Great Little Escapes, based in Berkshire, used to specialise in a variety of different holidays, but now it has ceased trading as an ATOL holder, meaning its holiday bookings are in doubt
A UK-based travel firm has lost a key license, leaving huge numbers of customers facing cancelled holidays this summer.
Great Little Escapes, based in Sandhurst in Berkshire, used to specialise in “adventure holidays to relaxing spa holidays, beach holidays to city breaks, adults-only to fun-filled family resorts”. However, it has now ceased as an ATOL holder.
The company is different from and not connected in any way to Great Little Breaks.
A notice from the Civil Aviation Authority said: “The company based in Sandhurst, Berkshire traded under the names Your Holidays, Great Little Escapes, Tunisia First and websites www.themaldives.co.uk, www.yourholidays.co.uk, www.thecaribbean.com and www.greatlittleescapes.co.uk.
“We are currently collating information from the company and will update this page as soon as possible. While waiting for further information, please do not submit a claim as these will be rejected.
Have you been impacted by this news? Email [email protected]
“If you are a travel agent of Great Little Escapes LLP and you are currently holding consumer payments which you have not yet paid to Great Little Escapes LLP, you must not use these funds to refund consumers until you have received instructions from the Air Travel Trust.
“Travel agents will be individually contacted by the CAA with specific instructions for these bookings.”
The news came in the month after a separate British travel firm went bust.
Jetline Travel, a London-based company established in 2000 and parent company of Jetline Cruise, ceased trading as an ATOL holder in March. Now it has been taken into administration, according to TTG. It reported that Alan Clark, of financial recovery specialist Carter Clark, and Neil Bennett, of restructuring and insolvency firm Leonard Curtis, were appointed on 28 March.
Administration occurs when a business can no longer meet its debt obligations, leading to a licensed insolvency practitioner to be appointed to either restructure the business and come to an arrangement with creditors, or to sell off assets, pay off creditors and liquidate the business.
Jetline Travel took hundreds of thousands of people on holidays over its 25 years trading. In that quarter of a century the firm also traded under several other names including Bargain Late Holidays, Best Priced Holidays, Cruise and More, Elegant Getaways, Our Best Holidays and Save on Sun.
The Mirror has attempted to contact Great Little Escapes for comment.
This is a breaking news story. More information will follow.