Thomas Cook collapses, stranding 150k UK holidaymakers

Post by manquer » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 9:48 AM UTC

warrenmiller wrote: post #64

kitd wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

British travel agents that belong to ABTA, the national association, should have emergencies like this covered by insurance, so the money is there. This is basically the nightmare scenario for a travel agent so you would think ABTA has an emergency process all set up and ready to go.

There is ATOL protection but there's only approx £18 million in the fund. £200 million is needed to pay everyone out.

Post by benj111 » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 9:56 AM UTC

pjc50 wrote: post #117

benj111 wrote: post #61

Frankly I think its amazing that all these people can expect to be repatriated, relatively problem free, it's like a bank collapse, but you have to herd people. And the scale. Operation Market Garden only dropped 40,000 troops. D day only managed to land 150,000 on the first day.

On the other hand, the tourists aren't being paradropped over hostile territory. Unless Thomas Cook had really gone downhill..

Post by sligor » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 10:03 AM UTC

growlist wrote: post #100

interdrift wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In general just avoid going to such countries lol

Easy throw away comment to make but don't forget lots of honest people in Tunisia are trying to make a living out of tourism, and from a selfish point of view having been to Tunisia there is loads of good stuff to see.

Post by rythie » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 10:22 AM UTC

mhandley wrote: post #72

FartyMcFarter wrote: post #43

> Customers at a hotel in Tunisia reported being locked in by security guards as the hotel demanded extra money, fearing it would not be paid by Thomas Cook. This is quite bad behaviour from the hotel. Presumably their business relationship is with Thomas Cook, not the people on holidays? They went as far as grabbing people who jumped a wall in an attempt to get out! More details here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-4…

Don't hotels realise this is a reputation business? In the age of the Internet, no-one with access to TripAdvisor or Google will ever stay there again. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see the hotel change name in the next year, if they survive. But perhaps worse that that, a hotel behaving like this, and not being slapped down hard by the Tunisian authorities, will damage the entire Tunisian tourism industry, just as…

Post by michaelt » Mon, Sep 23, 2019, 10:39 AM UTC

irjustin wrote: post #37

PhilWright wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly, they should have stopped flying people out when they were within two weeks of closing. If they had secured the funding needed to continue then all well and good and then start flying people out again.

I think there's a catch 22 here. The instant the airline says "We're no longer accepting bookings because we're working to figure out a cash situation." you've got to believe everyone else who is still booked will pull their ticket for a refund of any form. I would be. There would be a massive outflow of what little available cash exists. The announcement whether early or late is the immediate death knell of the comp…