The collapse of Thomas Cook
Holidaymakers and workers come to terms with the situation
Last updated 23rd Sep 2019
• Thomas Cook has ceased trading so all Thomas Cook flights are now cancelled
• Customers in the UK yet to travel must not go to the airport
• UK Civil Aviation Authority to launch biggest ever peacetime repatriation
• Customers currently overseas should check thomascook.caa.co.uk for advice and only go to the airport once they have an alternative flight confirmed
• 24-hour helpline:
0300.303 2800 from the UK and Ireland and +44 1753 330 330 from overseas
Thousands of holidaymakers are coming to terms with upcoming trips abroad being cancelled following the collapse of Thomas Cook, with some set to miss holidays of a lifetime, weddings and honeymoons.
The tourism giant announced early on Monday that it had ceased trading after failing to secure a last-ditch rescue deal, leaving an estimated 150,000 Britons abroad awaiting repatriation.
One couple have been left devastated after their honeymoon in the paradise'' of the Maldives was cancelled while another wedding party anxiously wait to find out if their marriage in Greece will go ahead.
Lewis and Amy Bromiley from Manchester, who were looking forward to their honeymoon after getting married in August, said they will have to wait months'' for a refund on their £7,000 trip.
Mr Bromiley, a 25-year-old insurance worker from Manchester, told the PA news agency: We booked it over a year ago, so we were well prepared and had got the best deal.
Me and my wife are devastated.
We wanted to go to Maldives as it's paradise and we're looking to plan for children soon, so we wanted to tick it off our bucket list, before we couldn't.''
Mr Bromiley criticised the way the situation had been handled, adding it was poorly communicated'' and that their Twitter account should be managed for the next 48 hoursto give people the peace of mind they deserve''.
Nicole from Swansea, who did not wish to give her surname, told PA she was absolutely devastated'' at the closure of the firm she had booked with, which came before hervery first holiday''.
And now we have the stress of trying to fix this and sort it all out,'' she added.
I am truly gutted, but also devastated for the people who are stranded on their holidays and for the employees who have lost their jobs with no warning, and this close to Christmas.
It's such a shame.''
Some hopeful travellers were anxiously waiting to find out if their trips abroad can be rearranged, including a wedding party who have spent £40,000 on flights and hotels to Kos, Greece.
Heartbroken'' Amy Wright, 27, and a wedding party of around 40 people were due to travel on October 3.
Her sister Katie Langley, 23, told PA the group had paid between £35,000 and £40,000 for the two-week trip through Thomas Cook, including flights and hotels.
Around one million people will be affected by the cancellation of all future Thomas Cook bookings.,
The collapse of Thomas Cook has affected supporters of Premier League clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester United.
Fans have bought tickets from Thomas Cook Sport which provided ticket and accommodation for some of Europe's biggest football clubs and sporting events, including the England cricket team's winter tour to South Africa.
Last week Thomas Cook Sport assured fans who had bought tickets they had nothing to worry about''.
A statement from Liverpool said: We are aware Thomas Cook has ceased trading this morning. Thomas Cook sells 360 hospitality packages for each of our home games at Anfield.
We are currently assessing the impact of Thomas Cook ceasing trading and the impact for those supporters who have purchased packages from Thomas Cook. Once we have those details from Thomas Cook we will update supporters.''
And a statement from Manchester United said: We were sad to hear the news regarding Thomas Cook and the impact this will have on its customers and employees.
Along with other Premier League clubs, Thomas Cook Sports have been travel partners with Manchester United.
They have pre-sold a small number of tickets and hospitality for some home matches this season, along with travel packages to two upcoming UEFA Europa League away games.
As soon as we were aware of their potential insolvency, we started to work through contingency plans and we will endeavour to contact affected Manchester United fans who had booked direct via Thomas Cook.'
Statement from the CAA:
"Thomas Cook Group, including the UK tour operator and airline, has ceased trading with immediate effect. All Thomas Cook bookings, including flights and holidays, have now been cancelled. There are currently more than 150,000 Thomas Cook customers abroad, almost twice the number that were repatriated following the failure of Monarch.
We know that a company with such long-standing history ceasing trading will be very distressing for its customers and employees and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this news.
The Government has asked the UK Civil Aviation Authority to launch a repatriation programme over the next two weeks, from Monday 23 September to Sunday 6 October, to bring Thomas Cook customers back to the UK.
Due to the unprecedented number of UK customers currently overseas who are affected by the situation, the Civil Aviation Authority has secured a fleet of aircraft from around the world to bring passengers back to the UK with return flights.
Passengers in a small number of destinations may return on alternative commercial flights, rather than directly through the Civil Aviation Authority’s flying programme. Details and advice for these passengers are available on the dedicated website.
The Civil Aviation Authority has launched a special website, thomascook.caa.co.uk, where affected customers can find details and information on repatriation flights, as well as advice on accommodation for both ATOL and non-ATOL customers.
Due to the significant scale of the situation, some disruption is inevitable, but the Civil Aviation Authority will endeavour to get people home as close as possible to their planned dates. This will apply to both ATOL protected passengers and those who are not protected.
Customers currently overseas should not travel to the airport until their flight back to the UK has been confirmed on the dedicated website.
Thomas Cook customers in the UK yet to travel should not go to the airport as all flights leaving the UK have been cancelled.
ATOL protected passengers with future bookings are entitled to a full refund for their cancelled holiday. Passengers currently overseas may also make claims for the cost of replacing ATOL protected parts of their trip, or for out of pocket expenses as a result of delayed flights home. The Civil Aviation Authority will be launching a service to manage all refunds by Monday 30 September, once the flying operation has progressed. This refunds service will seek to process all refunds within 60 days of full information being received.
Further information will be available on our dedicated website in the coming days, but please do not submit anything to the Civil Aviation Authority in the meantime as the organisation continues to focus on the repatriation flying programme to return more than 150,000 passengers to the UK. More information will follow on how to make a claim.
Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “News of Thomas Cook’s collapse is deeply saddening for the company’s employees and customers, and we appreciate that more than 150,000 people currently abroad will be anxious about how they will now return to the UK.
“The government has asked us to support Thomas Cook customers on what is the UK’s largest ever peacetime repatriation.
“We have launched, at very short notice, what is effectively one of the UK’s largest airlines, involving a fleet of aircraft secured from around the world. The nature and scale of the operation means that unfortunately some disruption will be inevitable. We ask customers to bear with us as we work around the clock to bring them home.
“We urge anyone affected by this news to check our dedicated website, thomascook.caa.co.uk, for advice and information.”
The UK Civil Aviation Authority will be providing regular updates as our flying programme develops.