HOLIDAYMAKERS WHO were repatriated yesterday after the collapse of their Mayo tour operator told how the Portuguese hotel in which they were staying presented them with additional bills for hundreds of euro.
The holidaymakers were clients of the Swinford-based Ronane Travel, trading as Great Escapes, which ceased trading this week, while some 489 of its customers were abroad.
Some told of their experiences yesterday when 79 of those affected were repatriated to Ireland West Knock Airport on a flight arranged by the Commission for Aviation Regulation.
Sally Anne Dunne and her two children, Charlotte (16) and Maisie (12), along with her partner, John, from Tooreen, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, were asked by their hotel to hand over €516 for an extra two nights' accommodation.
"We refused to pay," Ms Dunne said. "We said we didn't have the money but we did have it. We had already paid out €2,800 for the holiday and didn't see why we should have to pay any more."
Other holidaymakers, however, did pay the extra charge. They will now seek a refund from the aviation commission.
Some 161 passengers from Reus in Spain and 108 passengers from Lanzarote are due to arrive into Knock airport today.
Arrangements were "under way" for 140 holidaymakers on the island of Crete who are due to return home on Monday.
Rising fuel costs, a downturn in holiday and flight uptakes, and increased competition in the travel sector were the main reasons for the collapse of Ronane Travel/Great Escapes, its directors said in a statement yesterday.
In a separate development yesterday, about 100 passengers planning to fly to Canada from Belfast International Airport were left stranded after the UK-Canadian carrier Zoom suspended all operations. They were due to travel on the flight from Cardiff to Vancouver stopping at Belfast en route.
Zoom said customers who had future travel plans with the company for which reservations and payments were made should refer to their credit or debit card companies to apply for a refund.