Comments on: Zoom airlines another casualty of the economic climate http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/08/29/zoom-airlines-another-casualty-of-the-economic-climate/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:52:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Darren Cronian http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/08/29/zoom-airlines-another-casualty-of-the-economic-climate/#comment-122894 Darren Cronian Tue, 23 Sep 2008 05:17:14 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=1554#comment-122894 @ Malkie That's a very good question. I would be sceptical too and I would be interested to hear from anyone else who has had a similar experience where your credit card was refused on the Zoom Airlines website. That would be very interesting. @ Malkie

That’s a very good question.

I would be sceptical too and I would be interested to hear from anyone else who has had a similar experience where your credit card was refused on the Zoom Airlines website. That would be very interesting.

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]]> By: malkie http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/08/29/zoom-airlines-another-casualty-of-the-economic-climate/#comment-122844 malkie Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:18:58 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=1554#comment-122844 I have just returned from Canada after Zoom 'dropped us in it ' 24 hours before departure. What I want to know from fellow 'Zoomers' was whether the Zoom website 'forced' them into using their debit card. I always book everything online with my credit card for the protection it gives. But, the only time this has happened, the Zoom site wouldn't accept my c/card and I had to use the debit card. A week before the Zoom collapse a friend had exactly the same experience using another budget carrier's website with his credit card. For all you sceptics, the credit cards are both perfectly valid and the balances cleared every month so there was no reason for their refusal. Could it be that at least some of the credit card companies already knew that Zoom was in difficulty? Apparently Zoom and Alitalia have been excluded for months from most travel policies that actually cover bankruptcy of an airline! So, why not the credit card coys??? malkie I have just returned from Canada after Zoom ‘dropped us in it ‘ 24 hours before departure. What I want to know from fellow ‘Zoomers’ was whether the Zoom website ‘forced’ them into using their debit card. I always book everything online with my credit card for the protection it gives. But, the only time this has happened, the Zoom site wouldn’t accept my c/card and I had to use the debit card. A week before the Zoom collapse a friend had exactly the same experience using another budget carrier’s website with his credit card.
For all you sceptics, the credit cards are both perfectly valid and the balances cleared every month so there was no reason for their refusal.

Could it be that at least some of the credit card companies already knew that Zoom was in difficulty? Apparently Zoom and Alitalia have been excluded for months from most travel policies that actually cover bankruptcy of an airline! So, why not the credit card coys???

malkie

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]]> By: Jim Tinley http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/08/29/zoom-airlines-another-casualty-of-the-economic-climate/#comment-122425 Jim Tinley Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:28:19 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=1554#comment-122425 Yeah still jere in the USA. Due to fly home to London on the 5th Nov. Just found out that my debit card company wont pay up (Lloyds TSB). Eeeek Visa running out & no flight home.....Darn the airlines..... Stuck Stuck Stuck no money to get back spent it travelling the last 3 months.... Laters whilke I go scream... Jim T Yeah still jere in the USA. Due to fly home to London on the 5th Nov.

Just found out that my debit card company wont pay up (Lloyds TSB). Eeeek

Visa running out & no flight home…..Darn the airlines…..
Stuck Stuck Stuck no money to get back spent it travelling the last 3 months….

Laters whilke I go scream…
Jim T

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]]> By: Darren Cronian http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/08/29/zoom-airlines-another-casualty-of-the-economic-climate/#comment-120754 Darren Cronian Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:06:48 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=1554#comment-120754 @ Betty Thank you for the information on the administrators. As for your daughter; I hope she receives her salary, and manages to find alternative employment quickly. We forget how not only consumers are affected by airline failures but staff and their families are just as badly affected. @ Debra Wow, that sounds like a nightmare. I am glad you are home, and it must have been a complete shock after arriving at the airport. I will be honest, I think it's highly likely that you will be able to get any compensation - did you take out travel insurance, and if so, have you tried contacting them? Other than the credit card company they are your probably only option. Please read this post about <a href="http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/08/30/consumer-qa-guide-to-bankrupt-airline-protection/" rel="nofollow">protecting</a> your money from airline failures. Let us know how you get on so that we can all learn from our experiences. @ Betty

Thank you for the information on the administrators. As for your daughter; I hope she receives her salary, and manages to find alternative employment quickly. We forget how not only consumers are affected by airline failures but staff and their families are just as badly affected.

@ Debra

Wow, that sounds like a nightmare. I am glad you are home, and it must have been a complete shock after arriving at the airport. I will be honest, I think it’s highly likely that you will be able to get any compensation – did you take out travel insurance, and if so, have you tried contacting them?

Other than the credit card company they are your probably only option.

Please read this post about protecting your money from airline failures. Let us know how you get on so that we can all learn from our experiences.

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]]> By: Debra Thomas http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/08/29/zoom-airlines-another-casualty-of-the-economic-climate/#comment-120752 Debra Thomas Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:59:53 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=1554#comment-120752 Myself and my family flew to Fort Lauderdale in Florida on 16th August for a 3 week holiday. We didn't know anything was wrong until we showed up at 3pm (ECT) on the 8th September to catch our return flight. We couldnt find a check-in desk and there was no ZOOM reprsentative to get advice from. The only information we were given was from a airport porter who told us they'd " gone bust ". We thought it was a joke ! We asked a security guard who told us that it had happend about 2 weeks ago and that we would need to go to MIAMI Internationl to make alternative arrangements. Talk about panic !! Me, my husband and three children stranded with no help or advise at all. We took a taxi to Miami ($140) and simply went to a ticket booking desk ( no idea which company to try or what we should be doing ). The earlies flight they could offer was the following day at a cost of around $3500. Where were we supposed to find that kind of extra cash at such short notice ??? Nobody seemed to care !! Three children practically in tears and my self in shock, there wasnt a single person we could turn to for help or advice. My husband finally spoke to a gentleman at the British airways check-in desk who gave us an American BA telephone number to contact. The lady who answered was very helpful and managed to get us a better price but still nothing until the following day. We ended up having to pay for a hotel room ($199) and the extra tickets cost $2580. We took the flights and are now safely home in Wales . I contacted my Credit card company who are willing to arrange a refund of half my original payment but not the full amount as ZOOM did manage to get us to Florida; they just couldn't get us home. I understand the logic in this but most customers who were unable to travel have had a full refund or an alternative flight at a later date, however my family, who were stranded in Florida thousands of miles from home, have incurred hundreds of pounds of extra cost and a hellish amount of stress are just told " tough , you got there didnt you " ! You tell me if thats fair. ? Sorry to seem a bit of a moaning minnie but we only got home a few hours ago I'm still really upset and annoyed. Any advise from anyone on a way of getting a bit of compensation would be great. Myself and my family flew to Fort Lauderdale in Florida on 16th August for a 3 week holiday. We didn’t know anything was wrong until we showed up at 3pm (ECT) on the 8th September to catch our return flight. We couldnt find a check-in desk and there was no ZOOM reprsentative to get advice from. The only information we were given was from a airport porter who told us they’d ” gone bust “. We thought it was a joke ! We asked a security guard who told us that it had happend about 2 weeks ago and that we would need to go to MIAMI Internationl to make alternative arrangements. Talk about panic !! Me, my husband and three children stranded with no help or advise at all. We took a taxi to Miami ($140) and simply went to a ticket booking desk ( no idea which company to try or what we should be doing ). The earlies flight they could offer was the following day at a cost of around $3500. Where were we supposed to find that kind of extra cash at such short notice ??? Nobody seemed to care !! Three children practically in tears and my self in shock, there wasnt a single person we could turn to for help or advice. My husband finally spoke to a gentleman at the British airways check-in desk who gave us an American BA telephone number to contact. The lady who answered was very helpful and managed to get us a better price but still nothing until the following day. We ended up having to pay for a hotel room ($199) and the extra tickets cost $2580.

We took the flights and are now safely home in Wales . I contacted my Credit card company who are willing to arrange a refund of half my original payment but not the full amount as ZOOM did manage to get us to Florida; they just couldn’t get us home. I understand the logic in this but most customers who were unable to travel have had a full refund or an alternative flight at a later date, however my family, who were stranded in Florida thousands of miles from home, have incurred hundreds of pounds of extra cost
and a hellish amount of stress are just told ” tough , you got there didnt you ” ! You tell me if thats fair. ?

Sorry to seem a bit of a moaning minnie but we only got home a few hours ago I’m still really upset and annoyed. Any advise from anyone on a way of getting a bit of compensation would be great.

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