Travel Chaos as Accommodation Provider Sonder Enters Liquidation
Thousands of travellers have been left in limbo after the short-term rental service Sonder filed for Chapter 7 liquidation on Monday. The move followed the collapse of a crucial deal with the hotel giant Marriott, triggering immediate cancellations for countless customers with upcoming bookings. Some unfortunate holidaymakers were even asked to leave their Sonder-accommodation mid-stay, compounding the travel disruption.
Emergency Rescue Package Launched
In response to the crisis, the holiday booking site lastminute.com has stepped in to offer support. From November 12, the platform is providing an emergency booking voucher to help those left without accommodation. To claim the offer, travellers simply need to enter the promotional code LMRESCUE50UK at checkout. For customers based in Europe, the equivalent code is LMRESCUE50EU.
This initiative provides a £50 discount on any booking over £500 made on the site. Recognising the financial strain such last-minute changes can cause, lastminute.com is also offering a Book Now, Pay Later option. This provides crucial flexibility for those who may not have immediate funds available. The rescue deal is available for a limited time, until November 19, and can be applied to stays on any future date.
A Traveller's Holiday Nightmare
The human impact of Sonder's collapse is starkly illustrated by the experience of John Behan. The Irishman had booked a stay at Sonder Henri for November 21 to celebrate his British wife Alix's 40th birthday, their 10-year wedding anniversary, and their son's 16th birthday.
On November 9, the family received a 'blunt' email informing them their booking was cancelled. 'I thought it was obviously a prank, some sort of kind of scam,' John told the Daily Mail. His frustration was compounded when he tried to seek help. Calling Sonder's customer service directed him to Marriott Bonvoy, who in turn told him to contact Sonder.
With the refund responsibility being passed back and forth, John was ultimately advised to go through his card provider. 'It's a bit of a weird predicament that they've left, a horrible predicament actually, because we're left now with flights booked and there's no money in my account to book accommodation,' he explained. He is now hoping for a refund via his debit card and has contacted his travel insurance provider, but is even considering borrowing from a family member to cover new accommodation costs.
Reigo Eljas, Director of lastminute.com, commented on the situation: 'Travel plans suddenly falling through, especially so close to a trip, can be extremely unsettling. As a brand built around helping people secure great holidays at short notice, we want to support travellers facing this disruption by making it as easy as possible to rebook securely.'
