Zoom Airlines Bust.

[alexxxxx]

I'm sure I saw in the newspaper a few months Ryanair could be launching a scheme from europe to n. america with prices as low as £30 one way,

i swear it'd cost more than £30 each in fuel lol.

[GTA-Andy]

i swear it'd cost more than £30 each in fuel lol.

That was a year ago, it was possible, just. To put this in perspective however in 2001 when Zoom was founded fuel was $28 a barrel, it peaked $150 this July, all the while Zoom couldn't afford to raise prices for fear of loosing trade, as such they collapsed. Ryanair will never go trans atlantic until fuel drops dramatically.

[Yonder]

This is the email i got of them i flew to Canada with them and i was due to fly back in September with them but obviously cannot now. My uncle flew to England via zoom (he lives in Canada) he was due to fly back today but has to fork out another 600 pounds for a flight with a different company. I thought i was okay as i was insured separately from zoom but just so happens most travel insurances state that they do not cover the fall of a company. Great looks like im stuck in Canada for ever Lol.

CUSTOMER ANNOUCEMENT


Zoom Airlines sincerely regrets to advise its customers that it has suspended operations with effect from 18:00 UTC on Thursday 28 August.

All flights scheduled to depart from have been cancelled and Zoom's aircraft have been grounded.

Both Zoom Airlines Inc and Zoom Airlines Ltd, the Canadian and UK airlines, will be filing for insolvency proceedings in their home countries today.

For customers who have future travel plans involving a Zoom flight for which reservations and payment have been made, you should refer to your credit or debit card company to apply for a refund. We have set out details of other airlines who operate the same or similar routes to those flown with Zoom in the hope that this may assist you in making alternative travel plans to replace the flights that you had booked with Zoom.

If your travel arrangements have been made as part of a holiday package originating in the UK and booked through a holiday company, you may be able to make a claim under the CAA's Air Travel Organiser's Licence scheme. For information on this, please consult the CAA ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.

Hugh and John Boyle, the founders of Zoom, said today: "We deeply regret the fact that we have been forced to cease all Zoom operations. It is a tragic day for our passengers and more than 600 staff.

"We are desperately sorry for the inconvenience that this will cause passengers and those who have booked flights.

"We have done everything we can to support the airline and left no stone unturned to secure a re-financing package that would have kept our aircraft flying. Even as late as yesterday we had secured a new investment package but the actions of creditors meant we could not continue flying.

"The collapse of Zoom is a result of matter beyond our control. Only last year Zoom Airlines made profit, but that turned into a loss in the last year due to the unprecedented increase in the price of aviation fuel and the economic climate. The price of oil resulted in our fuel bill jumping by nearly $50 million in one year and we could not recover that from passengers who had already booked their flights.

"We would like to thank the many thousands of passengers who chose to travel with Zoom during the last seven years and efforts of the airline's staff."

We have been advised that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are graciously offering special fares to assist Zoom customers that have been displaced by the suspension of our services.


Services offered by other airlines which may be of assistance to Zoom customers:

London Gatwick to Toronto Canadian Affair, Air Canada, Fly Globespan, British Airways
London Gatwick to Vancouver Canadian Affair, Air Canada, Fly Globespan, British Airways
London Gatwick to Calgary Canadian Affair, Air Canada, Fly Globespan, British Airways
London Gatwick to Montreal Canadian Affair, Air Canada, British Airways
London Gatwick to Ottawa Canadian Affair, Air Canada
London Gatwick to Halifax Canadian Affair, Air Canada
London Gatwick to Winnipeg No direct flights. See Air Canada for options to change planes at airports in Canada to fly on this route.
London Gatwick to New York British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines
London Gatwick to Bermuda British Airways
London Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale No direct flights. See British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines for flights to Miami; or other US airlines for flights via hubs in America.
London Gatwick to San Diego No direct flights. See British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Air New Zealand and United Airlines for flights to Los Angeles or other US airlines for flights via hubs in America.
Glasgow to Ottawa No direct flights
Glasgow to Halifax No direct flights
Glasgow to Calgary Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Glasgow to Vancouver Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Glasgow to Toronto Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Manchester to Vancouver Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Manchester to Toronto Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Belfast to Toronto Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Belfast to Vancouver No direct flights.
Cardiff to Toronto No direct flights
Cardiff to Vancouver No direct flights
Montreal to Paris Air Canada, Air France, Air Transat
Toronto to Paris Air Canada, Air France, Air Transat
Calgary to Paris Air Transat
Vancouver to Paris Air Transat
Montreal to Rome Air Transat, Alitalia
Toronto to Rome Alitalia

Airline website addresses:
Air Canada www.aircanada.com
Air France www.airfrance.com
Air New Zealand www.airnewzealand.com
Air Transat www.airtransat.com
Alitalia www.alitalia.com
British Airways www.ba.com
Canadian Affair www.canadianaffair.com for customers starting their journey in the UK
www.canadianaffair.ca for customers starting their journey in Canada
Fly Globespan www.flyglobespan.com
United Airways www.united.com
Virgin Atlantic www.virgin-atlantic.com

[GTA-Andy]

The email is exactly whats on the website, I imagine it's what the letters handed out said too. Such a shame, feel sorry for you to Yonder, where are you? I was in Halifax.

[Yonder]

Im in Ottawa hopefully it will die down before i fly back ill get another flight but i think ill go with a reliable airline this time.

[GTA-Andy]

I wouldn't call Zoom unreliable, it's just a very testing time to be in an unstable industry as a whole, many airlines will go under this winter, Zoom has had it's flaws but I think it's a little harsh to call them unreliable, they didn't aim to fail.

[Yonder]

Well to be honest they new about Zoom going under a lot longer than the last week as they said. The directors etc wont be losing any money they will of cashed in most of their shares. The risk with going with cheap airlines is that they are unreliable, i should of realised this when i flew out, it was a pain in the butt because they tried craming 2 flights into 1 trying to save money, im just glad i didnt lose thousands of pounds like my uncle did.

[GTA-Andy]

It seems to me that the brass had no idea that this was coming, if their statement can be believed. They said that they had lined up financing to get them through the next period, and it appears that they had every intention of weathering the storm and carrying on. Their hand was forced by the impounding of two aircraft. I have never been on an overcrowded Zoom flight, and if by '2 in 1' you mean a flight with two stops, almost every Zoom flight is like that, it's the only viable way.

They knew they where in trouble, they did not know they where going to collapse, with fuel going down they believed they could get through.

[Yonder]

Well opinions differ. The main reason i believe my side is because im in Canada and my aunt works for the company that owns the building that Zoom rent to have their offices she does the accounting for the building owner (she works in the building zoom rents). She has been telling me about trouble with payments of rent etc. They may have tried to recoup but i highly doubt that the directors/owners etc will be losing much money maybe their business but they have made enough to retire.

By flight 2 - 1 i meant: i was flying via Halifax to Ottawa and they had overbooked a Vancouver flight so they moved some to the Ottawa flight (that i was meant to be on) and then it flew to Vancouver after Ottawa. So they overfilled 2 flights (trying to get money). Then they moved me off a flight that was going direct to Calgary and made that stop at Ottawa. Fair play they sorted it out but i should of realized something was up then. Now im looking at flights that are going to cost me at least 500 pounds.

[Zehro]

Zoom was quite reliable. However with the rice of fuel prices, they were paying double of what they normally paid.