Mentions of Flybe on Google increased from nine on 1 March to 2,854 mentions four days later. Following the news of their administration, over 500,000 Google searches were made for Flybe on the same day.
And data from the search engine shows that some of the most common questions included: ‘Is Flybe ATOL protected?’ and ‘Will I get my money back if Flybe goes bust?’.
Here are some of the answers to the most common questions:
Can I get my money back?
If you booked directly with Flybe using a credit card or a Visa debit then you should contact the card provider to see if you qualify for a refund. Travel insurance will only cover the cost of flights if it includes ‘Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance’.
If you booked with a travel agent, call them to see if you are ATOL protected. If you are, you should be covered for alternative travel plans or reasonable expenses.
If you booked your travel through an airline ticket agent they may be covered by Scheduled Airline Failure cover – check with the agent to see if it affects you. Other agents may offer a similar insurance, again check with them to see if you are covered.
I am travelling to Southampton for an operation or medical treatment, will I be affected?
The government released a statement on Friday in a effort to reassure patients. They said:
‘Ensuring that patients who need to have treatment in Southampton can travel safely for that treatment is a priority for the department, as is repatriating patients to Jersey who are there for treatment at the moment.
‘The Travel Office team at the Hospital are now contacting passengers who are affected by this.
‘Patients who require treatment in Southampton will be re-booked onto alternative flights and onward transport to Southampton by the hospital’s Travel Office as needed, and HCS will meet these transport costs.
‘There are nine patients booked on flights to Southampton in the next week, and 27 patients booked on to flights to Southampton in total, until the end of June.
‘Health and Community Services have a detailed plan to review the situation on a week-by-week basis.
We recognise that travelling for treatment can be worrying, and all patients are assured that Health and Community Services will keep them updated and informed.’
What routes are going being lost?
Flybe currently operates routes from Jersey to Birmingham, Southampton, Exeter, Guernsey, Aberdeen, Cardiff, Manchester, Geneva and Inverness.
Blue Islands operates routes under Flybe branding to Guernsey, East Midlands, Newquay, Bristol, Southampton and London City but is not affected.
Loganair and Blue Islands have pledged to take over some of the routes.
I am flying with Blue Islands, will I be affected?
No, Blue Islands services will continue to operate as normal, following the closure of Flybe. Passengers with bookings for travel on Blue Islands operated services are advised to check-in on time at the airport.
