Thousands of Thomas Cook customers still waiting for holiday refunds

A closed Thomas Cook shop in Bristol. Photo: PA

Thousands of Thomas Cook passengers have still not received refunds for holidays cancelled after the travel firm’s collapse in September.

Around one in three customers who filed claims on the first day UK authorities began processing them will not receive it by its two-month deadline of this Friday.

But the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said more than 22,000 passengers had not yet submitted further information needed for refunds, urging them to check email junk and spam folders.

Customers who booked 40,000 of the 300,000 cancelled trips have not applied for refunds, paid from a pot based on an insurance levy charged on travel firms.

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The CAA said around two-thirds of the 67,000 legitimate claims received on day one would be paid by this weekend.

Richard Moriarty, CEO of the CAA, said: “We thank consumers for their ongoing patience as we continue to do all that we can to work through the UK travel industry’s largest ever refunds programme.

“I appreciate that this is a concerning time for Thomas Cook customers who are waiting for their refunds, particularly at this time of the year.

“We will have already paid out more than £160 million by this weekend and will continue to pay claims as soon as possible.

“Where we have had to request further information, we encourage those consumers to respond at the earliest opportunity so that we can finalise these payments.

“I would like to reassure consumers that all valid Atol-protected payments will be refunded.”

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