Holiday company Sun4U collapses leaving 1,200 stranded

Travel company Sun4U is the latest firm to feel the pinch after it collapsed leaving around 1,200 customers stranded abroad.

According to the Birmingham-based firm's website it had ceased trading and was advising people to contact claim handlers for Abta - The Travel Association.

The majority of the firm's stranded customers are in Spain.

Abta advised that anyone with Air Travel Operators' Licensing (Atol) packages should be fine to carry on with their holidays as planned.

A spokesman said: "There are approximately 1,200 people away at the moment and most of them are in Spain.

"Anyone who has booked a package holiday must contact the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or contact the supplier named on their invoice."

It is still unclear as to how many holidaymakers remain abroad.

Some holiday makers have been told they must pay for their accommodation for a second time if they wish to stay.

The BBC has already heard the accounts of some of the affected holidaymakers.

Patricia Cambridge told the BBC: "[My daughter] was told that they would have to pay £438 for the self-catering holiday, plus 10 euros a day if they wanted half-board. They'd actually booked a half-board holiday and paid Sun4U for that holiday."

Kellie Bugby and 36 relatives had planned to travel to Majorca in two weeks with Sun4U. She said: "We've tried the website, we've tried calling... we're still a bit lost about whether we are or aren't going.

"It's something we've been planning for a whole year. It's over £12,000 of money."

Ms Bugby, from Leicester, said she was on the Sun4U website just three days ago and the company seemed to be running as normal and continuing to sell holidays.

"They must have known that the ones they were still selling weren't going to go through. It's so unfair," she said.

According to the Sun4U website, the firm offered a "dynamic packaging" service offering a "much greater choice and greater flexibility" and a team of staff with "hundreds of years of experience" between them.

According to one reporter, a group of 20 Sun4U holidaymakers staying in the popular Spanish resort of Lloret de Mar were called by tannoy as they were sunbathing to inform them that the all-inclusive holiday they had paid for was no longer valid.

One lady said her family of five was given a bill of 2,700 euros – which was more than they had original paid for the holiday – and were told they would not be allowed any more food or drink until it had been paid.

Card protection

Any traveller's that paid for their holiday by Visa debit or credit card have been advised that they are likely to qualify for a refund via the card provider. However, there is no protection under the Abta bond for bookings that were made by any other means.

Those that took out travel insurance before their holiday should contact their insurance company to find out what they are entitled to.

Written by Sam Gooch