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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Thomas Cook passenger: 'I'm stuck in Tunisia' | Thomas Cook passenger: 'I'm stuck in Tunisia' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Thomas Cook passenger due to fly home on Tuesday has said she is "stuck" in Tunisia, unable to secure a new flight. | A Thomas Cook passenger due to fly home on Tuesday has said she is "stuck" in Tunisia, unable to secure a new flight. |
| Julie Paige told the BBC that she had booked a flight with the collapsed travel firm which was not covered by the industry insurance fund Atol. | Julie Paige told the BBC that she had booked a flight with the collapsed travel firm which was not covered by the industry insurance fund Atol. |
| "I had a flight booked with Thomas Cook to return back to the UK on 8 October which no longer exists," she said. | "I had a flight booked with Thomas Cook to return back to the UK on 8 October which no longer exists," she said. |
| Ms Paige said she did not have enough money to book a return flight to the UK and did not know what to do. | Ms Paige said she did not have enough money to book a return flight to the UK and did not know what to do. |
| The Air Travel Organiser's Licence (Atol) protection covers customers who booked a package deal with the firm, not flight-only deals. | The Air Travel Organiser's Licence (Atol) protection covers customers who booked a package deal with the firm, not flight-only deals. |
| Ms Paige's flight on Tuesday falls just outside the two-week repatriation scheme organised by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which organised replacement flights back for those affected by Thomas Cook's failure. | Ms Paige's flight on Tuesday falls just outside the two-week repatriation scheme organised by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which organised replacement flights back for those affected by Thomas Cook's failure. |
| Ms Paige, a nurse, said she did not have enough money to book a replacement flight and only had a basic bank account. | |
| "It's nearly 900 Tunisian dinar. I haven't got £300 for another flight. | "It's nearly 900 Tunisian dinar. I haven't got £300 for another flight. |
| "I'm stuck. I just didn't expect this to happen. I live month to month as a single parent and I have no spare money. I don't know what to do. When you haven't got any money, you haven't got any options." | "I'm stuck. I just didn't expect this to happen. I live month to month as a single parent and I have no spare money. I don't know what to do. When you haven't got any money, you haven't got any options." |
| 'It's a lot of money' | 'It's a lot of money' |
| The final flight bringing holidaymakers back by emergency repatriation and organised by the CAA landed on Monday. | The final flight bringing holidaymakers back by emergency repatriation and organised by the CAA landed on Monday. |
| Those who did not return on a CAA-organised flight are expected to have to make their own plans, although those covered by the Atol scheme will be refunded. | Those who did not return on a CAA-organised flight are expected to have to make their own plans, although those covered by the Atol scheme will be refunded. |
| The CAA said people without Atol protection due to return after the 7 October could return earlier on a repatriation flight if there was availability, but passengers due to return before then would be prioritised. | |
| In response to Ms Paige's situation, the CAA said there would be very few people who fell outside the repatriation window. | |
| In such cases, it said, people should turn to their travel insurance, or to their bank or the Foreign Office. | |
| Maureen Foster told the BBC that she had to borrow £726 to be able to afford her flights home from Cyprus. She was due to return on 17 October, but is now returning three days early. | Maureen Foster told the BBC that she had to borrow £726 to be able to afford her flights home from Cyprus. She was due to return on 17 October, but is now returning three days early. |
| "We didn't bring any credit cards with us. Our brother has helped us out and we have to pay him back when we get home. | "We didn't bring any credit cards with us. Our brother has helped us out and we have to pay him back when we get home. |
| "It's a lot of money, there's so many people trying to get back from Cyprus. | "It's a lot of money, there's so many people trying to get back from Cyprus. |
| "It was very upsetting at the start. We've had to come to terms with it and wonder how we're going to claim it back when we get home." | "It was very upsetting at the start. We've had to come to terms with it and wonder how we're going to claim it back when we get home." |
| John Robinson, from Stoke-on-Trent, said he had also booked Thomas Cook flights that returned on 8 October, and had not been able to come home earlier because his flights fell outside the 14-day repatriation window. | John Robinson, from Stoke-on-Trent, said he had also booked Thomas Cook flights that returned on 8 October, and had not been able to come home earlier because his flights fell outside the 14-day repatriation window. |
| "We were told because we're outside the 14 days we had to book our own flights and sort it out when we get home. | "We were told because we're outside the 14 days we had to book our own flights and sort it out when we get home. |
| "So now we're out of pocket for the return flight we should have had from Thomas Cook and we've had to pay £702 for the return flights to England on Tuesday." | "So now we're out of pocket for the return flight we should have had from Thomas Cook and we've had to pay £702 for the return flights to England on Tuesday." |