The Boston-based Vantage Travel services filed for bankruptcy protection last week, leaving a lot people out big money after trips were canceled.
But the details in the bankruptcy court filing indicate that travelers hoping for refunds may not get what they are looking for.
Our NBC Responds teams have heard from consumers across the country who want their money refunded after their Vantage Travel vacations were canceled. There were people who paid $10,000, $20,000, and in some cases even more than $20,000 for their trips.
Ellen Messina paid more than $11,000 for a three-week trip to central Europe, making her final payment in April. On June 3, she was notified that the trip was canceled and although she was told she was eligible for a full refund, there was no timeline given for when she would get her money back. She is hoping for the best after the bankruptcy filing.
“I have traveled enough that and I've never had a problem, never,” said Messina. “Who would have thought I mean that Vantage would go bankrupt...it had such a great reputation....but still, nonetheless, this is in the courts now. And this I’m sure will just drag on."
Vantage announced on its website that it is selling its business operations to United Travel PT, an affiliate of Nordic Hamburg and Heritage Expeditions.
In the bankruptcy court filing, it said United Travel has agreed to provide a credit for future tours to Vantage customers who purchased trips before May 11, 2023.
Consumers would receive a maximum credit of 20% of the price of the Vantage trip they purchased, which would be good for a year after the closing of the proposed sale.
The filing still needs the approval of a bankruptcy judge.
We reached out to Vantage Travel and United Travel for comment, but have yet to hear back.
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office said it is still encouraging residents who are seeking refunds from Vantage Travel to file a complaint with their office online. Out-of-state consumers are encouraged to file with their state Attorney General.
The Mass. AG’S office said their Consumer Advocacy and Response Division has recovered more than $1.2 million for consumers from Vantage and they will continue to work with the company to secure refunds for consumers.
According to the court filing, Vantage Travel lost more than $29 million in 2020. And while travel rebounded in recent years, court papers say it remained below Vantage’s pre-pandemic levels, resulting in continuing losses despite their attempts to down-size and reduce costs.
