Greece / Halkidiki Disaster Issue

Scuba_M

Hi All,
I'm hoping for a bit of help/advice. My 18 y/o daughter and two of her friends flew into Halkidiki yesterday for a week's holiday in Greece which was a Half Board fully package holiday with Jet2.

As you may have seen on the news there has been a horrific weather incident leaving 6 dead and over 50 people injured. Thankfully my daughter and her friends are OK but very shaken up, their villa / apartment flooded and the roof partially blew off, and they have no electricity or water and haven't since last night. The apartment complex can't provide food as they have no electricity.

Jet2's local reps have been to see them but are being really unhelpful. They won't move them to another resort outside of the area and they are expected to stay in the apartment with no water, electricity or food.

One of the other parents who was the lead booker on the holiday has been ringing Jet2 but it got to the point where their local rep came and almost threatened the girls.

What legal redress do we have here - should Jet2 move them to another location or repatriate them home? Or can't we do anything?

As far as they are concerned, although it's an act of god, their holiday is ruined.

Any clues / ideas of what we can do? Like I say, Jet2 are being pretty useless, but I also appreciate there will be hundreds of customers in a similar position.

Mark.

Ms_Chocaholic

Do they have travel insurance?

Scuba_M

Yes, I believe so via the lead booker which covers all three of them. I have asked the parent who is the lead booker to engage the travel insurance company to see what they can do.
However, surely the duty of care is with Jet2 to make sure their customers are safe? A resort with no electricity, running water or food isn't safe in my eyes...

Grumpelstiltskin

I think in this situation, one that no one could predict, Jet 2 and other tour company reps will be in a difficult situation.

I don't think you or the other parent have helped by pestering Jet 2. Whatever you think they will be trying to do their best to sort out what they can do, but I imagine it must be very difficult.


I can't see there will be any chance of them coming back to the UK now, where will Jet 2 magic a plane from?

They will survive and hopefully learn a life lesion that sometimes things go wrong in a big way.

happyandcontented

I imagine that Jet2 will move them but they may have to sit tight for today until the extent of the issue is fully known. It isn't pleasant but they will survive and it will become a tale to tell in the future.

I very much appreciate that, as parents, you feel helpless, but if they were mature enough to go away on their own they will cope with this setback. Just keep in touch with them and reassure them

Sea_Shell

In the past, have the tour operators not "worked together" to arrange for tourists to be repatriated following natural disasters??

Scuba_M

Whilst I agree it's not something they could predict for that day, it's part of their emergency planning routines for such an event. These things happen around the world on a fairly regular basis. If it's not a freak storm, it could have been an earthquake (especially in greece) or even a volcanic eruption.

I know for a fact Jet2 have emergency planning routines they follow - I know some of the people involved in creating them. Sadly it doesn't seem like they're following them or the local outsourced reps (in most cases it's a local company they subcontract to in resort) aren't either, or they just don't perceive this to be important for the hundreds of holidaymakers stranded in the peninsula.

They also can 'magic a plane' from somewhere as they have the ability as part of their DR planning in exactly this situation to subcontract a plane from a 3rd party (it's usually used when a plane develops a fault at a remote airport - but they could evacuate holidaymakers if push came to shove - that's what they did when Tunisia kicked off).

bradders1983

Yes they probably could magic a plane from somewhere but, with all due respect, the UK Government hasnt told all UK nationals get out the area, nor is it a major major weather incident akin to a hurricane in Florida.

kazwookie

When the tour rep next goes to see the ladies, get one of them to film via their phone if they feel they are being threatened.

Re food, get them to go out and search for bottled water and sealed food, so at least they will have something for now / to be getting on with.

As the ladies don't seem to be injured, maybe they can go and see if they can help others who maybe.

I know it is far from ideal, but things will improve, there must be several hundred folk who are also caught up in all this.

Get the ladies to stay together.

Westin

I know that you must be worried about your daughter but with respect it is important that you stay calm especially when talking to her.

The situation I expect is quite fluid and changing hour by hour as emergency and public services cope with the aftermath. I feel sure that Jet2 will have a team of people dealing with the incident and will have the safety and well being of all their customers in mind. Your daughter is safe that's the main thing. I expect Jet2 will make arrangements to move their clients to places of safety where they can be looked after suitably with shelter, food and water. If it appears guests can not continue with their trip the holiday company may move them elsewhere or fly them home. There is however a lot of logistical planning to be done. This takes time and you have to show patience.

The Jet2 rep should not have been rude to your daughter but you also don't know the other side or the circumstances behind the out burst. That same rep may be looking after a number of other guests, some with worst conditions or situations at other accommodations, some with special needs. He/she may also have their own personal problems with family and home. Everyone needs to work together in situations like this.

Keep your daughter informed but not to install panic in her. It sounds like she is in a place of safety and also hopefully has some water/food to see her by for a day or so. If not she and the party should think themselves of contingency planning like going to an open larger hotel and staying there, following instructions from local authorities on moving or obtaining help. Some British resolve and a calm head.

I am sure Jet2 will be back in contact with her soon.

Westin

kazwookie wrote: »

When the tour rep next goes to see the ladies, get one of them to film via their phone if they feel they are being threatened.

Re food, get them to go out and search for bottled water and sealed food, so at least they will have something for now / to be getting on with.

As the ladies don't seem to be injured, maybe they can go and see if they can help others who maybe.

I know it is far from ideal, but things will improve, there must be several hundred folk who are also caught up in all this.

Get the ladies to stay together.

Nice idea (highlighted)