This sounds like a nightmare in the making. The best news is they haven't gone bust, they are just giving up the passenger business to concentrate on freight. Or, more accurately, KLM have given up using the Martinair brand on passengers flight since they own the company!! So that money has disappeared.

Who was the LIV - AMS flight with? Tell me that was KLM as well!

When did you book this and when were you told it's cancelled?

Email is not a reliable form of communication with big companies, partly because yours to them can get overlooked and partly because theirs to you can be blocked by your ISPs spam filter without you even knowing!

Hi!
The flight was booked via Netflights as a whole journey, KLM Lpl - AMS, and of course Martinair AMS- MCO. I booked and paid for it on 24th Sept 2010, and wasn't actually told it was cancelled ... rather I saw a discussion on another board from someone who had been notified by Expedia that their May flight has been changed. I emailed Martinair again yesterday, and received this response this morning:
All booked passsengers will be rebooked to other flights and you will be
informed asap. The passengers for the flights in january and february will
be rebooked first

krgds
Martinair Holland

Any advice?

You may be in a better postion here than I first thought.

First, the connecting flight is KLM not easyjet as I feared you might say! As the main flight was cancelled by Martinair (part of KLM Group) they would have to return your money if their alternative is not acceptable to you - but they have no obligation over a connecting flight booked seperately and neither would the other airline. But since the connecting fight is also KLM they would be hard pushed to not refund that as well since the root cause of the cancellation is an action by KLM. BUT they have no liability for the cost of the villa if you lose that.

I would imagine the alternative will be a KLM flight or their American alliance partner but that may involve a connection somewhere else. And since they will have to find seats for the whole flight they may even send some off to Paris for an Air France flight (also linked to KLM Group). Let's hope they know about the connection!

The big worry is the money paid for the villa. If you don't take the alternative flights and cancel you may lose a lot of money from the villa. The airlines are not liable for that and I doubt your insurance would cover this situation. which just leaves Netflights - and then it gets really interesting. Netflights will no doubt have something in their T&Cs that says they act as your agent in dealing with the airlines and are not liable for mistakes or changes of plan made by the airlines - all pretty standard travel trade excuses. Except your booking date of 24th September 2010 is really important because it's the day AFTER Martinair announced they were winding down. You can read the press release from this list http://www.martinair.com/nl_en/about/press-releases.aspx - I suggest you also print it in case anything happens later. It's not a definative case against Netflights for negligence but it opens a crack in their T&C defence, once this release was made it meant there was a chance of cancellation and Netflights should have warned you (that's what you would expect from your agent!!). Any complaint against Netflights is that they did not exercise reasonable care and skill whilst acting as your agent as a business, rather than what actually happens to the flight.

That is sooo helpful...thank you very much!
I'm not too worried about the villa - I rent it from a friend, but I am worried that I won't get my holiday on the only dates I am able to travel. I'll keep you posted with what happens, and thank you once again for your useful information.

It might open up more options for them if you let them look at routes starting Manchester but don't give them any more money!

Netflights have advised me to cancel and pay all cancellations charges, then rebook!!!!!!! They must be joking, surely!

Joking, no. Incompetent, possibly!

Let's face it, you booked with them because they seemed cheap, not for the customer service and this is the problem with these agencies. Keep in touch with the airline, they may send stuff to Netflights which they can't cope with handling.

I'd try calling KLM and seeing what they say. Do you have a booking reference for KLM. if so you could see what is under "manage my booking".

Update: Checkmytrip changed on Sunday. I am now flying Delta from Amsterdam - then Detroit - Then onto Orlando. Not bad flight/connection times, so I don't mind that extra stop. However, the return journey takes me via Memphis and FINISHES at Amsterdam?! I wonder if my previous e-ticket will cover me for the remainder of my flight???? I have had no phonecall or email from Netflights to confirm any of this, it is only what I have discovered from the Amadeus booking check. Delta have issued a booking reference. I'll just keep an eye on checkmytrip and Delta's website and see what is happening there. I'll try KLM (didn't think of that!) with my booking reference.

You really need the amended itinery in writing in case of argument. KLM must have sent some advice to Netflights but they may not be set up to handle this sort of thing, keep on at them and KLM.

I've rung, emailed, rung, emailed, etc., etc. Netflights say it is up to the airline, KLM say

Responsibility for the reservation shifts to the airline only after the first ticketed flight has
been flown. We hope we have informed you sufficiently.

Er..what does that mean?

I'd say they mean (and I'd agree with them) that until you've reached the first checkin the agent is responsible for communications with you but if they alter anything once you are in transit they'll deal with it.

Was it the Amedeus Checkmytrip or the option on the Netflights site?

Netflights have nothing showing - just a screen saying you should hear from us 21 days before departure, and both KLM and Delta have all flights showing apart from the AMS-Lpl bit. Just done checkmytrip - whole journey is showing...but of course I have no amended e-ticket, as that one only has the e-ticket for the first leg Lpl-Ams and Ams - Lpl. OMG - I am confusing even myself. What is going on? I am worried that I will be on my way home, and stranded in Amsterdam as I don't get a mention on their own websites!
Oh well, should make an interesting trip report!
Stand by for the next exciting installment.