Thomas Cook on the verge of collapse

[Gemini]

We have all applied to our credit card companies, and there is no reason we wont be refunded.
I have had a terribly tense day of chasing flights, even indirect ones, and ones from London or Glasgow, whilst prices rose to ridiculous proportions before our eyes, or sold out, made all the more difficult as DDs and I were all in different places but trying to work it out together.

I'm happy to report that at last things worked out!!
We are flying with KLM on our original dates, Manchester to Orlando direct.
KLM prices an hour before were astronomical, and we were looking at flying on different dates and having less holiday. Then I suddenly found affordable ones for our dates, and from Manchester!
I told DDs and we were frantically trying to sort it before they sold out.
The only slight problem, which really is no problem, is that we go out on different flights. I booked 11.10am which was closest to our original time of 11.55. They are all on the 9.10am flight. We get 2 more hours in bed
The good thing is we are all on the same flight home. A 2 hour difference on the way back would have been a problem, as we are all being collected by mini bus from the airport. As we go to Manchester the night before we fly, its really not a problem.
I am so very relieved.

I'm so sorry for the staff, and everyone whose holiday is spoiled, but our trip at least is back on course.

[Gemini]

I forgot to say, we are all saving money on the new flights !
OH and I save £166, DD1 a bit more as her flights were more expensive than ours. DD2s family will save £600

[Plantaholic]

So pleased you are all okay to go on our holiday and saving money too. Well done.

[Lizzie48]

Well done on getting the flights, good prices as well.

[Gemini]

Thanks Plant and Lizzie My efforts paid off, but gave me a big headache!!

[Oma]

Oh that is good news. A bonus saving money too 😀

[Clover]

Thank goodness you’ve got it all sorted out Gem. As you say no great problem to be on different flights and a bonus of saving a bit of money. I’m relieved for you.

[Nanto2girls]

Pleased you got sorted Gem.
Our nephew gets married next year in Cyprus,and his dad spent all morning trying to arrange different flights.
Anyway,he managed to get them all booked with Jet2,and it was cheaper.

[Sunshine]

Every cloud has a silver lining.

[Daisy]

Gem - well done. You're perseverance this morning has paid off. As Sunshine says ' every cloud has a silver lining.

I fee dreadfully sorry for the staff of Thomas Cook. Although the writing has been on the wall for quite some time it's no help when the crash comes. TC seem to have had some strange strategies for quite a few years. One example, is my favourite place in Cuba - sometimes they'd offer flights there, sometimes they wouldn't, sometimes from Manchester or Gatwick, sometimes from only one. Then they often seemed to change their minds. Someone would successfully book a holiday one day, tell everyone on the FB group, and then the next day it would mysteriously disappear, leaving would-be customers frustrated and customers who had booked wondering if their booking was valid or not.

[Mimi]

Just heard from DIL, her brother and sister in law are on their honeymoon in Crete ( we went to their wedding a week ago) and they currently don’t know how they are going to get home.
They were due to fly back on Friday .
DIL is finding out what’s going on and then passing the information back to them as they can’t get any positive feed back from any one there.

[Gemini]

A friend of mine is in the canaries at the moment and thinks they are being flown home tomorrow. It must be unsettling to not know exactly when and how you will get back.

The wicked thing, to my mind is that TC were selling flights, and presumably holidays, right to the end. I went on a few hours before, and went through the booking procedure for the dates we are to fly, obviously stopping at the payment part, but I could have bought them.
I understand it is down to the customer to be aware, and that companies are out to grab in every last penny, but imagine how it would feel to have bought at that stage, especially of you paid with anything other and a credit card.

[Daisy]

Gem, I agree - it seems immoral to be selling holidays knowing that the company would probably go into liquidation. Unfortunately the way it works is that a company continues to exist right up to the second it goes into liquidation.

A friend of mine who works for TC is saying how upset all the staff are - not just losing their jobs, although that is a nightmare for them, but also they feel they're letting people down. On the news it showed some staff - resort reps as well as TC shop staff - turning up for work, knowing they won't get paid but still trying to help their customers.

[Daisy]

I've just heard about a scam following the TC collapse. A phone call from a "Thomas Cook refund agent" promising a refund on a holiday somebody had purchased (they hadn't). The caller just needed the card details and the 3 digit number on the back to make the refund.

It doesn't take the scumbags long, does it!

[Gemini]

There are some despicable people about.