Flying with Oasis Hong Kong tomorrow WELL we WERE. Paid by debit card does anyone know if we are entitled to a refund?

My father is left stranded in Hong Kong but we’ve been informed everything is been done to fly passengers back home.

You have to laugh at these cheap ass travellers

Thankfully I booked my flight with Oasis Hong Kong Airlines with my credit card – you’ve got to feel sorry for those stranded.

Shocking that passengers can be treat this way.

My friend and her newly married husband are stranded in Hong Kong with family and friends rallying around to get some money to them to book a flight home.

The government needs to do something about this.

We were due to fly out on Friday and unfortunately it appears that Cathay can’t offer anything to people who aren’t stranded as a result of this fiasco. I’m very worried by the fact that the airline isn’t registered with ATOL and am hoping that either we’ll get the money back through either Oasis or our credit cards.

This is disgusting that they have left people stranded and then expect them to pay to get back home.

What are people to do sleep in airports and walk home!!!

Hi Darren. For all the people who need more information here is an extract from the Travelmole.com:
Cathay Pacific and Air New Zeland have stepped in to help stranded passengers.
“We sympathise with the many passengers in Hong Kong, London and Vancouver who have been stranded by the Oasis’ decision, and we will do our very best to help them through this difficult and stressful period,” said Cathay chief executive Tony Tyler.
Special ticketing arrangements have been made to help Oasis customers who had confirmed bookings on the airline over the next two weeks, effective up to and including April 23.
A special one-way Economy Class fare of £160 will be offered to eligible Oasis ticket holders on the London to Hong Kong route.

Cathay has set up a hotline on 0208 834 8893 for passengers to get details of special ticketing arrangements.

Details can also be found at http://www.cathaypacific.com

“We will be doing our utmost to help people out, and will certainly do everything in our power to co-operate with the HKSAR Government and other carriers to minimise the impact on the travelling public” said Tyler.
Air New Zealand is offering a special one way fare of £150 plus taxes of £124 and a service fee of £7 - a total fare of £281 - from London to Hong Kong for passengers affected by the liquidation of Oasis Airlines on production of an Oasis ticket.

The fare is on sale until April 30 and is available for departures up until that date.

@ Gordon
I would suggest to wait until these poor travellers are back in the countfy and then go and laugh in their face, if you dare!! And then you tell me if you will go back at home in one piece!! Arrogant!!!

Thanks for keeping us up to date Darren.

We were due to fly out on Sunday and I am so pleased that this happened today but angry for those stranded.

To all, somed more info:
Low-cost airline Oasis has voluntarily gone into liquidation.
The Hong Kong government is implementing contingency arrangements with other airlines to help travellers, secretary for transport and housing Eva Cheng told a press conference. Ms Cheng said passengers seeking compensation should approach Oasis or the Hong Kong consumer council for help.
Oasis has set up hotlines for affected passengers (0844 482 2323 in London and +44 129 359 6633 outside the UK).

I hope it helps.
if I get more info i will post them as matter of urgency.
Good luck to all.

Ms Cheng said passengers seeking compensation should approach Oasis or the Hong Kong consumer council for help.

I think the posts so far have missed the bigger picture - with regards to budget airlines and bad business models. I think we’re going to see this happen more and more often, particularly with new budget airlines that aren’t bankrolled by a major multinational. Ultimately flights from the UK to Hong Kong for 75GBP are unsustainable, and were never going to work. Just wait till the more regional airlines start having trouble.

Whilst i feel sorry for those involved, I do actually tend to agree with Gordon’s Comment. When Will People learn that they have to pay a proper price and understand the true price of travelling the World and having a properly protected Holiday.
Yesterday some clients came in looking for flights to Pisa with Ryanair going on 04th June from Birmingham.
Cost of Outbound Flight £0.00 Taxes and Charges £9.99 ( How can you have Taxes on a flight costing £0.00 is beyond me)
Inbound Flight 13th June £3.49 Taxes and Charges £13.92
TOTAL COST £27.40
How much of that pays for landing charges, maintenence of aircraft, staffing costs, Fuel, Cleaning etc etc?
Oasis aren’t the first and won’t be the last to go.
If people expect to pay less and less, then they should expect to get themselves in trouble, Why should others step in and help those that do not pay for protection?

This is to answer Luke Gardiner’s question regarding Debit Card Claim. I have been talking online with other victims, and got some clue. Yes, you CAN claim it back. See moneysavingexpert.com, forums. I am now under the procedure of claiming.

Hi,

I really like your site. How long have you had it for? It has a lot of good information. Do you mind if I link to it in my own site?

I have my own site..it’s a blog, has my photos, travel news, tips etc…

If you get a chance, take a look but…I’d also like to link to you..

-Matt

I feel very sorry for the stranded people and hope they all get home asap.
I am also very sad that this is the end of Oasis HK as I have travelled with them many times over the past year and always found them very good and reliable. Also I liked many of the staff and it is horrible to think they no longer have their jobs.
Such a sad day for Oasis and everyone involved.

Am very annoyed at Oasis Hon Kong, booked by credit card. Any one had any luck getting their money back? Is so how? Thank you.

I don’t think a lot of credit card companies will pay up especially if you booked the flights more than 90 days ago which we did. Also there appears to be a get out clause with credit card companies because this company is outside the UK. To know we have lost some £2200 for a holiday that we are not going to have is devastating.

I booked flights last October to go to Hong Kong with Oasis this July. Because I paid with a credit card I should be covered. Ive been doing a bit of research and under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act you are covered. This cover also applies to foreign transations made with a credit card - this was upheld in the House of Lords Court in Nov 2007. Ive contacted my Egg credit card and they are sending a form to me to complete and return with copy of flight itinery & proof from Oasis website that they have went into liquidation. The person I spoke to at Egg’s Disputed payments said that these matters are usually fairly straightforward and once they’ve rec’d the form back - they should be able to issue me with a refund within 10 days.

I was one of the stranded passengers and returned wiht Cathay Pacific yesterday on their special flight which was full. they were really helpful unlike Oasis or the Govmt who did nothing to help - we had to do it all ourselves (wife and 10yr old son) There as no sign of any reps govmt or otherwise to assit us at HK airport and there seemed to be a mysterious nes blackout in HK after the announcement. We paid via our credit card and we believe we are covered under S.75 Consumer Credit Act so we should be ok. Furstrating that my travel insurance (Direct Travel - AXA backed) does not cover any such dilemma shame I wasn’t ill then they would have flown us all home!!!! Thwy were happy to sell us return flights though!!! I do feel very sorry for those stilll stranded without any means of paying for the extra flights home - we wer very lucky i guess. We didn’t actually pay a mega cheap price for the flights so we didn’t deserve what happend to us! Added complication of having to get to LGW from LHR were our car had been parked for 2 weeks!

Russell

Gordon, why are you so bitter?

Hi there, i booked flights with Oasis just a few weeks ago, i booked using a halifax mastercard and am not sure what to do. i called them up and they said get in touch with oasis, i sent my oasis claim to the email address they supplied as the fax number they gave didnt work for me, is anyone else having this trouble? and has anyone had correspondence with oasis?
Should i forget oasis and simply get back on to the credit card company and bring up section 75 ect…

Hi, can someone share some info with me, I am also holding a Oasis Hong Kong Flight ticket, I got my ticket from a travel agent and paid with my Maestro Debit Card, anyone know what should I do to get my money back?

why is paying with credit card good? what if it was booked last yr in 2007?

We are in the same position as a lot of you as we have lost our flights from Hong Kong to London and return in June. Thanks to everyone who has shared info on claiming via the credit card company - really useful and I will investigate further… good luck with the refunds everyone!

i have had a response from KMPG in HK saying my email registering my claim has been received but I don’t think I have a hope of getting anything back. If you booked iht a credit Card then s.75 of the Consumer Credit Act applies - so don’t take any nonsense from the Credit card Company. You will need to put everything in writing to them include ticket confirmation details and refer to S.75 as I say above. Oasis i doubt will do much if anything at all as there will be thousands of creditors. If you paid by debit card you don’t (I think) get the same protection but check this out with either the local Trading Standards or the Financial Services Authority. I think your ckaim could be via your travel agent but take advice.

Apols everyone for my dodgy typing I think quicker than i type!. I will keep you all informed of my progress with MasterCard as they received my claim today, If they refuse then the next option is the Financial ombudsman - take a looka at their site Gaz it’s quite helpful http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk not the fsa as I mentioned last time who can force them to cough up if they find in your favour which I have been advised should be the case.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/ombudsman-news/31/31.pdf

Yea, I booked my ticket with my wellsfargo debit card and they had the money back into my account two days later (thank you wells fargo hugs and kisses)
I also checked with quantus and they had a 70 pound one way flight. Although it doesn’t work for me because I also need the return, hope that helps.

To Lee Harrison, I think there’s something you should understand before you throw stones to the sinking ship. Oasis was not those ridiculous cheap price airline and people DID pay proper Taxes and all (about £150). I think the reason why most people chose Oasis was because Oasis was a ‘Hong Kong’ airline and HK people would like to support it. Sometimes things can be a little more deeper than you think…

£150.00, I rest my case.
Here’s a nice follow up from AITO Chairman Derek Moore from travel Bulletin.
“AITO chief hits out at ‘fly-by-night’ airlines ”

Airlines that go bust leaving passengers stranded and out of pocket have come under fire from the head of the Association of Independent Tour Operators.

The organisation’s chairman Derek Moore, speaking in the wake of eight carriers failing this year, called on the government to include scheduled carriers within the £1 consumer protection levy set up to cover travellers using tour operators.

The government appears prepared to sit by and watch consumers lose out when they could so easily have provided consumer protection by including airlines within the remit of the new £1 levy.

Moore said: “I’m fed up of seeing fly-by-night airlines leaving innocent travellers in the lurch.

“It seems that anyone with a 737 sees themselves as the next Richard Branson - and to hell with the consequences when it all ends in tears.

“Consumers need better protection and I strongly urge the Government to include airlines within the £1 levy. It’s common sense to be prudent in this matter.

“Airlines are only too eager to claim that protection is not necessary - yet, staggering as it seems, over 40 have gone out of business in the past 12 months alone.”

Many travellers are unaware that scheduled airlines do not provide any financial protection in the event of a failure and, with the current price of oil still on the up and competition ever increasing, further collapses are “inevitable,” according to the organisation.

AITO “strongly suggests” that anyone considering a holiday should either protect themselves by buying specific travel insurance that includes scheduled airline failure, or take the simple route and book a fully protected package from a proper specialist tour operator.

by Phil Davies

I lost my flights on Oasis. Not that bitter as they were cheap and i still managed to get back a few hours before my dad’s 60th thanks to Cathay.
I would like to try and get my money back however, for the 2 tickets I paid for. I have filled in the correct forms but the Fax number doesnt work -I get the feeling im not alone on that one!
Someone mentioned an email address you can use instead…?
Many thanks

The claim form to the liquidator, KPMG, can be emailed in but let’s all be clear, customers are just unsecured creditors of a bankrupt company and are back of the queue under English and Hong Kong insolvency law. There are banks with bigger claims who get repaid first because they have mortgages over the planes so there will be very little/nothing left in the pot for customers. Travel insurance normally excludes bankrupt airlines, while Oasis is not an IATA member and s.75 CCA only works for UK/EU credit cards. Anyone in HK who used a HK credit card will find things difficult…

Chris - I scanned the documents and emailed them and it worked I got a response. I would tage the email for a delivery and read receipt as well. Have to say, to got a standard email letter by return basically saying I’ve been added to the list of creditors - so I don’t hold out much hope!

Hi everyone,

I read your thread with interest as I am writing a follow-up article on the Oasis story about whether customers have succeeded in getting their money back and what their feelings are about the situation. If you were caught up in the fiasco and would like to contribute by answering a couple of questions (I don’t need to use your real name if you prefer) please do drop me a line ASAP.

Thanks for your help.

Anita

lunarsynthesis@gmail.com

i had 20 business class flights with OASIS and saved over £20,000,we all know the risks with cheep airlines but sometimes the risks are worth the savings !
I could not fault the service or there staff its just a shame that things ended the way they did.

We have used Oasis a couple of times in the last 18 months and found them excellent. Only heard about this titsup recently. Just been researching one-way flights UK to manila via Singapore or HK with Sing Airlines or Cathay. £1300 approx with Singapore Air and £almost 7000 with Cathay for 2 adults and a 2 year old. What the? THAT’s why companies like Oasis are needed. How the hell can Cathay justify that price?? (All enquiries/ prices online.)

See recent post _ I mean ECONOMY prices even though Cathay’s might seem to be First Class with free brandy and pole-dancers

Has any one out there had any luck in getting money back from Oasis. I note comments above indicating S 75 Consumer Credit Act applies our Barclaycard are having none of that and say liquidation is a different matter to breach of contract. They are also saying they will not be able to consider our case until firstly they have aletter from Oasis saying the flight will not be honoured and even when they have that our claim cannot be considered until after the date of the flight. What good is that. Can anyone out there help.

Karen Barclaycard are wrong S75 does apply - I had to supply a letter from Oasis re the fact that they could not honour the flight and that was OK. There was a letter on the Oasis site saying that all flights had ceased and that you’d have to pay for alternatives at your own cost! I supplied everything to my credit card co and the only stipulation was that I had registered my claim officially to the liquidators (for the use that would be) but that was their requirement, I would call your local Trading Standards or the Financial Ombudsman for advice. Hope this helps?

Russell, Thanks for the above. We have been on the phone to Trading Standards already who have contacted Barclaycard on our behalf and actually got told a different story to what we had been. We have now been told that Barclaycard are expecting some sort of response from Oasis within the next 10 days or so and a decision will be made then. Problem for the c.card companies is that this is potentially going to cost them a lot of money. T.Standards also state that this comes under S. 75. We hadn’t originally submitted any claim to Oasis because we didnot see the point but that’s all gone off today as well. We’ll just have to wait and see. Have you got any money back yet or indication that you will?

Sounds more promising Karen. I am with Mastercard who have been really helpful and have stated we are covered. but, I haven’t got the money yet. Don’t be put off by Barclaycard’s sob story, it may cost them a lot but they too will be re-insured for such occurences, when you look at how much they make it’s peanuts really. Have a look at the Financial Ombudsman link I added on this site as they have some ‘test’ cases (under S.75) where they have forced the banks to settle - hopefully, you won’t have the need though - but for added advice may be worth a call?. Not sure what B’Card think
Oasis wil do in 10 days time, they have no money and you as a creditors will be way down the list and one of thousands, Be polite but insistant with B’Card and good luck, I will let you know when I hear from Mastercard.

Has anyone had any luck with refunds from their credit card company?? HSBC are being difficult and asking me for a letter from the liquidator stating i should contact my credit card company.

Bruce, Mastercard have asked the same question recentky, but I told them to look at the Oasis Hong Kong Website where there is a message which pretty much says what they need. We have the law on our side. but it WILL take a while and possibily some hassle but they can’t wriggle our of it. Polite persistence is the key!

Money back at last! Today HSBC have credited my account with the full amount. Although they state “I have credited your account while we investigate. If it is shown the services were available to you, I will remove the credit from your account”. I guess they have to have the last word…

Good news - like Bruce I too have just received a letter to say they have credited my account - I have to say although it’s taken a while Mastercard (Tesco platinum) have been very good. Helpful web site - thanks, it’s good to share.

Not only did I get my money back I have also been compensated for the difference in the cost of the return flights and for the cost of getting from Heathrow to Gatwick. Mastercard (Tesco Finance) are brilliant !

Do feel sorry for those stranded anywhere due to the oasis incident, no doubts they were wrong, although I’m not sure if they can do anything about it. Yet, before we get too bitter, I think we should all thank Hong Kong’s national airline, Cathay…. I doubt a lot of you guys would not have been here posting if it weren’t for them…. To be honest with you, those 2 additional flights must be running at a loss as the price is less than half of what cathay usually charges, yet you get their full high class service, and its only out of compassionate that they offered it, as well as many other tickets offered to oasis victims. Maybe you guys should consider them for your next trip. And for the information of Keith Warren and others, Cathay only charges 2600 pounds for a 2 adult and 1 child economy ticket from london to manila, singapore airlines charges 2300 pounds but don’t you think about changing your schedule or else be prepared to cop another large fee. If you think you can get away with 1300 pounds for that trip, I would advise you to be careful which airline you choose, cos you are likely to fall into the Oasis trap again. I would pay even an extra 1500 pounds for the security Cathay offers, afterall its a hard earnt holiday and I want it to be the best time I have, I’d rather go on holidays less frequent than experience a nightmare on my holidays.