If Thomas Cook do fold then what is the future?

[Bellasmummy]

Originally Posted by JudgeJ26

We always used our local TC store to book our Florida holidays as we preferred to talk to someone face to face. The staff were always fantastic and so helpful sorting out the best deal for us. The shop was always busy with customers of all ages.

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In our town there is (was) a Tui and a TC. I’ve never seen either of them busy.

I got quotes from both 4 years ago for a FL trip. I had priced up my options online and went to see if they could get close as a package would have been easier. Both wanted over £4000 more than my diy booking of £8000. I went to virgin holidays who actually managed to get down to my price, after 4 hours in there haggling, this was for the same holiday TC and Tui had priced. I jumped at the virgin package. TC and Tui staff couldn’t do anything with the price given by their system, all the essentially did was plug in my details, they didn’t have the knowledge to make any changes that’s would affect the price, ie throwaway car hire for 1 day.

That was the last package I booked, since then I’ve not managed to get anyone to get near diy pricing.

These companies need to understand how the market has changed and change with it. They can’t survive otherwise.

[RickT]

Originally Posted by Bellasmummy

These companies need to understand how the market has changed and change with it. They can’t survive otherwise.

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Fully agree, its like anything retail though, the high street has changed and frankly its no longer needed/cost effective for large companies which require a number of resources, unless the town has something else going for it like culture/ history for tourism.

All the big names in our local town and pulling out as time goes on and being replaced with charity shops.

Customer shopping habits are changing.

[thatdavieguy]

This should be a rude awakening for TUI, as the last big name high street travel agent, that they need to change and move with the times.

[YorkshireT]

Guardian does a good piece on the cause. One quarter of all income going just on paying debt. That's not a quarter of profit- a quarter of income. Unbelievable. On top of that, huge costs and failure to move with the times.

[thatdavieguy]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

Guardian does a good piece on the cause. One quarter of all income going just on paying debt. That's not a quarter of profit- a quarter of income. Unbelievable. On top of that, huge costs and failure to move with the times.

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Started paying out dividends again from 2017 and did it again in 2018 when they shouldn't have as their financial issues were becoming evident again as their 2011 financial rescue money was drying up.

Genuinely don't know why they started looking to take over hotels etc when they were in trouble and wanted the fosun deal to do more of that, it's like the folk at the top were oblivious to the fire burning beneath their feet.

[Lindaelaine]

Originally Posted by thatdavieguy

This should be a rude awakening for TUI, as the last big name high street travel agent, that they need to change and move with the times.

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What exactly do you mean by change and move with the times ? In what way? I’m not disagreeing with you or anything just wondering in what way you mean .

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by RickT

They didnt though..

My example, last year, Las Vegas - flight 50% full and i paid the same price as a train ticket from London to Leeds.

That flight was operating at a massive loss that day.

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Well, sure, they didn't fill *all* plane seats all of the time. Sometimes some planes would have been half empty and, yes, those planes probably would've made a loss. It's the same with any airline. No airline fills all their seats all the time.

But that's not what Chair1519 said. They didn't say "all".

(I would point out that TC's airline was one of the more successful parts of their business. It wasn't their airline and flights that was the problem).

[Dinglebert]

Interestingly I have been looking over the weekend for one week holidays in school week October. Today those holidays with Jet2holidays have risen around 20-25% each. Less competition higher prices

[kitjos]

Originally Posted by Chair1519

Interestingly I have been looking over the weekend for one week holidays in school week October. Today those holidays with Jet2holidays have risen around 20-25% each. Less competition higher prices

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Same here. Looked for Oct half term (2019 - flights only, VA) few days ago and it was around 3k for 2a/2c, its now £7228 x

[RachaelC]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

Well, sure, they didn't fill *all* plane seats all of the time. Sometimes some planes would have been half empty and, yes, those planes probably would've made a loss. It's the same with any airline. No airline fills all their seats all the time.

But that's not what Chair1519 said. They didn't say "all".

(I would point out that TC's airline was one of the more successful parts of their business. It wasn't their airline and flights that was the problem).

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They were filling the seats at the wrong prices.

My parents had a holiday booked with them and it was £800 cheaper than the same holiday with TUI, great for them if TC had still been trading, but the reality is that’s poor revenue management.