From when the television news started picking up this story on Friday, it has been a very sad weekend for anyone in the travel industry…with my social media feed filled with the yellow heart logo of Thomas cook and fingers crossed..never before have I seen any industry rally to support a company but sadly despite the nations crossed fingers during the early hours of this morning came the official statement came that Thomas Cook had sadly ceased operating.
I never personally worked for Thomas Cook, as where I lived there were only smaller independent agents. Travel is, as an industry, like a big family and there are many people that I have met either through working for the same company at some time or on educational visits and tour operator training events that have very sadly been affected by this with the loss of their job – and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to all of my friends and all Thomas Cook employees at this truly difficult time.
Here at Cruise.co.uk, being a specialist Cruise company, any packages that we did have that we had arranged for customers with Thomas Cook flights will be re-protected under our own Atol Licence arrangements.
For the Cruise lines – such as P&O Cruises – who had flights arranged with them, alternative flight arrangements will be secured for those passengers through the cruise line.
Despite media headlines of “150,000 STRANDED PASSENGERS ” Thomas Cook package holiday customers are protected under the ATOL licence and repatriation flights have already commenced, with passengers generally continuing to holiday until their normal return date..
https://thomascook.caa.co.uk/ is the link to the Civil Aviation Authority information for anyone who does require refund information in relation to flights and repatriation flight details will appear on that link when all arranged. I hope this assists anyone whose holiday plans have been disrupted as to the procedures in place.
Thomas Cook Tours had been operating for 178 years and were pioneers in the Travel Industry and will be a huge loss to the industry as a whole…
Love and thoughts with all staff affected by this sad loss,
Frankie xx