Travel disruption advice
On this page, you will find dedicated advice relating to:
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Travel Advice
Thomas Cook - Travel Advice
Thomas Cook Group, including the UK tour operator and airline, has ceased trading with immediate effect (announced approximately 2am 23rd September 2019). All Thomas Cook bookings, including flights and holidays, have now been cancelled. There are currently more than 150,000 Thomas Cook customers abroad, almost twice the number that were repatriated following the failure of Monarch.
- Thomas Cook has ceased trading so all Thomas Cook flights are now cancelled.
- Customers in the UK yet to travel must not go to the airport if their flight was due to be fulfilled by Thomas Cook.
- The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is to launch the biggest ever peacetime repatriation.
- Customers currently overseas should check https://thomascook.caa.co.uk/ for advice and only go to the airport once they have an alternative flight confirmed.
CAA 24-hour helpline: 0300 303 2800 from the UK and Ireland and +44 1753 330 330 from overseas.
The CAA has said:
- If you are due to depart from a UK airport with Thomas Cook Airlines, please do not travel to your UK airport as your flight will not be operating and you will not be able to travel.
- This repatriation is hugely complex and we are working around the clock to support passengers.
Customers already abroad
- If you are currently abroad and your flight was with Thomas Cook we [the CAA] are providing new flights to return you to the UK. These repatriation flights will only be operating for the next two weeks (until 6th October 2019). After this date you will have to make your own travel arrangements. From a small number of locations, passengers will have to book their own return flights.
Please note that repatriation flights are only available for passengers whose journey originated in the UK.
If you are ATOL-protected and are having difficulties with your hotel, do not make any additional payments unless instructed to do so by the Civil Aviation Authority.
PLEASE NOTE: Some of Thomas Cook's package holiday bookings include flights with airlines unrelated to the Thomas Cook Group. If your return flight is not with Thomas Cook's airline, it will still be valid. However other elements of the package, such as accommodation and transfers will be affected.
Customers due to travel
ATOL Protected passengers with future bookings are entitled to a full refund for their cancelled holiday. The CAA will be launching a service to manage all refunds on Monday 30th September, once the flying operation has progressed. This refund service will seek to process all refunds within two months of receipt of a fully completed claims form.
Further information will be available on our [the CAA’s] dedicated website in the coming days, but please do not submit anything to the CAA in the meantime as the organisation continues to focus on the repatriation flying programme to return more than 150,000 passengers to the UK. More information will be provided about the claims process in the coming days.
Advice from AXA
Q: I am abroad at the moment and scheduled to return to the UK with Thomas Cook, what should I do?
A: If you are on a package holiday and due to return on or before 6th October 2019 then the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) will arrange your repatriation back to the UK. Further details can be found on the following link:
https://thomascook.caa.co.uk/customers/if-you-are-currently-abroad/
PLEASE NOTE: Some of Thomas Cook's package holiday bookings include flights with airlines unrelated to the Thomas Cook Group. If your return flight is not with Thomas Cook's airline it may still be valid. However other elements of the package, such as accommodation and transfers might be affected.
Q: I was due to travel with Thomas Cook in the coming weeks or months, what should I do?
A: ATOL protected passengers with future bookings are entitled to a full refund for their cancelled holidays. The CAA will be launching a service to manage all refunds on Monday 30th September, once the flying operation has progressed. This refund service will seek to process all refunds within two months of receipt of a fully completed claims form.
Further information will be available on the CAA’s dedicated website in the coming days, but please do not submit anything to the CAA in the meantime as the organisation continues to focus on the repatriation flying programme to return more than 150,000 passengers to the UK. More information will be provided about the claims process in the coming days.
PLEASE NOTE: Some of Thomas Cook's package holiday bookings include flights with airlines unrelated to the Thomas Cook Group. If your return flight is not with Thomas Cook's airline it may still be valid. However other elements of the package, such as accommodation and transfers might be affected.
ATOL Protection
ATOL protection means customers affected by Thomas Cook’s administration may be able to make a claim under the scheme, if:
- You booked a holiday that you are due to take in the future, but the travel company that has since collapsed.
- The travel company has collapsed while you are on holiday, meaning the holiday has been disrupted or the flight home cancelled.
- Holidays - All flight-inclusive holidays offered by Thomas Cook are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you paid for your holiday, you should have been given an ATOL Certificate.
- Flights - Not all flights offered and sold by Thomas Cook are protected by the ATOL scheme. If you didn’t receive ATOL Certificate then your return flight will only be covered by the CAA up until the 6th October. After this date, your return flight will not be ATOL protected.
FAQs
Q: What is ATOL?
A: ATOL stand for ‘Air Travel Organisers License’ and by law, any company that sells ‘Air Holidays’ in the UK is required to have a license. ATOL is part of the Civil Aviation Authority which is a UK Government Agency. The ATOL scheme is designed to protect UK holidays in the event of the travel company they have booked through going bust or out of business. The scheme protects holiday makers from being stranded abroad or losing money in such events.
Q: How do I know whether my flights / holiday have ATOL Protection?
A: If you have ATOL Protection your documentation would have included an ATOL Certificate.
Q: What is the ATOL protection certificate?
A: When selling package holidays travel agents and tour operators must now give you a certificate explaining how your holidays are protected.
Useful Links
Thomas Cook/CAA website: https://thomascook.caa.co.uk/
ATOL website: https://www.caa.co.uk/News/Thomas-Cook-flying-programme/
FAQs
In order to register a valid travel claim, you must provide us with the following documents:
- A copy of your original booking confirmation.
- Confirmation from your credit/debit card provider or PayPal that they’ve declined your claim. This can be written confirmation or email.
- Confirmation that your attempts to acquire refunds from your tour operator or holiday company for any aspect of the trip (accommodation, flights/transport, car hire, car parking etc.) have been unsuccessful.
- Receipts/invoices for any additional accommodation/transfers and expenses for consideration.
- The Data Protection Notice which is included in the claims pack sent to you once you have registered a claim. This needs to be signed by anyone over the age of 18 who is claiming.
Your policy may include an excess, please refer to your policy wording for details.
Contact Details
| Where to log a claim (24/7) | Non-emergency queries | |
|---|---|---|
| Policies bought direct with AXA | axa.co.uk/travel-insurance/claims | +44 (0)330 024 1308 |
| AXA Lloyd's Banking Group | lloydsbankavatravelinsurance.com | +44 (0)345 850 5056 |
| AXA Halifax | halifaxurcatravelinsurance.co.uk | +44 (0)345 124 1400 |
| AXA Bank of Scotland | - | +44 (0)345 602 1222 |
| AA Travel Insurance | - | +44 (0)330 058 2991 |
If your insurance provider is not listed above, please check your policy documents for relevant contact details.