Wow Air was still selling tickets almost up until ceasing operations, according to consumer group Which?
The organisation found that flights were still available at 7am.
The Icelandic budget carrier announced it had ceased operations about an hour later.
The Civil Aviation Authority issued advice to UK consumers holding Wow Air tickets after alloperations were suspended.
Travel agents who booked tickets for customers with the failed carrier will be one point of contact.
Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: “Passengers will quite rightly be appalled that Wow Air was still selling tickets right up to the moment it collapsed knowing full well that any tickets sold would likely not be worth the paper they are printed on.
“You will need to check if you booked your flights as part of a package as this will mean you are Atol protected and will be entitled to your money back.
“If not, you may still be able to claim through your travel insurance or card issuer but it will depend on your circumstances.”
This is the CAA advice:
If you booked directly with Wow Air and paid by credit card you may be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and should contact your card issuer for further information. Similarly, if you paid by debit or charge card you should contact your card issuer for advice as you may be able to make a claim under their charge back rules.
If you purchased travel insurance that may include cover for scheduled airline failure, known as SAFI, you should contact your insurer. If you did not book directly with Wow Air and purchased your tickets through an intermediary, you should contact your booking or travel agent in the first instance.
Passengers who booked directly with the company via either a credit, charge or debit card may alternatively be able to make a claim against their card provider. Some card providers will ask for a negative response letter confirming the position. Passengers may also be able to make a claim against their travel insurer. (The negative response letter will be published shortly)
If you paid the airline directly by credit card you might be protected by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. You should check with your card issuer for further advice. You may have similar cover if you paid by Visa debit card and should check with your bank.
If you booked your ticket through an airline ticket agent you should speak to the agent in the first instance; they may have provided travel insurance that includes Scheduled Airline Failure cover.
Some airlines and airline ticket agents will offer customers either a specific Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI) policy or include similar protection within a broader travel insurance product. The type of protection provided may vary depending on the type of policy taken out. A policy may simply cover the cost of the original tickets purchased or any unused portion, or the additional cost of purchasing new flights, such as new tickets for travel back to the UK.
If you have booked flights or a trip that includes flights with a travel firm that holds an Atol and received confirmation that you are Atol protected, the travel firm is responsible for your flight arrangements and must either make alternative flights available for you so that your trip can continue or provide a full refund. If you are abroad, it should make arrangements to bring you home at the end of your trip. Contact the Atol travel firm for more information.
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