Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Low Cost Holidays in administration

109 replies

BellMcEnd · 15/07/2016 19:35

Haven't seen a thread about this yet.

We have (had?) a week long, all inclusive holiday booked for the very end of the school holidays. We've just found out that Low Cost Holidays have now ceased trading and are in administration.

I'm so aware that this is, for us, is a first world problem and that there are people who have lost their jobs, are stranded abroad etc but this is the first family holiday we've had in years and we're pretty upset.

Not told our 3 DCs yet.

Anyone else in the same boat (ha ha

OP posts:
revealall · 15/07/2016 22:09

I thought the ABTA thingy protected you in cases like this. Your insurance would surely cover it? Can you book flights as the hotel wil now have several places left to fill anyway.

revealall · 15/07/2016 22:13

And really sorry it's happened. Anticipation is one of the best bits of a holiday.Wine.

Branleuse · 15/07/2016 22:15

hope you had insurance or paid by credit card?

Otherwise, that does suck :(

SplitFit · 15/07/2016 22:20

That really sucks OP. So sorry to hear that. Sad
Lowcostholidays is an early casualty of brexit, which tipped it over the edge. I suspect we will see more brexit casualties soon.

mrscee · 15/07/2016 22:22

My friend worked for them and was told this afternoon to clear their desk and not come back on Monday. They had no idea that the company was in trouble.

Feenie · 15/07/2016 22:24

We're in the same boat, travelling in two weeks. Flights may be ok, waiting for Easy Jet to confirm - they can't say till Monday (come on Easy Jet!)

Hotel cancelled, then asked for double to re-book. If our flights are okay, we will book somewhere else. Only paid partially on credit card but looks like they're still liable for all the money we lose.

So we MIGHT still get this. Might.

EnglishGirlApproximately · 15/07/2016 22:25

Check your insurance but many standard policies won't cover tour operator failure and they weren't ATOL protected. If you paid any of the cost by credit card that might be the best route to go down. Sorry OP, it's shitty timing at the start of the holidays.

befrazzled · 15/07/2016 22:25

We've got two weeks booked in summer holidays. I should be able to claim back through Barclaycard but when I have checked statement the amount I paid lowcost holidays is split between them and Ryanair so can I claim the whole amount back or just the accommodation? Rang Barclaycard tonight but spent 30mins on hold so no joy there Sad

grumpydwarf · 15/07/2016 22:26

Oh my god just saw this due to travel to Greece next Saturday! Looks like flights should be ok but will need to get a new hotel? Can anyone advise what to do next?

EnglishGirlApproximately · 15/07/2016 22:30

grumpy if you can afford it book a hotel asap. Low cost holidays weren't regulated or protected by any uk agencies so there's precious little chance of getting anything from them.

Feenie · 15/07/2016 22:33

We did this:

Got on lowcostholiday website and registered claim with administrators.

Registered claim with credit card company - they're liable for whatever you don't get, even though we only paid part of it.

Contacted hotel, who confirmed cancellation and offered rebooking at double the price.

Found hotel through Thomas Cook for same original price quickly - waiting for flight confirmation and will book then.

Contacted flight operator who can't confirm till Monday.

That's all we can do for now.

befrazzled · 15/07/2016 22:43

Don't want to sound dense but what do you put in your email when registering claim with lowcost holidays. Was it for the full amount or just accommodation since flights are separate. Never had to do anything like this before

BarbaraofSeville · 15/07/2016 22:44

Oh no! How awful for people who have lost holidays or jobs.

If the flights are booked with easyJet or similar they could buy and enormous amount of goodwill by letting people still travel on their booked flights at little or no extra cost.

Are they definitely not atol or abta protected? When we booked a holiday with travel Republic there was an extra fiver on the bill for protection.

EnglishGirlApproximately · 15/07/2016 22:47

They were based in Majorca and definitely no Abta or ATOL. They used to be uk based I think and were protected then and I suppose they didn't feel the need to explicitly advertise that was no longer the case.

NonnoMum · 15/07/2016 22:47

Has affected us too...
Haven't told our 3 DC yet.
We had booked an all-inclusive starting on the first Saturday of the school holidays. My eldest is leaving school and is pretty upset about the change so this was a special family-time to spend together...
and yes, I know that there are much worse problems in the world, but this is a really disappointing time. Not sure how to tell the kids. Hope I can find the credit card reference...

Feenie · 15/07/2016 22:50

The administrators haven't mentioned it in their advice to customers, so I'd have to say not Sad

Befrazzled, you tell them the full amount and your booking reference. Have you spoken to your flight company? Because I wouldn't bank on your flights until you do. We have checked in and have seat numbers, but Easy Jet won't confirm yet.

Enjoyingthepeace · 15/07/2016 22:55

We didn't book directly with low cost holidays m. We booked through sunshine holidays but the supplier is low cost holidays. So our accommodation has been cancelled BUT Sunshine has said that we can have a full refund. I literally can press a button for 'full refund' and it will be in my account in 3-5 working days. However I don't want to press until I have spoken with our Greece hotel tomorrow. Sunshine holidays IS ATOL registered, but I don't understand how they can give us a full refund if the supplier is low cost holidays

Feenie · 15/07/2016 23:00

Because they're ATOL registered so they have to? I think.

Bloody hell, this is so stressful.

Enjoyingthepeace · 15/07/2016 23:02

Sunshine is ATOL registered, however they are an agency. The supplier is low cost holidays. So our accommodation has been cancelled and we have the choice of a refund or booking somewhere else. I'm so confused and disappointed

Feenie · 15/07/2016 23:05

At least you have a choice!

Enjoyingthepeace · 15/07/2016 23:29

But I think they're bullshitting.

Original poster
BellMcEnd · 15/07/2016 23:40

Wine for all of us affected.

DH has spoken to Barclaycard who have suggested we'll get our money back. God knows when though. Highly irritating that it's occurred on a Friday so nothing's going to get started in terms of sorting thinks out until next week. I was under the impression they were covered by ABTA / ATOL: is this not the case then? Shock

We've had a couple of really stressful years with a big bereavement, a cousin in ICU at death's door for weeks (he's fine now Smile) and a house move - this holiday was a big treat.

OP posts:
Theimpossiblegirl · 15/07/2016 23:46

Due to fly to the Dominican Republic at the end of the month. Our flights should be ok (Thomas Cook) but our hotel is with Low Cost Holidays, although through an agent. We might be ok but it's a waiting game.

I've not mentioned it to the children either, I really hope we get this sorted. I know it's a first world problem, but we've been saving for and looking forward to this holiday for years.

NonnoMum · 16/07/2016 04:15

Not only do I have the joy of telling my children that our holiday has disappeared, but this might mean divorce for me too... My DH is asking me if we have travel insurance (don't think so - usually buy it a week before we go), if we paid on a credit card (don't think so - we took out a massive loan in the new year and it came out of that - don't ask) and if i am being deliberately vague about this (no, not really, but when you make every single financial decision for your family and work full time and have had a year of mental health issues, then sometimes, just sometimes, I might not be on top on family and household administration...)
Just needed to vent. Sorry.

upsh1tstreet · 16/07/2016 06:29

Due to fly Sunday night (tomorrow), if i can't confirm flights until Monday then how does that work?!

Got no hotel or shuttle and no money to pay all over again. Paid on debit card as i don't have a credit card.

Feeling totally screwed over. First holiday since 2001!

Can you believe LCH were taking holiday bookings even on the day they knew they were going into administration?!