A BUDGET airline has been forced to run “rescue flights” after a rival’s bankruptcy leaves its passengers stranded on both sides of the Atlantic.
Fly PLAY, an Icelandic airline based in Reykjavík went into administration earlier this week and has cancelled all flights.
A budget airline has been forced to run “rescue flights” after a rival’s bankruptcy leaves its passengers stranded on both sides of the Atlantic[/caption]
In a statement on its website, the airline wrote: “Fly PLAY hf. has ceased operations, and all flights have been cancelled…We kindly advise you to check flights with other airlines.
“Some carriers may offer special ‘rescue fares’ considering the circumstances”.
The airline continued: “We are deeply sorry for the disruption this causes and thank you for your understanding”.
PLAY launched in 2019 flying to six destinations in Europe –Alicante, Tenerife, London, Paris, Copenhagen, and Berlin.
It started operations two years later with its first flights taking off in 2021.
More destinations were later added with the addition of North America in April 2022 and then later to Africa and Asia.
At that time, the airline offered cheap flights from the UK to the US for as little as £139.
However earlier this year, PLAY announced it was cancelling its flights from the UK to the USA altogether.
With over 1,750 travelers suddenly left stranded, German airline Condor Airlines has been the first to come up with a rescue fare offer.
The Frankfurt-based airline also runs routes to many of the same airports as Play: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) and Vaclav Havel Airport (PRG) in Prague.
The airline said: “Condor Airlines is saddened about the demise of the Icelandic airline PLAY and the disruption this has caused for both passengers and their employees.
“Condor is stepping in to assist travelers affected by this sudden event.
“Many passengers relied on connections via Iceland to fly between the United States and Berlin, Paris, and Prague, and have now been left stranded on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Those booked on a Play flight to Berlin, Paris, or Prague can book the same route on Condor for €300 plus taxes in one direction up until November 30 reports The Street.
The extended period can also be used to secure another discounted flight on the same route at a later time by those who overpaid to get home in the rush immediately after the airline’s shutdown.
In order to gain the promotion passengers must email proof of their original Play fare and contact details to reservation@condor.com to receive a rebooked ticket.
Condor is currently the only European airline to offer rescue fares.
However travelers who used Play to fly between Europe and the U.S. will need to transfer through Condor’s base at Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) for flights to other destinations in the United States.
Daniel de Carvalho, Condor’s interim marketing and communications director said. “By extending this helping hand, we hope to ease the inconvenience faced by Play’s customers during this period of disruption.”
