[Travel] Thomas Cook

[Westdene Seagull]

Holiday arms BA/Virgin/TUI will take a share of them depending on location.

We had people with TC bookings re-booking with us over the weekend and risked losing any deposits rather than wait for them to go under.

The good thing about TC and why we used them was if you booked online you didn't have pay a deposit and you could pay monthly by DD. Certainly when we first started using TC the other big travel companies didn't offer this. Annoying as we've now got to wait for our money back from our holiday next year to be able to re-book with someone else.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Just book direct with the airline/hotel ??

Trip to Cuba I took earlier this year would have been over £1,500 more by booking with Virgin Holidays than I paid by booking the flight (Virgin) and 2 hotels separately, then did the same again in Mexico (BA). Hotel much more likely to look after you better (room upgrades etc) if you book direct too, and they’ll almost always at least match any online price available.

Oddly some hotels don’t like selling directly to passengers.

The idea of being treated better is not really a thing, you get free upgrades etc as part of packages as well.

There are of course benefits for booking as you do (and I do) but it’s not always cheaper - and doable for some.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Oddly some hotels don’t like selling directly to passengers.

The idea of being treated better is not really a thing, you get free upgrades etc as part of packages as well.

There are of course benefits for booking as you do (and I do) but it’s not always cheaper - and doable for some.

And surely you don't have ATOL protection when booking that way ?

 

[Justice]

Who is going to be able to service such a vast volume? Only TUI left I think

TUI are great on our holiday recently we had to get back early as a family member sadly passed away in the UK. They arranged everything without a fuss superb service.

 

[Icy Gull]

Oddly some hotels don’t like selling directly to passengers.

The idea of being treated better is not really a thing, you get free upgrades etc as part of packages as well.

There are of course benefits for booking as you do (and I do) but it’s not always cheaper - and doable for some.

Some travellers also like the idea of meet and great and transfers from the airport with a British rep to help them and arrange welcome drinks and excursions for them. Don’t underestimate the importance of a British rep on the ground for some, especially older people. Not everyone wants to book everything themselves online with different suppliers.

 

[beorhthelm]

150,000 Thomas Cook customers abroad....I didn’t realise Benidorm was that big?

your quip overlooked the other 450,000, large proportion are German i understand. how is this being reported there?

cant find simple passengers by company numbers (google swamped by news), interim results show over half their revenue is from "Continental Europe" division, and more from "Northern Europe" than UK.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Oddly some hotels don’t like selling directly to passengers.

The idea of being treated better is not really a thing, you get free upgrades etc as part of packages as well.

There are of course benefits for booking as you do (and I do) but it’s not always cheaper - and doable for some.

This. A hotel I used to use in Courchevel was sold and the new owners handed it over to a travel firm and ceased taking direct bookings. Apparently they got a season long guaranteed fee.....and the new owners just kicked back and did nothing. I can see the attraction.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

The good thing about TC and why we used them was if you booked online you didn't have pay a deposit and you could pay monthly by DD. Certainly when we first started using TC the other big travel companies didn't offer this. Annoying as we've now got to wait for our money back from our holiday next year to be able to re-book with someone else.

Given they went under for massive debts, I am not sure it was a good thing.

I am sorry that you have lost out on a holiday

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Some travellers also like the idea of meet and great and transfers from the airport with a British rep to help them and arrange welcome drinks and excursions for them. Don’t underestimate the importance of a British rep on the ground for some, especially older people. Not everyone wants to book everything themselves online with different suppliers.

My job is dealing with issues overseas when things go wrong, you would be shocked at what people call for.....

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

This. A hotel I used to use in Courchevel was sold and the new owners handed it over to a travel firm and ceased taking direct bookings. Apparently they got a season long guaranteed fee.....and the new owners just kicked back and did nothing. I can see the attraction.

If you are a small independent hotel, why would you want to set up and run a website when you can just sell via a third party/bed banks

 

[Icy Gull]

My job is dealing with issues overseas when things go wrong, you would be shocked at what people call for.....

No I wouldn’t I work in travel too

 

[Westdene Seagull]

If you are a small independent hotel, why would you want to set up and run a website when you can just sell via a third party/bed banks

Agreed but it sort of depends of the cut the agent takes. A mate of mine recently took over a B&B on the Isle of Wight and I met up for lunch with him this weekend. Most of his current booking come from booking.com who take 15-18% on each booking. He's currently looking at ways to increase direct bookings so he can dump booking.com.

 

[NooBHA]

Was this caused by the weak pound due to Brexit uncertainty.
Sorry, couldn't resist it.

It's not the main reason but it won't have helped.

This is a sad day for what was a strong UK Employer. Sadly it won't be the last large employer who will fold.

No one truly knows how Brexit will affect anything. I certainly didn't but I'm afraid we might find out sooner than expected.

 

[Southern Scouse]

As a resident of Peterborough, spare a thought for all those people based here who will wake up unemployed.

 

[Chicken Run]

This. A hotel I used to use in Courchevel was sold and the new owners handed it over to a travel firm and ceased taking direct bookings. Apparently they got a season long guaranteed fee.....and the new owners just kicked back and did nothing. I can see the attraction.

A race to the bottom then?

 

[Beach Hut]

Sad day but the company has struggled for quite a while and never really moved with the times in my view.

Still have rather a lot of holiday shops, although less than previous but I really do not know anyone who goes into a shop and books a holiday these days when you can do it all from a PC very efficiently.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Agreed but it sort of depends of the cut the agent takes. A mate of mine recently took over a B&B on the Isle of Wight and I met up for lunch with him this weekend. Most of his current booking come from booking.com who take 15-18% on each booking. He's currently looking at ways to increase direct bookings so he can dump booking.com.

True that, I dont think it helps the company that owns booking.com own 2/3 other companies that do the same, there isnt really any options for hotels.

 

[The Lemming Stomper]

 

[nicko31]

Was this caused by the weak pound due to Brexit uncertainty.
Sorry, couldn't resist it.

Yep, retail was been completely f@@ked by Brexit and travel companies are no different. They can’t afford to pass on the exchange rate losses and sooner or later it all catches up with them

Still cheap food and clothes coming soon.........thanks Jacob

 

[studio150]

Just to cheer everyone up