Flights

[Deleted]

Kiss Flights and Flight Options (Traded principally as "Kiss") gone for sure -ceased trading. Viking flights "currently" operating normally.
Latest from CAA:- " Kiss flight customers booked to travel on Viking flights on Wed Aug 18th prior to 18.00 Hrs should check in as normal. Those with bookings on Wed Aug 18th after 18.00Hrs should not travel but can make a claim for a refund from the CAA". Hmmm!
They say all those now overseas will be brought home.

[carol]

But ........ according to Simon Calder on BBC breakfast news this morning a Viking flight from Manchester to Rhodes was cancelled at short notice earlier !!! Watch this space as they say !!

[Deleted]

Latest report is that it was sent out empty to bring back those already there.

[carol]

I suppose that makes sense but what about the people who were meant to be going to Rhoodes on it ?

[Deleted]

Have just checked and it appears that the outbound Man~Rhodes this morning was cancelled and at the request of the CAA was operated out empty by Viking to bring passengers back. I know no more that that but more reports will filter in during the day. A statement is expected after 18.00 this evening and the CAA have promised to get Kiss Flight passengers back for the next 7 days. (We will probably now get a text from Halki saying a forum member travelled out on that Man flight this morning !!! )
Calder also said this morning that more operators were expected to fall in September.

[Deleted]

In case you are wondering where this info is drifting in from - it is from Viking staff at Man airport. They are understandably concerned about their employment. Viking management are telling them that "all will be well". Given the track record of their boss
Time will tell.

[carol]

Hmmm like I said, watch this space !!

[pda]

Thats bug****ed up my trip in Sept.
May be a few less people there than planned now Sth.
Hope all get their dosh back, seems I am supposed to but claim will take at least a month & before then will need to get another batch of flights.
Think I will stick to Aegean in future !!!
Bah !!!!!!!!!

[Deleted]

Were you holding a Kiss booking? Have they contacted you?

[daisy]

Well I have been checking Travel Republic on a daily basis for my flights next year and up until today Viking have had a 5-30 flight out of Gatwick to Rhodes but it has now dissapeared which just makes me think they are going to the wall too

[pda]

Booked via Flightline with Kiss on Viking. Gets complicated doesn't it !
Kiss gone bust & per Flightline will have to claim from CAA under ATOL.
Spoke to Viking yesterday, eventually, as I had seats booked direct with them. They said that the Rhodes flights were all cancelled & gave me a refund straight away with no problem for the seats.
They are still operating the Manchester-Athens route + others through their own web site & not via other agents.

Managed to get flights though, plus were cheaper than the first batch. Now going out on Jet2 from Leeds & returning with Greek airline Olympic Air to Heathrow via Athens then taxi home......Long day !

[Amanda]

A long day but so pleased you're sorted now - and with change!

Don't expect the taxi's cheap though!

[carol]

Well done pda,great to hear you are still going to get to Halki albeit on a slightly different route than was planned

[Deleted]

Good one Philip. Glad it worked out for you.

[Deleted]

For the Viking fans amongst us perhaps a simple clarification may help.
For Viking Airways read: Re.birth of XL Airways.
For Kiss Flights read: Re.birth of Freedom Flights.
The chap behind all this - amd more - is Phil Wyatt, regarded by many in the industry as a plain criminal. Lives in a multi million pound estate heavily protected in deepest Surrey.
He took out what can only be regarded as a "secret" 50% stake in Viking just a few months after the collapse of his beloved XL. Some feel that had the travelling public known of the strong link between the two, Viking, in it's present UK charter form, may never have risen from the ashes of XL.
It is not surprising that some companies fall by the wayside in the later months of the year when times are tough and the bank coffers are low. It is more that odd that this charlatan manages to collapse, again at the busiest time of the season.
Watch this space next year!! This guy won't be put down easily and we will probably have a new charter airline on the block. Be very wary. This post may contain some minor technical inaccuracies but the facts are well established.