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#Post#: 19498--------------------------------------------------
The End of Thomas Cook
By: Nikola Date: September 29, 2019, 10:45 am
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The recent collapse of the British travel giant
HTML https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46452374
has raised many
questions. Investigations will be carried out in order to shed
some light on how it was run but I can't help the feeling that
this event foreshadows the end of an era. I haven't been on a
holiday with a travel agency in the past twenty years or so. I
always plan everything myself these days and so do other people
of my age. Have you travelled abroad with a travel agency
recently? Can you picture yourself doing it?
#Post#: 19500--------------------------------------------------
Re: The End of Thomas Cook
By: NealC Date: September 29, 2019, 9:56 pm
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I remember "back in the day" when you wouldn't think of
traveling without an agent setting it up for you, the agents
made big money and got a lot of "perks". Free flights, cruises,
guided tours, resort and hotel accommodations, you name it.
I remember I did a lot of the legwork for my honeymoon in 1989
but still had to have a travel agent to get it done. She made
believe she was my friend, really cutting prices for me, doing a
lot of extra work etc... but I saw her notes. In the middle of
the page of notes about my trip was a BIG 11% in a circle - her
commission on my trip.
For my second marriage I did it all online, saved that 11% and
more -easy. Good bye and good riddance.
Real Estate brokers are next.
#Post#: 19502--------------------------------------------------
Re: The End of Thomas Cook
By: Chizuko hanji Date: September 30, 2019, 3:15 am
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I'm not a big fan of traveling though I know that trips by
travel agency look reasonable but you often have to buy a
package that you don't want.
When I went to Australia 15 years ago, which was my first trip
abroad, I didn't ask the travel agency. I booked a flight online
and my Australian friend helped me with booking "B&B", Is it
called Air B&B now? Funny thing is my flight was double booked
and I had to give my exact seat to an older blond lady. If I had
bought a ticket from the travel agency, it would never have
happened. I could handle the problem but it would be hard for
people who can't speak English.
When you travel in Japan, if you use the travel agency, you will
get some free coupon of breakfast of the hotel or a free ticket
of entering a hot spring and so on. Who knows which is which
price exactly? The customers do not fool. They know it they had
paid the breakfast fee which hidden in the bill of the cost of
staying hotel. They paid for the coupon in the first place. If
they like to go as the travel agency plans, it's easy choice
but, if you don't want to eat the same breakfast in the rest of
travelers in the restaurant, you want to avoid travel agency.
That's why people choose to book flights online and stay Air B&B
that supplies the simple need.
#Post#: 19504--------------------------------------------------
Re: The End of Thomas Cook
By: Pasha Date: September 30, 2019, 7:12 am
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It is just a beginning. After No deal Halloween, those British
companies will start to drop like flies.
#Post#: 19505--------------------------------------------------
Re: The End of Thomas Cook
By: Nikola Date: October 1, 2019, 1:34 pm
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It's going to affect the rest of Europe, too. I heard that 500
hotels in Spain are closing down because of Thomas Cook.
#Post#: 19509--------------------------------------------------
Re: The End of Thomas Cook
By: NealC Date: October 2, 2019, 12:18 am
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Yeah, that is a shame. A lot of small and family businesses
suffering. When a big company goes under or 'changes direction'
it is the little fish that take the hit.
#Post#: 19512--------------------------------------------------
Re: The End of Thomas Cook
By: Nikola Date: October 2, 2019, 3:56 am
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I also think that in this very case, there is a language barrier
that is hard to overcome because most Spanish people do struggle
with English and British people don't tend to speak another
language to the extent they would confidently book a holiday
themselves, I know I am generalising here but I wouldn't
underestimate the role of the agency as the middleman. There's
no question that British people want to spend their holiday in
Spain, in fact it is the most visited country by them so hotels
should not be closing down.
#Post#: 19513--------------------------------------------------
Re: The End of Thomas Cook
By: MartinSR Date: October 2, 2019, 10:29 am
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My travel to Indochina this year was bought in our biggest
travel agent called "Rainbow". The main reason was it was my
first time in this part of the world and I had no time to look
for all the information I would need to arrange the journey
myself. I was just in the situation when there is more
convenient to pay someone to do the things for you.
In Europe I usually organize the trip myself, though I rather
use the Booking.com site instead of contacting the hotel
directly. It happens that I see the similar trip available in
lower price at the travel agent (they have their own
discounts), but I prefer visiting the other country on my own
conditions.
In Poland there were a few bankruptcies of travel agents (big
and small) during the last years. It's always a problem for the
tourist who have to use their own credit cards to be allowed to
stay at the hotel... or wait at the airport (sometimes a few
days) for the plain sent for them by authorities. I heard the
clients of Neckermann (which is present on Polish travel agents
market too) have such problems now, because this agent is
somewhat connected to Thomas Cook.
#Post#: 19517--------------------------------------------------
Re: The End of Thomas Cook
By: Aliph Date: October 6, 2019, 1:46 pm
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Thomas Cook started when the British people knew how to travel
with style. It was the British people who launched tourism in
the Alps in Europe and I remember older people working in
upscale hotels telling how classy those tourists were. Hundred
years later I will not cry if some of the teenagers of the Uk
who go to Spain to get drunk and to throw themselves in the pool
from the third floor of their cheap hotel**, risking to brake
their neck, will stay at home. I am not sure though that they
book their holidays with Thomas Cook but I am convinced that
they do not contribute that much to the Spanish economy.
** this sport is called balconing.
HTML https://youtu.be/_wXHrxj5ylM
#Post#: 19520--------------------------------------------------
Re: The End of Thomas Cook
By: MartinSR Date: October 6, 2019, 2:23 pm
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Yes. There are legends about the British invasion of drunk
tourists in Kraków too. Now the most of tourists there are
Spanish... at least it was the language I could hear most when I
was there last time.
I think that the staff of most hotels, where British agents were
sending their tourists, speak English. Maybe not the cleaning
ladies who are usually seasonal workers from the East of Europe
and South America. It's still better to speak Spanish to
experience more of the country and visit places popular mainly
among locals, but the knowledge of English increases among young
people. Spain is similar to Poland in this aspect, where the
English is not widely spoken among people of my age and rather
unique among older ones, but nothing uncommon in younger age. On
the other hand people who need only all inclusive hotel with
some entertaining programme in their language don't really need
Thomas Cook for that.
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