Nearly 100 dream holidays ruined—what really happened when this Aussie agency went bust?
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Planning a dream holiday can take years of saving and meticulous organisation—but what happens when it all unravels in an instant?
One Australian travel company’s sudden collapse has left families devastated, out of pocket, and in some cases, stranded overseas.
As the fallout continues, disturbing details are emerging about what went wrong.
Dozens of Australian families were left devastated and thousands of dollars out of pocket after the sudden collapse of an online travel agency.
Traveldream ceased trading and entered administration on 28 April, leaving holidaymakers stranded and scrambling to recover their losses.
Some customers discovered their trips were cancelled with no warning, despite having paid in full months in advance.
One mother lost $33,000 while travelling with her two daughters.
Another group, already overseas, arrived at their hotel only to learn no reservation existed under their name.
Donna Lamberth and her husband were among those affected, losing $15,500 they had saved over two years.
Their holiday was meant to begin in Vancouver, followed by a cruise to Alaska, and finally end in Las Vegas.
They had fully paid off the trip by December.
‘I'm going to have to save again. It's a lot of money to lose,’ Ms Lamberth told news.com.au.
When she called the cruise company, she was told only $250 had been paid as a deposit.
‘They said there was still $7,000 to pay. I burst into tears,’ she said.
The Lamberths had no choice but to cancel their trip as they couldn’t afford to pay for the cruise and accommodation again.
Michelle Brown, her husband, and a group of friends flew for 21 hours from Australia to Vancouver, only to face a similar shock.
‘We turn up there at whatever time of night. They said "sorry we don't have a booking",’ Ms Brown shared.
At least 75 people were believed to have been impacted, according to administrator Bill Karageozis from insolvency firm Mcleods.
Karageozis said the company’s debts likely wouldn’t exceed $1 million.
He added there were no ‘available tangible assets’ left from the company.
Travellers were urged to contact their travel ‘wholesalers’ directly—these are the companies the agency used to book flights, tours, and cruises.
Suppliers named by administrators included Royal Caribbean Cruises, Holland America Cruises, Qantas, Air Canada, United Airlines, American Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Westjet, and Canada Rockeries Keywest Tours.
Traveldream operated under the name Australian Travel Deals Pty Ltd and had been in business since 2016.
The company’s sole director, Christopher Banson, also ran Salt Water Hotels and Resorts, which owned 30 properties around Australia.
That business was not impacted by Traveldream’s collapse.
Another shareholder, Travel Dream Australia Pty Ltd, owed $49,000 to the failed travel agency.
That company was directed by Paul Mercuri, one of Traveldream’s co-founders, though he was no longer involved with the business at the time of its collapse.
Mercuri also had no part in the company’s financial downfall.
Both Traveldream and Mcleods were contacted for comment.
In a previous story, travellers were warned about a growing ID crackdown that could cause major delays at airports.
With so many Aussies now facing both booking chaos and check-in issues, it’s more important than ever to stay informed.
Make sure you’re not caught out—read more about the changes impacting passengers.
With so many travellers left in limbo and thousands of dollars lost, should there be stricter safeguards for booking holidays through third-party agencies? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
One Australian travel company’s sudden collapse has left families devastated, out of pocket, and in some cases, stranded overseas.
As the fallout continues, disturbing details are emerging about what went wrong.
Dozens of Australian families were left devastated and thousands of dollars out of pocket after the sudden collapse of an online travel agency.
Traveldream ceased trading and entered administration on 28 April, leaving holidaymakers stranded and scrambling to recover their losses.
Some customers discovered their trips were cancelled with no warning, despite having paid in full months in advance.
Travellers blindsided by sudden agency collapse. Image source: Traveldream
One mother lost $33,000 while travelling with her two daughters.
Another group, already overseas, arrived at their hotel only to learn no reservation existed under their name.
Donna Lamberth and her husband were among those affected, losing $15,500 they had saved over two years.
Their holiday was meant to begin in Vancouver, followed by a cruise to Alaska, and finally end in Las Vegas.
They had fully paid off the trip by December.
‘I'm going to have to save again. It's a lot of money to lose,’ Ms Lamberth told news.com.au.
When she called the cruise company, she was told only $250 had been paid as a deposit.
‘They said there was still $7,000 to pay. I burst into tears,’ she said.
The Lamberths had no choice but to cancel their trip as they couldn’t afford to pay for the cruise and accommodation again.
Michelle Brown, her husband, and a group of friends flew for 21 hours from Australia to Vancouver, only to face a similar shock.
‘We turn up there at whatever time of night. They said "sorry we don't have a booking",’ Ms Brown shared.
At least 75 people were believed to have been impacted, according to administrator Bill Karageozis from insolvency firm Mcleods.
Karageozis said the company’s debts likely wouldn’t exceed $1 million.
He added there were no ‘available tangible assets’ left from the company.
Travellers were urged to contact their travel ‘wholesalers’ directly—these are the companies the agency used to book flights, tours, and cruises.
Suppliers named by administrators included Royal Caribbean Cruises, Holland America Cruises, Qantas, Air Canada, United Airlines, American Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Westjet, and Canada Rockeries Keywest Tours.
Traveldream operated under the name Australian Travel Deals Pty Ltd and had been in business since 2016.
The company’s sole director, Christopher Banson, also ran Salt Water Hotels and Resorts, which owned 30 properties around Australia.
That business was not impacted by Traveldream’s collapse.
Another shareholder, Travel Dream Australia Pty Ltd, owed $49,000 to the failed travel agency.
That company was directed by Paul Mercuri, one of Traveldream’s co-founders, though he was no longer involved with the business at the time of its collapse.
Mercuri also had no part in the company’s financial downfall.
Both Traveldream and Mcleods were contacted for comment.
In a previous story, travellers were warned about a growing ID crackdown that could cause major delays at airports.
With so many Aussies now facing both booking chaos and check-in issues, it’s more important than ever to stay informed.
Make sure you’re not caught out—read more about the changes impacting passengers.
With so many travellers left in limbo and thousands of dollars lost, should there be stricter safeguards for booking holidays through third-party agencies? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
