Photo courtesy of Thomas Cook Airlines UK / Facebook

By Scott Roblin

Thomas Cook Closure

Travel agents say Thomas Cook’s collapse to have little impact on Canadians

Sep 23, 2019 | 3:27 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – News of Sunday’s collapse of pioneering travel company Thomas Cook has dominated headlines for the aviation and vacation industries.

The 178-year-old travel agency officially went into administration and ceased operations, leaving over 600,000 people stranded across Europe.

Locally, Ted Hawthorne with WTE Vacations said it’s a move that the industry has been fearing for some time.

“It’s been on a downswing for quite a while,” said Hawthorne. “So, it really wasn’t a shock when you hear something like this.”

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While operating for 16 years in Medicine Hat, WTE Vacations has had little involvement with the U.K.-based Thomas Cook group.

According to WTE Vacations owner Alexandra Lambiris, that’s because Thomas Cook pulled out of the Canadian marketplace in early 2013 and has not been operating in the country since.

“I don’t have any passengers right now that are going to be impacted by that because Thomas Cook have been out of the Canadian market for a while,” said Lambiris.

Thomas Cook was in the middle of a seven-year contract with Transat Inc. to provide aircraft to the Air Transat fleet, however Transat is expecting a takeover by Air Canada will help keep their jetliner numbers stable.

“Thomas Cook and Transat were sharing jetliners, so that might have a slight impact,” said Hawthorne. “But, I am pretty sure anyone travelling on Transat will be just fine.”

Experts say Thomas Cook’s closure was due mostly to a changing landscape in the travel industry, which saw more people booking through online resources rather than at physical shops.

Hawthorne said it’s a tough day for the industry, but is a reminder how important it is to adapt to an evolving marketplace.

“It’s kind of sad that the oldest travel corporation is gone,” he said. “But, it’s already obvious that everyone is kind of picking up. Hopefully prices don’t get too high because now we have less competition, but I don’t think anything else should be too [worrisome].”

The British government has invested in their largest peacetime repatriation effort, using a fleet of planes to fly over 150,000 travellers home over the next two weeks.

While this situation is unique on its own, Lambiris added this case highlights the importance of preparing for flights to be cancelled or not arrive on time.

“It’s always wise for passengers to book through a professional and purchase insurance so they won’t be out any money,” he said.