TravelSpan yesterday announced that it would be unable to fulfil bookings for passengers scheduled for flights from this weekend due to a split with air carrier Vision Airlines.
The travel agency said in a statement issued yesterday that effective from September 27, it would no longer be a (GSA) General Sales Agent for Vision and blamed a “significant amount of cancelled, and delayed flights” on an inconsistent service. It also said both companies suffered losses as a result.
TravelSpan, which contracts planes to offer scheduled chartered flights, assured that passengers in Guyana and New York would either receive funds or be put on other carriers but that passengers seeking refunds will have to wait up to two weeks.
It also said it would be making arrangements with another airline to ply the Guyana-New York route and that an announcement would be made in the coming days. The company added that it looked forward to collaborating with a new carrier that would keep the standard of excellence that the company demands for its customers.
For tickets paid in the United States, TravelSpan said it has been protecting passenger’s monies in escrow. “This precaution was taken so our customers would not be left stranded as with the case of previous carriers after they discontinued operations,” it explained.
For tickets paid in Guyana, it said the TravelSpan office will rebook passengers or offer a full refund. “[It] …will take approximately 14 days for the refund to be processed and the cheques to be prepared for customers,” it, however, added.
When Stabroek News visited the Regent Street office of the company yesterday afternoon, only one passenger was there. The woman, who asked not to be named, said she had heard that the airline would be closing. She added that she was booked to travel in November so she went to enquire about a refund.
“The girl was very nice. She told me I could switch to somewhere else or I could collect my money and wait to see what would happen with them,” she added.
“I don’t want to wait because you know prices gon’ go high as soon as other airlines hear this. So, I will collect my money and go book early with another one,” she added.
In August, TravelSpan passengers were stranded in both Guyana and the United States after mechanical problems grounded the carrier’s aircraft.
Passengers then complained that no provisions have been made to organise alternative arrangements for them and a lack of information on the situation from the agency.
