Gransnet forums

News & politics

Thomas Cook

(137 Posts)
Urmstongran Mon 23-Sept-19 09:04:38

The website set up to help holiday makers is actually really professional, informative and easy to use. Most people will be able to travel back home free of charge with only a few hours difference to their original return flight time.

Here: thomascook.caa.co.uk/

But what’s the plan for the 9000 workers who won't get paid next Monday?

Universal Credit?

Uber driver or Deliveroo?

Whitewavemark2 Tue 24-Sept-19 06:53:57

Leavers are looking for excuses too.

Anything but Brexit.

Won’t wash any more

crystaltipps Tue 24-Sept-19 06:53:02

Fall in value of sterling and people being uncertain about holidays definitely Brexit related.
Another point - the protections given to package holiday travellers are the direct result of an EU directive- just the sort of EU red tape Brexit lovers want to get rid of .

Jane10 Tue 24-Sept-19 06:49:41

TC are looking for excuses. Meanwhile their management is being widely criticised.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 24-Sept-19 06:41:30

TC cited Brexit as a factor in its demise.

quizqueen Tue 24-Sept-19 03:20:00

It's so easy to blame Brexit for everything yet it hasn't even happened yet! Thomas Cook has gone out of business because of poor management and the trend to organise different aspects of holidays online without the need for a travel agent.

grannyactivist Tue 24-Sept-19 03:19:28

I'm sorry for all those who are affected by the demise of Thomas Cook (marginally including myself - I booked last week, just before the news broke that TC was in trouble), but I'm especially concerned at the increased pressure it will put on the Jobcentre/Universal Credit workers and new claimants. The wait for UC to be processed is already often more than the 5 weeks it's supposed to take, and with such a huge volume of new claimants I fear many people who have lost their jobs will be left without recourse to funds for far longer than that.

Saetana Tue 24-Sept-19 00:26:51

sorry countries should have been companies

Saetana Tue 24-Sept-19 00:25:57

Don't talk wet - Thomas Cook was in trouble long before the 2016 referendum. With these long established countries, in the internet age, they either change or die. So sorry about all the job losses - hopefully they will mostly get taken on by other travel agencies. I'm sure that face to face roles will transfer well to online/telephone roles - there are more travel agencies out there than ever before, and wish them all the best of luck in finding a new job.

I find it abhorrent that companies in their posttion can continue selling their service or product just a few hours before going into compusory liquidation!

jura2 Mon 23-Sept-19 20:38:22

Keeper1- so happy for you. However many businesses are reliant on buyng from abroad to re-sell- and the vast majority are totally reliant on suppy chains, without borders or tariffs, etc.

flaxwoven Mon 23-Sept-19 20:25:02

On the news they said a variety of reasons has caused the collapse of Thomas Cook and Brexit, the unknown consequences of that and loss of confidence is only one reason. Other reasons are last year's hot summer, online booking, cheaper competitors, fall in the pound, Thomas Cook's bad management and unwise investment, and the near collapse of the company in 2011 which after propping up gave them very little leeway to ward off more trouble. They said since the 1970's it had been privatised and had a number of different owners.

Keeper1 Mon 23-Sept-19 19:59:35

I saw an earlier post that said how do firms that export cope. Well the fall in sterling has made buying our products very attractive so we are doing very well. We do not buy from euro countries so again we are protected there too.

Jane10 Mon 23-Sept-19 19:51:17

Just read some of the threads by Grans with family members involved in management.

jura2 Mon 23-Sept-19 19:27:56

Oh come on- there were many factors at play, for sure- but the uncertainty of Brexit and the vast down movement on £ were definitely key elements too.

Jane10 Mon 23-Sept-19 19:00:30

nanasndgrampy re flight costs. It was the travel agent my daughter was dealing with who was shocked at the hoisting in prices of other airlines. They know their usual costs and know that this is artificially increased.
jura I'd have thought that someone as 'woke' as you would realise that there is more going on in the world than brexit and that it doesn't have to to be brought into every thread. I am beyond disappointed in you. ?

gillybob Mon 23-Sept-19 17:30:30

I’ve heard a few similar stories today EllanVannin each one sadder and more desperate than the next . sad

jura2 Mon 23-Sept-19 17:28:23

Jane 'PS was brexit the cause of the great fire of London or the plague. Just wondering... '

really? Honestly - you truly disappoint me.

Of course there were many factors involved, but denying the falling £ and uncertainty were not factors, directly linked to Brexit- is, as said before, just plain silly. As said, disappointing from someone I believe to be an intelligent, open, person. Sad.

EllanVannin Mon 23-Sept-19 17:00:01

Yes,it's sad for those who can't now get away, especially for the young woman who was on the news this morning who'd said that after 2 years of her brother having been murdered she'd decided to get her family and 44 friends and relatives to attend her wedding at the beginning of next month as a focus in looking forward after the family's trauma of the last 2 years.

Now that is the saddest situation. Her wedding/honeymoon and family get-together was to have been in Cyprus on the 4th of October. This, in particular made me feel very sad.
I hope someone saw her plight and will come forward to help in some way and waive all costs to this young woman.

GrannyGravy13 Mon 23-Sept-19 16:51:48

I know nothing about Ryanair as I refuse to fly with them, but EasyJet has a policy that the more people enquiring about/booking a certain flight the price increases due to interest.

EllanVannin Mon 23-Sept-19 16:50:40

I didn't say that those who lost holidays wouldn't feel sorry for those who'd lost jobs Gillybob. That's not how I said it, but your own interpretation, yes ?

NanaandGrampy Mon 23-Sept-19 16:46:32

Or terrifically bad pricing from TC Jane10?

You either sell em’ cheap and stack ‘em high ( which is TCs pricing model) or you sell them at a profitable price per seat . So when the bad times come, which are cyclical you can withstand a drop in sales .

I don’t disagree with you in that I am sure other airlines are cashing in, I’d like to have seen their seat prices pre TC crash though.

Jane10 Mon 23-Sept-19 16:32:00

DD found that alternative flights are costing way more than those she'd booked. Blatant profiteering angry

gillybob Mon 23-Sept-19 16:25:21

I can’t understand why you would think
Those who have lost holidays wouldn’t be very sorry for those who have lost their jobs EllenVannin and vice versa , it is after all neither peoples fault is it?

So easy to say find another holiday but what with ? And when ? My DGC are all at school, my son and daughter in law both work and mostly have to take their time off apart to cover school holidays. For them this holiday has been almost 3 years in the planning . But never mind .

I sincerely hope that those who were employed by TC do go on to find other jobs very soon .

EllanVannin Mon 23-Sept-19 16:08:59

40 jumbo jets are on standby to fly passengers home.

NanaandGrampy Mon 23-Sept-19 15:57:12

Thomas Cook have been struggling for a while certainly before Brexit. I know this because I have a family member who is a senior manager and we have spoken in the past about the yearly accounts and the gaping holes!

Yes they still continued to do things like throw overseas conventions for staff ( jollies if you will) , they continued to be blasé about the online trend ( think of the market leading companies like Nokia and IBM had at one stage but blew because they didn’t see what was coming) , so whilst I’m sure it’s handy to blame Brexit it certainly isn’t the be all and end all. The fault lies in poor management and forecasting.

I noticed Virgin are already highlighting the roles they have available.

Jane10 Mon 23-Sept-19 15:46:35

My DDs friend works in transport and travel. The TC planes are leased and still exist (obvs). They will need to be rebranded but will still be available to transport passengers. Other travel firms will see this as an opportunity and also a chance to recruit good experienced staff from TC. People will still want holidays. Companies already exist and can expand or new ones will emerge to take over this travel market. Not quickly enough for newly redundant staff but in time I hope.
PS was brexit the cause of the great fire of London or the plague. Just wondering... grin