BITTER IRONY
Thomas Cook collapse ruins £10k Greece wedding of groom called… Thomas Cook
A DEVASTATED groom called Thomas Cook has had his dream wedding in Greece scuppered by the travel firm that shares his name.
Thomas, 29, and his partner Amelia Binch, 27, from Hucknall, Notts., are now stuck in Rhodes after booking the dream getaway and wedding package through the disaster-hit operator.
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They flew out on five days ago and are due to marry at the Lindos Princess hotel on Friday, with the best man and other guests due to fly out with Thomas Cook in the next few days.
But the distraught couple have been told the wedding might not go ahead, as the Thomas Cook package included the wedding ceremony, flowers, cake, decorations and entertainment.
The operator went bust in the early hours of Monday morning after failing to secure a last-ditch rescue deal, with all future flights and holidays cancelled.
'DEVASTATED'
As many as 9,000 Thomas Cook employees among 21,000 staff around the world have also lost their jobs - many who have bravely ploughed on today to help the holidaymakers affected.
The pair, who have two young daughters, Alice, five, and Lucy, seven, had flown out from East Midlands Airport with their parents and close family and were due to fly home on October 3 - but now they have been told to be on standby as they could be called to the airport any day.
Mr Cook, who works for Rolls-Royce, told : "Thomas Cook promised us a surprise on our wedding because of my name but this was not the surprise we were expecting.
"I am just devastated. We have got more than 30 friends and family coming out, half are stuck at home in limbo. My best man is still in England. No one here knows anything.
"I have been planning this for two years and it has all gone to pot. We have paid for everything. It is shattering. We don't know what we can do. Thomas Cook staff have been good but they lost their jobs."
I am just devastated. We have got more than 30 friends and family coming out, half are stuck at home in limbo. My best man is still in England. No one here knows anything.
Thomas Cook
Miss Binch, a beauty therapist, added: "We are just so stressed out - we don't know if we are getting married or not. I had a collapsed lung before I came and I got the all clear. It just seems like one thing after the other. We are ATOL protected but it is an absolute nightmare.
"We are just really anxious. We are being told we might be flying back to Manchester or London and we could be told we are to fly out today. They have said it could be any time."
The couple, who have been together for 12 years, decided to marry abroad because it was cheaper to marry in Rhodes than having a wedding in the UK.
They are not the only bride and groom to have had their plans floored by the sudden bust.
Laura Thorne, 32, and partner Lee Grant, 43, had 61 guests flying out to Cypus and had forked out £80,000 in total to Thomas Cook.
The couple, from Swindon, have been planning their wedding for two years but might now have to pull the plug on their big day.
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 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
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Another wedding was disrupted when a party of 45 people found themselves stranded at Manchester Airport after their flight to Jamaica was cancelled this morning.
The biggest repatriation since World War Two began today to return the 150,000 stranded Brits flown home from 53 destinations in 17 countries.
It is expected to last two weeks and free flights will be offered to the majority of Thomas Cook’s 150,000 passengers currently abroad.
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Thomas Cook collapse - what you need to know if you're booked for a future holiday or stuck overseas
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