GREEDY airlines were accused of acting like vultures after hiking fares by up to 400 per cent following Thomas Cook’s collapse.
Furious holidaymakers scrambling for alternative bookings to and from the UK claimed they were being preyed on by firms including British Airways, TUI, Jet2 and Ryanair.
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Ex-Brexit Secretary David Davis said airlines were “playing the system to profiteerfrom the misfortune of British holidaymakers.”
Passenger anger erupted as:
Examples of fares sky-rocketing overnight include one fearful Thomas Cook customer who arranged four back-up flights from Gatwick to Orlando with British Airways.
They cost him £437 each on Sunday but yesterday he found the same tickets priced at £1,978 each. And a £442 Jet2 return flight from Manchester to Tenerife soared to £808.
Airlines denied they were targeting Thomas Cook customers and said seat prices reflect supply and demand.
But Tory MP Mr Davis said the Transport Secretary should “look very hard” at licencing and take-off and landing slot arrangements when airlines “exploit their customers in this way”.
Guy Anker, of MoneySavingExpert.com, said: “We saw this for the Champions League final in May where Tottenham and Liverpool football fans were fleeced going to Madrid.
“I don’t for one second buy that it’s just supply and demand.
“Where prices have rocketed overnight at a time when Thomas Cook collapses, I think it’s an outrageous piece of profiteering.”
Colin Jelf, who feared the firm would go under, booked four back-up flights from Gatwick to Orlando with British Airways at £437 each on Sunday night.
Yesterday he found the same tickets going for £1,978 each.
Mr Jelf, 49, of Maidstone, Kent, said: “It’s really bad form.”
David Kirkwood posted screenshots online appearing to show a Jet2.com Cyprus holiday’s cost had risen by £1,500 yesterday.
BA denied targeting Thomas Cook customers, saying all airlines price seats according to supply and demand.
It said: “The first seats sold will always be the cheapest, and once they have been bought the price goes up.”
Social media users have slammed operators such as Jet2 and Virgin for being “greedy” with some flights costing double the amount overnight.
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Many angry Jet2 customers were stunned to find flights and holidays had jumped in price.
David Kirkwood wrote: “@jet2tweets what kind of soulless money grabbing inconsiderate opportunist increases a holiday price by no less than £1000 in 2 hours.
“That’s right JET2. Same holiday at 0030 was £1000 dearer after the Thomas Cook announcement. Shame on you #RIPThomasCook #daylightrobbery.”
Dale Cross added: “Wake up to the news that Thomas cook have gone under, jump on @jet2tweets website to book replacement flights and shock the prices have hiked up massively, f**k you Jet2.”
April found flights that were £200 this morning had jumped to £800, calling airlines “greedy gits”.
Mandy tweeted: “@jet2tweets should be ashamed of yourselves….. same holiday I was looking at last week is now a price difference of bout £600 ever since Thomas cook announced news of going bust….. shocking.”
Questions and answers
Q: I am still on holiday. Can I carry on and how do I get home?
A: Under the Civil Aviation Authority ATOL scheme all package hol customers can carry on and will be flown home as close to their original date as possible. See thomascook.caa.co.uk or call 0300 303 2800 (UK and Ireland) or +44 1753 330 330 (when abroad).
Q: What if my hotel wants cash?
A: Refuse. Hotels need to contact ATOL themselves. If you do have to pay, keep all receipts and you will be reimbursed under ATOL. You can also claim for expenses.
Q: What if I only bought flights?
A: Normally you do not get ATOL protection but the CAA says everyone will be brought home.
Q: I’ve booked but haven’t travelled yet. What happens to my holiday?
A: You are also covered and will get a refund, but it will take time.
Q: My booked hol does not include a flight. Am I still covered?
A: Not by ATOL. Advice on what to do at abta.com/thomascook
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Sun Online Travel found a seven-night holiday to Crete earlier this year for £250 per person – compared to £406 per person now.
While a seven-night break to Albufeira that was £289pp now start from £367pp.
Many others have sold out.
They aren’t the only company accused of price hiking.
Anne-Marie Garvie also said: “@VirginHolidays Absolutely disgusting that you have doubled the price of a Florida holiday in just a few hours.
“You should be utterly ashamed at cashing in on the demise of @ThomasCook. How can you expect people who have lost holidays to pay your prices. Disgusting!”
Another social media user complained: “We are having to rebook our Florida flights after the collapse of Thomas cook and I am disgusted at @VirginAtlantic for the huge increased prices this morning, since I checked last night.”
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Jack Sheldon of Jack’s Flight Club told the Guardian that there could be huge price hikes in the next few weeks as well.
He said: “We expect you’ll see increases on long-haul routes to many Caribbean destination from London and even more so from Manchester, where Thomas Cook was quite dominant, in terms of direct routes to many holiday destinations.”
Jack also added that Virgin would benefit on routes from Manchester while British Airways would cover long-haul demand from London Gatwick.
A Virgin spokesperson told Sun Online Travel in a statement: “We have not increased fares on specific routes that were previously also operated by Thomas Cook.
“We always want to provide the most competitive prices for customers wishing to book future trips with us, and as with all airlines, we operate a dynamic pricing system that is based on availability and demand.”
A Jet2 spokesman also added: “Our pricing, as is common practice in the travel industry, is based on the principle of supply and demand.
“As supply reduces, an inevitable consequence is that prices increase. However, we are looking at adding more supply (flights and seats) to help customers at this time.”
Up to 150,000 Brits have been stranded abroad with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) organising the largest repatriation since World War II.
Approximately 40 planes have been chartered for 1,000 flights in the next two weeks to retrieve holidaymakers who have had their flights cancelled.
Thomas Cook staff are continuing to work unpaid to help passengers, despite having lost their jobs.
THE SUN SAYS
OUR hearts go out to those stranded by Thomas Cook and the staff now out of work.
We are repulsed by the greed of the bosses who made terrible decisions for years, lurching from crisis to crisis.
They must be held accountable. Rewards for failure are damaging capitalism’s image faster than anything.
But it is bonkers to argue this company should have been bailed out with public money. It has catastrophic debt and no business model in the web era.
Times change. Some firms fail. That’s neither the Government’s fault nor its responsibility.
