Holiday firm offering full refunds to customers amid Shearings row

Chorley-based Alfa Travel has cancelled all its holidays until the end of April in light of government advice against all non-essential overseas travel for British nationals.

And it is generously offering customers a full refund on their holidays, as well as giving them the choice of postponing their trip to a later date or getting a credit note valid until the end of 2022.

The move comes after Wigan travel firm Shearings said it is not offering refunds on cancelled trips until the end of July. The travel group made the decision as it looks to ensure the business remains financially viable, but holidaymakers have attacked the policy as "appalling" and leaving elderly people feeling helpless.

Emma Russell, managing director at Alfa Travel, said: “As a responsible employee-owned business, we made the decision to close and bring our customers home straight away.

“We felt it was the right thing to do to get everyone home as soon as possible so they could stay safe, stock up on essential provisions and get ready for the social distancing measures that were coming into place.

“When we made the announcement, we got standing ovations in some of the hotels and we’ve been overwhelmed with messages of support from customers, who are really appreciative of what we’ve done.”

The reservations team are currently working from home to deal with customers enquiries and refunds, while the majority of the firm’s workers are currently on furlough.

A £1.9million overdraft extension was agreed by Lloyds Bank within 48 hours to help fund the refunds.

Ms Russel said: “The support we’ve had from Lloyds gives us the security that we know we can continue to refund customers and we haven’t had to make any rash decisions about our employees’ future.

“We’re also using this time to plan our 2021 holiday programme and look at how we can improve the customer experience.

“We were a financially strong business before coronavirus and we fully intend to come back from this even stronger.”

The £43million turnover business, which is based in Chorley, Lancashire, is 75 per cent owned by its 710 employees, who each receive an equal share of the company’s profits.

John Csizmadia, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, said: “We have been Alfa’s banking partner for more than ten years now and we recognise that it is a robust business that just needs extra support during these testing times.

“It is a responsible firm that’s working hard to do the right thing by its customers and colleagues, and it has our full backing.

“Clearly, the travel industry has been hit particularly hard by coronavirus, but we’re working closely with our customers in the sector to provide the support they need.”