The vast majority of air passengers affected by the collapse of airline Zoom should be able to find alternative flights and be entitled to refunds, the company says.

The vast majority of air passengers affected by the collapse of airline Zoom should be able to find alternative flights and be entitled to refunds, the company says.

Thousands of Northern Ireland travellers are attempting to recover their money after the company suspended operations on Thursday, leaving many customers stranded.

Eighty per cent of passenger bookings were made through credit cards or through travel operators, both of which methods carry a huge degree of protection, Zoom said.

One of those stranded is Northern Ireland student Judith Craig, who is unable to return home from Boston after spending two months working at a summer camp. She had planned to return to Northern Ireland on Sunday and stay for a week before heading back to university in Scotland.

Concerned dad Joe told the Telegraph: “If she doesn’t get home on time I’m not sure what’s going to happen now. We were looking forward to her coming home for one week before she goes to university in Dundee.”

Meanwhile, Danielle Conlon from Belfast was due to fly home from Calgary in Canada today but was left stranded.

“I tried to phone Calgary airport today but all the lines are busy. I tried to ring Zoom’s phone lines but their offices are closed. It’s a long weekend here in Calgary for Labour Day so all the hotels are getting booked out as well,” she said.

One Northern Ireland woman was on the point of boarding her flight to Canada when the news broke. She described how she was put through security and was left waiting for hours before passengers were told the plane would not be departing.

When the passenger phoned her son in Scotland he said the story of Zoom’s collapse had been in the papers from midday on Thursday.

“They obviously knew what was happening,” she said.

Zoom has said BA and Virgin Atlantic are offering special fares for passengers whose flights have been cancelled.

British Airways is offering a special one-way fare of half the usual return price for stranded customers. Meanwhile, tour operator Canadian Affair has announced a number of additional flights to and from Canada.

Some 4,500 UK customers had made reservations to travel with Zoom in the next week and 10,400 UK customers had made return bookings over the next year.

Zoom chairman Hugh Boyle said: “We are trying to make as many passengers as possible aware of their options in terms of alternative flights and the possibility of securing refunds for the flights they booked with Zoom.

“As things stand, there is good availability of alternative flights as we have passed the main holiday period. We believe the majority of passengers who booked with us should be able to secure an alternative flight.

“We have been in contact with other airlines, including BA, Virgin and FlyGlobespan in particular, and they have made clear the availability of alternative flights. We have also listed on the www.flyzoom.com website a list of other airlines which offer alternative services on routes where Zoom operated.

“We would like to reassure people that every possible effort was made to save the airline and safeguard flights and it was only very late in the day when the actions of suppliers and creditors made it impossible to continue.”

UK travel association ABTA called on the government to require all airlines to provide financial protection for customers in light of the failure of Zoom.

ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “This failure in a tough economic climate, along with numerous other airline failures this year, highlights the importance of having financial protection in place when you book flights.”

Zoom and bust: your questions answered

Question: So do all passengers who have paid for tickets for future Zoom flights get their money back?

Answer: Possibly not all of them.

Q: So who comes out best?

A: Those who have booked a Zoom flight as part of a package holiday are almost certain to be covered by the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) system.

Q: How does that work?

A: Companies in the ATOL scheme lodge a financial guarantee bond with the CAA which can be used to bring stranded clients home and compensate those who have future bookings should a tour operator cease trading.

There is also a back-up fund called the Air Travel Trust that can be dipped into by the CAA.

Q: What about people who have paid for their Zoom tickets by credit or debit card?

A: If you buy your tickets with a credit card, and your transaction is more than £100, your money is protected under the terms of the Consumer Credit Act.

Many credit card companies will also refund money if the airline you booked with goes bankrupt, including the cost of unused return tickets. Your money may be protected even if the cost of your air travel was less than £100 and you paid by credit card, but you should claim within a reasonable time. This protection does not apply to debit cards such as Switch or Delta.

Q: What about those who have paid cash for a flight-only deal with Zoom?

A: They won’t get their money back.

Q: Are other airlines or tour operators likely to get into financial difficulties?

A: Possibly. In recent months Eos and MAXjet - two business class-only carriers that operated transatlantic flights from Stansted airport - have bitten the dust, as has another luxury-seat airline, Silverjet, which flew out of Luton.

All these carriers were hit, like Zoom, by the economic downturn and the rocketing cost of aviation fuel.

Q: So what can customers do ?

A: Travel with well-established carriers. There are a number of airlines so big that even a major recession is unlikely to affect them to the extent of their going down the financial plughole.

Q: And what can airlines and holiday companies do?

A: Get bigger. BA and its partner Iberia are attempting a link-up with giant US carrier United, while the big four UK tour operators - First Choice, Thomson, Thomas Cook and Airtours - have now reduced to two. Further mergers, take-overs and tie-ups are inevitable.