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
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