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STA Travel: What does the company’s collapse mean for business and travellers?

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STA Travel: What does the company’s collapse mean for business and travellers?

STA Travel UK, one of the biggest names for backpackers and adventurers has gone out of business.

On Friday evening, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that the London-based firm had failed with the loss of 500 jobs.

The news leaves thousands of customers who are owed refunds uncertain about when they might get their money back.

These are the key questions and answers.

What was the background?

STA was launched in Australia in 1971. Five years later it capitalised on the collapse of the dominant British student travel enterprise, NUS Travel, to establish a foothold in the UK.


The company’s stated mission was: “We are youthful, adventurous and have a desire to experience new cultures.”

Originally its main appeal was in selling cut-price air tickets to students and young people.

But as low fares for all became more common, and online competitors started to take some of that core business, STA Travel moved into providing tailor-made adventures for a wider age range.

STA Travel UK took over the long-haul specialist Bridge the World in 2010.

Before the coronavirus pandemic began, STA had a network of around 50 high-street stores.

What went wrong?

The firm depended on a constant flow of business to pay staff costs and high-street rents, and for decades it succeeded – despite intense online competition.

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But like other travel enterprises, STA saw forward sales dry up because of the coronavirus pandemic.

When travel restrictions started coming into effect in March, many trips were cut short, or did not begin.

Long-stay trips to distant destinations, the mainstays of STA Travel, have since been near-impossible to undertake.

Instead of selling, staff face demands for refunds from thousands of increasingly frustrated customers.

How have customers been affected?

With intercontinental travel almost at a standstill, there are believed to be a negligible number of STA Travel customers abroad. Many abandoned their long-haul, long-stay trips in the spring and flew back to the UK.

Others were not able to start their trips due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There are relative few customers with forward bookings, because STA Travel has sold virtually nothing since March. Most future trips, such as they are, will be the result of customers postponing journeys rather than demanding a refund.

My trip booked with STA was cancelled due to Covid-19. How do I claim a refund?

Most STA sales were package holidays: typically a flight plus some accommodation and one or more adventure tours. Those are covered by the Atol scheme, administered by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Many customers whose trips were cancelled have been trying to claim money back for months, with the company offering only partial refunds and/or vouchers.

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Assuming you have a correctly written “refund credit note,” you will be able claim for any outstanding monies owed by STA Travel under the Atol scheme.

The CAA told customers: “Consumers that have accepted valid refund credit notes or are due refunds for the cancellation of their Atol-protected booking will be able to submit a claim to Atol through our online portal.”

What about flight-only tickets?

Abta, the travel association, says: “You will need to contact the airline about your booking. The airline is responsible for your booking and this should proceed as normal.”

If your flight was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and you have been trying to get your money back from STA, you will need to make a claim direct with the airline concerned.

The CAA broadly concurs, saying: “If consumers have a flight-only booking that was Atol protected, they will only be able to make a claim if they are still due to travel and have not received a valid ticket.

”Otherwise, consumers should speak to their airline, including if the flight has been cancelled or they have received a voucher for a cancelled flight.”

I booked a holiday through STA Travel but a different company is providing it.

Where an Atol-protected package with another tour operator has been booked through STA Travel, your Atol certificate will say “package sale” in the bottom right-hand corner.

Abta says: “You will need to contact the tour operator named on your paperwork or Atol certificate (listed under ‘Who is protecting your trip?’). “Your tour operator should be able to confirm that your booking will proceed as normal.”

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How significant was STA Travel?

Millions of travellers booked formative travel experiences with the company over the past few decades.

One of many expressions of sadness was tweeted by Michael Rogers: “I bought a very reasonably priced Round [the] World ticket from STA about 15 years ago and it changed my life. Very grateful for that and very sad news.”

Dawn Smith said: “Booking student travel at STA opened the door to a new and exciting world. Happy memories.”

And Alice Brown wrote: “They sparked my love for travel when I was 21 and planning my first-ever trip.”

Are more travel casualties expected?

Sadly, yes. Travel restrictions are stifling business. In the UK, the rules on different European destinations keep changing. Due to the uncertainty this creates among prospective travellers, sales are not picking up as anticipated.

On Thursday Qantas said it did not expect to start flying intercontinental routes until the second half of 2021 – signalling the continued closure of a key market, Australia, to UK travel firms.

STA’s holding company said there was no prospect of any improvement this year.

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RAMMSTEIN @ Estádio da Luz, Lisbon

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Four years have passed since Stadium tour belonging RAMMSTEIN started in Germany. Much more since the itinerary was originally announced, and given the pandemic, it has been just under 365 days since tickets for the Portugal concert went on sale. However, after such a long wait for the return of the German band to the national soil, the day finally came when the titans of industrial metal honored us with their presence again. It was the stadium debut of a band that first visited us with two performances in 1998 at Paradise Garage and Hard Club and the national audience saw it grow step by step. Despite the absence we’ve been left with for the past decade (the last show here dates back to 2013 at the then Pavilhão Atlântico), the arrival of the Germans turned Lisbon into a black sea. In fact, a simple trip to the supermarket in the morning would be enough to realize that people from all over the country (and not only) have gathered there, the Portuguese almost all with backpacks on their backs, converging to host a group that is about to celebrate three decades careers. According to some, recent accusations that Till Lindemannthe band’s lead singer, has become the subject of much conversation on social media and the media in recent months – a story unfortunately repeated in the entertainment world.

Let’s face it, it was the national date for the third route Stadium tour on the Old Continent RAMMSTEIN arrived in Portugal in disgrace rather than grace. Even so, the metro ride to Estádio da Luz was electrifying. Inside, we were greeted by a sea of ​​people all along the useful perimeter, with bars packed to capacity and a cool breeze that began to rise in the late afternoon, chasing away any shadow of a potential stadium elephant. Whether you think about it or not, or realize that the future seems increasingly uncertain for the band (or for the band with Till), the truth is that everything is set to welcome you with open arms. You can understand why if you look ahead. A gigantic stage dominates the stadium with several towers dotted across the lawn. Up there, the gray sky is preparing to receive all the explosives that will be detonated all night. Let’s face it, it’s not every day that we go to a show where we have to spend a few very long minutes to even grasp the size and scope of everything that lies ahead of us. And yes, even though the lineup had been circulating widely since the start of the tour, expectations were still high for it. performance in itself. But let’s start because this scene is really impressive; built to recreate an impressive dystopian cityscape that could very well have emerged straight from the classic silent “Megapolis”from Fritz Lang, which is easily confused with the futuristic structure of the current SLB home. Result with the French ABELAR playing piano versions of the classic headliners (on a dais at midfield left), it was just right for a band with such a penchant for imposing, dramatic gestures to shine in all their glory.

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We could try to distort the text as much as we like, and at times it may even seem pointless to write about a show of force like that RAMMSTEIN. They are a HUGE, fiery band when needed; the choreography is thought out to the smallest detail – and, in truth, they have set the standard for what a great concert can be over the past two decades. with every tour becoming even larger and more imposing than the previous one, by this time nothing will allow them to give anything but an exceptional concert. Despite the restrictions, this unmissable event of the year also proved to be no exception to this rule, and once again the idea that no one represents a live show like these people was strengthened. The main export of German metal became famous for two reasons; they cause more explosions than a fireworks factory fire and play music at such a volume that it can often be heard 17 kilometers from where they play. Well, the same thing happened here, with a powerful and loud sound (perhaps too low in the place where we were present at the concert), well supported by sound towers strategically placed so that everyone can hear everything in loud and clear sound. . With the volume pumped up, you could feel the bass rumble through the foundation of the stadium. Taken into account: nothing much has changed on the stage since we last saw them, but everything has gotten bigger, much bigger.

01. ram song | 02. Links 2-3-4 | 03. Punish me | 04. Poisonous | 05. Yearning | 06. My heart burns | 07. Puppet | 08. angst | 09. Time | 10. Germany | eleven. Radio | 12. my part |13, Do you have | 14. sonne /// Anchor 1 /// 15. Engel | 16. Foreigner | 17. You smell so good | 18. Without you ///Bis 2/// 19. Rammstein | 20. I want | 21. Goodbye

Four minutes late – 9:34 p.m. seems to have been strategically chosen to ensure that the musicians would only take the stage at night – and the stadium went dark. To the sounds “Music for the Royal Fireworks”now made an anthem RAMMSTEIN, the group’s symbol hangs on the screen of the structure’s giant central tower. The stage lights up as we see Lindemann being lowered in the elevator. The first flames appear and RAMMSTEIN start engines, as is known, with the help of “Rama Song”. Cell phones stay in the air, capturing the moment, but bodies move to the sound of always benevolent “Links 2-3-4”with priceless Christian “Doctor Flake” Lorenz to remain unstoppable on the treadmill next to the keyboard, while the audience alternately dances and shakes their heads, lulled by undeniable hooks. Journey into the past withPunish me” e”Yearning“, how in “poisonous” in the middle of the passion subsided a little. This or all approached what he saw. After that there is a feeling “My heart burns” and alivePuppet” they made everyone sing in unison again. For two hours, the sold-out crowd at the Estádio da Luz not only saw the band play some of their greatest hits. It really happened. Played almost all big games hitsA “Germany”A “Do you have”A “My Part”A “Sonne”A “I want” and even the song of the same name, but it was the show itself – performance – which turned out to be completely out of this world.

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The level of pyrotechnics is indescribable: Lindemann wears a wheel on his back, spewing fire in all directions, and the guitarists Paul Landers e Richard Kruspe armed with two huge flamethrowers attached to their guitars and firing huge flames. There are more innocent things like huge guns confetti which envelop the entire stadium with paper tapes. And everywhere there is fire, a lot of fire. At times, heat was felt on the face, anywhere from the lawn to the stands farthest from the main structure, and waves of pyrotechnics lit up not only the stage, but also the four towers that towered above the crowd and left them. dark puffs of smoke hang in the sky. There was literally a feeling that we were among the rubble of some devastated post-futuristic city. Then there were more earthy things, with a small stage arranged in the middle of the hall (slightly to the left of those who are facing the stage), where musicians joined the crowd. ABELAR interpret “Engel”, which opened the first Encore. After that, the band members returned to the main stage in inflatable rubber boats and attacked the luxurious trio, consisting of “Foreigner“,”You smell so good»e«Without you“. in a second bis planned, but still very much in demand) there was still time to listen to “Rammstein“,”I want“and, at the moment of farewell, very appropriate”Goodbye“.

The images in the gallery are from GEORGE BOOTS.

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Exposed. Images Proving Thiago Rodriguez Wasn’t Defeated, He Just Fell

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Exposed.  Images Proving Thiago Rodriguez Wasn't Defeated, He Just Fell

Brazilian actor Thiago Rodriguez, 42, was exposed by CCTV footage near the site where he was allegedly attacked and robbed. After all, he had just fallen from the structure on which he was sitting, and hit his head and face on the ground, which led to injuries.🇧🇷 He ended up lying on the floor for about 30 minutes until he was rescued by two people passing by who helped him. The case angered the Brazilians.

Thiago Rodriguez Injured” data-title=”Thiago Rodriguez Injured – Exposed. Images Proving Thiago Rodriguez Wasn’t Beaten, He Just Fell – MAGG”>

It was the Brazilian Civil Police itself that released the CCTV images showing that the thesis defended by the Brazilian actor, who is currently starring in the TVI soap opera Quero É Viver, is not true. Police Chief Bianca Lima confirmed to Record TV’s Domingo Espetacular that the fall was the cause of the actor’s injuries, not the robbers’ aggression.

The images were captured by cameras at a commercial establishment located in Plaza Santos Dumont in Rio de Janeiro, 200 meters from the Jockey Club where Thiago went to party and was expelled from. According to the records, it was 5:40 in the morning when the actor sat on a metal structure, which is located in the square, lost his balance and fell face down on the ground. Only at about 6:10 am he was rescued by two people passing by. However, it is not clear if these people stole the actor’s mobile phone, which has since disappeared, or if Thiago simply lost it in the fall.

The fall of Thiago Rodriguez” data-title=”The fall of Thiago Rodriguez is a revelation. Images Proving Thiago Rodriguez Wasn’t Beaten, He Just Fell – MAGG”> The fall of Thiago Rodriguez

As a result of the fall, the actor received cuts on his head and was even forced to put a few stitches on his head. After that, Thiago went to file a complaint with the police, claiming that he was attacked and robbed by criminals. But that theory didn’t make much sense as the actor still had the wallet and backpack he had that night. “A backpack with things, a wallet and a rope were with him. And we wondered if anyone who goes for such violence would take only a mobile phone,” the police chief explained.

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After all, Thiago Rodriguez was not beaten. The actor will be left alone – News

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After all, Thiago Rodriguez was not beaten.  The actor will be left alone - News

Brazilian authorities have denied the story of an alleged attack that allegedly targeted Thiago Rodriguez. The police, agreeing with the video, which is already circulating on social networks, indicate that the actor did fall alone.

Security cameras in buildings near where Thiago Rodriguez was found show him sitting on an iron and falling forward moments later.

The G1 website guarantees that the authorities will suspend the investigation into a possible robbery, given that “the investigation has proven the absence of criminally significant facts.”

However, it is still necessary to understand where the actor’s mobile phone is located. The police, according to the same media, are trying to understand if it was stolen when Thiago was lying on the ground unconscious.

Recall that the 42-year-old artist said that he was robbed at the exit of a bar in Rio de Janeiro.

Thiago Rodriguez is part of the cast of the soap opera Quero É Viver currently airing on TVI.

Watch the video below, published by the Brazilian press, in which you can see the fall of the actor.

Read also: First images of Thiago Rodriguez after brutal attack

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