The Civil Aviation Authority launches the UK's biggest ever peacetime repatriation to bring more than 150,000 holidaymakers home as Britain’s oldest travel firm Thomas Cooks goes into compulsory liquidation after 178 years of trading.
[perspective: 178 years ago America was swearing in its 9th President, Amistad was ruled by the Supreme Court and Edgar Allen Poe wrote Murders in the Rue Morgue]
The programme, named Operation Matterhorn is expected to last until Sunday 6 October and will rescue 150,000 stranded customers - almost twice the number brought home after Monarch Airlines failed in 2017 - at an estimated cost of £100m.
The debt-ridden company entered compulsory liquidation in the early hours of the morning after it failed to secure an extra £200m needed to keep it afloat following talks with creditors and the government.
Around one million customers who had travel booked in the coming months have been told not to go to the airport, as all bookings, including flights and holidays, have been cancelled.
Thomas Cook had a total of 600,000 global customers in-resort at the time of its demise though some European subsidiaries, including Condor, are currently unaffected as negotiations over funding continiue.
The company's planes that were operating overnight were grounded after they reached their destinations while 21,000 staff, including 9,000 people in the UK, are set to lose their jobs at a time when the wider travel industry is struggling.
https://news.sky.com/story/thomas-cook-ceases-trading-flights-bringing-stranded-customers-home-11817529
Apparently the crews on the dozens of final flights last night were professional to the end with many crying as they found out while on board and continued serving their passengers who saluted them with applause.
It is very sad and a telling insight into how the global travel industry is changing rapidly.
@divegeester saidThat probably would have fit well in "On this day"!!!
The Civil Aviation Authority launches the UK's biggest ever peacetime repatriation to bring more than 150,000 holidaymakers home as Britain’s oldest travel firm Thomas Cooks goes into compulsory liquidation after 178 years of trading.
[perspective: 178 years ago America was swearing in its 9th President, Amistad was ruled by the Supreme Court and Edgar Allen Poe wrote ...[text shortened]... e.
It is very sad and a telling insight into how the global travel industry is changing rapidly.
-VR
@trev33 saidhttps://news.sky.com/story/thomas-cook-ceases-trading-flights-bringing-stranded-customers-home-11817529
@divegeester if you're going to copy and paste at least put a link in your post.
He put the aforementioned one, although I never went to it! 😉
-VR
@trev33 saidIf you are going to read my post then at least...err...read it.
@divegeester if you're going to copy and paste at least put a link in your post.
@very-rusty saidThank you!
https://news.sky.com/story/thomas-cook-ceases-trading-flights-bringing-stranded-customers-home-11817529
He put the aforementioned one, although I never went to it! 😉
-VR
@handyandy saidThis is a bad thread old man.
There are no bad threads, only bad posters.
Bad pic, you look awful.
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@divegeester saidYou're not one of the "stranded" are you? 🤔
The Civil Aviation Authority launches the UK's biggest ever peacetime repatriation to bring more than 150,000 holidaymakers home as Britain’s oldest travel firm Thomas Cooks goes into compulsory liquidation after 178 years of trading.
[perspective: 178 years ago America was swearing in its 9th President, Amistad was ruled by the Supreme Court and Edgar Allen Poe wrote ...[text shortened]... e.
It is very sad and a telling insight into how the global travel industry is changing rapidly.
@divegeester saidI wouldn't call it sad. One has a certain sympathy (although one is not losing sleep) for inconvenienced customers who will probably be able to claim on insurance and so on, and somewhat more sympathy for people who suddenly don't have a job anymore, but as you say, the times they are a - changin' , and here is a company which got too big and unwieldy, (and too greedy?) and failed to take account of developments within the travel industry. People book holidays on line these days, agents are becoming increasingly obsolete.
The Civil Aviation Authority launches the UK's biggest ever peacetime repatriation to bring more than 150,000 holidaymakers home as Britain’s oldest travel firm Thomas Cooks goes into compulsory liquidation after 178 years of trading.
[perspective: 178 years ago America was swearing in its 9th President, Amistad was ruled by the Supreme Court and Edgar Allen Poe wrote ...[text shortened]... e.
It is very sad and a telling insight into how the global travel industry is changing rapidly.
@indonesia-phil saidThomas Cook were much more than just an agent, they were a travel company with global reach and 21,000 employees world wide. I feel sad for the employees and for the demise of a heritage brand in the industry. Their demise is their own fault of course, it’s been on the cards for several years and they failed to adapt to changing market condition and evolve structurally and commercially.
I wouldn't call it sad. One has a certain sympathy (although one is not losing sleep) for inconvenienced customers who will probably be able to claim on insurance and so on, and somewhat more sympathy for people who suddenly don't have a job anymore, but as you say, the times they are a - changin' , and here is a company which got too big and unwieldy, (and too greedy? ...[text shortened]... travel industry. People book holidays on line these days, agents are becoming increasingly obsolete.