I feel sorry for all those stuck on Rhodes or going soon. Sounds like a nightmare.
Reading the various reports brings it home to me how useless the package holiday companies are. They make a big thing about how they look after you but its all bollocks. They just want to charge you more for flights and sell you day trips at extortionate prices. They seem to disappear when you really need them.
In the BBC report, one guy says he’s been abandoned with no info from Jet2.
It’s so much easier booking independently and using EasyJet or Ryanair, you can maintain flexibility until a lot closer to the departure date (especially if you are in the EasyJet flight club) and you generally don’t have to pay until you get to the hotel.
Best of luck to those flying with TUI and Jet2
I think there are pros and cons for packages vs DIY.
Using the Rhodes situation as an example....
Jet2 have cancelled all holidays until 30th July.
If you booked Jet2.com flights leaving tomorrow, you'll get refunded on them due to the cancellation, but you could be on the hook financially for a hotel/villa (very few would let you cancel FOC at this late stage and it could be part of the island unaffected so business as normal for them)
Ryanair, being Ryanair, are still flying a normal schedule as per their 10am update this morning.
So if you had accommodation booked in an impacted area, that naturally won't happen now but if the flight still goes you ain't got a chance for a refund from Ryanair.
Best bet would be to try and find alternative accommodation on the island, but at what cost and availability would be ridiculously tight now.
I do most, in fact almost all, of my trips DIY but there are occasions where the protection of a package (and I mean a proper package and not On The Beach/LoveHolidays etc) really comes into their own.
