ABTA cruise, business and sports travel specialist collapses

Sunday, 07 Jul, 2020 0

A travel agent specialising in cruise, business travel and sports tours has ceased trading.

Northwest London-based Pan Express Business Travel was a member of ABTA.

It traded under the names Pan Express, Pan Express Travel, Pan Express Business Travel, Ahoy Cruises, Ahoy Holidays and Ahoy Getaways and held an ATOL licence.

The Civil Aviation Authority said: "We are currently collating information from the company and will update this page as soon as possible."

It said agents of Pan Express Business Travel currently holding consumer payments not yet paid to Pan Express Business Travel are advised not to refund clients with these funds until they have received instructions from the Air Travel Trust.

"Travel agents will be individually contacted by the CAA with specific instructions for these bookings," it added.

Included in the CAA’s announcement of Pan Express’s failure on its website, is a stern warning that it has the power to prosecute those who make fraudulent ATOL claims following the failure of an ATOL holder under the Fraud Act 2006.

It says the maximum sentence for an offence is 10 years in prison.

A message on the Pan Express website says Ashok Bhardwaj of Bhardwaj is handling the liquidation.

Its collapse follows that on June 26 of another ABTA member and ATOL-holder, Bargain Travel Bureau, which traded under the names Red7 Holidays, Eclipse Leisure and Red7.

ABTA said the ‘vast majority’ of Bargain Travel’s bookings were financially-protected, either by ABTA or the Air Travel Trust Fund.

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Linsey McNeill

Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk

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