Summary

  • Get in touch: bizlivepage@bbc.co.uk

  • 95% of passengers returned to UK on Monday

  • Thomas Cook customers told to expect 'bumpiness'

  • 22,000 jobs at risk after Thomas Cook collapse

  1. Turkey's tourist businesses told 'don't panic'published at 10:59 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    BBC Monitoring
    The world through its media

    A Turkish resortImage source, Getty Images

    Tourism chiefs in Turkey have warned local business to stay calm.

    "We should not panic," Bodrum Hoteliers Union Secretary Orhan Kavala told the A Haber news channel. He called on the tourism ministry to set up crisis desks.

    Meanwhile Turkey Hoteliers Union chair Muberra Eresin added there was no need for panic, telling the Sabah newspaper: "ATOL and our ministry is at work."

    The chair of Turkey's Hoteliers Federation Osman Ayik warned that "Turkey's tourism will be affected."

    Speaking to the Birgun newspaper he said: "There are many large and small scale businesses, especially in places where these types of tour operators work hard in like Kusadasi, Marmaris, Fethiye, Dalaman [summer vacation destinations] regions."

    There are around 21,000 tourists in Turkey affected by Cook's bankruptcy, reports have said.

  2. 'Parliament has not been prorogued': read the full judgementpublished at 10:57 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    The Supreme Court has published its full judgement , externalon its ruling that the Suspension of Parliament was unlawful.

    The full text of Lady Hale's summary of the judgement is also available here, external.

  3. Suspending Parliament was unlawful, court rulespublished at 10:45 British Summer Time 24 September 2019
    Breaking

    UK PM Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks was unlawful, the Supreme Court has ruled.

  4. Sunderland-based Hays Travel helps holidaymakerspublished at 10:40 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Anthony Day
    BBC Newcastle

    Thomas CookImage source, Getty images

    More North East passengers caught up in the collapse of Thomas Cook will fly into Newcastle on specially-chartered aircraft this morning.

    Around 155,000 of the firm's customers are being brought back to the UK.

    Sunderland-based Hays Travel had 35,000 forward bookings through Thomas Cook and staff have been working extra shifts and into the night to help holidaymakers.

    John Hays, owner and managing director of Hays Travel, said: "We will be able to fill the hole but it's still a sad loss - such an iconic brand has disappeared."

  5. Thomas Cook repatriation 'a logistical nightmare'published at 10:28 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Departures/Arrivals signImage source, Getty Images

    BBC Business Live Page readers are writing in letting us know their experiences after the collapse of Thomas Cook.

    Craig Wharton says: "We have arrived back in the UK on one of the CAA rescue flights from Gran Canaria.

    "We should have been flying to Manchester, but have flown into Gatwick.

    "Our flight was due to take of from Las Palmas at 21:05 last night, however it only left at 01:28 this morning. We landed at 05:15 and are now on a coach to Manchester Airport, our ETA [estimated time of arrival] is 12:30.

    "Crazy thing is, there were people going to Birmingham who should have been at London, people going to Manchester who should have been at Glasgow, people going to Manchester who should have been going to Birmingham!

    "Bit of a shambles, but it must have been a logistical nightmare, so just glad we are back on UK soil."

    We'd like to hear from you. Send your emails to bizlivepage@bbc.co.uk.

  6. 'Not suggesting any wrongdoing' by Thomas Cook directorspublished at 10:13 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Thomas Cook signImage source, Getty Images

    Thomas Cook has "had some difficulties for quite some period of time" says Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom.

    "It's been highly indebted, they've had financial problems before, they've had bank restructuring, and so I do think it's very important to understand what the directors were doing in that period of time, but I certainly am not suggesting that there's any wrongdoing."

    Should the directors repay their bonuses, she is asked?

    "There's always a grave concern, and quite rightly so, that if a business goes bust, people want to know what's happening to director's pay, is it going to be clawed back? The Insolvency Service does have a range of powers [which] include recouping money that was paid out, but we do need to wait and see what they say about the role of directors, if any, in the collapse of Thomas Cook."

  7. Hotel 'demanded payment'published at 09:56 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Cala Bona in Spain is a popular tourist destinationImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Cala Bona in Spain is a popular tourist destination

    One reader has emailed Business Live to say that the situation at the hotel he is staying at in Cala Bona, Spain was getting more than a little fraught on Monday after the collapse of Thomas Cook.

    He says he spoke to one "visibly upset" fellow guest - an elderly lady he estimates is around 80 years old - who was told to pay €100 or the hotel "would lock her out".

    He said: "After speaking to more guests, it seemed they had all been handed bills for the remaining nights in the hotel, most refusing to pay but some had. When we spoke to reception we were handed a €214 bill for the final two nights of our stay."

    He says he spoke to the ATOL call centre who told him not to pay anything "unless we felt threatened then pay and keep the receipt".

    "The person from ATOL then asked to be put onto the hotel manager. ATOL assured them that they would be paying them and that they should not be demanding money [from Thomas Cook customers].

    "After putting the phone down the manager said not to pay now but if ATOL hadn’t assured them in writing within an hour the bills would stand."

    Thankfully, a representative of Thomas Cook has turned up this morning to sort out the problems.

    "There is some humanity left in this world!" he says.

  8. Thomas Cook bosses face scrutiny over collapsepublished at 09:42 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    The government says the official probe into Thomas Cook's failure must look at bosses' actions.

    Read More
  9. EasyJet make offer to Thomas Cook passengerspublished at 09:28 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    EasyJet planeImage source, PA Media

    EasyJet has offered discounted flights to people who had booked trips with Thomas Cook.

    A spokeswoman told the BBC: "Any customer that had a Thomas Cook package holiday booked will be eligible for a 15% discount off any easyJet flights up until the end of August 2020 and would need to book before 7 October."

  10. Thomas Cook staff still helping travellers despite job doubtspublished at 09:21 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Amid all the problems of people getting home, there are 22,000 Thomas Cook workers who face losing their jobs - 9,000 of which are in the UK.

    But that isn't stopping them from continuing to help Thomas Cook customers, according to BBC News Europe reporter Gavin Lee:

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  11. Repatriation going smoothly? 'It isn't!'published at 09:15 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Nicola Hughes is stuck in Orlando trying to get back to GlasgowImage source, Nicola Hughes
    Image caption,

    Nicola Hughes is stuck in Orlando trying to get back to Glasgow

    Thomas Cook customer Nicola Hughes is currently trying to get back to Scotland from Orlando.

    She says: "We were originally told by UK government officials who were sent to Orlando on Saturday - clearly someone has known this was going to happen - that there would be two check-ins: one for Glasgow and two for Manchester."

    She says that Manchester "had two big Airbuses ready and Glasgow was given a smaller plane with only 252 seats. There were more than 300 passengers for Glasgow".

    Ms Hughes says: "Manchester had empty seats which would have allowed the rest of the Glasgow passengers back to the UK but we were refused this option."

    "We were told to contact the CAA again but even after numerous phone calls made by my husband and other passengers to them and constantly being told they’ll phone back we are still waiting.

    "The UK officials then told us that the CAA are advising we seek accommodation ourselves and if we didn’t have money then we should contact the consulate for help. The consulate told people that that was not they’re remit and they would not be helping us.

    "I completely appreciate that there is more than just myself affected, there’s lots of Brits stranded but this could have been better organised considering these officials have been here since Saturday.

    "People are reporting that everything is going smoothly. Well it isn’t!"

  12. 'Stranded' in Corfupublished at 09:01 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    The scene at Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport in Corfu on MondayImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    The scene at Ioannis Kapodistrias International Airport in Corfu on Monday

    The CAA's chairwoman Dame Deirdre Hutton took issue this morning with headlines claiming that Thomas Cook customers are stranded. "Nobody's stranded," she told Wake Up to Money.

    Business Live reader Zoe Martin, however, would beg to differ.

    She emailed Business Live to say: "After spending over eight hours at Corfu airport, having two flights cancelled and then one flight overbooked, we - 40 other passengers - were put on a coach with no information at all all day.

    "As all passengers were seated, the ATOL lady said we were going to a hotel for two nights which was a complete shock as we all expected to try and be repatriated the next day, some 24 hrs after planned departure. However she stated it would now be Wednesday before we will get sent home and even then she had no information on that"

    Ms Martin writes: "We then travelled 40 minutes to a hotel where we are waking up today watching the news, and the news stating all persons have gone home on their expected departure date.

    "I have a five year-old daughter and a husband who is paralysed back at home waiting for my return. I haven’t been away from them this long before.

    "I really do feel for all Thomas Cook staff and the loss of jobs but I guess it’s still important to highlight the wider effect."

  13. 'People want answers' about Thomas Cook collapsepublished at 08:51 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Andrea LeadsomImage source, Getty Images

    Business secretary Andrea Leadsom has written to the Insolvency Service asking for the conduct of Thomas Cook management to be investigated.

    She says: "It is not really that I suspect anything - it is part of the Insolvency Service's statutory duties to look at the behaviour and performance of directors in the run-up to an insolvency, and I'm just asking them to make that as fast as possible, because I do believe that people want answers.

    "I'm waiting to hear what the Insolvency Service comes up with."

  14. 'No sign of negligence'published at 08:37 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Thomas Cook planesImage source, Getty Images

    An inquiry from the Insolvency Service will look at whether Thomas Cook's directors were willfully negligent.

    Stuart Gordon of Berenberg Bank reckons there is no sign of that. "I think that they have conducted the business the best way they saw fit, particularly operationally, because the headwinds they faced were significant for a legacy tour operator, and I do actually think they did a very good job on that side of the equation. Financially, they felt they were in a stronger position than they actually were."

  15. TUI pledges to support affected holidaymakerspublished at 08:33 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    TUI logoImage source, Reuters

    Travel firm TUI has offered to help its customers who are affected by the collapse of Thomas Cook.

    Friedrich Joussen, chief executive of TUI Group. said: "Where TUI customers are booked on Thomas Cook Airlines flights and these are no longer operated, replacement flights will be offered.

    "We are currently assessing the short-term impact of Thomas Cook's insolvency under the current circumstances."

    He added: "Our vertically integrated business model proves to be resilient, even in this challenging market environment. Our Holiday Experiences business continues to deliver strong results."

    Looking to the future, he said TUI would "focus on becoming more cost competitive" in 2020 in the face of challenges such as the grounding of the 737 MAX aircraft, airline overcapacities and continued Brexit uncertainty.

  16. My flight costs rose from £780 to £6,120published at 08:28 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Fraser Mallen and his wife booked a flight to New York through Expedia with Thomas CookImage source, Fraser Mallen
    Image caption,

    Fraser Mallen and his wife booked a flight to New York through Expedia with Thomas Cook

    In January, Fraser Mallen and his wife booked a holiday to New York for next month to celebrate the 53 year-old ex-coal miner's recovery from open heart surgery three years ago.

    At the time, the flight was booked on a Thomas Cook plane and cost £779.

    After Thomas Cook went bust on Monday, however, those prices have soared.

    Mr Mallen booked the break through Expedia and he tells the BBC that he was contacted by a representative on Monday.

    He was offered return flights to New York for two at £3,009.

    But in the 10 minutes that it took for Mr Mallen to transfer additional funds into his bank account to pay for the tickets, he was told by Expedia that those flights had gone.

    Instead, Expedia told him they could fly him and wife out on Virgin Atlantic for £1,489 each and back on Delta for £1,570 per ticket. That's a total of £6,118.

    Mr Mallen will be reimbursed as Expedia said it will claim the money through ATOL.

    But he says for others: "If you can't afford the new flight price up-front until the insurance comes through, you lose your holiday.

    "You'll you get your money back but no holiday."

  17. Thomas Cook crew may face high prices to get homepublished at 08:17 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Former Thomas Cook pilot David Crichton was told he would lose his job on Monday, shortly after the world's oldest tour operator went bust.

    Luckily he was in the UK at the time, but he says that other crew members are stranded "all around the world" and may have to pay high prices for tickets to fly home.

  18. Whose fault is it anyway?published at 08:06 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Dominic O'Connell
    Business Presenter, BBC Radio 4 Today programme

    Thomas Cook chief executive Peter FankhauserImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Thomas Cook chief executive Peter Fankhauser

    The Insolvency Service must look into every company collapse to see if directors have been up to no good, but the inquiries can take years.

    Business secretary Andrea Leadsom would like something quicker with Thomas Cook; public outrage at the company’s rapid collapse and the attendant chaos for holidaymakers is running hot.

    If Mrs Leadsom is expecting the head of Peter Fankhauser, its chief executive or chairman Frank Meysman on a stake, she should not hold her breath.

    It’s hard to see how an investigation could show that they or the other directors deliberately drove the company into the ground. It might well find that they built up too much debt, and failed to grasp the severity of the challenges to trading posed by weaker sterling, travel bookings’ move online and some untimely heatwaves. But that is a world away from a calculated attempt to enrich themselves while pushing the company into insolvency. While Mr Fankhauser and his predecessors were well rewarded for what was, in the end, a failure, the company’s investors voted in favour of their remuneration at successive meetings.

    There might, however, be a case for an investigation along different lines, something which is hinted at in Mrs Leadsom’s letter.

    She has asked the Insolvency Service to look at director’s conduct at the “ immediately prior to and at insolvency.” There could be grounds to look at the timeliness of the board’s announcement to the stock exchange about the progress of its financial restructuring talks – how soon did directors know they would need to find an extra £200m, and when was the market told?

  19. Emergency website set uppublished at 07:55 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    A reminder from the Civil Aviation Authority that an emergency website has been set up to answer questions for holidaymakers who are either abroad, or who are yet to travel.

    The site can be accessed here., external

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  20. ABTA 'running a parallel exercise to the CAA'published at 07:54 British Summer Time 24 September 2019

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Thomas Cook passengersImage source, Getty Images

    The CAA flew back 14,700 Thomas Cook customers on Monday, with about 140,000 still to go.

    The rescue could cost about £100m and not all Thomas Cook customers will get their money back.

    Mark Tanzer, chief executive of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), says Thomas Cook was a member the ABTA scheme provides some limited consumer protection on certain types of holidays.

    "Package holidays have to be protected by law, so that if a company fails the customers are either brought home or given a refund if they've not yet travelled.

    "In this country, the CAA deals with packages that have flights involved, so a flight and a hotel. ABTA cover coaches, trains, cruise: packages that don't involve flight. So we'll be running a parallel exercise to the CAA."

    Most Thomas Cook customers were using flights, he says, adding he doesn't know what the final bill will be for his scheme yet.