SkyBargains & Villas Abroad gone into Administration!

[Pollpott]

I had a phone call an hour ago from ABTA telling me that the company I booked my PP holiday with has just gone into administration! Gone bust, in other words. I booked my holiday through Skybargains/Travel Worldwide last August. We are due to fly out this Saturday. I've just spent the last hour in a panic trying to find out if my flight and apartment had been paid for. I was assured by the nice woman at Skybargains that my flight and accommodation are all ok, all paid for, and there should be no problems. She sounded as shocked as I was, she's probably just lost her job.

Anyway, if anyone has used the same company and wish to check, here are the phone numbers given to me by ABTA.
Skybargains/Travel Worldwide - 0871 989 9925
Thompson flights - 02476 282828
ABTA - 01243 621500
Villas Abroad 01202 204630
(who leased the apartment, I suppose, through Skybargains)

So, hopefully, I'll be in PP this saturday afternoon. Fingers crossed.
T

 

[shotokan]

Hope all goes well for you...my family are out the same day (me following a week afterwards).

Once you get into your room safe and sound on Saturday I expect the will be a big sigh and an even bigger celebratory drink in store!

With ABTA all will be well...
Enjoy!

 

[Pollpott]

Thanks Shotokan,
I'm sure it will be ok. As long as the flights ok, I dont mind because once we're in PP I don't care. I'll book somewhere on the day if I have to.
T

 

[pollensa]

Oh dear. I'm afraid this is true see http://skybargains.com/

Skybargains actually also owns Villas Abroad which used to be Open Holidays which also went into receivership in 2006 leaving several people with out villa holidays and a lot of villa owners & hotel owners in Puerto Pollensa unpaid. Skybargains bought Open Holidays.

I'm afraid this does affect Villas Abroad holidays aswell:

See Villas Abroad
"Holiday Choices Ltd trading as Villas Abroad, has ceased trading.
Alexander Lawson Jacobs have been appointed as liquidator.
For more information please call 01202 204 630"

 

[Joanne]

Sorry to hear your news, we were let down by Villas Abroad 3 weeks ago, they cancelled our apartment but fortunately they refunded us our money and we had enough time to get booked elsewhere, hope everything goes ok for you.

 

[CathB]

Hope all goes ok for you Pollpott..

 

[PP76]

Good Luck, I hope eveything works out well. This happened to us many years ago when Villa Cocha opened and our travel agent went bust just before we were due to go.

PP76

 

[Disorderly]

In the difficult times we live in there will be more problems like this, I'm sure.

A tip.....always pay with a credit card for better protection.

I hope everything works out OK for you Pollpot.

 

[Pollpott]

Thanks everyone. I've checked with Marfran in PP, and they assured me that the apartment has been paid for in full by Villas Abroad. I booked it last August and paid the balance in April this year to Skybargains/Villas Abroad. So I still have the apartment. I have been trying all day to get some sense out of Thompson Fly about my flight. This was all booked and paid for at the same time as the apartment. I've spoken to 5 different people at Thompson, 1at Skybargains and 1 at Villas Abroad, as well as ABTA, over a period of 6 hours today, and none of them can tell me for definite that my flight booking is ok. They've all told me 'Don't worry, everything will be ok' even though they have no record of me and my flight! As I booked so long ago they think it should be fine but until I get to the airport and book in, or try to book in, I won't really be able to relax.
Thompson is going to ring me back tomorrow to confirm (or not) my flight.
I'll let you know how I get on.
T

 

[LK1960]

What a nightmare. Good luck Pollpott. Hopefully everything will be fine.

 

[Sparky]

Oh no!! i am sorry and hope you get your holiday.

 

[pinewalkstroll]

Thanks everyone. I've checked with Marfran in PP, and they assured me that the apartment has been paid for in full by Villas Abroad. I booked it last August and paid the balance in April this year to Skybargains/Villas Abroad. So I still have the apartment. I have been trying all day to get some sense out of Thompson Fly about my flight. This was all booked and paid for at the same time as the apartment. I've spoken to 5 different people at Thompson, 1at Skybargains and 1 at Villas Abroad, as well as ABTA, over a period of 6 hours today, and none of them can tell me for definite that my flight booking is ok. They've all told me 'Don't worry, everything will be ok' even though they have no record of me and my flight! As I booked so long ago they think it should be fine but until I get to the airport and book in, or try to book in, I won't really be able to relax.
Thompson is going to ring me back tomorrow to confirm (or not) my flight.
I'll let you know how I get on.

T

Hi pollipot,

Really sorry to hear about your holiday booking problems and i'm sure we all want the situation to work out for you and all the other people involved .

When you can find the time, please keep us informed of any future developments and good luck.

 

[curlytom]

I hope not too many people have been caught out in this problem. Remember you can also get a refund from your bank if you have paid by Visa Debit Card. We did when Open Holidays collapsed a couple of years ago.

We had problems with our accommodation with Villas Abroad and never did receive a proper reply from them so I would not have recommended them to anyone.

 

[Pollpott]

Thanks again for all your concerns.
Good news at last - my flight has been confirmed. It's all sorted. All the details were there in their system but they couldn't get at it! But I have just spoken to a lovely lady at Thomson and she's said I'm on that flight, and my wife.
Like I said, I must have made 15 phone calls yesterday to sort this out. They were all very nice and undestanding but they couldn't do anything. The only ones who were not interested was the bloke at Villas Abroad. He more or less said 'Nothing to do with me, mate, try this number...'
Anyway, just another 72 hours and we'll be on the PIne Walk.

I can taste that San Miguel now! (And the wine and the whisky.)

T

 

[Sparky]

That is great news Pollpot, ENJOY.

 

[jiggggy]

Yay!!! great news Pollpot! Have a great holiday!!!

 

[Disorderly]

Have a really good time Pollpot - what a scare!

 

[Pollpott]

Thanks again, everyone. It was hell of a scare at the time. I had to have a stiff drink yesterday afternoon when all had been sorted.
We booked last August as soon as we'd come back from PP. We thought as Villas Abroad had taken over Open Holidays that all would be ok, and we were ticking off the weeks and months on the calandar for almost a year.
For next year I shall be booking direct with Marfran (probably do it next week) and then book my own flight over the Internet. But I know this year will be extra special as we almost lost the holiday.
Fortunately, my wife retired from teaching this month so we can go any time of the year now, not just in August. Having said that I love going in August. Great atmosphere, lots of people. Weather great.
Just 48 hours and we'll be there. I've even bought a PP t-shirt this year! I'm the short bald one with a bit of pot-belly.
T

 

[JH02JLH]

Hope you have a wonderful time - the feeling of relief must be enormous!

We also booked almost a year ago - the day after we returned from our last holiday (although not with Villas Abroad) so I know what the sense of anticipation is like!

Jane

 

[Francesca]

Pollpot Sky Bargains

Thanks for the information about Sky Bargains. I have not been contacted by anyone. However, I have been in contact with Jet2.com who have assured me that the booking is safe. We booked through Sky Bargains, as we have done for a number of years ,in June. I put a friend in touch with them recently and she has contacted her hotel etc. and they have confimed her booking, so everything looks o.k. (having said that apparently according to the news Jet2 and Monarch are in danger of closing !!!).

Hope everything goes alright for you and you have agood holiday.
Let us know how you get on.