A BANKSIA GROVE couple have been left stranded in Bosnia because a Fremantle travel company didn’t book return airline tickets.

Sky Air Services has closed its doors amidst a WA consumer protection department probe into 27 complaints from unhappy travelers who say all up they’re $80,000 out of pocket.

Niki, who didn’t want her surname printed, said the business “reeked” of cigarette smoke and staff had messy hair when she went in last Friday to finalise return flights for her parents-in-law, whom she lives with.

“Something wasn’t right,” the 27 year old says.

“I’m a smoker and I went in there and thought yuk.”

Her in-laws chose the company to save themselves $100, but will now have to find an extra $2200 to get home mid-August.

Niki says she’ll forgo birthday celebrations and “do nothing for a month” to pay for the tickets.

“We’ve paid a deposit for a house so this is just the worst timing,” she says.

More affected

Her mother Melena left a complaint about unanswered phone calls and inflated prices on Sky Air’s Facebook page and was staggered by the response.

“Inflated price? u mean 20dollar commission[sic]? … we can take your 20 dollars and wipe our butts with it!” the company’s Facebook account responded. Sky Air did not return the Herald’s phone calls before deadline.

Its Facebook page and website are now offline.

Consumer protection expects even more people may be affected.

Three of the complaints it received were from people stuck in Europe without return tickets.

“The tickets weren’t valid since Sky Air Services hadn’t paid for them due to financial trouble, despite giving a confirmation to the customers,” department spokesman Alan Hynd told the Herald.

“It is a major concern now. People that booked with the company need to confirm that their tickets are valid, return ones especially, before heading to the airport.”

He says the reports will be handed over to police.

by EMMIE DOWLING and MARTA PASCUAL JUANOLA