Thomas Cook collapse: PT readers react to Peterborough-based travel firm going bust

The collapse of Peterborough-based travel firm Thomas Cook has sparked a huge reaction from Peterborough Telegraph readers.
Thomas CookThomas Cook
Thomas Cook

Here are a selection of comments on some of our Facebook posts:

Amy Haynes: “We just came home yesterday from Corfu with a Thomas Cook holiday. It’s all eveyone was talking about before we left. I feel so sorry for the small hotels like the small family run one we stayed in that are TC only.”

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Sharon Hart: “Very sad day, as an ex employee my thoughts are with all those people at head office.”

Thomas CookThomas Cook
Thomas Cook

Sheryl Whiley Fox: “Yet for months they have carried on as normal knowing this was on the cards even employing new staff upto last week ! Allowing people to still travel yesterday now to bring them back again it says some will be out there till 6th October..why employ new staff.”

Alison Poole: “Very very sad news indeed . As an ex employee I really feel for you all .”

Mark Butcher: “We went with Thomas cook in March and we knew then that they was in trouble.”

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Ally Hall: “not the news I wanted to wake up to today. Had some of the best times working for such a great company peterborough has lost a part of its heart today.”

Emma Collins: “It’s been the only company I have ever flown with and trusted such a shame.”

Becky Francis: “Sad time for a long term institution. Any long term company needs to change with the markets and innovate (we have seen the rise of booking.com and Airbnb) otherwise they will see their businesses flounder.”

Kelly Jackson: “Can’t believe this had happened. I’ve booked so many wonderful holidays with TC over the years. Sad day for Peterborough.”

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Jessica Kyle: “I flew with them last week. I noticed that they were placing new job advertisements only yesterday. I feel for everyone affected.”

Maxine Waterfall: “Was definetely the best company to use for booking holdays shame that they have gone bust after all the decades must be due to all holidays that is now cheaper to book holidays on line,you can’t thank all the staff for all the hard work that they do to make our holidays more enjoyable.”

Tony Reilly: “21000 jobs worldwide not including the ripple effect this will have to suppliers etc.. Our government will spend £600 million plus repatriatiing travellers... why an earth didnt they step in with the £200 million required to keep this great company afloat.”

Booshe Bond: “So sad, that the vision of one man that lasted almost 200 years has been destroyed by greed and most likely unnecessary expansion. If only those who were meant to be responsible had continued to apply the original values and principle too.”

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Chris Maj Majid: “This is sad news, and I really do feel for staff including some very good friends of mine. But to say the government should have been responsible for a very poorly managed private business is silly. £1.5b in losses is not insureable by the government especially now. My understanding is that the staff were mostly in the dark about this and that would tell you what you need to know and also why the government stepping in would have been a costly mistake.”

Jan Holt: “Why would the government step in, would you expect it to save every business That goes under, no you would not, it’s not the government’s money it’s the tax payers money and I’m sure many people would not want their tax money spent like that, Sad as it is for all the people that have lost there jobs, and those on holiday,”

Rachel Peacock: “Not only is Thomas Cook an historic and loved brand but just economically it made sense to bail them out! £200m to save the business as opposed to three times that to repatriate customers. The wrong decision. My ♡ breaks for everyone affected.”

Anita Trickey: “They spend billions on foreign aid to other countries but cannot help our own!!!”