When the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran over the weekend, airspace closures across the Middle East caused major disruptions for Singaporean travellers. Local travel agencies moved quickly to assist affected customers.
EU Holidays Steps In
EU Holidays had planned to send about 750 Singaporeans in 30 tour groups to Europe this month. However, with flights disrupted, the agency is now processing full refunds for travellers, including 20 passengers originally booked for Egypt on March 3.
“We are also trying to get refunds from airlines, hotels and land operators. But (even) before we get confirmation, (as we want to) make sure that our customers feel very secure and taken care of, we do a full refund back to the customers first,” said Mr Ong Hanjie, director of EU Holidays.
For those stranded abroad, EU Holidays is arranging accommodation and alternative routes home. Three tour groups of about 25 customers each are currently stuck in Dubai, Buenos Aires, and Chile. “We are assisting them with all their travelling needs and requirements … The extension of hotel stays is covered at the cost of EU Holidays,” he added.
Super Travels Offers Options
Super Travels is helping about 180 affected customers with bookings over the next two weeks. The agency offers trip cancellations, postponements, or alternative destinations, including waiving administrative fees for Emirates or Qatar Airways trips scheduled before March 15.
“The difficulty is that a lot of carriers at this point in time are already fully booked,” said William Huang, vice-president and director of Super Travels Group. “Maybe I can get one or two tickets on Singapore Airlines; maybe I can get one or two tickets on Finnair. But if you want me to get a group of 20 tickets, I think that’s quite impossible at this point.”
Other agencies, such as the Association of Muslim Travel Agents Singapore, are reviewing and postponing affected trips, especially as this coincides with the holy month of Ramadan and the peak Umrah pilgrimage period.
