Shock over travel giant's collapse
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MORAY-BASED travel workers were in shock today as industry giant Thomas Cook ceased trading – prompting Britain's biggest ever peacetime repatriation.
Around 150,000 British people are abroad awaiting repatriation after the operator was unable to clinch a £200 million rescue deal to save the business – the world’s oldest travel company which stretches back to 1841.
All Thomas Cook holidays are now cancelled. Customers will need to seek compensation via the government's ATOL scheme, or from their credit card or insurance companies.
Staff at Thomas Cook's Elgin branch are among the 9,000 workers hit by the collapse.
Alana Main, of Ramsay World Travel, who is based in Buckie, advised customers: "If you have a Thomas Cook holiday booked through me, I will be in touch with you.
"As you can imagine, there is a large number and I will prioritise these with the bookings going over the next few weeks first.
"Please bear with me. There is only one of me and I promise to work through them as quickly and as efficiently as I can.
"I am awaiting instructions from my head office but I will get going as soon as I have this information.
"It is a very sad day – such a great company who will be sadly missed. Thinking of those who have all lost their jobs. ATOL protection will get our money back but sadly all those innocent people have lost the job they love doing."
Claire Harrold, of Ramsay World Travel, based in Elgin, said she was "in shock, gutted for us all in this travel world, especially for the Thomas Cook staff".
She said: "I personally worked in the Elgin shop for 11 years with an amazing team. I met some of my best friends in that shop and as time went on we moved on from Thomas Cook – but what an amazing time we had.
"To all my bookings I have, I'll be in touch. I won't let you down and you will have my support along the way.
"Thankfully all bookings are ATOL protected."
Moray SNP MSP Richard Lochhead said it was "terrible news", adding: "My thoughts are with those staff working in the company’s shop in Elgin.
"I was saddened and concerned to learn that Thomas Cook has collapsed. This is a personal blow for the employees who have lost their livelihoods and they now face the challenge of securing alternative employment.
"Of course this will also be a stressful time for both those currently abroad and those left disappointed by their holidays being cancelled. I hope customers are able to receive the advice they need through the phone lines provided. Constituents are welcome to get in touch with my office should they encounter further problems."
Professor John Lennon, director of the Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: "This is a major failure in the travel sector. It will leave the competitive space in package holidays clear for TUI.
"The environment in which Thomas Cook operated radically changed with the advent of budget air travel, online travel services and easy access to private accommodation through online platforms like Airbnb.
"The merger with Airtours and MyTravel Group left Thomas Cook with a major debt burden of £1.7 billion that became harder and harder to service.
"Combined with increased competition and consumer uncertainty, weaker sterling as a result of Brexit and increasingly nervous lending organisations, it left limited possibilities for an alternative outcome."
Fiona Macrae, from the consumer awareness group travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk, advised: "If you have purchased a package holiday from Thomas Cook, you will not be left out of pocket. Thomas Cook hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL). This means they are responsible for your flight and accommodation arrangements if you are already abroad.
"Those who are already abroad should not panic. The Civil Aviation Authority are already working to bring holidaymakers back to the UK at the end of their holiday.
"If you have a future package holiday booked with Thomas Cook, you can submit a claim and your money will be reimbursed."
Travellers who booked directly with Thomas Cook but have yet to travel will have various avenues available to them to recoup their flight costs. If the flights are ATOL protected you will be able to make a claim to get the cost back. However, if they are not ATOL protected, travellers can approach their credit card provider (or if they paid by debit card, their bank) and obtain a chargeback form. However, they will not be able to claim back any other elements of their trip, like hotel or car hire, from their bank or credit card company which they have had to cancel because of the Thomas Cook collapse.
Once all of the avenues have been exhausted, travellers can approach travel insurers, but should not expect to be able to claim under the conventional cancellation, curtailment or travel delay sections of the policy. Most travel policies do not provide cover under these sections for the failure of an airline, tour operator or travel agent.
