The following advice has been issued by AXA, our insurer, for customers affected by the collapse of Monarch Airlines.

What should you do?

For the latest information, please consult:

• The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) [monarch.caa.co.uk]
• The airline’s website or the airline sales office
• Your travel agent
• The airport tourism information offices
• The local consumer agency
• Dedicated helplines have been set up by the CAA. The number for customers in the UK is 0300 303 2800 and customers currently overseas should use +44 1753 330330

Refund options:

If you booked a package holiday and hold an ATOL certificate you will be entitled to apply for a refund.

The airline may make an agreement with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to facilitate the refund of purchased but not yet flown tickets of the airline. This agreement will let the travel agencies refund the complete price to those passengers that paid the ticket in a travel agency by bank transfer or cash.

All other passengers who bought their tickets by credit card directly on a website or in a travel agency will need to enquire for refund options with their card issuer.

Monarch customers may be able to claim a refund on their debit card, providing they have contacted the airline’s administrator requesting a refund before contacting their card issuer.

Alternative flight options:

Check if the airline is in contact with other airlines to find alternative solutions, providing special fares to those affected passengers that want to fly in the next few days. More information will be found at the respective websites of those airlines.

A summary of the cover provided by this policy:

Cancellation or Curtailment - There is no cover for customers wishing to cancel their trip due to the scheduled airline failure. If you have booked your holiday through a tour operator you should check with your tour operator/travel agent for their advice. Normal cover will apply if you need to cancel your trip for other specified reasons under this section i.e. death, bodily injury/illness of you or a close relative (please see your policy for full details).

Delayed departure/abandonment – There is no cover for delayed departure of the public transport as a result of scheduled airline failure.

Missed departure – Cover does apply for customers who miss their initial international flight out of or returning to the country of residence as a result of the failure of other scheduled public transport. This will assist with additional accommodation (room only) and travel expenses incurred in reaching their international destination providing they purchased their policy or booked their trip (for annual policies) prior to the event being publicly known.

For all other sections of the policy – Normal cover applies for those customers currently travelling or who are about to travel in line with their policy terms and conditions.