Thomas Cook starts fuel surcharge

The tour operator Thomas Cook is adding a fuel surcharge to the cost of its holidays in response to the sudden rise in the oil price.

The charges will increase according to the distance travelled. For short-haul flights the extra levy is £15 per holiday, rising to £40 for long-haul.

The surcharge will apply to all new bookings that include a Thomas Cook flight made from Tuesday onwards.

The company blames a 40% increase in the cost of fuel for the move.

The surcharge applies to both flight-only or package holidays, and applies whether the trip is booked through a travel agency or directly with Thomas Cook itself.

Surcharges will apply to all charter brands including Thomas Cook, Airtours, Sunset, Manos, Club 18-30 and Neilson.

A spokesman for the company, Ian Ailles, said: “We’ve worked hard to keep the impact of the rising fuel costs on our holidaymakers to a minimum but the fuel levy is an unavoidable result of the rising price of oil.”