MSPeconomist

In the USA, I'd dial 911. In some other countries, I'd call the police.

GeezerCouple

Slightly OT but important: There can be several ways that high limit charge cards can be invaluable when traveling.
This is one of them, if one really "needs a place to go".

But another involves emergency medical care in foreign countries. It may not matter whether your insurance (health or travel) will "cover" the costs, or even if they will "advance funds if needed for care".
IF you need *emergency medical attention", do you really want to wait while a provider gets in touch with an insurer and they figure out whether they'll accept a "promise/guarantee" or not?

Nope. When there is an urgent/emergent need, including "needing a place to sleep tonight", but especially emergency medical care, that's the time to whip out a charge card, get the immediate service/etc., needed, and worry about "who pays" later.

And in some cases, for medical care or lodging/food, if it is a widespread "event", those who "make arrangements later" may find themselves waiting, or without any needed services/lodging/etc.,, left at that time...

GC

Often1

Solid advice.

I know any number of fairly well off people who have encountered some adversity while traveling and never thought of simply paying what it took to make it right on the spot and then recovering it later (or even not recovering it).

Have always felt sorry for those who absolutely must travel, lack the means, and encounter a spot of trouble.

seat38a

Happened in Tunisia, not sure how far calling the police will get anyone. Not an expert but I'm guessing consumer protection is probably low on the list in Tunisia.

MSPeconomist

That's why I said "in some countries." In Tunisia, I'd probably pay with AmEx just to get out of there and fight the charges later.

Often1

In many countries, it's probably the police guarding the locked doors.

Badenoch

Absolutely right. My philosophy is that if you encounter a problem that can be solved by money it is absolutely not a problem if you have the money. It is only an insignificant problem if you have the credit.

I arrive in a foreign country with local currency or acquire some immediately upon arrival. I carry my passport with me, enough cash to get me to the nearest major airport and credit cards with sufficient limits that I can buy a walk-on ticket in any class going anywhere in the world. I've never had to book an emergency flight but on a couple of occasions knowing I could get to the airport immediately was a comfort when ground transportation plans became uncertain.

DYKWIA

Good for you. What about the people who don't have an Amex or an alternative way of paying? A lot of people from the UK are going to Tunisia and Turkey because it's very cheap at the moment. Some of these people will have saved all year for their week in the sun, and won't have the huge credit limits most on here have.

Prospero

Folks, the primary thread covering the failure of Thomas Cook UK PLC can be found here:

Thomas Cook Enters Compulsory Liquidation

Please use this thread to discuss the specific points of BA’s role in the repatriation of Thomas Cook passengers

Prospero
Moderator: BA forum

Mikey Mike Mike

there is a WAMOS 747 almost in the states with a WAMOS positioning flight number. (shown on flightradar24)

No desination shown but I think the Hadj flights are now over and so there is some long haul B747 and A330 capacity there. With the dreamliner issue continuing - Euro Atlantic, HiFly and other european carriers with long haul capacity are tied up with existing charter. For instance, Icelandair seems to have 3/4 767s from Euro Atlantic with Norwegian chartering a number of HiFly aircraft including the one A380 available for charter.

I hope everyone gets home safely albeit it a tad late.

My heart goes out to the pilots, cabin crew and ground staff as well. My best mate worked for XL as a purser and I can remember him calling me to say it had shut and he had no job, Thankfully he joined BMI and is now happy with BA Shorthaul. But for all the crew affected, this is a time of uncertainty not of their making.

Sam Bee

BA taking a bit of a beating from ex-Thomas Cook staff genuinely stranded in Las Vegas. Apparently refusing them standby travel as 'they are no longer airline staff' despite availability yesterday. And the hotels are kicking them out today due non payment.

It's odd (but repeatedly happens) that CAA won't also repatriate staff stuck down route.

Sorry I can't provide source is an industry closed group. I do hope it's a misunderstanding though. Surely BA wouldn't be that callous?

Ldnn1

I doubt it’s staff on the ground that are refusing it, but rather that standby has to be booked through BA’s other airline online portal and I suspect that TC staff access to that has been cut off, so they aren’t actually able to list for standby. Would be good to understand if that’s the issue or something else.

flatlander

HiFly are doing some work for the CAA, the Guardian has a picture of Thomas Cook travellers boarding one of their A330 or A340 aircraft ( https://www.theguardian.com/business...ess-live#img-1 )

BA, Virgin etc can handle flights back from places where there is a lot of scheduled traffic and TCX was a minority carrier, such as New York, using otherwise-unsold seats. For entirely leisure-oriented destinations with a majority of seats on charter flights, the CAA needs wet-leases to give enough seats. An example is Dalaman as pictured above, and the many Greek Islands, and so on.

Sam Bee

I think that's the actual case, very much a case of 'computer says no', which is ironic. BA could very simply have made this a non-issue.

Virgin have now stepped in to help bring staff back by offering them staff travel tickets. Also proactive with potential employment of ex-TC staff. Do I not get the impression that BA is shortstaffed amongst cabin crew and particularly pilots? Most of the TC fleet were A321 - so no potential for BA to recruit? (It is my impression from this forum that BA is short of staff, it may be the case that passengers feel they are but the actual airline doesn't!).

Ldnn1

Perhaps, although in fairness I must admit that when Monarch went bust, one of my first thoughts was "I should probably book loads of standby tickets now before they cut us off!".