Flyglobespan scrap Manchester - South Africa flights
25.09.07
Scottish budget airline Flyglobespan have announced that they have cancelled all their winter flights between Manchester Airport and Cape Town. A reader describes their explanation as 'pretty poor', having had her plans ruined at short notice.
Flyglobespan sent an e-mail yesterday to passengers who had booked on their planned Manchester - Cape Town service this winter announcing that they were 'withdrawing' the flights. The airline blames 'the continued reluctance of the South African Authorities to meet with their UK counterparts to resolve differences in interpretation of the Bilateral Agreement between the two countries [which] has created a lack of confidence in the minds of the travelling public with regard to the operation of our Manchester to Cape Town service this winter' for the decision.
The airline adds: ;This lack of confidence has continued despite assurances from the South African Authorities that flyglobespan will be permitted to operate the service. As a result flyglobespan has been unable to attract sufficient bookings, both in the UK and in South Africa and this factor coupled with a current high price of jet fuel has made it uneconomic for us to operate this service.'
Or, to cut a long story short, the airline has not taken sufficient bookings on the service - even though it would be its second year of operation - and has decided to pull it. Passengers affected by the cancellation will have their booking refunded in full, but are now faced with cancelling their plans, or trying to find another flight at short notice when all of the best deals will have gone.
Helpfully, the airline adds: 'We appreciate that this will cause you great inconvenience and ask you to accept our most sincere apologies and our thanks for your support and your understanding in this matter.'
Our reader, who booked her flights in early February and planned to take her 70 year old mother to visit the family of her South African husband over the Christmas period, said: 'As we are now so close to the Christmas, flights with other airlines are now out of our price range, especially Premium Economy [which she had booked], and the only thing we get from globespan is the return of our deposits.'
'Reservations for accommodation have been made in South Africa, which all need to be amended or cancelled. I would like to see the airline industry made liable, if cancelling flights, to offer their passenger alternatives at no extra cost. Through no fault of our own, this has either ruined our Christmas or will cost us thousands.'
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