Thomas Cook say no to compensation in the case of no-deal Brexit flight disruption

THOMAS COOK has said they will not be awarding British holidaymakers compensation or expenses if their flights are grounded as a result of a no-deal Brexit.
A specialist in package holidays, the airline and travel company changed its terms and conditions in light of the risk of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, including on aviation.
Based in Manchester, Thomas Cook has designated a no-deal Brexit as being the equivalent of other situations it cannot control such as civil unrest or events arising out of political instability.
The alteration means that the company is not obliged to pay compensation, but it will continue to refund the cost of any cancelled flights.
Last week, the European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, confirmed that “if everything goes wrong…British planes will not be able to land on the European continent.”
EU-issued aviation licences would be invalid in the case of a no deal, potentially causing widespread disruption.
However, asked whether its customers could be stranded on the continent by the cancellation of flights, a spokesman said:
“If a customer was on a holiday with Thomas Cook, we would ensure we would get them home as we do with all the holidays we sell.”
The “open skies” agreement currently allows EU airlines to fly wherever they wish within the EU, and the UK is seeking an adequate replacement for it.
Airlines UK, an industry association representing 13 UK-registered carriers, has assured that it is confident of finding a resolution to protect customers.