Travel with Thomas Cook represent 1% of Voyage Flammang’s activities, the firm told Paperjam Shutterstock

Travel with Thomas Cook represent 1% of Voyage Flammang’s activities, the firm told Paperjam Shutterstock

According to our colleagues at Paperjam, Voyages Flammang works with Thomas Cook Germany, which has not declared bankruptcy. Nevertheless, manager Berny Ley told Paperjam that his firm uses mostly Thomas Cook hotels so was “currently booking hotel alternatives for our guests.”

Travel with Thomas Cook represent 1% of the firm’s activities. Ley said that it had one customer impacted by the announcement. “He is in the process of returning home,” Ley said.

Luxair, meanwhile, was analysing which Thomas Cook customers had book with the national airline. “We advise these customers, who have a flight with Luxair, to settle their travel accounts directly with Luxair and we will arrange their return anyway,” the group’s communication department was cited by Paperjam as saying.

On Monday, British authorities launched an emergency repatriation plan for 150,000 Britons stranded by the firm’s collapse. In total some 600,000 tourists were stranded globally, according to euronews.

The firm, which was founded in 1841, had some 19 million customers, and 22,000 staff operating in 16 countries at its height. According to the BBC, its fate was sealed by financial, social and meteorological factors, not to mention stiff competition from online travel agents and changing consumer habits, as holidaymakers booked their own holidays using low-cost airlines.

It further explained that in May, Thomas Cook reported a £1.5bn loss for the first half of its financial year. It tried to sell its airline to raise revenue and placed its hopes on a rescue package with its largest shareholder, Fosun. Things came to a head when creditor banks asked the firm to find an extra £200m.

Thomas Cook CEO Peter Fankhauser apologised to customers, staff and suppliers in a statement issued on Monday.