With regard to refunds on cash fares, the funds sit for a minimum of 2 weeks in IATA (BSP) coffers before being distributed to Airlines.
We had 4 passengers on cash bookings. Yep - cash still works on the rock in the Southern Ocean.
I duly refunded them through the Sabre system.
Don't know if it will work but it did with Ansett on a few and the revenues held by IATA were returned to us. Despite numerous threats 95% of Travel Agents told the admin to go pound wet sand up their butts as we were out 3+ months of flown revenue overides. That equated to 5+ times what was sent back.
Hopefully these refunds work and we can reconnect the clients with their dollars.
Failing that, there is the Travel Compensation Fund who have been scarily silent. Unless they changed the rules after Ansett fell, they should pick up the losses. They did then but have been strangely silent.
If they dont then they are simply another Quango making money from us (we get bitten every year) to employ people for no return.
This particular event is starting to show up a lot of holes in alleged cover and procedure and even for us that have to deal with it on behalf of others, it is a minefield. The smoke, the mirrors - it is taking hours to navigate it on behalf of clients.
Travel Insurance is another thing - they are not commenting (we carry 2 seperate companies to cover the failings of each) and nothing is being stated as Gospel until a claim comes in.
Woe betide those who booked on the web. What was the phone number for the internet???? At least they can can the bookings cost via the card issuer but there are more road blocks there.
Four clients with Island State Credit Union with Mastercards phoned on my instruction, immediately had the charge reversed to be back on the card within 24 hours.
Another client who is overseas at the moment and who is with CBA for his Platinum card rang and was told he had to go into a branch.
CBA in defensive mode perchance? Make it too hard for older folk to bother?
They were stuck with rules and regs when AN went - what have they learned and closed off?
We are not 24 hours in and it is getting scary.
Thank God it's Saturday and if I get one more call from some nuff nuff who can't tell the difference between Jetset and Jetstar I am goiung to reverse check their number, find them and insert garden furniture in them. Slowly - 45 degree angle.
Don't we live in an interesting world?
Gloomy at the moment VC people - hjowever the good stuff floats and is picked up easily and quickly. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is NOT the3:17 from Bankstown.
Best all
Ewl