Posted on September 12, 2008 by Fiona Hilliard

Are you a car hire customer bound for a UK airport today? Expect to see plenty of sad suitcases and fed-up flip-flops.

There’s one travel story this morning that’s grabbed the attention of the world’s media and that’s the announcement that XL Leisure Group has gone into administration, throwing the plans of thousands of late summer holidaymakers into chaos.

All flights were automatically cancelled and aircraft was grounded this morning, leaving up to 85,000 people stranded abroad and 200,000 people who have made advance bookings within the company losing out.

So who’s covered?

Any passenger who booked an inclusive holiday with XL or a charter flight through one of XL’s four brands, The Really Great Holiday Company, Kosmar Villa Holidays, Freedom Flights or Aspire Holidays will be covered by ATOL’s financial protection scheme.
However, any passenger who booked direct with XL Airways, whose flight numbers begin XLA will have to either buy their way on to the CAA’s specially organised flights or make their own way home.
Package holidaymakers who booked with XL’s Medlife business are also not covered by ATOL and anyone already abroad will not automatically be brought home.

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