[TouringPleb]

Originally Posted by Lincoln61

Having being caught up in the package holiday nightmare with TC about 10 years ago, when they royaly shafted me. I have never used a company again, always use expedia.

I hope they go bust, peoples holidays are not a cattle herding exercise.

You are hoping 9,000 people in the UK loose their job because you were "royally shafted" 10 years ago?

Words fail me.

[Broncho]

I flew with them to New York last year, they forgot to come back and charge us £5 each for the inflight entertainment.

I feel partly to blame

[JD6]

Originally Posted by TouringPleb

You are hoping 9,000 people in the UK loose their job because you were "royally shafted" 10 years ago?

Words fail me.

I have no strong feeling about Thomas Cook, but in general I share Lincoln61 's view that companies which treat customers badly, and rely on the fact that it is difficult for a customer to take on a corporation, deserve to fail. The UK has pretty much full employment, and people won't stop going on holiday, so unless TC was particularly inefficient, those jobs will probably be replaced elsewhere.

I will keep sticking pins in my voodoo dolls of British Gas, Extra Energy*, BT, Ryanair, Lloyds Bank...


* This doll is ready to be reassigned now that Extra Energy have gone bust...

[Wills2]

Watching the news it's getting a bit tasty for some holiday makers in Tunisia, hotels refusing to let them leave the hotel and confiscating luggage etc...fisticuffs as well with some Scots. (huge shock! )

On a serious note though this is why the gov will pay to get people back as it can all turn very nasty very quickly and that's a PR disaster for any gov.

[mikeoz]

Originally Posted by Wills2

Watching the news it's getting a bit tasty for some holiday makers in Tunisia, hotels refusing to let them leave the hotel and confiscating luggage etc...fisticuffs as well with some Scots. (huge shock! )

On a serious note though this is why the gov will pay to get people back as it can all turn very nasty very quickly and that's a PR disaster for any gov.

I didnt know Tunisia was back on the menu after the attacks..must of missed that?

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by mikeoz

I didnt know Tunisia was back on the menu after the attacks..must of missed that?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49785426

Scroll down to the "held hostage" bit.

[mikeoz]

Originally Posted by Wills2

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49785426

Scroll down to the "held hostage" bit.

I guess its an improvement.. they are not being murdered now.
Wonderful end to a hol that..

[R0B]

Happened to me many moons ago, a holiday company went bust while I was in Rhodes. The news wires said hotels would charge customers, but the place where we stayed absorbed the loss and didn't kick us out. I remember this trip vividly as the room had a huge corner bath jacuzzi thing and I smashed the daylights out of the Mrs in it.

[TouringPleb]

Originally Posted by JD6

I have no strong feeling about Thomas Cook, but in general I share Lincoln61 's view that companies which treat customers badly, and rely on the fact that it is difficult for a customer to take on a corporation, deserve to fail. The UK has pretty much full employment, and people won't stop going on holiday, so unless TC was particularly inefficient, those jobs will probably be replaced elsewhere.

I will keep sticking pins in my voodoo dolls of British Gas, Extra Energy*, BT, Ryanair, Lloyds Bank...


* This doll is ready to be reassigned now that Extra Energy have gone bust...

I appreciate what you are saying regarding poor customer service, but it struck me as a particularly callous thing to say with no regard for the families affected.

[RobUK]

Originally Posted by mikeoz

I didnt know Tunisia was back on the menu after the attacks..must of missed that?

Apparently they've been offering some very cheap deals.

Went there about thirty years ago, but not somewhere I ever felt the need to return to even before all the trouble. Probably doing Tunisia a great disservice.

------

So looks like the Thomas Cook party is finally over all bar the formal announcement tomorrow morning. Lot of holiday makers on the news unhappy about being kept in the dark?

[zofinger]

Originally Posted by Wills2

On a serious note though this is why the gov will pay to get people back as it can all turn very nasty very quickly and that's a PR disaster for any gov.

I hope it could never turn into a PR disaster for the UK gov. It's hardly their fault and they shouldn't be culpable for anyone turning nasty (hotels or patrons). In fact it's because of the UK Gov (the law states packaged holidays must be protected - hence ATOL) that a vast majority of people get home without having to pay / claim from their insurance. And those that do will be able to claim back costs incurred. The ATOL thing is very good - something we should be proud of. Well done the UK!

[Rbrown]

As feared, Thomas Cook no longer trading.

Our holiday cancelled. Will now have to get refund. My kids are gutted, but really feel for all those who have now lost their jobs. ATOL having to pay all compensation, so can only guess the price of holidays will go up as a result.

Hope all those currently overseas get home as planned.

[planemad]

Originally Posted by Rbrown

As feared, Thomas Cook no longer trading.

Our holiday cancelled. Will now have to get refund. My kids are gutted, but really feel for all those who have now lost their jobs. ATOL having to pay all compensation, so can only guess the price of holidays will go up as a result.

Hope all those currently overseas get home as planned.

Get yourself on to tui/first choice and rebook. No need for gutted kids.

[EvilDrPorkChop]

We always booked direct, book your own flights, hotel and transfers. Been doing it for last 10 years and not had any issues, hotels treat/look after you better as you are their customer not a travel companies. Done this since a bad experience with First Choice and realised all travel companies are rouges

Still doesn't get around the fact that a airline could still go bust, but at least it's only a flight and you can always get another one. And we've only ever paid for a hotel on arrival.

[doncarlyon]

Shame for all those now out of work

[mikeoz]

My friends husband got a message to attend the big meeting in P.boro HQ this morning with every one else. Turned up management read 2 names out asking them to stay behind to help customers get home then told rest of work force to go home and that it would take 2 weeks for Govt to sort redundancy out... proper crap...

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by mikeoz

My friends husband got a message to attend the big meeting in P.boro HQ this morning with every one else. Turned up management read 2 names out asking them to stay behind to help customers get home then told rest of work force to go home and that it would take 2 weeks for Govt to sort redundancy out... proper crap...

when you say mgt, it would be appointees of adminsitrator. Been there and got that t shirt, no fun at all!

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by zofinger

I hope it could never turn into a PR disaster for the UK gov. It's hardly their fault and they shouldn't be culpable for anyone turning nasty (hotels or patrons).

Of course it would, if they refused and left thousands of people stranded and bad things happened, it would a political nightmare the opposition would have a field day "shambles/uncaring gov etc...." newspapers would be full of damning stories of old people left to rot in north African countries, no one would be looking to blame TC....

No minister is going to want that on his/her plate, hence everyone generally gets brought home in these situation whether they are ATOL protected or not.

[Mohawk]

Originally Posted by Wills2

ATOL will pick up the tab for all package deal flights home I believe not the gov.

Yeah & there are nowhere near as many people caught out by this as advertised. There is no reason for HMG to do anything for people's abroad. If they don't have travel insurance &/or a credit card they deserve what they get.

Its not the industry regulation that's the problem, its the auditors that keep giving companies a clean bill of health when their finances are crap. The gov is trying to clamp down on that but very poorly.

[zofinger]

Originally Posted by Wills2

Of course it would, if they refused and left thousands of people stranded and bad things happened, it would a political nightmare the opposition would have a field day "shambles/uncaring gov etc...." newspapers would be full of damning stories of old people left to rot in north African countries, no one would be looking to blame TC....

No minister is going to want that on his/her plate, hence everyone generally gets brought home in these situation whether they are ATOL protected or not.

I mean the govt. shouldn’t be blamed for things getting nasty (which I believe was your point). There’s no question of the ATOL scheme not kicking in - it started flying empty planes out to destinations Sunday PM. If the ATOL scheme didn’t do what it’s suppose to, then yes, the CAA and govt. will be dragged over the coals. But there’s no question of that, currently.

[zofinger]

There are some holiday folk who will be left out of pocket by all this - those who are booked to fly with other airlines/tour operators meeting up with family who are now not going as they’re booked through TC - e.g weddings. Not sure how all that pans out. Guess the TC ones need to re-book quickly.

[zofinger]

Originally Posted by mikeoz

There needs to be better regulation of the industry. I cant see how its acceptable for us the taxpayer to have to pick up the 600m if they go under or possibly bail them out by 200m...plus what ever the Nationalised banks already have in TC?

Seems a Loose Loose to me..

Originally Posted by Wills2

ATOL will pick up the tab for all package deal flights home I believe not the gov.

Yes. ATOLs pot of money for scenarios like this comes from tour operators who contribute - not govt./taxpayer. It’s the cost of doing business so presume anyone gone on hol with an ATOL operator will have paid for this.