Thomas Cook insists it wants flight-only sales removed from Atol protection if airlines are not in the scheme, saying proposed reforms “fail to give clarity”.
Andy Cooper, Thomas Cook head of government and external affairs, said: “We propose any sale of a single element falls outside the Atol scheme. Any sale of multi-holiday elements should fall inside.”
A Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on Atol reform and the draft regulations to establish a new Flight-Plus licence concluded yesterday. The proposals leave airlines outside the scheme, although the government has said it is committed to bringing in holiday sales by airlines.
Cooper told Travel Weekly: “It’s a complete fudge and will confuse consumers. Try explaining it to customers, or even your own staff.”
Thomas Cook also hit out at the timescale for introducing the changes, saying the DfT’s insistence on January 1 was “totally unrealistic”. Cooper said: “It might be OK if we knew everything, but we don’t. If the entire industry says they can’t do that date, we hope the DfT will accept that.”
In its submission to the DfT, Thomas Cook has not suggested an alternative implementation date. However, Cooper queried how many Flight-Plus sales there were in January to March as a proportion of the total. He said the group did not favour a phased introduction, a possibility raised by Abta this week.
In a statement, Cooper added: “The proposed Flight-Plus [holiday] only applies if bought from an agent or tour operator. Airlines will be able to offer identical holidays without protection. It’s a recipe for distrust of an industry that is no stranger to business failures.”