XL goes X!

Another airline and travel company goes bust today. The XL Leisure Group is no longer, at least in the UK. The French connection is going strong as is the German. Anyone to blame? As the news sinks in, I don't think the chairman Phil Wyatt is particularly. He may have made a few errors of judgement over exterior forces, but he appears to be a man who tried to get his business back from the brink. I think the main culprits are the dodgy dealers in oil as a commodity, the CAA for being "not fit for purpose" as a regulator, and the general lacklustre approach of the Governor of the Bank of England to the spivs and speculators who he seems to be oblivious to. Mr.Wyatt can't battle against these people on his own, but I bet the stranded holidaymakers have him in their sights rather than the real creators of their misery!

As we went off for my family trip to France from Birmingham Airport, we were expecting our Air France plane to be just that, an Air France plane. Instead there was a brand new multi-coloured Baboo plane waiting. Baboo? Nobody knew who they were. It was a leased plane! No problems, but in these days of trouble and strife, it is probably best to check out things as best we can. So much that we don't know goes on. "Commercially sensitive" means "We aren't telling you!"

A man who is stranded on a Greek island said he read in the financial press that XL were stopping a route from the Caribbean. Don't worry, he was told by his tour operator, your holiday is OK. Perhaps we need a better organisation to look after the travelling public. One that combines the work of the CAA, ABTA, and the bank guarantees (on credit card payments but not debit cards!).There should be an end to the instant collapse, with all the rancour that causes, not to mention unnecessary additional costs. One man's disaster is another's benefit, but that is a crude measure. Let's have it all done in a more civilised way in future!

Posted in: aviation industry,CAA,XL Leisure Group