Thousands of people were left stranded in airports all over the United Kingdom earlier this week after a Goldtrail Travel Limited, a group which offers tours for travellers abroad, collapsed.

The company’s demise late last Friday resulted in a massive headache for almost 50,000 hopeful travellers, who will now have to revise their itineraries in order to go ahead with their plans of spending some time abroad.

Flights bound for Greece and Turkey were mainly affected, as Goldtrail offers packages in these two countries.

According to the CAA, or the Civil Aviation Authority, they are now scrambling to make arrangements to bring customers, who now find themselves stranded abroad, safely back to their homes under the ATOL scheme, or the Air Travel Organizer’s Licensing.

But for travellers who purchased their tickets in advance and have yet to begin their vacation, a refund might be available several months into the future. Reports say it could even take years before customers get their money back.

Others have voiced out that this latest setback means even more ill news for travellers, especially in Britain, who are keen on taking some time off outside the country. Earlier this year, planes all over Europe were grounded due to the volcanic ash that blocked pilots’ visibility in the skies.

The issue is also a glaring reminder for travellers to have some sort of insurance when planning a vacation.

Goldtrail’s collapse now poses a threat to airports in Britain. Authorities say flights for the summer vacation, where a lot of travellers are usually booked, might very well be disrupted.

A union group called Unite declared a week ago that around 6,000 Unite members are preparing to stage a strike against airports in the UK, which are being run by the BAA, a group that specializes in operating airports because of issues concerning the pay being given to employees.

Another strike is looming in the horizon, this time for employees belonging to BA, or British Airways. The dispute between the cabin crew and the company’s administraton is still ongoing, and union members might result to another strike if new salary proposals and conditions are rejected.

Tales of woe

A BBC presenter named Laura Rich suffered along with other would-be passsengers who were scheduled with Goldtrail for a trip abroad.

Rich says she was originally bound for a vacation in Turkey, only to have last-minute discoveries that Goldtrail had gone under. Rich adds that although there are guarantees that customers will eventually be reimbursed for the money they spend on their plane tickets, it will take a number of telephone calls for arrangements, not to mention filling out various forms for record purposes.

Despite the hiccup, Rich is determined to land in Turkey; she says she is know looking for flight schedules elsewhere that might take her to an alternative destination that might be pleasant for a little holiday.

According to another passenger named Cassie Inns, who was also supposed to be flying to Turkey, the whole situation is very upsetting. Her flight, which was supposed to depart on onday, is now on hold. Ms. Inns says it has been a nightmare for her, especially due to the fact that almost no information is being disseminated to travellers on how to proceed with their plans.

Glasgow Airport became a temporary shelter for hundreds of people who were expecting to board a plane for Turkey.

Last Friday, almost 200 passengers for Turkey were already checked in at the airport; they were scheduled to visit the Bodrum resort in Turkey. After waiting for three hours, all of the passengers were told the that their holiday would have to be postponed or worse, cancelled.

Departure boards all over the Glasgow Airport flashed repeated announcements of flights for the 8:45pm as delayed. However, they were eventually cancelled around midnight.

A spokesman for the airport said that it so happened that people were already checked in before Goldtrail collapsed.

Even a chartered flight which was supposed to depart the airport and fly to Turkey was also told to stay on the ground.

Customers who were originally signed up with Onur Air airline had to find other flights after learning the news about Goldtrail.

A Goldtrail customer named Martin Plimmer said aside from having to shell out additional money for alternative flights, he might end up losing the cash he paid for his accomodations abroad, if he doesn’t make it there at all. He says authorities informed passengers that they would have to shoulder the expenses for any new travel arrangements but they they can later claim it through the aviation authority.

Mr. Plimmer adds that accommodations had already set them back over a thousand pounds, and it will simply be money spent on nothing if they are not able to afford the additional costs of new plane tickets. Other passengers who booked accommodations through another company now face the same problem.

The CAA has issued a statement and posted in on their website, saying that they have taken appropirate measures to protect Goldtrail’s previous clients despite the fact that they have stopped their operations. The statement also says that for travellers abroad, the CAA will be making the arragements to bring them home after their scheduled holidays.

Flights from Turkey back to the UK will continue to have normal operations. However, the CAA is already advising travellers in Greece that they may expect flight schedules to change and to keep in touch with CAA reps who are stationed at the local airports. Customers are also told to consult their own travel agents to figure out the best way to deal with the problem. Otherwise, the public is advised to call the CAA office on numbers they also posted.