In September 2019 Thomas Cook went into administration, leaving 150,000 British holidaymakers stranded abroad and triggering the biggest peacetime repatriation of its kind. Now that the final repatriation flights have touched down, the focus turns to the 360,000 customers whose booking was unfulfilled and who are now due a refund.
For more information about ATOL protection and what to do if you are affected, read our article "Thomas Cook goes into administration – what to do if you are affected".
How do I get a refund with Thomas Cook?
The refund process has been taken over by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and more information can be found on its website.
Am I eligible for a refund?
Only holidaymakers whose holiday was ATOL protected are eligible to make a claim via the forms on the CAA website.
Thomas Cook owned other travel companies and operated under various names and so there is a different refund claims process depending on how your holiday was booked. The ATOL numbers for the various companies are as follows:
- Thomas Cook Retail Ltd - ATOL 0020
- Thomas Cook Tour Operations Ltd - ATOL 1179
- TCCT Retail Ltd - ATOL 10585
- Future Travel Ltd, trading as Freedom Personal Travel Advisors - ATOL 5704
- Freedom Travel - ATOL 6042
There are some instances where your claim will not be accepted via the CAA site:
- Your booking is not ATOL protected - If your booking was not protected by an ATOL certificate or if you booked flights and accommodation separately you cannot claim a refund via ATOL. If you paid using a credit card then you may be protected under Section 75 of the consumer credit card act. (Speak to your credit card provider in this instance)
- Your holiday was ATOL protected by another travel company - If you bought a holiday through another tour operator you will need to contact them regarding a refund.
- Your holiday was ATOL protected by Freedom Travel Group, ATOL 6042 - Hays travel group is sorting out holidays booked with Freedom Travel Group and you will be contacted by a travel agent regarding a refund or a replacement holiday.
Only the lead passenger may apply for a refund (the first person named on the booking confirmation).
How long will it take to get my money back?
It will take up to 60 days for your refund to be processed. If you had previously written to the CAA or had submitted a claim form prior to the 7th October 2019, you will have to re-submit a claim via the CAA's website.
If you are unable to use the online claim form, you will need to contact the dedicated Thomas Cook call centre:
- Phoning from the UK (reduced rate): 0300 303 2800
- Phoning from overseas: +44 1753 330 330
I worked for Thomas Cook, can I get paid?
If you were one of the 9,000 UK Thomas Cook employees at the time of its collapse you may be eligible to apply for your salary and redundancy related payments here.
