I've put the following comments on the Times page..."This the second unquestioning Times “puff piece” about Global Airways in less than 10 weeks. Just as well Ben Machell doesn’t call himself an investigative reporter!
Global Airways appears to have actually acquired the use of ONE aircraft (not four), which is on the ground at Lourdes having not flown for several years. Apart having no route licences, among countless unanswered technical questions, a simple one is how he actually expects to operate next year from Gatwick: this has only one gate for A380s, leased to Emirates. Will the reality be passengers standing in the terminal waiting for buses, followed by a climb up some very long steps in the wind and rain for the passengers, rather than “the best way to fly —a return to the glamour and comfort of a lost “golden age” of air travel”?
From a consumer interest viewpoint Ben Machell might have looked more closely at the other Asquith business, which is backing the airline: “Holiday Swap”. Machell seems to have simply regurgitated that Holiday Swap Group is “valued at £330 million” and “based in Dubai, where Asquith now lives”. But Its website appears to have neither street or email address nor a phone number - things that consumer correspondents typically advise readers to be wary of!
“Holiday Swap Group Limited” is actually registered as a UK company of which Asquith is CEO, and resident in England. Of its other 2 directors, a recent (March 2023) appointment has the same name and nationality as the “Runaway CEO behind failed ticketing company who owes $3.8m” to the Bank of New Zealand, who lost his appeal against this judgement, also in March 2023. The other and even more recent director seems to be part of the wealthy Essex family behind the Onlyfans sex worker website.
While that is all well and good, one might wonder whether it is really an operation which can support the challenges of setting up an international airline, with all the public interest that involves. HolidaySwap claims to have 1 million “active users” in 2022, 5 years after it was launched in 2017. But strangely, since then it has received only 57 Trustpilot reviews, starting from only a year ago. 93% are 5 star, but many have the characteristics of fake reviews.
By comparison, its direct competitor Homeexchange started in 1992. After over 30 years it claims 100k users – but a mere tenth of Holidayswap – but has 5100 Trustpilot reviews – a hundred times more. Of these, 88% are 4 or 5 star. Another competitor, Lovehomeswap, started in 2009, claims only 10k users, but has 1800 Trustpilot reviews of which 83% are 4 or 5 star.
All of which makes one wonder whether Ben Machell has unquestioningly simply swallowed Mr. Asquith’s statements about his vaulting ambitions - just as many journalists and investors swallowed the ludicrous statements and outright lies of Elizabeth Holmes (Theranos), Sam Bankman-Fried (FTX) and Adam Neuman (Wework). Come on, Ben – do some journalism! "