Monarch Airlines package holidaymakers told to pay again for hotels

'Our hotel is demanding €900 although we have already paid'

Plane talk: Posters about the Monarch collapse in the window of the CAA headquarters in central London (Simon Calder)

As the £60m airlift to bring Monarch Airlines passengers home goes into its second day, some holidaymakers are reporting that their hotels are demanding cash payments – even though they are on packages protected by Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing.

After the airline and holiday company failed in the early hours of Monday morning, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched a massive operation to fly British travellers home. The airlift, paid for by the Government, is open to all passengers with Monarch bookings on or before 15 October.

In addition, travellers on package holidays organised by Monarch are guaranteed to have their hotel rooms paid for under the Atol scheme. The CAA says: “We are working around the clock to contact all accommodation providers in order to make arrangements for you to remain in your accommodation, on the same board basis, for the duration of your holiday, at no extra cost to you.”

The authority is telling hoteliers: “Please do not ask your customers to pay again or to leave the accommodation as the UK Civil Aviation Authority will arrange this payment as soon as possible.”

With the CAA footing the bill, travellers should not be asked for extra cash. But holidaymakers have contacted The Independent to say they have been asked for many hundreds of pounds to remain in their hotels.

Anthony Reilly flew out to Larnaca in Cyprus on Sunday 1 October, the last day of Monarch’s operations. He is staying at the Altrium Zenom Hotel, and said: “Our hotel is demanding €900 [£800] although we have already paid.”

The Independent is seeking comment from the hotel, and has been told of similar cases in Tenerife and Turkey.

The CAA is advising travellers having problems with accommodation to call its helpline: 0044 1753 330 330.

If hoteliers insist on payment, the authority is telling holidaymakers: “Please pay this and then make a claim to the CAA when you return to the UK.

“Make sure you get a receipt from the hotel or apartment, showing a full breakdown of the charges.”

On Monday, 61 flights brought almost 12,000 holidaymakers back to the UK. The CAA is chartering more than 60 planes and crews from 16 airlines.

A further 58 flights from dozens of European destinations are planned today.

Andrew Haines, the CAA’s chief executive, said: “I want to thank all those involved in organising this mammoth operation which has got off to a good start and to reaffirm our commitment to those passengers still abroad that we will get them back to the UK in the days ahead.

“Given the unprecedented scale of this task some disruption is inevitable.”