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Original poster

Sounds like Flybe have just gone bust

57 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 04/03/2020 21:21

Breaking news online. Planes impounded and passengers at airports being turned away.

Dd has a flight in June booked with them and I literally bought travel insurance 3 hours ago. Hope the insurance pay out if I need to claim.

OP posts:
LimitIsUp · 04/03/2020 23:39

If your travel insurance doesn't cover you, your credit card will (assuming you paid by credit card)

alloutoffucks · 04/03/2020 23:46

@LimitIsUp We will get flight costs back, but not other things we booked. Because in theory we could travel hours to another airport and still fly out there. In practice it would make it awful for a long weekend away.

alloutoffucks · 04/03/2020 23:51

We have already had this last year with another company that went bust. Got the money back that time. But just makes me wary about booking any holiday.

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Flying Holidays
Belindabelle · 04/03/2020 23:53

My husband uses Flybe to commute weekly to his job. He has flights booked right up to the Easter holidays.

BreastOfIntentions · 05/03/2020 02:18

I was due to fly with them today (Thursday) and have just received a text message stating that all flights are cancelled and not to travel to the airport. Fortunately I took a punt and booked with another airline this evening before any official announcement, but it's such a shame for all the staff who were left in the lurch.

turnandfacethenamechange · 05/03/2020 05:21

Ah balls. I loved the Newquay route.

ProperVexed · 05/03/2020 06:22

Looks like I'm driving from the south coast to Scotland in April then. Bugger! I hate driving.

MortyFide · 05/03/2020 06:50

Me too ProperVexed, I have a 3 day meeting in Glasgow in April and I live in Portsmouth.

The Flybe app is still allowing me to search for flights but just hangs while waiting for results - and Skyscanner is still showing Virgin Atlantic flights "operated by Flybe", so I daren't book anything yet.

Presumably other operators will step in for some flights? Is there still hope for someone to buy them?

Kuponut · 05/03/2020 06:55

Completely wrecks our family who use it a fair bit for the in-laws to travel to see the grandkids. Poor DD2 isn't going to have her grandparents coming for her birthday now, as well as the classmates letting her down over her party (joys of being a special needs parent)

turquoisesapphire · 05/03/2020 06:58

What a shame, for both the people losing their jobs and also as others have said it’s not good for domestic flights in the uk.

hanahsaunt · 05/03/2020 06:59

DH due to fly home with them at the weekend. No other carrier flies from where he is to where his car is. It's a logistical pain (clearly not on the scale of losing a job).

herbsmokedchicken · 05/03/2020 07:11

We’ve got flights with them in June so I was panicking because couldn’t get any other flights for the times we need with other airlines, but turns out our flights are actually operated by a local airline who are partnered with Flybe and who have confirmed all their flights will still be going ahead, so we are fine now.

Awful for the staff, especially as they would have thought they’d had a reprieve when Flybe got saved last time I suppose.

BarbaraofSeville · 05/03/2020 07:36

Hopefully other airlines will pick up some of the routes that are essential to places like the isle of man. I used them a couple of times a year and the flights were usually full but I understand that island residents relied on the flights to access certain types of cancer treatment and other medical facilities not available on the island in Liverpool and Manchester, so very important there.

Anyone who has lost money and not covered by their travel insurance, which often only covers you to get home if you have already made your outward journey, will probably be covered on your credit or debit card. Look on money saving expert who have probably done a hasty find and replace on their Thomas Cook piece overnight.

Ellmau · 05/03/2020 08:04

Eurostar might be another possibility if you can get to London, @ReginaGeorgeous.

BahMooQuack · 05/03/2020 08:10

Oh it is such a terrible shame.

The jobs. The routes. I am so sad for everyone involved.

OrangeSamphire · 05/03/2020 08:17

It’s a huge blow for livelihoods down here in the south west.

So many people commute weekly from Newquay or Exeter to London or other cities. Many many small businesses that sell in to London clients but are based down here rely on these routes.

Especially since the train has become so unaffordable and unreliable thanks to GWR mismanagement and the government’s continual refusal to invest in services.

ReginaGeorgeous · 05/03/2020 08:53

@Ellmau I’m in the midlands so train tickets to Euston are astronomical prices. Flights from Birmingham to Paris are about £350 return for me, DH and DD whereas it would cost us almost £1,000 to go by Eurostar, plus it would take much longer. I’ve been on the phone to the travel agent who were really helpful and hopefully going to sort out another flight for me later today.

turnandfacethenamechange · 05/03/2020 14:54

Actually I think read something about Virgin taking on the Newquay route ages ago....

carlyclock · 05/03/2020 15:01

Actually I think read something about Virgin taking on the Newquay route ages ago....

Stobart, virgin and a Cypriot airline formed 'connect airways' which was supposed to basically save Flybe and they were very close to rebranding. Virgin wasn't taking over the route as such but they would have had or involvement if connect had gone ahead.

Virgin don't operate domestic U.K. flights.

Kuponut · 05/03/2020 19:01

There's something linked via the BBC news site about Logan air taking on some of the lost routes from mid march. They're taking on the one we use between Inverness and Birmingham

MrsBirkett · 05/03/2020 20:43

I was just about to say that about Loganair. Taking on 16 routes apparently and will give priority to Flybe staff for positions with them.

carlyclock · 05/03/2020 21:55

It will be interesting to see how Loganair manage this. They haven’t got enough aircraft and if the routes have not been viable for Flybe they will struggle too, particularly as there will be a drop in pax numbers at least initially. I do hope they can make things work though.

LimitIsUp · 06/03/2020 19:50

Well, I've taken the plunge and just booked my Loganair flights from So'ton to Edinburgh (for the festival) for end of August. I had originally booked via Flybe.

Not worried - used credit card again. Also, Logainair are, I believe, cherry picking the routes which they believe are profitable. I've also registered for 'clan membership'. I've never been in a clan before!

herbsmokedchicken · 07/03/2020 00:09

So after initially being told our flights were fine, we now have to rebook with the franchise partner and then try to get our money back from Flybe, and it’s going to be about £300 more! Luckily we can afford it but I think a lot of people won’t be so lucky. All the rebooked flights are more than the Flybe prices. Holding off just in case they decide to honour the original price...