We booked Monarch over a year ago to go to Cyprus a week on Saturday for our 25th Wedding Anniversary. I was checking my booking last night and was concerned that when putting in my booking reference I got "booking not found". I thought this might be a sign of bad news coming but also it could have been that the system was overloaded with people like me doing the same.
I was up at 06:29 this morning and the news was confirmed. Our accommodation in Cyprus is paid, we would get nothing back if we cancelled. I went straight onto the Easyjet site and found they flew Liverpool to Larnaca (we booked Leeds Bradford to Larnaca with Monarch) the exact same dates - and at that time it was CHEAPER than what we paid a year ago for the Monarch ones. I booked with great haste - in fact the email confirmation came timed 06:37, eight minutes after I woke up
Luckily when I read the email I hadn't got the wrong year or booked from Cyprus to UK or anything else daft.
The 4 flights were £735 more expensive by midday.
I'm mighty relieved at having saved our anniversary plans.
With great sympathy to the several thousand people who have lost their jobs and those who will lose their holiday.