Information for AllClear Gold, Gold Plus and Traveller policyholders – Monarch Airlines ceasing trading

Monarch Airlines ceased trading at midnight 01/02 October 2017

This will affect the following companies:

1. – Monarch Airlines Ltd.
2. – Monarch Holidays Ltd (ATOL Number 2275).
3. – First Aviation Ltd (ATOL Number 4888) previously trading as Monarch Airlines.
4. – Avro Ltd (ATOL Number 1939).
5. – Somewhere2stay Ltd.

Information for Monarch customers

• If you are in the UK and yet to travel– don’t go to the airport.
• If you are currently abroad– everyone due to fly in the next fortnight will be brought back to the UK at no cost to them. There is no need to cut short a stay. Check the CAA website for confirmation of your new flight details, which will be available a minimum of 48 hours in advance of your original departure time.
• All affected customersshould keep checking with the CAA for more information. The CAA also has a 24-hour helpline: 0300 303 2800 from the UK and Ireland and +44 1753 330330 from overseas.

The following cover applies for policies bought on or before 1st October 2017

For policies bought on or after 2nd October 2017 there is no cover as this is now a known event.

Please note, if you bought an AllClear Traveller policy before 1st November 2016, then this policy update does not apply.

Cancellation & Curtailment

If you booked your flight or accommodation separately i.e. not included in a package holiday: And have an AllClear Gold or Gold Plus Policy, then you may be covered under Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI).

Scheduled airline failure is automatically included in AllClear Gold and Gold Plus policies (under End supplier failure). If you have an AllClear Traveller policy, you will only be covered if you bought ‘Scheduled airline failure’ as an optional extra.

Under Scheduled Airline Failure you can claim for unused flight charges (associated with the trip), that you cannot get a refund for elsewhere;  if you haven’t travelled yet, or if the outward journey has been completed.  Please see your policy wording for full details.

Alternatively, you can claim for the cost of a one-way airfare, of no greater standard than the original, to allow you to complete a return trip home. However, the CAA are chartering flights for repatriation, so you may not need to claim under this section.

Nevertheless,  you should also check with your credit card provider(s) and / or Paypal – as if your holiday was booked this way, you may be able to recover losses through them.

Please be aware, you cannot claim under the Cancellation or Curtailment section of your cover as a result of Monarch ceasing trading, but only in the ways listed above.

Also check whether your booking was ATOL protected – as not all of Monarch’s bookings are.  Please note, flights booked on or before 14 December 2016 are ATOL protected, (as long you have an  ATOL certificate).  Bookings from 15 December 2016 onward are not ATOL protected.

If you booked Monarch flights or holidays through a tour operator or travel agent: Contact the provider to rearrange your trip or request a refund.

Change of policy dates and refunds on your policy

If you want to rearrange your trip dates, provided you are not making any claim, you can be transferred to a new trip – as long as the new trip is within 3 months of your original departure date; and is for the same (or no longer) duration; and is to the same geographical area.

If  you wish to cancel your trip outright and no longer wish to travel, provided you are not making any claim, your policy can be cancelled and a pro-rata refund issued.

Travel delay / Trip abandonment

There is no cover under these sections, as this does not relate to airline failure.

The Monarch Airlines website also offers help, for those abroad or those who have not yet travelled.