“As a recent customer of Thomas Cook we realized that it was the worst ever decision to go with thomas cook through Riya travels.
We were given cards for usage in UK, with complete knowledge of the usage being specific for local commute, metro's and buses, with assurance of they being the ones we needed.
We were issued three separate cards as we needed for commuting, we were issued two visa cards and one master card.
Though shokingly only the master card would work and the visa cards were not even recognised by the readers in the buses and the metro stations, they never worked.
We tried calling and writing, with family, the time difference, foreign land, however no response. zero empathy no care whatsoever.
Fortunately we had local bank cards and we had to use them to manage after the helpless and frustrating call for help failed.
Not to forget the frightful rude, selfish behavior of the local staff of Riya Travels.
One thing was clear, that this would need addressing and we deserved better, so post our return I have been trying to seek answers to just three questions.
- Why were we issued these Visa cards when they would not work, I am sure we would not be the first ones having this issue, besides you specifically knew the usage was for commuting.
- Why was no help or response provided during those harrowing, anxious days we had to go through
- Why were the staff at Riya so rude, just because they realized that they just pushed sales without any emotion regarding the problems it would cause us.
Post our multiple escalation we still get a response that its not the concern of Thomas Cook that the cards never worked at the merchants end, mind you the local buses and tube. So its not Thomas Cooks concern at all.
It is disappointing and also sad that today companies have no moral compass, empathy or even the basic ethical tilt towards unsuspecting, trusting customers”
“Very disappointing experience with Thomas Cook Thailand holiday package. Most commitments made by the marketing team were not fulfilled . Poor coordination, no proper backup, and missed activities were not carried forward as promised e.g dinner voucher etc. Overall, mismanagement and poor service. Not what we expected from Thomas Cook.”
“I would give a 0 star rating but it wasn’t an option. Most terrible, stressful and awful experience with booking and resolving an outstanding query. My query is still not resolved despite me phoning every day and my holiday is 2 weeks away.”
“We had taken a 15 day tour to Europe which was bad with Thomas cook from the word go. First they took initial Rs2lakhs and then there was no correspondence from them for a month. We had to call them again and again to go ahead with the visa formalities. After that they increased the euro rate exorbitantly. And they threatened us that if we do not pay the rates will keep on increasing. In the morning there was a different rate and evening it was increased.
Anyway, finally we reached Europe. The hotels were very average, too far away from the main points So we had to travel a lot in the buses. In fact 80% of our tour was spent in buses. Some days we used to travel 10-12 hours in buses
And to add to it , the tour manager Aldrin was snobbish, full of malice and very inefficient. He used to announce in the bus which only he could hear. He gave us wrong information about the trains which cost us extra money and time. Upon confronting him he started taking sort of revenge from us. Not talking in the tour, giving us rooms which lacked a few basic amenities which others used to get and once he took off the bus without us, even when we were near the bus. When the fellow passengers shouted, he had to stop the bus. He used to even tell the other passengers that let them complain, nothing will happen to him. Our tour was totally spoilt with poor lodging ( even when we paid for 4 star accommodation), poor food, bad tour manager and spending 3/4 time in Europe in buses.
After coming back we made a written complaint about the behaviour of the tour manager and demanded for action to be taken, which they assured they will. In fact all the travellers in our group recorded their bad experience about the tour and we shared the same with the company, but it’s more than two months and we have not heard from them.
In fact we read very poor reviews about Thomas cook on having a bad experience while still in tour. I only wish, we had read it before taking the tour.”
“Absolutely appalling company do not book, we were flown to an airport miles away only to find when we did reach the hotel there was no booking, the hotel were amazing and Thomas cook have tried to blame the hotel! Stick to Jet 2 and TUI you know what to expect not this kind of stress at the beginning of your holiday!”
“So many negative reviews on here but our recent holiday to Gran Canaria was all good from the booking, the transfer, the accommodation and the return trip. Second time using them and would not hesitate to book with them again.”
“DO NOT book with this company. I booked a holiday to Corfu through Thomas Cook in May 2026. Less than 24 hours before my flight I was informed we weren’t even going to the hotel I had booked and paid for as it wasn’t even there. We had been made to pay a premium price for a premium holiday, with Thomas Cook knowing the hotel would not have been open for our holiday. We were then downgraded to a hotel of much lesser value with no compensation or option to delay/cancel the trip. All inclusive food was absolutely terrible, poor hygiene within the rooms and the opposite side of the island to what we had booked.
During the holiday contacted Thomas Cook’s “friendly” customer service about the issues as we just wanted to go home. They told us it was not their problem and there was nothing they can do. We have since been ignored on email, online chat and call regarding the situation, and have been made false promises that they would be “getting back to us soon”. It’s been over a month with still no response. If you’re looking for a company that is reliable and communicates well with their customers, Thomas Cook is unfortunately not the company to go with.”
“The customer service is poor. We delt with the Mumbai office for our Japan Cherry Blossom trip. Even the chief of the Mumbai branch was ignorant of customer calls. Never bothered to call back or even reply to messages. We were in dark till the day we had to leave . We were not sure whether we are going or not till 3 hrs before departure. Most mis managed office . But once we landed in Japan the tour manage was extraordinary , very helpful and great human. He wiped off all our bitterness on Thomas Cook .”
“We went for an 11 day trip to Europe on 14th May with Thomas Cook and are very sorry to say that as you claim, you not so fare to the expectation.
The first 3 days in Paris were good but as we entered Switzerland, the hotel room in Basel was quite small for three adults, on top it the food there was disgusting. Literally we were unable to eat, the portions were meagre and on top of it the local guide was quite rigid and we had no choice other than contacting the regional office from where we booked the tour. Moreover, the third day in Switzerland was supposed to be in Zurich but we stayed at a remote place, which was outside Zurich. When we told this to the tour manager, he told us that we have to pay 10 euros each to visit Zurich. But the iteranary clearly showed that we were to visit Zurich that day. Next comes Italy, a complete disaster. Though the rooms were good, but the food was horrible. We were told that there should be some "wow moments" for us in Italy but the wow moment was indeed a haggard looking woman dancing showing skinny belly and bottles of wine and beer with cold drink. If I don't drink wine or beer, then where is my "wow moment". Have I paid anything less!
We were given backside rooms everywhere with no views and everytime being visited to some cheap Indian restaurants with horrible platters. And to top everything, the last day, after visiting Pisa, we were made to sit outside a gas station with again horrible food packets with probably the stale food from the previous night's dinner. The packets we literally threw in the garbage bin as it made us feel like some beggars from India who have come there to beg food.
P. S :- The tour manager's behaviour at times was quite rude as he never admitted to the wrong doings and moreover he owes almost everyone of us money as he didn't even bother to return us the excess amount from the jungfrau trip and tip to driver.
I therefore demand Thomas Cook to look into this kind of ill management as this kinds of tours are for lifetime and cannot be repeated as we like...”
“Worst tour operator ever....
WARNING : NEVER EVER CHOOSE THOMAS COOK
ITS A TOTAL FRAUD AND MONEY MINTING COMPANY
We booked a premium tour of Europe of 15 days
They have made us stay in low downgraded hotels in which the room sizes were super small and the hotels weren't up to the mark plus outside the main city...
Most of the times we face the problem of no AC or the AC not working properly...
Most of the things they show in a bus and they do avoid some important landmarks of the place as per there money saving scheme...
The change their program as per their wins without any information prior...
The tour manager is serving just as a navigator claiming no solution to our griviances or problems and asking us to coordinate always with the sales person who sold the tour to us... Even in times of emergency...
The tour salesperson assess to coordinate with the tour manager as the 1 point of contact.. which seems worthless...
Even though few places in Switzerland were closed due to whites and then white Monday they chose to leave us there doing nothing and wasting our time...
The quality of bus provided is extremely uncomfortable... The bus is not cleaned regularly and not service hence AC also doesn't work properly...
The best stinks after few days of use
Will never ever book any tour from Thomas Cook
Highly highly disappointed”
“Dear Thomas Cook Team,
The “North East Delight” tour conducted from 18 to 24 May 2026 was extremely mismanaged and highly disappointing.
The itinerary was poorly planned, resulting in continuous delays in reaching destinations and late-night travel on unsafe roads with little or no lighting. This created serious safety concerns for all passengers at unfamiliar locations.
Further, the stay arrangements were not as promised at the time of booking. Instead of accommodation at Pelling as per the itinerary, guests were shifted to Yuksom without prior information. The hotel provided at Yuksom was below expected standards, had no lift facility, and the food served was sub-standard.
Despite repeated complaints from multiple guests throughout the tour, no effective corrective action was taken by Thomas Cook.
Guests were also asked to stand in queues and arrange their own entry tickets at sightseeing locations, which is unacceptable for an organised tour. Additionally, unlike other professional tour operators, no proper briefing or explanation regarding the historical or cultural importance of the places visited was provided.
Only one tour manager was assigned for a group of approximately 30 people, making it difficult for her to manage the group effectively.
Moreover, the tour included stops at unhygienic and poorly maintained pay-and-use toilet facilities, causing considerable inconvenience and discomfort.
Overall, what should have been a memorable experience in the beautiful North East region turned into a stressful and disappointing journey due to poor planning and inadequate management by Thomas Cook.
We strongly feel that the services provided were not commensurate with the amount charged for the tour. We therefore request that appropriate action be taken regarding this matter and that at least 50% of the tour cost be refunded as compensation for the poor and substandard services provided.”
“I recently used Thomas Cook for a vacation, and while there were some positive aspects, the overall experience left a lot to be desired, especially regarding transparency and crisis support.
*The Positives:*
* *Itinerary & Value:* The overall coverage of the itinerary was good and provided decent value for money.
* *Hotel Quality:* The hotel selections were generally of a higher standard than other tour operators like Kesari. However, consistency is an issue—in one instance, our window opened up directly to a view of a local slum.
* *Flight Assistance:* They did help us book flights for the final leg of our journey and assisted with rescheduling when those were canceled.
*The Negatives (Why I cannot recommend them):*
* *Hidden Charges & Post-Payment Demands:* This company claims to be a premium, professional travel agency, but their pricing transparency is incredibly poor. Once we negotiated and paid the full tour fee, they repeatedly came back demanding additional charges. This happened twice to us with sudden "extra" VISA and insurance fees. Furthermore, a service tip of $5 per day, per person, was hidden away in a clause that the sales team conveniently chose not to disclose upfront, costing us roughly ₹11,000 extra in dollar terms.
* *Zero Support in Jeopardy:* The true test of a premium agency is how they handle emergencies, and Thomas Cook failed completely. When our transit flight was delayed and we missed our connecting flight, they provided absolutely no help. The Sales Manager completely washed his hands of the situation, telling me I had to fight it out with the airlines locally on my own.
*Final Verdict:*
Do not rely on Thomas Cook if you expect a seamless, worry-free premium service. They do not act in a decisive or supportive manner when travelers are in jeopardy. Between the hidden post-booking charges and the comple”
“DON'T touch this company even with a "bargepole". This is not the Thomas Cook of older times. (I think the original Thomas Cook was bought out by Tui). These guys have bought a good brand name and just racking in the profits. The telltale signs are the logo has changed (compared to the original company). They have no ground infrastructure (like other reputable holiday providers) in the destination countries. They subcontract everything to the cheapest of cheapest. The hotel and transfer to hotel was so bad that as I wrote my email complaint to them it was 4 A4 pages long. So you can imagine how many things we were disappointed with. They described the hotel as 3.5 stars; I would say it was more like a youth hostel. For example: Hotel did not even provide minimal (on arrival at 11:30 pm) drinking water!!. And that was just a start. The (shared) transfer made us wait over 2 HOURS at the airport (in the cold). When we called their customer service (roaming from Turkey) all they could say was just sorry, sorry, sorry and were asking us to do their leg work to upload "proofs" what we were saying was wrong. WTH I would want to talk to CHATBOT Customer Service when I have problem abroad?; these TC people don't think (more like don't care or don't give a ****). All they could say was "we will contact our contractors (who are in Spain for a UK holiday to Turkey)". You can imagine our frustration, annoyance and anger building up as more and more time passes. You are supposed to be on holiday (not a boot camp). By the way, no one ever contacted us back while we were away. So far No Apology. WE HAVE HAD bad experience with this company; you should avoid having the same. Read Thomas Cook (and the Aroma Boutik Hotel in Antalya Turkey) reviews on Trustpilot. If I could I would give minus / negative rating to TC and the hotel. There are so many negative comments below about Thomas Cook that we concur.”
“We have booked a holiday to Europe starting this April. We had booked the package in December and locked in the price of Rs695000/- for 2 for 14 day tour. First they took months and only by end of February our visa booking was done after multiple follow ups.
Now they are asking an increase rate of almost 50000/- and are increasing it daily. Morning they give one rate and in the evening they give an increased rate. They are also threatening to forfeit our money which we have already paid, if we do not pay immediately. Once they have your neck, they throttle you completely.
Having a horrible experience. Don’t ever book with Thomas Cook.”
“i was on the online chat with them for 4 hours just trying to cancel a booking, passed around to 4 different agents. Each message takes at least 5 minutes just to get a reply. There is no where to call them without being charged. Impossible customer service. each agent tells me a new things, i have to keep sending screenshots of what the previous agent agreed to as they all seem to follow different rules.”
“Appalling response to crisis in the Gulf. Given the FCDO advice not to travel to Oman. Contacted them immediately on WhatsApp, as they don’t have a phone number.
Spoke to a bot, that said they would put me in contact with a real person, who was in fact another bot call Ayse. We were told that our request to cancel our holiday would be passed to the cancellations team who would shortly contact us by email.
They did not respond to us, so we emailed them. We got the response that they would respond to our email within 28 days. That is after we are due to leave for our holiday.
When we went back to WhatsApp, strangely we ended up talking to Ayse again, who gave exactly the same answers.
We spent £8,000 on our holiday and they are ABTA and ATOL protected, and we just want a refund that we can rebook with them”
“Discovered 5 days before holiday that the hotel was under major refurbishment scheduled for 3-4 months. Other travel agents aware and it’s on their website. Thomas Cook denied being aware and even after I sent trip adviser picture and other travel agents confirmation they still refused to accept the position. I asked for either a move to another hotel or a refund. I could have another hotel if I pay for the hotel in full plus other charges on top of my already paid for holiday. Matter now in the hands of my credit card company for a refund”
