British Airways (BA) has been inundated with customers after bookings and flights following the collapse of Zoom Airlines last Thursday.

In a statement on the company's website, Zoom, which started its Bermuda service in June 2007, blamed rising fuel prices for its demise.

But BA has benefited from the low cost airline's predicament as its reservations line has been ringing red hot with bookings and ground staff have been busy checking in customers.

Hundreds of passengers were left stranded on the Island over the weekend as a result of all Zoom flights between Gatwick and North America being suspended, while the airline posted a statement on its website advising passengers to contact their credit card company for refunds and find alternative flights on other carriers.

Last Friday BA set in place a special fare for customers who have been stranded and a discounted fare for Zoom customers who have yet to begin their travels. The airline will offer special one-way fares, half the usual return price, for customers who have been stranded.

"Our flights have been very busy over the popular Labour Day period but we are doing all that we can do to repatriate as many of Zoom's passengers as possible," said Marianne Wilcox, manager of customer service at BA's Bermuda operation.

"We have had a continuous stream of stranded Zoom passengers that we have been trying to assist on the phones and at the airport."

She said that 120 people came in to BA when Zoom ceased operations last Thursday, in addition to those who flew out to Bermuda on the previous Sunday and the week before.

"We have been dealing with lots of people that were obviously stranded and some in the UK," said Ms Wilcox. "Some of them have been booking through our toll-free number in the US and others have been coming to the airport.

"We have had a large volume and the other thing was that we were already full over the weekend, so Friday, Saturday and Sunday were very difficult days for us to accommodate more customers. We tried to take people that were desperate and we had a lot of bookings on Monday."

Ms Wilcox said BA competes against a number of airlines on various routes and welcomed competition on the Bermuda-London route. "We compete on practically every route we operate on," she said. "We have been here for over 70 years and we don't plan to go anywhere, we are quite committed to Bermuda and we will compete with anyone who wants to come and compete with us."

With Zoom going out of business, concerns have been raised that because the Bermuda-London route has become a monopoly again, BA might increase its prices, but Ms Wilcox said BA has extremely competitive fares year round that are designed to offer the customer choice.

"We continually review our prices and will adjust them based on a number of factors, including market conditions, inflation, operating costs and customer demand," she said. "This is standard business practice."

She admitted news of Zoom folding had come as a shock, but said the rising cost of fuel was a big issue facing all airlines.

"When you buy an airline ticket the fuel prices are highlighted because of the recent increases," she said.

Meanwhile the customers continue to queue up at the BA desk at LF Wade International Airport, according to Ms Wilcox. "We are obviously still getting some customers," she said. "We have still got stranded people because they were coming for two or three weeks' holiday and there were other people who were considering going on a Zoom and they will either come to us or go via New York."