We deal with a lot of holiday complaints at ProMediate. Thomas Cook was in the news again recently: A military veteran with terminal cancer was forced to cancel his holiday because he had a chemotherapy appointment. Initially Thomas Cook refused to give him a refund. Craig Lyons, from Liverpool, who was a former service personnel had paid £1,385 for ten nights in Tenerife so that he and his girlfriend Joan could enjoy a final holiday together. It is unclear when he booked the holiday.
Initially, Thomas Cook would not issue a refund, offering him £85, but they have now apologised and offered a full refund. In fact, Thomas Cook were probably within their legal rights to decline to refund, but the bad publicity would have eclipsed that cost. Travellers are normally advised to take out travel insurance to cover unexpected illnesses. However, if a traveller has a pre-existing condition then it is unlikely that they would be covered for any losses or cancellation derived from that illness.
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