We are out of pocket $5,665 for a family holiday to Vanuatu that was cancelled through no fault of our own.We booked and paid for several flights to and within Vanuatu, along with a deposit for our accommodation and the typical, substantial travel agent fees. Unfortunately, the flights were with Air Vanuatu, which went into voluntary administration after our booking. Despite this, our travel consultant offered no advice on how we could recover our funds, simply saying, “It is what it is.”When I asked for more information, I was told that Flight Centre's refund policy didn’t apply in cases of insolvency, and the only way a refund could be processed was if Air Vanuatu itself cancelled the flights.Our international and internal flights to Vanuatu were set to depart Sydney on October 07. We were notified on October 2 that Air Vanuatu had been approved to exit voluntary administration and had resumed internal flights, but all of our flights remain cancelled.Despite numerous attempts to contact Travel Associates in writing, I’ve received no clarity on my rights or the status of our flights, even though the airline has exited administration.We are a hardworking family who saved for months to take our children on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to celebrate my partner's 40th birthday. We cannot afford to lose $5,665 and simply be told, “It is what it is.” If a refund isn't possible, at the very least we should have been informed on how to file a claim with the liquidators. As it stands, it seems only those who booked directly with the airline are eligible to apply for a refund, leaving us caught between the airline and Flight Centre, with no clear path for reimbursement. This is both frustrating and unethical!
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