Thomas Cook to cut 2500 jobs in the UK.

[mackey]

Afternoon all,

Not sure if this has a thread already going, but just saw this on the BBC news website and thought it might be of interest.

"Travel group Thomas Cook has announced it will cut 2,500 jobs in the UK and close almost 200 stores as it attempts to revive its profitability".

Not sure how many of those cuts will involve aircrew, lets hope not too many!

M.

[bucket_and_spade]

This is a separate announcement not directly affecting the UK cabin and flight crew - both groups started consultations on demotions/redundancies late last year and these were completed a little while ago.

[bex88]

That is at least a little relief. The last thing the flight crew community need is more contraction

[mackey]

Fair enough, that will be a relief.

[frozenpilot]

But don't forget 29 Flight Crew have been served with 3 months notice with a seeming lack of care from the new management style.

Best wishes to those affected!

[LIMA OR ALPHA JUNK]

29 F/Os redundant, 54 demotions to the RHS, 3% pay cut, 18 days off given back to the company, Business Travel scrapped for positioning flights, block window protection increased to 4 hours, B scale salaries introduced for new joiners etc etc etc.

[Capetonian]

This affects the High Street shops.

A lot of people think this is about the ‘internet being cheaper’, but it's not.

In general it's about the travel agency chains failing to invest in proper staff training for the high street shop staff, and to pay the type of salaries that would attract professionals, so that they could provide the type of professionalism and advice that you can’t get from the internet.

There is, and always will be, a place for bricks and mortar travel agencies as there are many trips that cannot be booked online, and where the professionalism of a proper travel agent cannot be replaced by the internet.

The type of staff that they employ in their high street shops are largely untrained poorly educated Traceys and Kevins (with apologies to people have those names!) who have often never travelled further than Blackpool or Majorca.

Sad but true. This is something I have been professionally involved with on several levels.

[fantom]

The type of staff that they employ in their high street shops are largely untrained poorly educated Traceys and Kevins (with apologies to people have those names!) who have often never travelled further than Blackpool or Majorca.



I regret to announce you are much mistaken and may be taken as libel. Do you have a good solicitor?

Try the Crawley shop - yes, Crawley - and you will find most informed, polite and educated staff.

I know, I have been there many times; have you?

[kuchemann carrots]

I don't think you know what you're talking about Capetonian. My wife is an ex Thomas Cook travel agent. I am a long haul pilot, and she has still travelled more to more destinations both short and long haul than I. People don't become travel agents for the money... They like travel!

[Capetonian]

I stand by my statement. Based on experiences with high street agency chains, the staff are not worthy of the title 'travel consultant'. It may just be that I was unlucky, but I have been appalled at the low level of their travel industry and geographical knowledge.

Exceptions, as always, will exist. If you read my posting, I did not specifically say that I was referring to TC, but to the high street agency chains in general.

Next time I have the misfortune to be in Crawley I will drop into the TC shop and be a 'mystery shopper.'

[taffyhammer]

regardless of the previous post regarding the competence or non competence of the current thomas cook travel staff; was the purchase of the co-op franchise a major error; seeing as the majority of the competition was focusing on internet/online sales of package holidays???????????????????:ugh:

[Scallywag]

Capetonian

You edited your original thread and so I don't know what else you said in it.

Why do you say "Next time I have the misfortune to be in Crawley"

I'm not from that area, but it's rather like me saying that the next time I have the misfortune to be in CPT I'll keep the windows up and ignore red lights. Only I wouldn't say that.

If you're from capetown you may like it, as I'm sure people do that live in Crawley. Just what is your problem? Or are you a professional misery guts, perhaps time to retire. Fly happy.

[Number Cruncher]

Capetonian,

You write about these UK Hight Street Travel Agents as though they are beneath you on the social ladder. How totally rude, disrespectful and obnoxious. I wasn't so surprised however, after having read the 'about me' part of your user profile.

Your comments are totally irrelevant to the terms and conditions of Thomas Cook flight crew so I suggest you go and infect another part of this website, like SLF or Spotters Forum.

[Capetonian]

To the last two posters :

Scallywag
I edited my post to correct a typo, not to change anything material. If you click on the 'last edited' link you can compare versions and see the change, at least, I can but maybe others can't, in which case, if it really worries you so much to think I may have 'cheated' somehow, I'll post a screen shot to keep you happy.

I think Crawley is a dump. I know it quite well and I don't have to justify that opinion, and you are of course free to disagree. I don't care what you say about Cape Town, if you want to drive round there in a state of paranoid fear, that's fine by me, anyway in some areas it's a good idea to keep the doors locked and windows up - a bit like Langley Green in fact.

I might change my description to 'professional misery guts'. I like it, thank you! And I am more or less retired but thanks for the hint.
Edit : I have added 'professional misery guts'!

Number Cruncher
As for the TC flight crew forum, then the original posting is in the wrong forum as this has nothing to do with flight crew, it affects the High Street retail shops.
How totally rude, disrespectful and obnoxious. Because I dare to express a controversial opinion that conflicts with yours?

[stuckgear]

a couple of points..

CT said *largely*, not *all*

Yes Crawley is a toss hole, I've had the joy of visiting relatives living in that area for decades so have seen it change from the days when a café in the town centre was a biker hang out.

If you choose to say about visiting Capetown that it would be better to ignore red lights and keep your windows up; 1. you wouldn't be far from the truth. 2. you're perfectly entitled to voice your opinion without the outrage bus making a stop.

It's hardly obnoxious, rude, disrespectful or morally sanctimonious to state that there are different markets in travel and tourism, it's fact. There are market sectors catered toward the get drunk and turn red in the sun, 'straw donkey' holiday makers and the family market or 50's markets or has that market segmentation passed you by in advertising ?

With the severe lack of disposable income in the economy, travel and tourism is getting hit hard and it will continue to get hit hard for a few more years yet. It's not pretty and it doesn't bode well for this industry, coupled with the fact that governments across the EU, the UK included are set against raising ever more taxation revenue from this industry and punishing it for it's very existence.

In this environment markets will contract significantly and as such tour operators need, must define their market segmentation and establish their product.

Growth is one thing, but stability is even more important, without stability nothing is certain.

[brakedwell]

They don't call it "Creepy Crawley" for nothing :eek:

[JW411]

I live in Sussex. I visit Crawley as little as I can possibly manage.

[brakedwell]

I live in Sussex. I visit Crawley as little as I can possibly manage.

Haven't been there since Air Europe went bust :{

[giggitygiggity]

The type of staff that they employ in their high street shops are largely untrained poorly educated Traceys and Kevins (with apologies to people have those names!) who have often never travelled further than Blackpool or Majorca.

Perhaps they have been unable to afford themselves and their families the luxury of travel on the measly £12k a year they get as opposed to the six figure salary i'm sure you're likely to be on. With that attitude it is no wonder they don't bother to treat you as you feel you deserve.

[Capetonian]

Perhaps they have been unable to afford themselves and their families the luxury of travel on the measly £12k a year they get

That may well be true, but it is up to the employer to send them on educational/fam trips or at least to train them adequately and to employ staff with a minimum of geographical savvy and general knowledge. Some fail miserably, some succeed.

Your sarcastic jibe is noted - I won't lower myself to respond, it's pointless.

[Trossie]

Getting back to the original topic:

If aircrew (flight deck and cabin crews) are not included in these job cuts this time, that is good news.

It is a pity that shops are having to close, but with the Airtours/Thomas Cook merger didn't they end up with too many shops and should have close more earlier for good business reasons.

The big pity is that the airline industry here is struggling with all the obstacles that are being put in its way with punitive passenger duties (do rail travellers get punished with similar passenger duties?) and daft EU compensation rules (were any rail travellers delayed much longer by recent power-line failures covered by any EU compensation schemes?) when there should be some government appreciation of how important this sector of the economy really is. But when you get mindless morons following the fanatical religion of 'greenie-ism' where airlines are seen as an evil that is a sign of affluence and must be stamped out being able to influence politicians so convincingly, there is little hope for reason.

Now onto the 'follow on' comments:

I find it extremely amusing that an outsider from a country that is super sensitive about criticism feels that he can come here and criticise Thomas Cook shops! Our local Thomas Cook shop is extremely helpful and informative and our most recent holiday with them was decided based on the very helpful and accurate information provided by the very motivated staff in the shop. (But then, package holidays are not a concept that Capetonians are used to, so I wouldn't rate their opinions too highly!) And Crawley, hmmm, I spent some time near there recently and I don't rate it at all as a 'tourist attraction' but I didn't see any of the locked gates, barred windows, razor-wire and 'armed-response' burglar alarms that I saw when I was last in Cape Town!!!!

[Capetonian]

I find it extremely amusing that an outsider from a country that is super sensitive about criticism feels that he can come here and criticise Thomas Cook shops!.................

I am glad to have provided you with some amusement, but perhaps you should concentrate on what I have said rather than your perceptions and assumptions about where I come from. I am not in the least bit sensitive about criticism of South Africa, if you look at the SA politics thread you will see I dish out plenty and with good reason.

You too are twisting my original posting to suit your line of argument. I did not specifically criticise TC shops, I criticised high street agencies in general and I accept that in the context of this thread that may have been out of order.

I spent a lot of my professional career in various aspects of the travel industry, including retail, and started my career long ago as what we then called a travel clerk, but now they rejoice in the name of 'consultants' when many of them are simply order takers and brochure distributors with limited product knowledge. The companies that have largely failed to invest in adequate training, and which pay low salaries so they won't attract quality staff, and above all those who have failed to meet the challenge of modern technology, will not survive. Others will, and as I said, there is a place for them.

[Trossie]

if you look at the SA politics thread
.....................??

On PPRuNe??? Hmmmm....!!!!

You stick to your politics and we'll stick to our pleasant package holidays provided by very good airlines (and sold by very good shop staff!).

[bacp]

Like all things businesses, customer facing staff can be variable, but it is relevant to the conversation as if the shops don't sell holidays then the airline will be taken down with the sinking ship. Both the shops and the website are open to criticism as they only give good service/work smoothly sporadically and that is not good enough. To be fair, the board is aware of this and is addressing the issues, but change is slow. I was standing outside my local shop at 2 mins past opening time, in the drizzle, with the 6 staff clearly visible behind the plate glass, all studiously avoiding their customers outside. I was so cross that I should have gone across the road to the open TUI shop.:mad: