if you need to pay for a taxi to the airport or port to replace the transfer service Globespan was supposed to provide.

If you only booked a flight with FlyGlobespan, to meet your cruise, the news is bad – you will not covered under the Atol scheme, which means the CAA will not help the estimated 3,400 holidaymakers in Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Egypt who flew out with FlyGlobespan. Basically these passengers have no choice but to find and pay for their own alternative flights with no compensation offered. Some airlines are offering cheap alternative flights such as Ryanair which is offering a £89 rescue fare to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. And passengers who paid for their flight or any part of it with a credit card or a Visa debit card may be able to claim a refund. Finally, holidaymakers who booked via a travel agent can submit a claim to them.