XL passengers to start receiving compensation

People whose flights were cancelled following the collapse of XL Leisure Group are to begin receiving refunds, Travel Weekly reports.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has confirmed that it will start paying out claims next week, with an estimated 80,000 customers expected to file for compensation.

Only people who booked through an Atol-protected tour operator will receive refunds from the regulator, while others will have to seek compensation from their credit card firm.

The CAA has warned agents who are not Atol-bonded to refrain from submitting claims, insisting they will be "wasting their time". Issuing advice to anyone seeking compensation, ABTA spokesman Mike Monk said: "Traditional package bookings should present no difficulty. In others, the claims handlers may ask for more documents. It will be a concern if payments are ­delayed."

Speaking to Travel Weekly, he added: "There will be a number of claims where the CAA decides not to pay and the claimant believes it should - then the documentation will be key."

It is estimated that the CAA's total payout to XL customers could run as high as £60 million.

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Comments

[Tara Liggett]

Has any one had compensation yet? This is the question on my lips anyway. It just seems that time is buying them an excuse not to pay out. I would love my honeymoon money refunded. Any one heard anything?

[Cath Perkins]

I bought tickets through "Broadway Travel", which are ABTA members. I have not heard anything.

[m jobson]

I have not had a penny back and it has been 9 months now - starting to get rather annoying!

[Denise Wheeler]

Anyone know how to speed things up regarding compensation from XL? Nearly a year now...

[robert rodgers]

I know how you people must feel - I have been waiting nearly a year. I found out a week before I was due to go to Gran Canaria. Five of us had to book another flight with Thomsons - the only one we could get. The cost was £1,600 as against £849 with XL. Thomsons are a disgrace for making money out of peoples bad luck. I bet if we owed this money to the CAA we would be in jail now. Not on.