Fly Zoom collapse: 'It's the price you pay for flying budget'

Published on Friday 29 August 2008 21:40

THOUSANDS of passengers have been left out of pocket after the collapse of the airline Zoom.

Alan Smith, a retired businessman from Edinburgh, booked 1,400 flights to Halifax, Nova Scotia for a family holiday in January. Due to fly out yesterday, he became resigned to the trip being cancelled, but thought he would be able to recoup the costs through his Royal Bank of Scotland travel insurance policy.

But it does not cover the collapse of an airline, leaving him with little recourse. "It seems it's the price you pay for flying with a budget airline," he said.

Some 40 pupils from Kinross High School were due to fly out next week to Vancouver for a 14-day hockey and rugby tour.

Helen Davidson, the school's PE teacher, said: "We're hoping the council has a way of getting the trip back on schedule, but we're still in the throes of finding out what's happening."

Douglas Newton booked 1,300 flights for a Christmas family trip to Canada via Zoom's website on Thursday only hours before the airline applied to go into administration. His wife, Caroline, said: "We tried for over two hours last night with the bank trying to discuss ways to stop the money going into their account, but unfortunately there's nothing they can do."

Members of the Inverness Gaelic Choir fear they have lost 7,000 saved over two years to pay for flights to Canada.

The 26-strong choir was due to attend Celtic Colours, a prestigious festival held in Cape Breton.