Wellingborough residents John and Vera Stevenson used their savings of nearly £1,000 to buy return tickets to Calgary from Zoom Airlines for the trip later this month.
The couple had hoped to spend three weeks visiting their son William, who has l
ived in the country for two years.
However, last week it was revealed the budget airline had gone into administration, leaving dozens of passengers stranded and hundreds of other unsure if they will get a refund.
Mr Stevenson, 76, said: "We had been saving for this since April 2007. I'm as sick as a pig but there's not an awful lot we can do. I paid for the flights using a debit card – if I'd paid using a credit card there would be a chance of us getting the money back. The only glimmer of hope is that mine is a Visa debit card – but I'm hopeful we'll get the money back."
The tickets for the couple had cost more than £900.
Mr Stevenson, who lives in Gold Street, Wellingborough, said his son had tried to call him when he hear about Zoom going into administration.
He said: "We missed the phone call as we were asleep in bed – but then we saw on the news the next morning what had happened.
"When my son went out to Canada he travelled with Zoom and didn't have any problems.
"We don't have a lot of money coming in so we can't afford just to buy more tickets. We're just going to start saving again and go out next year at some point."
A statement on Zoom's website informs customers the company has grounded all flights, cancelled all flights and started administration proceedings.
Passengers have been advised to contact other airlines who operate the same or similar routes.
The founders Hugh and John Boyle said: "We deeply that we have been forced to suspend all Zoom operations. It is a tragic day for our passengers and more than 600 staff. We are desperately sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment that this will cause passengers and those who have booked flights. We have done everything we can to support the airline and left no stone unturned to secure a re-financing package that would have kept our aircraft flying."
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