Financially Protecting your Holiday

With the demise of Zoom Airlines and many passengers losing not only their holiday but their money also, I thought I'd post some guidelines on how to best Financially Protect your Holiday. So here are our tips.

1. Buy your flight and accommodation from an ATOL holder such as Amro Worldwide. Yes - we would say that wouldn't we but then you are fully protected from the minute you book. Any combination of flight and hotel can be put into your travel plans- not just our advertised package holidays. The ATOL holder will either re-book or refund any part your holiday where the supplier ceases trading. As the post below shows, Amro Worldwide has an established procedure for handling such events.



2. If you really must put your travel together yourself, don't buy your flight directly from the airline but through an ATOL holder. That way, at least, you will be protected against the Airline failing.



3. If you really, really positively must buy from the airline directly because it is such a fantastic deal, firstly check it really is as good as it looks. Most airline direct booking websites have hidden costs such as checking in luggage or getting something to eat/drink on the flight. If it really is a good deal - and we're happy to admit there are some out there - then book using Visa or Mastercard and avoid debit cards even though the surcharge is less. Provided the value exceeds £100, protection may be offered by the Credit Card company and you should, after a lot of form filling and arguing, eventually get your money back. But it won't be fast enough for you to re-book. It has taken me as long as four months to get a refund in the past.



4. Finally, don't kid yourself that travel insurance is the answer. None of the currently available travel policies offer you protection although some may try to sell you Airline Failure Insurance as an add-on. This is not necessary if you book through an ATOL holder.

Zoom Airlines cancels all flights

Yesterday, all Zoom Airlines flights were cancelled and the airline went into Administration to join the growing list of failures this year. Eos, Maxjet, Silverjet, Nationwide, Oasis Hong Kong and now Zoom have left passengers stranded overseas and many more disappointed at home. Many will have lost large sums of money and their holiday.

It's days like yesterday when I wonder why anyone books any travel other than through an ATOL holder such as Amro Worldwide. Both the clients' money and the holiday are fully protected and our well-oiled plan swung into action. By lunchtime all our Zoom passengers had been identified and re-booked onto other airlines - their holiday and money were safe. Many didn't even know Zoom had failed before we contacted them including one passenger in a Ft Lauderdale gay guest house. He woke up to find our fax under his door telling him he is flying back tonight on Virgin from Miami and his transfer pick-up time was now an hour later - more time in the sun was his reaction !!

Zoom was not a bad airline - far from it. It offered very high standards of service and had run a punctual and safe airline since it started flying four years ago. But when the price of jet fuel doubles in under year, only the most financially strong airlines can cope. Sadly, I don't believe it is the last.

Andrew

Terrific Torremolinos

After a few years decline, it seems that Torremolinos on Spain's southerly Costa del Sol is firmly back on the gay destinations' map. Last week, I spent a few days checking out Amro Worldwide's variety of places to stay on the Costa and was pleasantly surprised to see so many boyz and girlz about.

Playa Poseidon, Torre's gay beach, was postively heaving with boyz and there was a really friendly atmosphere in the bar as Stephen bustled around keeping everyone happy with San Miguel and local tapas. Up in the La Nogalera shopping centre, the clubs were newly decorated, many of the bars had received a facelift and several new ones with pleasant terraces had opened, many offering early evening happy hours. Even Cosmo - the trendy boyz wear shop - seemed to have smartened up with new stock. Could this be the new Yumbo Centre for those fed-up with the long, often red-eye, flight down to Gran Canaria.

The Cervantes hotel's renovation are now complete and this 4 star hotel, just two minutes from La Nogalera and 10 minutes from Playa Poseidon, is welcoming many of our clients to a great value holiday. If you're on a budget, check out our 3 star Jardines de Parasol down on the beach.

Elsewhere on the Costa, it was Feria week in Malaga so it was wall to wall partying in both the Old Town and Calle Larios shopping street as well as the fun fair and casitas out on the feria ground. The roof-top pool around our Malaga Centro hotel was busy as was the Malagueta Beach with parties running through until dawn.

With the the temperature a very pleasant 30 degs C and plenty of not too strong sunshine, under three hours flying time from the UK with plenty of regional departures, our Costa del Sol holidays offer plenty of variety at prices starting at £320 per person for September departures for 4 star accommodation.

Andrew