Thomas Cook- advice needed urgently please!

[Witchofzog]

I have a holiday booked in 4 weeks through an intermediary called VCH Holidays (previously known as Very Cheap Holidays). I have no concerns about VCH as we hsve used them before, but our flights are with Thomas Cook and they are in the news about potentially going under. This has been a hard year for all of us and this holiday has been something to focus on so we are desperate to go.

The question is, should we scrimp the extra money for other flights to get us there and add luggage on later if we need to or do we wait and see what happens? And also if we do book other flights there, will Thomas Cook cancel our flights back if we don't use them or will we be refused help to get home after using another airline to fly out? It isn't a package holiday so can they even do this?

Any advice is really welcome. Thank you

As long as they are abta/atol members, which it looks like they are, then you should be OK. You might get delayed coming back if there are problems, but you should be looked after and travel organised for you.

Sorry, on rereading I misunderstood. Sorry. Not sure what would happen in the case, but I think I would leave it and if there's a problem, go for a cheap last minute deal.

Thomas Cook going under? That's the first I've heard of it and I'm flying with them soon. They're not ATOL protected either. Wtf?

Afaik package holidays are protected but some flight only ones are not. We're flying to states with them in s couple of months but paid for it on credit card and are covered with insurance policy too. Most policies cover you for airline failure so you would be protected.

Ah, I was looking at their FAQs on their website earlier and it said they're not ATOL protected as they're in a strong financial position!

*Why are Thomas Cook Airlines flights not ATOL protected

With effect from 22nd November 2015, we have made the decision to sell our own Thomas Cook Airlines flight seats directly from our airline company, Thomas Cook Airlines Ltd. (Up until that date, seats were sold through our tour operating part of the group). The change we have made, means the way our airline company sells its seats is the same as how the majority of UK airlines operate. Airlines do not have to hold ATOL licences, so for customers who buy seats directly from airlines there is no ATOL financial protection. Thomas Cook is in a strong financial position so customers should be confident in booking with us.*

Not sure of the difference between the airline and Thomas Cook itself so they may be ok... But I've booked with the airline.

They also just had a massive loan from banks as a bridging loan until they sell the airline and apparently Virgin and Lufthansa are interested in buying so I wouldn't panic too much. x

Look through all your booking information. I believe that, by law, if you buy a package holiday, which is more than one element that is interdependent, ie flight and hotel, then your holiday must be ATOL and/or ABTA protected and you will have a certificate that explains your rights should a supplier fail. The protection will entitle you to new flights at ATOLs cost.

This does not apply if you book a flight and hotel separately from different suppliers - Thomas Cook has a flight only business as well as a separate package holiday one.

It's definitely flight only with TC. I was thinking that if I book alternate flights going out now they will be cheaper and of course available whereas if I wait and they do go bust they will shoot up in price and will sell out very quickly.

But the issue is whether TC will fly me home if I don't fly with them on the outward flight? It isn't a package so surely the flights are separate entities?

We are flight only in October, so I am a bit concerned.

It seems that TC Airlines has been up for sale for a few months and there's a lot of interest.

I'm just hoping whoever takes it over sticks to the current/booked schedule and don't mess our days around.

How did you pay for your flights? If you paid by credit card, then your credit card will refund you if TC go bust. They will also refund the consequential losses of having to pay for more expensive flights.

This happened to us, we were due to fly out 2 days after Monarch went bust and fortunately I was up early that Monday and had the time and foresight to book replacement flights right then and got flights on the same day from the same airline but they were £500 instead of the £300 that we'd paid Monarch, but I eventually got all the £500 back from my credit card.

You might find the advice published by Moneysavingexpert when Monarch went bust helpful:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2017/10/monarch-airlines-stops-trading---latest-info-and-your-rights/

They're probably in the process of updating it for TC just in case.

It's also worth looking at your travel insurance. We had scheduled airline failure cover, but it turned out to be worthless because all it covered was replacement flights to get you home if you had already travelled out, it didn't cover if the airline goes bust before your outward journey.

But if you do decide to book other flights, don't worry about flights being cancelled if not used. All the low cost airlines like TC, Ryanair, Easyjet etc are point to point airlines which means that your 'return' flight is in fact two completely unconnected singles.

You're right that the alternative flights will get very expensive and then sell out, probably within hours.

We got flights for 2 of us for £500 return. Just a few hours later those flights would have cost over £2000 and by the end of the day, there was pretty much nothing available to Mallorca where we were going.

A friend of our had booked a package holiday with Monarch flights and they were given the choice of flying from another airport 300 miles away or going to a completly different destination, they chose the latter because it was easier.

Make sure that you have travel insurance ASAP and good cover not just the cheapest!

Have you got travel insurance that covers such an eventuality?

I paid by debit card unfortunately as I was in the process of changing credit cards.

The point to point airline post is heartening though. Perhaps I could book alternate flights going out now as a just in case. Is that definitely right for TC too @Barbaraofseville?

Travel insurance - I have an annual policy but my travelling companion who I paid for flights for hasn't as yet. Would insurance still pay out now the event is a possibility?

Get your friend to take out travel insurance today and make sure they check that they are covered for airline failure. I paid a bit extra and paid for travel disruption cover and I'm glad I did now but hopefully it won't come to that. Some of the big players e.g. Virgin, Lufthansa are potential buyers so you should be ok. Financial Times reports on the matter are more reassuring and I think more accurate than what's being touted in the tabloids.

@thelmadinkley. I have just seen your post. Thank you. I was talking to my sdd's boyfriend who has a degree in business and finance and who also has a TC holiday booked. He read their annual report and feels it will be fine. Fingers crossed

Yes I heard the other day there was a problem with Thomas Cook. We've booked flights with them for September.

Last year we booked with Monarch and had to rebook . We got our money back though and actually found cheaper flights with Ryanair.