Thomas Cook to cut 2500 jobs in the UK.
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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!!!!
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!!!!
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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!.................
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.
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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!).
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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.
