More travel woes for STA customers

Kiwi consumers owed refunds by STA for cancelled trips may now face a long wait to see if they’ll get their money back.

Deloitte has been appointed by STA as the independent administrator. Voluntary administration is a short-term measure that freezes the company's assets while its future is decided.

All STA stores are closed and Deloitte said it’s not “in a position to offer any cash refunds for cancelled trips”.

It’s likely STA will be put into liquidation and consumers owed money will become unsecured creditors. This means they’ll be last in line for refunds if there’s any money left after secured creditors, such as Inland Revenue and the banks, have been paid.

What can you do?

If you’re owed money by STA for cancelled flights or accommodation, and you paid by credit or debit card, contact your bank to see if you can get a chargeback.

Alternatively, you could try contacting the airline or hotel directly to see if you can negotiate a refund. However, if it’s already provided the refund to STA, this won’t be possible.

If you made bookings through STA for future travel, contact the airline, hotel or travel operator to confirm the status of your bookings.

If you need to file a claim with STA’s administrators, email [email protected].