Thomas Cook

Hanging on to a company knowing it's steadily going down the pan but raking in as much as is humanely possible for your own ends instead of ploughing it back into the ailing company.
They're alright,Jack !!

That manager should be made to pay redundancy at least to the people who worked for him. They're the ones who deserve it, not him.

What I can't understand is when booking a holiday you have to pay the full amount 2 or 3 months in advance - yet the hotels are saying they haven't been paid. If that is the case why do tour operators insist on payment so far in advance and what happens to that money in the meantime.

I truly feel for those who now find themselves out of work and those who have lost their holidays. The reports of the huge bonuses paid to those who were supposed to be running the company are unbelievable.

I heard an independent travel agent who said that since the news about Thomas Cook has broken he is finding himself busier than ever and even before people were returning to high street travel agents rather than booking independently online. If this is the case hopefully at least some of the Thomas Cook staff will be able to find jobs with other agents.

The hotels have had emails from the CAA saying that they will be paid.

Appointment was made yesterday.
“Insolvency experts at KPMG have been appointed as special managers to Thomas Cook’s retail division and aircraft maintenance, after the UK travel company entered compulsory liquidation this morning. The Big Four firm will oversee the liquidation of the more-than-550 Thomas Cook high street shops while management consultancy AlixPartners has been appointed as special manager over the airline and tour operator companies.“
I am astonished at the number of shops and saddened that anyone would call those who go to sort out the mess scum.

Insolvency experts? What a joke ! How to make a very bad situation a million % worse. PWC will be gutted . Bye bye £300 -£500 per hour ... I bet the shares in KMPG have shot up ! I would laugh but it’s not in the slightest bit funny .

We lost ( a meagre amount to some) about £2500 a few years ago when one of our customers was forced into insolvency ( long story but they were victims too) . PWC have strung it out for over 3 years at a cost “so far” of several £100,000’s . Scum .

I can't watch those bailiff programmes gillybob. So upsetting, so impressionable when you can lose everything in the blink of an eye before the vultures arrive.

Me neither EllanVannin who could get pleasure from watching someone begging as they do on these vile programs . Bailiffs and insolvency practitioners are in the same band of scum . Making money from misery .

But Jura the falling £ has affected all the other travel companies, as it has you and me, but they havent gone bust.
My grandson worked for TC and was doing very well but in 2011 he saw the writing on the wall and decided to move on so he wouldnt be caught if it went bust as everyone thought was going to happen then.
Am American friend was complaining yesterday that the British government should have paid
the £200M bailout and my reply to her was it would only be deferring the repatriation by weeks or a few months. It was a drop in the ocean compared to the debts.

My Fiance and I flew home from Turkey yesterday on our scheduled journey home. The day before we received a letter from the hotel requesting our presence at a meeting regarding TC going bust. As we had our ATOL certificate with us all was OK but had we not had this would have been expected to pay 800€ for our stay there and then! Luckily we had the document with us.
Our flight home was on a non-UK TC plane as all the UK ones are grounded. It was staffed by a TC crew who didn't know if they were going to be paid their wages but wanted to do their job regardless to assist bringing those home on repatriation flights. The staff were wonderful doing all they could in difficult circumstances and EVERYONE on the flight were truly grateful. A bag was passed round and everyone put in what they could as a gesture of thanks for their commitment and help. They were overwhelmed and there were tears and thanks from them all. Lovely people and I hope they all get their pay they were waiting for and all find employment doing what they obviously love.
When we arrived at Stansted a new crew were ready to take the plane back to bring more TC customers home. Absolute stars all of them.

In addition to all the people who have had their holidays spoiled, I felt very sorry to read in The Times today that employees of the company are preparing to take legal action over the loss of thousands of pounds of pay. What a disgrace when the bosses have walked off with millions, possibly knowing the company would eventually go tits up in the way that it has.