Travel Agency to Make Restitution to 10,000 Passengers

Jackie's Tour, a travel agency based in Honolulu, Hawaii which operates jet charter flights to Las Vegas, says it will suspend its operations and refund more than 10,000 customers caught in the net of a failed business venture involving World Airways, Inc.

The Georgia-based charter airline, the main service which Jackie’s Tour utilizes for its pacific based flights to the mainland United States, advises that the agency is in debt for $2.3 million, and it can no longer provide air charter service for the travel agency’s customers.

With the only exception being a claim of a discrepancy in the amount owed, the tour company could not explain why payments to Peachtree City-based World Airways were not made.

Jason Kine, director of sales and marketing for the tour agency, advised, "we kind of got caught off guard and are suspending flights indefinitely until this gets resolved."
An investigation of the agency is to be commenced by the State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs immediately.

When World Airways began providing jet charter service for Jackie's, three charter flights a week to Las Vegas on 336-passenger MD-11 jets were part of the itinerary.

In an effort to fend off any future legal action and to maintain good relations with its customers, the company is sending its 10,000 clients refund checks and a letter apologizing for any inconvenience the shutdown will cause.

While some customers were irate, others said they would stick by the company if it reopens as they stood on line outside Jackie’s Travel for their refunds.

World Airways, in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, has asked that Jackie’s Tours’ money be put in an escrow account. The Hon. David Ezra denied the request so that Jackie's could initiate and continue the issuing of refund checks to customers.