TM Travel, also known as Jackie’s, lost its flight service to Las Vegas after its public charter prospectus was not renewed by the US Department of Transportation.
The company’s air carrier, World Airways Inc., announced the action. World Airways said it was due to “non compliance with federal regulations.” No specifics were given.
Thousands of people looking for cheap airfare to Las Vegas had booked travel and must now face having to plan their trip again, said Pacific Business News.
Wendy Goodenow, head of HNL Travel and president of the Hawaii chapter of The American Society of Travel Agents, noted that TM was not a full-service, ARC-appointed agency.
“This all boils down to ‘no free meals.’ Hawaii is a very price-driven market and consumers will go down the street to save a dollar,” she said.
She urged consumers to “know who you are working with, and knowing a little bit of their background would not hurt, either.”
Jackie’s Tours was founded by members of the family that sold the similarly-named Jackie’s Travel to Boyd Gaming a few years ago. The Boyd’s low-fare charter flights continue to run without being affected by the TM situation, according to Pacific Business News.
TM had been operating three charter flights a week. At least some of its customers received refunds, said the newspaper account.
Report by David Wilkening
