First Choice & TUI Merge
The two remaining holiday companies of the original big four have announced they’ll merge. First Choice PLC will merge with the tourism division of TUI to form TUI Travel PLC and give them a massive share of the UK holiday market.
TUI - Thomson, Portland Direct, Simply Travel, ThomsonFly, Crystal, Skydeals, Headwater, The First Resort, Latedeals.com
First Choice - First Choice, Sovereign, Hayes & Jarvis, Citalia, Meon Villas, Signature, Sunsail, Falcon, 2wentys, Hays Travel, JWT Travel
The deal is subject to approval from First Choice shareholders and will undoubtedly attract the attention of the Competition Commission.
Similar to the Thomas Cook / My Travel merger, the merger will allow the new larger company to cut costs and job losses in the UK are expected.
Discussion: First Choice & TUI Merger
Links:
First Choice Press Release (pdf)
Michael said,
March 19, 2007 @ 11:47 am
As usual I bet it will be the customer who will pay in the end
Angela said,
March 19, 2007 @ 1:08 pm
Will this mean less choice and more expensive holidays. Especially with Thomas Cook and My Travel merging as well
valderee said,
March 19, 2007 @ 1:33 pm
we always lose out when two companys merge, the customer has less choice,hotels places and money wise,they hold all the ace cards, its true they can become too powerfull, and anonymous
i used to travel with eclipse, now part of first choice, and when i got the very first first choice brochure ,you could see the brochure was diferent .even then ,many smaller greek islands were not there,, and other places,, vanished, or the choice was limited.i have always travelled with first choice . but if the holidays i want are not there or now very expensive, i will vote with my key board and go with the internet, and go independently, its a bad move for staff in call centers,, some will lose jobs i have always found them helpful,and enjoyed the service on the planes etc, first choice for me was just that first chioce for me, , they were excellent
Marie said,
March 19, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
I agree with Michael there wont be any opposition and prices will go up. For instance this year I booked a Thomson flight cheaper through First Choice than Thomson Fly. Obviously this will stop
John Questy said,
March 19, 2007 @ 3:37 pm
Hi, As usual the customer will be badly let down in the higher prices for future holidays.
But having said that, most of the main companys offer/state find the holiday cheaper anywhere within som many days and we will match or evn lower the price. Perhaps now Thomas Cook will fall into line and actually offer what they preach.
Regards
John
Pam Prickett said,
March 19, 2007 @ 4:33 pm
The move will go forward whatever the shareholder’s vote. Always seems that way to me anyhow.
The comments so far say it all…………….
susan brookhouse said,
March 19, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
No matter what comments we make the big boys will do what they want to do in the end. It is just so that we can have our say
jemma said,
March 19, 2007 @ 7:54 pm
we have always gone with Thomson and have always found their prices reasonable! This year we have booked through Thomson again. We got the holiday we wanted £1,000 cheaper. We always look around before we book and found First Choice and Thomas Cook prices well over priced. It will be nice to see how this will effect us next year! These companies dont care about the customers. ITS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY…. and if us (the public) want holidays and are willing to pay, we are putty in their hands!!!
Mary said,
March 19, 2007 @ 11:04 pm
I think this will be good, both Thomson and First Choice are good tour operators, both are the only 2 air lines to increase standard leg room on long haul flights to 33inches- so they do care about us. and listen to what the customer wants. Lets wait and see what the out come is before assuming.
Melanie said,
March 20, 2007 @ 8:25 am
Mary do you actually think they increased the leg room because they care?? of course they didn’t its a marketing ploy, they don’t care if we are squashed together like sardines as long as they make their money. this merger will be bad news, I like first choice and trust them, however you cant trust the people at thomson as far as you can throw them.
lesley and buzz said,
March 20, 2007 @ 9:14 am
We have travelled thomas cook and first choice and we are frequent travellers who would NOT travel thomas cook in there cattle planes if they paid us. We love cuba but if the first choice flights are removed in favour of the disgussiting thomas cook flights or the cost rises we will go schedual. What with gordon browns green house tax which goes in his pocket tax and now this. Even the thomas cook air hostes s staff are terrible.
Dave Bell said,
March 20, 2007 @ 1:47 pm
It’s difficult to see how this could get past the Monopolies Commission, but as with casinos et al,if this government which considers itself above the law wants something it will happen, so let’s await a £10 million donation, sorry loan, from both companies to Labour Party funds. We’ve found First Choice excellent, but they all need to do something about their awful seat room on planes
Paul Woodruff said,
March 20, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
Well what a load of pessimists. I think tour operators have to consilidate,to survive.
The trend to build your own haliday ,with flight operators ,and hotel and room specialists,some of which I appreciate are operated by the Big Boys ,but many are not.
There is still room for Package Companies , but they need to have the mussle to compete. Sometimes its usefull to book the whole thing at one go,from home to hotel,saves a lot of time on the net.
Yes I do have a few shares in First Choice and yes they have just gone up 24p but thats irrelevent. and yes I do have a few shares in Airtours and Im waiting for thomas Cook to call, but thats Totally Irrelevent.
Belive me I mean a FEW.
Woodie
Paul Woodruff
Carol Black said,
March 22, 2007 @ 4:30 pm
I think that it is a bad thing for the customer there will be no competion.It was bad enough before,I now usually book independantly.
Jean said,
April 16, 2007 @ 8:25 pm
Its about time they all soted themselves out and thought about school holidays
(PRICES ) working at a school as we do and before children at school having to pay alot more and there is nothing you can do you have to take school holidays then I am sure they could give some help and reduce PRICESat these times
The week before or after school holidays are alot cheaper WHY???? you travel to the same place same airline
Sarah said,
May 10, 2007 @ 12:42 pm
Having been on Holiday with Thomson and been sent to the hotel from hell it was due for demolition and having service from hell from first choice, I think this is a match made in heaven.
I will be avoiding “Package holidays” in the future.
Pollyanna1 said,
June 18, 2007 @ 11:53 am
The advantage to holiday companies merging obviously means that they can take out a competitor so prices may well rise. But with so many no frills airlines then you can put together the package yourself. I booked flights with Jet 2 and transfers and accommodation with ibizatravelshop this year for 7 nights at the Bellamar hotel for 345 pounds per person - this is in the Airtours brochure for 478 pounds per person. And I have a guaranteed sea view. I wouldn’t hop over to Egypt or Tunisia without a tour operator but with Ibiza - and a hotel and place that you know - it makes perfect sense.