Holiday giant Thomas Cook stopped trading on 23rd September and entered compulsory liquidation, prompting the Government to launch the biggest-ever peacetime repatriation to bring holidaymakers home.

In total, more than 150,000 British travellers are being brought back to the UK, and over a million customers may have lost future holiday bookings. Around 21,000 Thomas Cook employees, including 9,000 in the UK, are now sadly being made redundant.

If you have booked a Thomas Cook holiday or flight

 Thomas Cook package holidays that include a flight are covered by the Air Travel Organiser’s License (ATOL) scheme, so you should be entitled to a refund. You should have received an ATOL certificate when booking.

If you booked directly with Thomas Cook, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) should be in contact soon to arrange your refund.  If you booked a Thomas Cook holiday via another travel company or travel agent you should contact the company directly to find out what to do.

The CAA has confirmed that ATOL refunds should cover the full cost of your booking – including any extras you paid for, such as seat reservations or in-flight meals. If you paid with a gift card and your holiday is ATOL-protected, you should receive your refund as cash.

If only certain parts of your holiday were with Thomas Cook, and you still want to take your holiday, check with the CAA before deciding to try and rebook any parts of it, because doing so may invalidate your right to a refund.

There is lots of information on the CAA website to tell you what to do, and how to get a refund, depending on your precise circumstances:  thomascook.caa.co.uk

Thomas Cook REFUND SCAMS WARNING!

The CAA is aware that there may be some scams relating to Thomas Cook refunds. You should follow the process set out on the CAA’s dedicated website: thomascook.caa.co.uk

Do not accept help from claims agents or third parties, unless advised to do so by the CAA.
You will not be required to make any payments in order to receive your refund, and you should always be extremely cautious if you are asked for your bank or credit card details over the phone, or in an email.  Check the CCA website to read about how refund payments will be made.  See our website for advice if you think you may have been a victim of a scam: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/check-if-something-might-be-a-scam

If you are a Thomas Cook customer and you are still abroad

If you’re a Thomas Cook customer and you are still abroad right now, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) scheme to fly people home has now ended, but don’t panic.  If you are ATOL protected, the CAA will contact you directly to advise you. (If you are ATOL protected, you should have received an ATOL certificate at the time of booking.)

If you not ATOL protected, you may need to make your own arrangements to fly home, but contact the CAA for further advice before paying any money, see their website: thomascook.caa.co.uk

If you are worried, you can phone the CAA. There’s a 24-hour helpline – from abroad, call +44 1753 330 330, or from the UK 0300 303 2800.