To think there’s no point in saving Thomas Cook because no one will book with them now anyway

[Bearbehind]

Just that really.

Obviously I hope all those currently abroad and already booked are brought home quickly and / or compensated but what’s the point in them carrying on

Would you book with them now?

Hopefully many more will go as it's hardly great for the planet.

My understanding is that it would cost less to bail them out, than to repatriate everyone still away. If that is correct (it may not be!), then a bail out makes most sense for the tax payer.

The figures being bandied about are not accurate; they are not even talking about the same root source. Take it with a pinch of salt.

The government or any potential investors would be crazy to give £200 million to plaster over a problem which is at least 5 times the size. It would be a very temporary save.

I much prefer using a travel agent, we have a lovely, small independent branch near us who are always helpful and can make suggestions that I never knew about, I don’t want to spend hours trawling through websites in the internet, I am happy to pay a little extra for their expertise.

But my friend has booked our next holiday ... on the internet ... TC flights so who knows what will happen?

@Hollycatberry

OP from Manchester airport TC hold some of the routes to the USA that are not served any by any other airline. E.g Las Vegas, San Francisco

Both those routes are served by Virgin. I flew direct to SF with Virgin last year and am flying with them direct to Vegas next year.

@Drabarni

This won't stop people going on holiday. TUI will be juggling their figures with plans for some of those aircraft already. Just as TC did with Monarch. The planes will still fly. This isn't going to be an environmental solution.

We can live in hope.
Our gc will ask us if a holiday abroad was more important than their future.
I hope prices go up to price most people out tbh.
Maybe a positive that could come from Brexit, I'm sure there must be one.

Hopefully many more will go as it's hardly great for the planet.

FFS. This is growing tedious. People have been travelling for millennia, for trade, for pleasure, for religious pilgrimages, all sorts. They are not going to fucking stop travelling because holiday companies go bust .

Hopefully many more will go as it's hardly great for the planet.

As others said they'll just fly with someone else ...I agree with you in principle though but it ain't gonna happen sadly

We last booked with them several years ago and had a wonderful holiday

Unfortunately, we wouldn't book with them again now- mainly due to all the uncertainty surrounding them

But also mainly because we tend to DIY our own holidays

No. I wouldn't after they sent a family on a holiday and two children came back in coffins then the CE behaved appallingly.

Both those routes are served by Virgin. I flew direct to SF with Virgin last year and am flying with them direct to Vegas next year

Have just been on virgin Atlantic’s website and sky scanner and cannot find any direct flights from Manchester to SFO. Virgins website only mentions direct flights from Heathrow to SFO.

For Las Vegas I can see virgin says they fly direct from Manchester so I stand correct on that route.

Some people don't like the idea of independent holidays in foreign country

Unfortunately, even with the likes of TC, an independent holiday's effectively what you've got now the days of in-resort reps are largely over

Granted they'll stand around with clipboards sorting transfers to and from hotels, but good luck reaching the much-touted "contact lines" if anything goes wrong once you're there

Have just been on virgin Atlantic’s website and sky scanner and cannot find any direct flights from Manchester to SFO

They have changed the route, the direct is now Man LAX rather than SFO, but up until recently it was a direct flight and I've used it.

www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2018/05/30/virgin-atlantic-announces-direct-service-from-manchester-to-los-angeles/

I understand that holidays in term time are cheaper. Unfortunately many people can't go in term time so are stuck with the unaffordable extortionate prices. And no, it's not childish to suggest that ffs it's the truth

Same as many above, I’ve refused to go with Thomas Cook since the carbon monoxide tragedy.

Haven't stepped foot into a Thomas Cook store since the prices they quoted us for a Vegas trip was 3 times the price with Virgin. Have always assumed they were really expensive since and not bothered.

Unfortunately, even with the likes of TC, an independent holiday's effectively what you've got now the days of in-resort reps are largely over

I disagree, you can absolutely manage all your booking in English (through an english company), travel with the same, have all your transfers booked and arranged for you, stay in a hotel who will give you access or direction to anything you ask them.
You can book and then not have to think a single thought for your entire holiday, it's all done for you.

Or you can organise everything yourself, or something in between.

That's the luxury of our world, you can holiday any way you like.

I had a terrible experience with a Thomas Cook flight about 15 years ago - we were flying to Florida and they were expecting a hurricane. The BA flight that was due to leave for Florida 30 minutes before ours was cancelled and all passengers put up in hotels. The TC flight went ahead, turned around midway through the journey and returned, as they had fulfilled their flight obligation they did not have to put their customers up and did not provide another flight until 3 days later. Since then I’ve always flown to the States with Virgin.

I’ve had better experiences with them in more recent years though. I imagine the people who booked their holidays yesterday will have got very good deals if TC survive.

We usually book with TUI , did look at TC but it seemed more expensive, definitely wouldn’t book with them now, like I wouldn’t buy anything online from House of Fraser as I could lose money and be inconvenienced.

My usually sensible OH said he'd been looking at cheap half term hols and that we could get a lovely break in Spain, AI, for all 6 of us for £2k. Considering our summer, half board, holiday to Spain (with Jet2) was £4500 my ears pricked up.

"it's with Thomas Cook, but got to be worth the gamble"

I didn't bother responding. Tit.

I will not be booking with them again that's for sure.
I'm meant to fly out to get married in 12 days. Luckily the holiday and the wedding are ATOL protected but the added extras aren't, not that I was told that whilst booking, so I will loose the money on them. I will also loose money as I booked to stay in the airport hotel which is non refundable now.
Its not looking good, I was told news would be announced this weekend as to whether future bookings will go ahead but no news yet. From what I've read it's very unlikely the government will bail them out, but I'm guessing a last minute investor or deal may come about.
I just want to know if I will be getting married or not

Because they can be SO cheap - ie cheaper than the cost of the flight bought separately!!

We have found the opposite whilst looking at holidays in the past month, for next year. In every single case we have looked at it has been cheaper to book independently than booking as a package via a travel company. Sometimes it has been a substantial increase to book as a package.

It has a few years ago now since we have booked a package for this reason - we always check both options.

As for going in an actual travel agents - must be even further ago! I know we did try to once - think it was TC infant. Found a deal online but as we were walking past the TA we popped in. They couldn't match their own online prices, even when shown it on my phone. In the end we left and booked it online ourselves.

We booked our Florida flights 2 months ago and I refused to book Thomas Cook (or Norwegian Air) due to questions over their financial security. It's a catch 22 really.

Pissedofandpuzzled, that's what we found - we needed help the day we arrived and they left us high and dry. Some very lovely employees of the resort sorted it all out for us.
Actually, the clipboard people were rubbish too, we stood waiting for quite some time, at the head of a queue while 3 of them finished a personal coversation. They seemed quite pissed off that I had to ask where our bus was