Thomas Cook travel - collapsed

[utdalltheway]

Big news out of the UK now with the collapse of the TC travel group.
Approx 150,000 stranded overseas.

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...aves-150000-stranded-on-holidays-live-updates


Sad too for the folk that work at TC. High streets in the UK will be down one more business.

A 178 year old business. Wtf happened?

 

[Tarrou]

too much online competition I guess

does anyone born after 1980 book their holidays in a high street store?

 

[Precaution]

i havent walked into a high street travel agent since i was 16 and that was because i was hanging out with a friend who worked there.

 

[Vernon Philander]

Thank God for ATOL protection

 

[Hughes35]

Just another business that didn't modernize and keep up with the times.

I have been into Thomas Cook high street stores several times over the past few years.......... So they can give me all the information about their destinations and then I can go and book the packages cheaper myself online directly with the hotels and travel companies.

They had a good thing but got lazy. New technology and ideas overtook them.

 

[Adisa]

does anyone born after 1980 book their holidays in a high street store?

Simple really.
The way of things.

 

[TheReligion]

Just another business that didn't modernize and keep up with the times.

I have been into Thomas Cook high street stores several times over the past few years.......... So they can give me all the information about their destinations and then I can go and book the packages cheaper myself online directly with the hotels and travel companies.

They had a good thing but got lazy. New technology and ideas overtook them.

Fair assessment really. You have to keep up with the times or else eventually it will catch up with you. Just look at the high street shop closures.

 

[golden_blunder]

Apparently brexit has pummeled them too, people holding off booking foreign holidays

 

[Rado_N]

Shame, their flights have been great the few times I've used them.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Apparently brexit has pummeled them too, people holding off booking foreign holidays

Not sure they got the right nationality with the 150,000 people they wanted out of the UK either.

 

[stepic]

surprised there are any travel agents left. you can literally do their job yourself sitting at home. no wonder their business model failed.

 

[Member 39557]

too much online competition I guess

does anyone born after 1980 book their holidays in a high street store?

They have a website too.
It's not that antiquated!

Thomson, Thomas Cook et al are fine if you want a hassle free week or two on the beach, all inclusive etc. They provide the filghts, the rooms and a rep at the hotel in case of any issues.
As others have said, if you can be arsed, you can sort the flights/hotels out yourself and probably save a bit of money.

For a proper trip where you want to see a bit of the country you're staying in, they're really not at the races.

 

[Massive Spanner]

They have a website too.
It's not that antiquated!

Thomson, Thomas Cook et al are fine if you want a hassle free week or two on the beach, all inclusive etc. They provide the filghts, the rooms and a rep at the hotel in case of any issues.
As others have said, if you can be arsed, you can sort the flights/hotels out yourself and probably save a bit of money.

For a proper trip where you want to see a bit of the country you're staying in, they're really not at the races.

Yeah pretty much. It's just much easier for younger people now who want to actually go see where they're going to, to do it all themselves online. It's so piss easy to organize your own "all inclusive" trip from start to finish these days that unless you're really lazy, or of the older generation who aren't well accustomed to the internet, it's pretty much pointless paying the excess to get someone like Thomas Cook to do it for you.

I was originally looking up package holidays to South Africa and it was around double the cost of what I'm paying now by booking it all individually, crazy money.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Expedia took their 178 year business model and put it all on one webpage.

 

[eggwithsideburns]

Sucks as I was looking forward to my 2 weeks in Gran Canaria on Thursday.

 

[Jippy]

A guy called Thomas Cook has had his Thomas Cook holiday RUINED.

Hucknall man named Thomas Cook has dream wedding shattered by failed holiday company

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news...S64pzd8th3fUu_kvI3ntiv-gEaVUDp6CXFt310oZ4uXAo

 

[balaks]

It's a real shame for all the workers and obviously the holiday makers now stranded and also for those who's holidays have now been cancelled. Having said that this is 100% the fault of Thomas Cook who have been unable to adapt quickly enough to the internet and the changing way in which most people arrange holidays.

I think it is a good thing that a failing business like Thomas Cook is not bailed out by the public purse. No company should be too big to fail.

 

[OohAahMartial]

The big mistake was two disastrous mergers leaving them saddled with big debt. And of course an old business model that didn't move with the times.

 

[finneh]

Crippling debt has been weighing them down for years.

 

[Castia]

What a shame.

I've always travelled with Thomas Cook but we've booked with TUI next year. Their prices have slowly risen to be one of the most expensive travel agents so we ditched them.

I feel a bit sad though it's one of those companies you just expect to be there and it's terrible seeing so many people lose thier job.

 

[Castia]

Sucks as I was looking forward to my 2 weeks in Gran Canaria on Thursday.

Damn that sucks. Have they indicated on when/if you'll receive a full refund?

 

[Balljy]

They have a website too.
It's not that antiquated!

Thomson, Thomas Cook et al are fine if you want a hassle free week or two on the beach, all inclusive etc. They provide the filghts, the rooms and a rep at the hotel in case of any issues.
As others have said, if you can be arsed, you can sort the flights/hotels out yourself and probably save a bit of money.

For a proper trip where you want to see a bit of the country you're staying in, they're really not at the races.

That's the bit I've never understood. It doesn't exactly take long to find a flight (Skyscanner etc), an overview of the areas you could go to (Trip Advisor etc) and the hotel (Agoda etc) and you end up with the exact holiday you want for cheaper rather than what a travel agent *thinks* is good for you. It usually takes me half a Sunday browsing to get it all done and you get the satisfaction that everything is the way you want it and that you have definitely found the best deal.

I can see the all inclusive food / drinks bit, but you can get hotels that will offer that booking direct.

 

[Sassy Colin]

The CAA has apparently chartered 40 planes to get people back from abroad.

I don't get it, Thomas Cook has a fleet of aircraft, which are all in the right places to carry on scheduled flights. Why not use them over the next couple of week to get people home, and save the cost of chartering aircraft from a 3rd party. Seems obvious to me, what am I missing?

 

[balaks]

The CAA has apparently chartered 40 planes to get people back from abroad.

I don't get it, Thomas Cook has a fleet of aircraft, which are all in the right places to carry on scheduled flights. Why not use them over the next couple of week to get people home, and save the cost of chartering aircraft from a 3rd party. Seems obvious to me, what am I missing?

Probably a technical thing - who now owns those aircraft? Likely unable to be used until whatever process they have to go through is completed.

 

[Sassy Colin]

It's a real shame for all the workers and obviously the holiday makers now stranded and also for those who's holidays have now been cancelled. Having said that this is 100% the fault of Thomas Cook who have been unable to adapt quickly enough to the internet and the changing way in which most people arrange holidays.

I think it is a good thing that a failing business like Thomas Cook is not bailed out by the public purse. No company should be too big to fail.

Booking holidays on the internet has been around 20 years, ffs! They should have been one of the first to get online.

 

[Sassy Colin]

Anyone got a United package booked?

https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...otball-news/man-utd-thomas-cook-news-16965967

 

[Helder-Carvalho]

Never know how a travel agency could have such a fleet of planes, now we know why, Fosun, biggest TC shareholder is the owner of our largest insurance company, hopefully there isnt any blowback

 

[Klopper76]

Just another business that didn't modernize and keep up with the times.

I have been into Thomas Cook high street stores several times over the past few years.......... So they can give me all the information about their destinations and then I can go and book the packages cheaper myself online directly with the hotels and travel companies.

They had a good thing but got lazy. New technology and ideas overtook them.

I agree. Just another business that couldn’t keep up.

 

[dwd]

Never know how a travel agency could have such a fleet of planes, now we know why, Fosun, biggest TC shareholder is the owner of our largest insurance company, hopefully there isnt any blowback

Don't they own Wolves? Wonder if it might effect them somehow

 

[Helder-Carvalho]

Yes, they bought Wolverhampton

 

[Fergies Gum]

Sadly yet another example of a company run by incompetent management.

 

[Fergies Gum]

The CAA has apparently chartered 40 planes to get people back from abroad.

I don't get it, Thomas Cook has a fleet of aircraft, which are all in the right places to carry on scheduled flights. Why not use them over the next couple of week to get people home, and save the cost of chartering aircraft from a 3rd party. Seems obvious to me, what am I missing?

I've read that all their planes have been impounded as part of the liquidation process.

 

[noodlehair]

Why are people being "repatriated" now rather than just coming home from their holiday in a slightly different way than planned?

 

[WensleyMU]

Can you really find a holiday cheaper by booking everything separately? I've just done Gran Caneria with Tui for under £900, flights, hotel and transfers. Granted it was self catering, but I prefer that anyway.

 

[100]

Can/Do major companies ever decide to just shut up shop before they go broke? Surely this was inevitable?

 

[Jippy]

Why are people being "repatriated" now rather than just coming home from their holiday in a slightly different way than planned?

Doesn't that just mean the taxpayer is footing the bill?

 

[noodlehair]

Doesn't that just mean the taxpayer is footing the bill?

I dunno. Is this sort of thing not covered by Atol protection or travel insurance?

 

[Ady87]

I've read that all their planes have been impounded as part of the liquidation process.

Yeah, I believe when this process has been sorted they will be using a number of the planes (10 I believe) & staff to get people home.

Why are people being "repatriated" now rather than just coming home from their holiday in a slightly different way than planned?

I think they're trying to bring people back as close to their original flight time and date as possible. Obviously that starts immediately in some cases.

Can you really find a holiday cheaper by booking everything separately? I've just done Gran Caneria with Tui for under £900, flights, hotel and transfers. Granted it was self catering, but I prefer that anyway.

Yes, sometimes significant savings to be had. I've used a few take aways over the last few months that have plugged their own website with discount or outright asked me to order directly rather than through Deliveroo/Just Eat due to their commissions. It's a similar concept. Package holidays you get (or should) peace of mind and a one stop itinerary and accountability. If booking for a decent group of people the premium price may be worth it, though I've never done it as booking separately has always produced significant savings.

 

[Jippy]

I dunno. Is this sort of thing not covered by Atol protection or travel insurance?

That's what I thought, but there was speculation it would be cheaper for the government to prop it up than pay to fly everyone back.

 

[RobinLFC]

Can you really find a holiday cheaper by booking everything separately? I've just done Gran Caneria with Tui for under £900, flights, hotel and transfers. Granted it was self catering, but I prefer that anyway.

Almost every time, yeah. Don't know where you're based or how long you went for, but I could leave after this weekend for 8 days Gran Canaria, flights and accommodation - 2 persons, €200 each (and that's just a quick check with Skyscanner and booking.com, you could save even more if you're flexible and on a tight budget).