Savvy father-of-three bought £2,000 family holiday to New York hours before Thomas Cook went bust using vouchers that could now be worthless
- Chris and Steph King cashed in on vouchers before company collapsed today
- The pair from Berkshire had saved to go to Disneyland with their three children
- Mr King heard company was struggling and spent vouchers with two hours to go
- Went for a ‘long weekend in New York for May next year’ but does not plan to go
- Mr King, 41, is hoping he can claim the money back through ATOL protection
By James Gant For Mailonline
Published: 08:34 EDT, 23 September 2019 | Updated: 12:12 EDT, 23 September 2019
A savvy father spent £2,000 on a holiday to New York using Thomas Cook vouchers just hours before the company went bust.
Chris and Steph King cashed in on the trip before the travel group went into liquidation – which may have left their coupons worthless.
The couple from Reading, Berkshire, had been saving to go to Disneyland when his children – twins Eloise and Theo, both 2, and Xanthe, 6 – grew up, but Mrs King won the vouchers at work.
Chris and Steph King (pictured) cashed in on the trip before the travel group went into liquidation – which may have left their coupons worthless
Mr King, 41, heard that Thomas Cook was teetering on the edge of collapse and spent the vouchers with just two hours to spare in his local store.
Mr King told the Mirror: ‘I walked in the shop and the three of them stopped and looked at me like I was an outsider walking into a western bar. I think they thought I was crazy.
The couple (pictured) from Reading, Berkshire, had been saving to go to Disneyland
‘I felt bad going into the shop but had I not done it then the vouchers could well have been worthless.
‘It was a bit of an awkward situation because one of the ladies had been working there for 30 years.
‘I said to them ‘I know you might be out of a job but can you help me out. She replied ‘let’s book something’.
Thomas Cook spiralled into compulsory liquidation today, putting 20,000 jobs at risk worldwide and 9,000 in the UK.
A £100million taxpayer-funded fleet of 40 or more jets is today heading to cities and resorts across Europe, the US and Asia.
It is set to bring 160,000 Britons home from more than 50 destinations over the coming fortnight.
Mr King sat down with the travel team and decided on a ‘long weekend in New York for May next year’.
He chose the Millennium Hilton hotel in downtown New York despite having done no research and basing his decision on TripAdvisor reviews.
But Mr King, 41, (right with his wife) heard that Thomas Cook was teetering on the edge of collapse and spent the vouchers with just two hours to spare in his local store
The project manager even upgraded his Virgin flights to premium economy in a bid to spend all the vouchers.
But Mrs King, 34, and Mr King have no intention of going on the trip, with Mr King hoping he can claim the money back through ATOL protection.
He said: It was bittersweet – booking a holiday we knew we wouldn’t be going on.’
He chose the Millennium Hilton hotel in downtown New York (pictured) despite having done no research and basing his decision on TripAdvisor reviews
Thomas Cook (pictured at Manchester Airport) spiralled into compulsory liquidation today, putting 20,000 jobs at risk worldwide and 9,000 in the UK
But added that he felt ‘lucky’ to not be stranded anywhere or out of pocket after paying for flights in cash.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced this morning that the company had ‘ceased trading with immediate effect’ after last-minute talks to save it broke down.
Because the company is covered by Atol protection, package holiday tourists already abroad have been assured that plans will be put in place to bring them home.
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