Booked with Thomas Cook, but TUI flights/hotel

debz111 · 14 November 2019 at 9:19PM

Hi, I'm looking for some advice. My parents booked a holiday with Thomas Cook a few weeks before their collapse. They submitted their claim re. refund and have now received a response that it has failed, as although they booked with Thomas Cook, they were acting as an agent for TUI and the ATOL certificate is through TUI, so they need to take it up with them.
They have today been to TUI to be told that they had TUI flights (which they were aware of) and it was a TUI hotel so they should have gone on holiday, and pointed out to them that the company on their booking says Thomson.
Is this correct? As far as they were aware they had booked with Thomas Cook, whilst they were aware that their flights were with TUI, how are they supposed to know it was a TUI hotel, and how are they supposed to know that Thomson is TUI? They were also told their tickets would be posted out to them, which they never received.
They did pay by credit card, if that makes any difference?
Is there anywhere else they can go with this?
Any guidance/advice would be much appreciated.

FutureGirl · 14 November 2019 at 9:26PM

It was all over the news that if your flights / hotel were with another airline then those holidays would be going ahead. Did they not try and contact Thomson?

What does it say on their ATOL cert? Tui / Thomson or ThomasCook?

Westin · 14 November 2019 at 9:45PM

Sounds like this was a TUI holiday booked via a Thomas Cook retail shop (however an unusual combination).

Their holiday documentation would have indicated a TUI holiday. Very sad if they missed their holiday. I really cannot see this ending well for them.

debz111 · 14 November 2019 at 11:02PM

I believe their ATOL certificate says Thomson, they just thought that was part of Thomas Cook. They're in their late 70s, so I think they just thought they'd booked with Thomas Cook.

Westin · 15 November 2019 at 12:32AM

debz111 wrote: »

I believe their ATOL certificate says Thomson, they just thought that was part of Thomas Cook. They're in their late 70s, so I think they just thought they'd booked with Thomas Cook.

I don’t think it will as Thomson changed to TUI 18 months ago.

Can you look and check their certificate?

bradders1983 · 15 November 2019 at 9:01AM

Westin wrote: »

I don’t think it will as Thomson changed to TUI 18 months ago.

Can you look and check their certificate?

Either way, it probably didnt say Thomas Cook, so they are more than likely screwed.

Grumpelstiltskin · 15 November 2019 at 9:24AM

T am 75 years old but I certainly know the difference between Thomas Cook and Tui.

As well as knowing the difference surely if they booked in the Thomas Cook shop they would have been shown a brochure with Tui plastered all over it.

I am afraid that if they were so clueless were they safe to go abroad?

debz111 · 15 November 2019 at 6:04PM

Grumpelstiltskin wrote: »

T am 75 years old but I certainly know the difference between Thomas Cook and Tui.

As well as knowing the difference surely if they booked in the Thomas Cook shop they would have been shown a brochure with Tui plastered all over it.

I am afraid that if they were so clueless were they safe to go abroad?

Wow, there’s no need to be rude. I’m sure at the time if they had been shown a brochure, they wouldn’t have thought they would need to be clear on whose brochure it was. They were just there to book their first package holiday in 10yrs.
I am afraid if you need to be so unkind maybe you should rethink the point in you viewing and responding to these posts.

debz111 · 15 November 2019 at 6:21PM

Their ATOL certificate definitely says Thomson. They were aware they were on TUI flights, but were not aware it was a TUI hotel. The lady in Thomas Cook found them a hotel based on what they asked for and showed it them on the computer.

stephb34 · 15 November 2019 at 7:06PM

Unfortunately i think all is lost as the holiday existed so they should have gone on it. I think all they can do is try their credit card but i wouldn't hold your breath. What a lot of people don't realise is Thomas Cook as a shop sold most tour ops not just TC holidays. Did they fill in their claim online themselves it should have rung alarm bells when the ATOL number wasn't for TC or Airtours or another part of the TC brand. They wouldn't get tickets as TC were shut as who would forward them on. What date was the holiday for? Is there a reason they didn't pop into a TUI shop before to ask for help or why didn't they ask you?

NoodleDoodleMan · 16 November 2019 at 11:30AM

Is there anywhere else they can go with this?

Unfortunately it seems your parents did not realise they were booking a full TUI package - with Thomas Cook only acting as selling agents.

Same as if they'd booked through any other travel agent independent of TUI.

TUI (presumably) honoured their side of the contract by putting on the flights, transfers and accommodation.

They would consider this a customer "no show" scenario.

However, if they didn't receive flight tickets/boarding passes due to TC's collapse that might put a different slant on things - I honestly don't know how that would pan out.

When was the holiday due to take place - was it soon after TC stopped trading - and had they received tickets or not etc ?

Such details are relevant.

As a footnote - TUI were running packages using Thomas Cook flights as the carrier - when TC went bust this put huge pressure on TUI to try and re-arrange flights to service such packages. They eventually cancelled all such packages and offered refunds or alternative holidays were possible.

Booked with Thomas Cook, but TUI flights/hotel

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