Crap....due to go on a Thomas Cook holiday next week...

[Singlebutmarried]

.....and it looks like they’re going under

I’ve got travel insurance so alls not lost.

Same here. We are meant to be leaving on monday. Our flights are with easyjet, not sure if that makes a difference. What a nightmare. No idea what we do now really.

I think the issue for those of who have TC packages with non TC flights is whether or not TC have paid your hotel (and possibly flights) yet.

When Monarch went bust, there were stories of people being asked to leave hotels or pay again, as Monarch hadn't paid.

In those circumstances I'd look for advice from moneysavingexpert, ATOL, Which? etc, but if you are able to, one option is to pay up, continue your holiday and worry about reimbursement later, which is almost certain from s credit card if you paid that way, or ATOL, or your insurer.

Credit cards offer really valuable protection in circumstances like this, which a lot of people don't seem to realise.

Simon Calder, travel reporter for the Independent, has just been on BBC Breakfast talking about this and he did say that very few people will lose money if TC do collapse but holiday plans may have to change. Was on at about 7.12 for anyone wanting to look on catch up.

I suppose one issue is that if you're booked for October half term the chance of getting a replacement holiday for a similar price is low, especially as there will be thousands of other TC customers in the same position.

Thomas cook also own Crystal who we have booked our ski trip with. I wonder what happens to the flights if they go bust as they were British Airways.

I just hope people have learned from previous collapses and bought insurance and paid with credit cards. We had issues years ago when Kiss air collapsed but are travel agent pulled our reservation in time and switched our flights, made be a fan of travel agents!

I've got flights only booked on debit card for summer 2020 :(

Am shitting it. If we lose the money we won't get it back an no holiday for us. Just thousands down the drain.

Totoro

Please don't worry, it's very likely you'll get your money back via a Chargeback if TC go bust.

Whether or not you'll be able to get replacement flights at a reasonable cost from another operator is another matter, but at least for next summer, there is time to reallocate the slots to another operator - this happened after Monarch, Ryanair, Jet2, Easyjet etc were interested in some of the routes, knowing there's demand from people who've already booked and still wanted to travel.

Apparently Thomas Cook are telling passengers that it is business as usual. Their shares have dropped 20% overnight.

I am supposed to be going Tues. Flights also with Easy jet. Easy jet could not tell me what would happen if they go bust. The agent said she thinks the flights will be honoured. But the deadline is after I am due to go so who knows.

Witch I've replied to you on the other thread.

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Argh we have a ski trip booked for NY with Crystal, flights with TC too - have to pay the balance on 4 October which is 3.5K
to all those travelling very soon - hope it’s sorted for all of our sakes!

You're just going to have to hold tight and see what happens. We are booked to go away with them in October. Worst case scenario if they go under you will get your money back.

Nobody's going to be stranded overseas. The press are whipping up this frenzy which is stopping people booking with Thomas Cook which is making the finances worse which means the press are whipping up more of a frenzy, and so on.

Nobody's going to be stranded overseas

To quote Simon Calder on BBC Breakfast this morning 'they're not stranded overseas, they're on holiday' and most people will be able to continue their holiday exactly as planned and then get on the replacement rescue flight that will have been laid on for them, on the same day that they were due to return home, and the worst that will happen is that they return to Manchester instead of Birmingham (for example) and have to get a coach the rest of the way.

I saw that interview too. In most cases people will continue their holidays as normal and ABTA/ATOL will arrange repatriation flights on the day tehy would have travelled anyway. Might be on a different plane with a different crew, but you'll still get your holiday.

the most affected will be people like us, due to travel out in 3 weeks' time with thomas cook on a package. IF they go under - and it's not a given - we have 3 weeks to try to rebook something else, along with all the other TC customers wanting to go away Scottish half term.

The other complicating factor is that this upcoming holiday was paid for 50% by compensation vouchers from TC after our flight this time last year was badly delayed. I would imagine we wouldn't get the value of the vouchers back, rather than the total cost of the holiday.

I'm looking at self-catering cottages in England for the week....

Crystal are owned by TUI not Thomas cook

Oh sorry I thought TUI and Thomas cook were the same

It prompted me to request a copy of the ATOL certificate for our holiday anyway as suspiciously on my previous email what was meant to be the certificate was a copy of the invoice. Anyway got it now which is good as stupidly forgot to pay with credit card.

I’ve just phoned Thomas Cook as I looked back through my travel documentation and I hadn’t been sent the ATOL certificate. They sent it to me via email. Check you have yours!

@rookiemere Oooh sorry! Just seen you’ve posted something similar!!

I’ve found the Atol certificate. But the other couple were going with can’t find theirs (we booked at the same time but separately)

Seems a bit hit and miss as to whether they’ve sent them out or not.

We are supposed to fly out next Saturday for a TC holiday. We booked a package so we will be covered by ATOL, but not sure how long that takes to get refunded. As a back up we paid by Visa Debit so we can try the refund request through our bank. I think if it all goes Pete Tong we will just notch it up to experience and spend a week touring nice scenic spots closer to home rather than forking out money on top for another last minute likely very expensive replacement.

Got everything crossed it all works out and they stay afloat, but tbh it has slightly tarnished the whole thing because the entire time I'm away I will just be anxious about something going wrong with getting home. I believe a decision has to be made by Midnight on Sunday so hopefully we won't be kept in suspense for too long.

We should go lanzarote on 1st. Booked through TC but flying easyjet. So flight us secure but will we still have a room at hotel

Just read that Thomas Cook have asked the government for a bail out as it could be a lower cost than having to repatriate all the holidaymakers already on their holiday.

I'm hoping they do just go under now TBH.

Obviously I don't want people to lose their jobs and such but I fear even if they do get a reprisal this is going to continue over the next 12 months and everyone who has holiday s booked in 2020 are going to be in the same situation in 12 months time wondering if they can get home.

I just want a refund. Which I can only get through charge back in the event of them going under.

I think they should be left to go under too. Repatriating now would be a one off cost to the government, whereas bailing out will only be a sticking plaster and the company will go under anyway and it will have cost the taxpayer 2x as much.

This much press around them collapsing will cause it in the end. Inevitable. Plus the business clearly doesn't have £200 mil of cash in its business. Lenders call in their loans is a huge vote of no confidence, and when they can't raise the cash the lenders will put the company into administration.

Bet the Thomas Cook CEOs are still getting their bonuses....

Exactly.

It's a tremendous amount of money and it's not going to fix anything. Just plaster over.

They obviously can't stay afloat.

How many times will customers have to go through this?

And even if they do get a deal who is going to book with them now?

I certainly wouldn't.