If you knew that Thomas Cook Travel was one of the longest running travel operators on Earth, we think reading Atlas Obscura is pretty great too. Unfortunately, if the first time you heard about Thomas Cook Travel was this week, you’re probably wondering how this place stayed in business so long. Read on to find out what travel nightmares have been taking place and be thankful you weren’t caught up in this mess. And if you’re celebrating Rosh Hashana, L'shanah tovah!

Thomas Cook Travel Collapses And Now The Entire Internet Must Help Everybody Get Home

Thomas Cook Travel was the world’s oldest travel company up until its very last day of existence, which happened to be September 23, 2019. After all those years of working to get people where they needed to go, the one day they took off will likely haunt this name forever. However, in situations like these, we’re thankful there’s an Internet to help rescue stranded passengers.

The British company has been in business since 1841, but clearly never figured out a great way to save all that money like rapper Lil Dicky would have if he was in charge.. Slate reported.that Thomas Cook Travel was struggling with nearly $2 billion dollars for years before creditors and the government just let the company fail, leaving around 500,000 passengers stranded abroad. Ironically, the British government is now going to have to spend a ton of resources to get these passengers home, so it will be curious to see how much the projected 1,000 flights from 55 different destinations will cost the UK.

But it’s not just canceled flights that caused inconveniences for travelers. When a company suddenly ceases operation, that usually means it owes money to its partners, which in this case means hotels. And some hotels were not letting guests leave without paying. Guests reported being held against their will at a Tunisian Hotel where the British Embassy had to intervene in order to set guests free. While all travelers are expected to get refunds (eventually), it doesn’t sound like Tunisia is going to be on anyone’s hottest destination lists anytime soon. Their was also that couple who planned to get married on the Greek island of Rhodes and no idea if the flowers, caterers, and family would even make the trip since it was all booked through Thomas Cook Travel, which operated its own airline and resorts. This also dispels the longstanding myth that being stranded on a Greek island is a good thing. Though countries like Turkey and Tunisia are expected to take a tourism hit, with Reuters noting Turkey could lose up to 700,000 tourists annually, we’re confidant there’s a travel start up waiting in the wings (couldn’t help myself) ready to fill the void.

A Man Was Arrested for Attempting To Use an Empty First Class Cabin Bathroom.

A man, perhaps some would call a hero, challenged etiquette and authority on Flight 411 from New York to Los Angeles by attempting to use an empty First Class bathroom despite the fact his ticket relegated him to Economy seating. This may appear at first glance like a petty airline crime here, but there’s a complex moral dilemma to unpack here, and we’re not just saying that in order to work in a travel themed joke.

People pay extra, sometimes cashing in years worth of frequent flier miles, in order to experience the benefits of First Class, one of which is a First Class bathroom. We can’t imagine it’s that much different than the one in Economy - although if there’s Malin & Goetz products in there we are going to seriously consider upgrading next time - so the only added bonus is that there’s a smaller pool of people who can access this bathroom. Less of a wait, less chance of someone knocking into you as they pass by, and general peace of mind knowing you don’t have to walk by half of the plane when nature calls.

However, when those bathrooms remain empty and passengers in Economy can’t go in their own designated box of doom, er bathroom, can exceptions be made? After all, if a passenger has really got to go and might make the plane unsafe by standing in the aisle or their seat, does that not warrant compassion and safety? In the case of Alaska Airlines, absolutely not. The passenger’s threats to the cabin crew, which him shouting “You Can Play It How You Want to Play It”, were met by local police as the plane diverted to Kansas City. Because ruining your resume with an arrest is apparently how Alaska Airlines plays. In the crew’s defense, the passenger was wearing a NY Jets jersey, so there’s no telling how unstable he is at this point in the season.