Holiday plans for 70,000 in chaos as travel firm Kiss Flights goes bust.

The holiday plans of 70,000 Britons were in chaos last night after another UK holiday firm went bust.

Kiss Flights, a budget airline which operated services to Greece, Egypt, Turkey and the Canary Islands, suddenly ceased trading at 5pm.

The Civil Aviation Authority said the tens of thousands of tourists who are stranded abroad will be given alternative flights home.

It added the majority of the estimated 70,000 people who have holiday flights booked next month will receive full refunds.

The nightmare comes after the collapse of Goldtrail and Freedom Direct Holidays earlier this year left thousands more travel plans in tatters.

A caa spokesman said: "We are picking up the pieces. People abroad will be fine. We will make sure that everyone will be able to come back from their holidays."

It said those holidaymakers whose forthcoming trips have been ruined will receive refunds if they are registered with the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing organisation.

London-based Flight Options, which bought Kiss Flights last January, announced its collapse on its website.

An estimated 50,000 people had to rearrange travel plans when Goldtrail, which specialised in holidays to Greece and Turkey, collapsed last month. A further 16,000 had to get alternative flights home.

Newcastle -based Freedom Direct Holidays, which specialised in trips to the Mediterranean, Turkey and the Canary Islands, went bust in April. Ten thousand people had advance bookings when it collapsed.

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Could it be as simple as these companies selling their holidays too cheaply to destinations ( Turkey Greece, Canaries ) that have to many now become associated with the budget holiday.

Listening to this latest tale of woe I wondered if the EJ/Ryan air are also affected as some of these cheap travel companies book their flights with the so called budget airlines.

Did anyone watch the O, leary interview in Newsnight yesterday.

Planes with 1 loo, 50% standing room, no seats. He really does love to wind us up. But it is all good publicity. Record payments for the shareholders.

I think the word "budget" in any context within a title of a firm would make me seriously consider using them.

I appreciate people want to get away and for the best value they can get, but I have never really understood how the budget holiday firms have existed for so long. An "expert" on the television this morning said it is getting seriuos now - normally these firms go bust in Sept/Oct when the cashflow dries up - they should not go under in the peak holiday season.

It looks like with this one that those already on holiday will be able to continue and get back easily enough, so that's good news for them - unfortunately those who have holidays booked from now on will lose out.

The majority of our flights (Turkey and Algarve) are via BA or Monarch. I pay a bit more but I do feel safer than going 'cheap'. In the past we have used budget airlines and a couple of them have since gone bust (Aegean, Goldtrail) - so I suppose my more 'expensive' flights nowadays are actually working out cheaper.

I've not actually heard or seen it mentioned anywhere, but I wonder if the chaos caused by Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano has added to the travel companies' problems this year?

Admission: I did copy and paste the name!

The Kiss airline have quoted the volcano as one of the factors in their demise, according to the TV news today.

Any consumer taking a chance using these small operators really are chancing their luck these days.

The world's been in economic turmoil for the last couple of years so using these small operators is very risky - only use the established ones - much safer - ultimately prices will 'harden' but much safer for your money and reliability.

Plain economic and consumer sense really.

On September 4th at 7-20 a.m. we shall be boarding Thomson Flight 2608 for Faro - reasonably confident that they are not about to go bust!

TomUK wrote:On September 4th at 7-20 a.m. we shall be boarding Thomson Flight 2608 for Faro - reasonably confident that they are not about to go bust!

I think many people said the same about Pan Am

e-richard wrote:

TomUK wrote:On September 4th at 7-20 a.m. we shall be boarding Thomson Flight 2608 for Faro - reasonably confident that they are not about to go bust!

I think many people said the same about Pan Am

Lots of complicated reasons for the demise of Pan Am - not least Flight 103.

If anyone is interested: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Americ ... s#Downturn