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XL Leisure Group, the UK's third largest package holiday group has gone into administration. Travel Weekly provides news, advice and reaction.

Travel Weekly News

Important contacts

XL Airways and Medlife Hotels customers:

• Customers in UK:  0800 068 8991
• Customers abroad: +44 (0) 208 242 4783
• Further information can be found on the ATOL website 

ATOL customers:

• Customers abroad: +44 (0) 2891 856547
• Customers in the UK with advance bookings: 0870 5900927

News from the web

• Official statement from XL Leisure Group
• XL Collapse Affects Flights from The West Midlands (Source: BRMB)  
• Countdown to collapse of XL Leisure Group (The Times)
• Holiday company is victim of airlines perfect storm (The Telegraph)
• Coverage of XL Leisure Group's failure (Sky)
• City punters laid bets as XL failed (The Guardian)
• Why did they wait until 4am? (The Eveneing Times)
• Flight prices surge on back of XL collapse (The Times)
• XL: travel's worst ever Black Friday (The Times)
• TUI Travel, Thomas Cook Jump on Competitor's Collapse (Bloomberg)
• More Firms To Follow XL? You Bet (Sky)
• XL holidaymakers promised a swift return (The Times)
• Holidays at risk as more airlines face bankruptcy (The Times)
• XL holiday firm collapse: Stranded tourists tell of relief at coming home (Telegraph)
• Another 30 airlines will go bust before Christmas, warns BA chief (Daily Mail)
• XL: Travel firm's collapse may land taxpayer with £20m bill (The Guardian)
• XL crash sees sector return to earth (Financial Times)
• Airport Misery For Stranded Brits (Sky)
• Bankrupt former XL boss lives in £1 million home (Telegraph)
• Bills soar for stranded XL Britons (Guardian)
• Seychelles grounds two Boeings over XL administration (Reuters)
• KPMG forewarned XL board of accounting woes (Management consultancy)

How airlines are helping affected travellers

• Thomson and First Choice step in to help XL clients
• British Airways offers special fare for stranded XL customers
• Easyjet offers 'rescue package' for XL passengers
• Bmi offers discounted fares on XL flight bookings
• Easyjet offers £75 rescue deal for stranded XL passengers
• Clickair launches £40 rescue rate for stranded XL and Futura passengers in Spain and the UK

Consumer advice

• XL failure response from Rochelle Turner, Which? Holiday
• Civil Aviation Authority consumer advice
• ABTA advice
• Co-op Travel's dedicated site for XL queries

Industry reaction

• XL failure response from Kenny Picken, managing director, Traveltek
• XL failure response from Barry Smith, co-founder, Skyscanner
• XL failure response from Matt Cheevers, managing director, Teletext Holidays
• XL failure response from Ranjan Singh, chief executive, Isango
• XL failure response from Mark Tanzer, chief executive, ABTA
• XL failure response from Malcolm Preston, head of travel, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
• Scottish Agents' Passenger Association calls for comprehensive financial protection system
  

Blog reaction

• XL – bad for consumers good for business? (Travolution)
• Watch those searches go up and up (Travolution)
• XL Leisure Group Plc goes into administration (Travel Rants)
• Spare a thought for the techies (Travolution)

Analysis

• XL failure: The outlook for the travel industry
• Comment: XL aftermath demonstrates the value of ATOL protection
• Opinion: Travel must send the right messages in the aftermath of XL
• Opinion: Post XL, what's next for travel?
• Profile - Phil Wyatt, chief executive of XL Leisure Group
• How to recession-proof your business
• A guide to XL Leisure Group destinations
• XL Leisure Group aircraft based in the UK