Thomas Cook’schief executive was silent as he left a crisis meeting in which the firm pleaded for a £ 200 million bailout.
Dr Peter Fankhauser, 58 , emerged from a day-long meeting negotiating with creditors ina final bid to secure a rescue package to keep the company afloat.
The boss of the world oldest travel company walked out of the service exit of law firm Latham & Watkins, in Bishopsgate, central London, surrounded by colleagues a fter the meeting ran from 9am until shortly before 5. 30 pm.
Dr Fankhauser , who is a Swiss businessman, did not answer questions when he was asked whether Thomas Cook and their creditors had reached a deal.
He was also asked whether the company would consider approaching the government for a taxpayer-funded bailout or whether he had anything to say to Thomas Cook’s customers but again refused to comment.
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The location of the meeting was changed at the last minute after reports leaked out last night that it would take place at the nearby law firm Slaughter & May.
Thousands of holidaymakers – many of whom Brits – are stranded across the world but, if the firm collapses, they’ll be helped back to the UK, the government said
However, the foreign secretary appeared to deny the government will stump up the cash.
“We don’t systematically step in with the taxpayers’ money when businesses are going under unless there’s a good strategic national interest,”Dominic Raab, foreign secretary, told theBBC.
Many stranded tourists have told Mirror Online of their ordeals.
Thomas Cook has cut ties with a hotelwhere guests were ‘held hostage’ in a payment row.
Guests at the Les Orangers beach resort in the town of Hammamet, near Tunis, said security guards kept the gates shut while staff demanded visitors pay extra money, out of fear the tour operator would not honor its bookings.
Responding to customers’ complaints onon Sunday, Thomas Cook said: “A small number of customers were asked to pay for their hotel room before leaving Les Orangers in Tunisia yesterday, we have refunded those customers who paid on their credit cards.
“Anyone due to stay at this hotel will be offered an alternative hotel in Hammamet.”
One bride, from Redcar, Teesside, whose £ 50, 000Thomas Cook wedding faces ruin fears her terminally ill mum might not make the big dayas a result of the chaos.
Katy Williams is due to marry fiancé Peter Whyman in Ayia Napa on October 2.
If the tour operator goes bust, Katy and Peter will be forced to start from scratch. It might mean the bride’s terminally ill mum Carol Milne, 63, misses out completely.
Jackie Ward, 58, and her daughter Amy, 24, were on a celebratory holiday in Majorcaafter Jackie was given the all-clear from cancer.
But Jackie has a heart condition and
Fighting back the tears, her daughter said: “I’ve only brought enough medication till Sunday, thinking we’ll get home on Monday.
“I’ll take it Monday when I get home … I haven’t got anything.”
And when Beka Whitelaw’s flight to Glasgow from Turkey was axed,she had to sleep on the ground outside the airportwith her suitcase as a pillow.
Beka says children, pensioners and disabled passengers were “dumped” off the plane and “kicked out” off the airport by staff.
“Sleeping on the street outside Antalya Airport with no confirmation of when our flight home is. Using a suitcase for a pillow isn’t fun.
” The lack of communication by Thomas Cook is unbelievable. The **** staff here are even worse.
“Children, elderly and disabled all stranded. No hotels.”
If you have already booked a package holiday then you don’t need to start panicking.
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In fact if the firm does go bust, you won’t necessarily lose out on your money.
That’s because package holidays booked with Thomas Cook fall under the ATOL protection scheme, which is run by the Civil Aviation Authority.
This scheme covers overseas air holidays booked with a UK travel company, and protects customers from either losing their money or becoming stranded abroad if the travel firm collapses.
If Thomas Cook did go bust before you set off for your trip, then you’ll be provided with a full refund for the holiday.
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