WHAT happens now Flybe has gone into administration?
With all flights cancelled with immediate effect, many customers are now left wondering what their rights are. Here's advice on what you should do if you're caught up in the collapse.
:: Will travellers get a refund?
A refund from the airline is highly unlikely.
The majority of Flybe travellers bought flight tickets separately, not as part of a package holiday. While some travel insurance companies will cover cancelled flights if they are the result of an airline collapse, not all policies do this.
Holidaymakers can also apply to their credit or debit card provider to be reimbursed.
Flights bought directly from airlines such as Flybe are not generally Atol protected but those bought through a separate travel company may be covered.
:: Paid by credit or debit card option?
Anyone who paid more than £100 for each separate flight directly with Flybe on a credit card should be able to claim a refund for the flight from their card provider under the Consumer Credit Act.
If a debit card was used or the price paid was less than £100, customers can try claiming from the card provider under the chargeback system. You have to make your claim within 120 days.
However, this is not a legal right and not always successful.
:: What happens to customers already on holiday?
When previous airlines such as Monarch Airlines and Thomas Cook collapsed, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was ordered by the British department for transport to launch a major repatriation operation to fly them home.
It is not yet clear whether the government would order a widespread repatriation of stranded passengers.
:: Who would pay for this?
When Monarch Airlines went bust in October 2017, the government spent £60 million hiring planes to get passengers home while bringing back Thomas Cook passengers has been estimated to have cost even more.
:: What is the Atol scheme and what type of bookings are protected?
Atol provides protection to holidaymakers when travel firms collapse.
The scheme protects most trips booked as a package, such as flights and accommodation, or flights and car hire. It also applies to some flight-only bookings, particularly when the tickets are not received immediately.
:: What protection does it offer?
If a business collapses while you are on holiday, the scheme will make sure you can finish your holiday and return home.
Customers who have not yet left home will be given a refund or replacement holiday.
