Hurricane Irma has tore the Caribbean and Florida region making it a big risk for the holidaymakers who already booked their plans to this region. Tens of thousands of British travellers found that the region will not be travel-worthy during June to November.
On a similar note, selling the holiday packages and the flights during the hurricane season also seemed risky which can cost tour operators and airlines millions of pounds. Although the major UK airlines and holiday firms have not made a clear report of the loss so far but travel industry experts estimate the crisis amount to be around £10m by now and the financial damage meter still rising rapidly.
British companies are vulnerable to costs that are disproportionately higher than American firms. For US airlines, Irma provides immense logistical challenges, but the main cost is lost revenue — sometimes slightly offset by the high fares being extracted from passengers desperate to leave Florida.
Passengers of British Airways. Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways and Virgin Atlantic are all waiting to get out as soon as airports open – during the wait, the carriers are responsible for covering all accommodation and meal costs. The US airlines, however, does not have any such responsibility under EU regulations. With perhaps 2,500 passengers awaiting flights, each racking up costs of £200 per day with an average wait of four days, the total is £2m.
