Monarch’s rivals have been accused of hiking up prices of flights after it went bust and victims started scrambling to save their holidays.
At least 300,000 future bookings worth £60million and involving up 750,000 customers have also been axed – leaving many out of pocket and left to pay hiked-up prices from rivals to save their holidays.
An intensive care nurse from south London rebooked flights to Alicante and saw the quoted price rise from £138 to £199 per person on the Ryanair site in the time it took to complete the booking.
She said: ‘It is scandalous that Monarch were allowed to carry on taking bookings when it is now clear the Government knew they were about to fold.
‘I haven’t had a proper pay rise in seven years and was forced to either cancel my holiday or stump up an inflated price to Ryanair.
‘I blame the Government for standing by and allowing ordinary working people like myself to be ripped off in this outrageous fashion.’
EasyJet is set to hold a recruitment day for Monarch staff and Ryanair will be eyeing pilots to deal with its own cancellation crisis.
Monarch’s rivals hiked up prices of flights after it went bust and victims started scrambling to save their holidays as the planes were grounded today (pictured at Birmingham today)
Customers said they were ‘disgusted’ as they accused Monarch’s rivals of bumping up prices
Amy Hodson wrote: ‘Looks like @Ryanair are using the #monarch bust to their advantage and upping the prices… Nice one.
@Cyba3security said; ‘Not good business @Ryanair putting prices of flights up mid booking (46 to 116!) Taking advantage of Monarch cancellations. #thieves’/
Joshua Courtney said: ‘It’s absolutely disgusting that @easyJet are raising prices to nearly DOUBLE because of the #Monarch situation.
Sean Celecia wrote: ‘@British_Airways @easyJet taking advantage that @Monarch have cancelled all flights! Ridiculous prices’.
Ryanair’s chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, said: ‘Ryanair’s fares are only coming down this winter’ while British Airways denied it had changed its fare levels’.
Today it emerged Monarch’s board knew it was going bust on Saturday night but kept it secret, allowing new booking until minutes before it collapsed at 3am today.
Ahic Sahhadpao, 59, and his wife Michelle, 52, had checked in bags at Gatwick airport last night for an early flight to Gran Canaria but the flight was then cancelled.
They quickly managed to find an alternative flight for £230 with Thomson, plus £150 for the taxi journey from Gatwick to Birmingham.
A total of 27 flights were affected at Birmingham Airport today with 17 due to depart and another 10 arriving.
Ahic from Surrey, said: ‘We had checked in and our bags had been taken when we heard an announcement to suspend all transactions, not even the staff knew what was happening.
‘One of the staff told us they had turned up for work this morning and they were removed of their staff passes, they just stood around not knowing what to do. They found out when customers found out.
‘It was chaos at the check-in, people were shouting at staff and children were crying.
‘We saw a wedding party of 30 stranded, trying to get an alternative flight..
‘We are lucky because we booked flights and accommodation separately but people with package holidays will now be struggling to get flights changed.
‘As soon as we knew, we booked a flight through Skyscanner first thing this morning, around 4am.
‘I’ve noticed that flights have now gone up to £800-£1000.’
Check-in desks stand empty in the Monarch flights departures area after the airline ceased trading, at Luton airport as victims scrambled for tickets
Hilary and Richard Penn, both in their mid sixties, were due to fly to Barcelona at 6.45am this morning when they found out their Monarch flight had been cancelled.
Having booked through a travel agent the couple tried to organise a refund but were told that was not an option and they would be transferred onto a Ryanair flight this afternoon and 3.45pm
Hilary said: ‘I would have rather gone home and had a refund but our travel agent told us that was not an option as they were organising flight for stranded passengers.
‘We haven’t slept all night and now we have to wait around the check in area with no where comfortable to sit until we can get through the departure lounge.
‘I feel terrible for the staff who have lost their jobs, they have been really good and helped us as much as they can.’
A group of three woman, travelling out to Lanzarote, had booked a departure flight with Ryanair but were due to fly home with Monarch airlines.
One lady said: ‘We have been keeping and eye on the news the last few days and it’s been worrying as we don’t want to be stranded.
‘When we saw the news this morning we were certain we would have to book another flight and luckily we managed to get one, even if it has put us out of pocket.
‘I think the price will go up throughout the day as desperate people book alternative flights.
‘It’s enivitable that airline will try and make money off the back of this.’
Another couple in their mid 60’s, who were supposed to be jetting off on their holidays to barcelona, were left stranded. With a 11 hour wait for an alternative flight.
Stephen and Miranda Jeffs were due to fly with monarch airline at 6.45am.
Miranda said: ‘We heard on the news this morning but came to airport anyway to see what was going to happen with our flights.
‘It was very busy with people this morning but they have left now.
‘The staff have lost their jobs and will have to deal with all the customer complaints. I feel so sorry for them.’
Richard Wainright, 68, who was also due to board the 6.45am flight with his wife will now have to wait for an alternative flight at 3.45pm.
He said: ‘We have been told that we can now fly with Ryan Air but for that airline you need to print boarding passes and we can’t do that here.
‘So the travel company is travelling down to the airport to bring out boarding passes around 1 pm.
‘We have had to buy food and drinks in the airport that aren’t cheap because we are having to wait and were also going to be missing two days of our holiday due to this alternative flight.
‘We not sure I we can claim some money back through out travel insurance or the travel company.
‘If it’s the only way we can get home then we don’t have a choice.
‘We spoke to a couple earlier who were meant to be flying to Portugal.
‘They have been sent in a taxi from here to Luton airport and put in a hotel over night to fly first thing in the morning.’
John and Dionne, both 66, from Telford arrived at the airport at 2am to fly to Tenerife when they found out their flight had been cancelled.
The couple have had to pay nearly £800 for an alternative flight, meaning they must transfer in Madrid and won’t arrive in Santa Cruz till later tonight before getting a hours taxi to their hotel.
John said: ‘This the third time we have had a holiday cancelled before but not when we have already checked in.
‘We now have to tell the travel company we booked with that we have an alternative flight otherwise they will cancel our holiday.
‘We will miss a day in Tenerife because of this and will spend hours and hours travelling with transfers, not too mention what we have had to pay to get there.’