Fate: | Merged with Thomas Cook AG |
MyTravel Group | |
Former Name: | Airtours Group plc |
Type: | Public |
Traded As: | FTSE 250 Component |
Foundation: | (as Airtours Group) |
Founder: | David Crossland |
Successor: | Thomas Cook Group plc |
Location: | Rochdale, England |
Key People: | Michael Beckett (Chairman) Peter McHugh (CEO) |
Num Employees: | 13,000 (2006)[1] |
Parent: | Thomas Cook Group (2007) |
Subsid: | MyTravel Tour Operations MyTravel Airways (UK) MyTravel Airways Scandinavia BCT Travel Group Direct Holidays Tjæreborg Spies Ving ALBA Tours Sunquest Vacations |
Industry: | Hospitality, tourism |
Products: | Charter and scheduled passenger airlines, package holidays, cruise lines, hotels and resorts |
Revenue: | £2,790 million (2006) |
MyTravel Group plc was a British, global travel group headquartered in Rochdale, England. It was founded in 1972 as Airtours Group. The group included two in-house airlines, MyTravel Airways UK and MyTravel Airways Scandinavia, and various tour operators around the world. On 19 June 2007, the group merged with Thomas Cook AG to form the Thomas Cook Group plc.
The successor to MyTravel Group: Thomas Cook Group, entered Compulsory liquidation on 23 September 2019.
The group was founded under the Airtours brand in 1972, when David Crossland purchased a series of small travel agencies in Lancashire, United Kingdom.[2] The group began operating package holidays and launched its own in-house charter airline, in the early 1980s.[2] It offered their first charter flights to the Caribbean in 1987 for just £299.[3]
In 1994, Airtours purchased Scandinavian Leisure Group and in 1996 it bought Simon Spies Holding, a Danish rival.[4]
In 2002, Airtours Group plc, rebranded under the new company-wide banner of MyTravel Group plc. This included a name change for Airtours International and Premiair to MyTravel Airways.[5]
In November 2003, MyTravel sold off its North America Cruise Division to NLG (National Leisure Group) of Woburn, Massachusetts.[6]
On 12 February 2007, MyTravel Group plc announced that they had agreed terms on a merger with Thomas Cook AG to form Thomas Cook Group plc.[7]
MyTravel Tour Operations Limited | United Kingdom | Merged into Thomas Cook Tour Operations | |
Panorama Holiday Group Limited | United Kingdom | Transferred to Thomas Cook Group (2007)Dissolution (2014)[8] | |
BCT Travel Group Limited | United Kingdom | Transferred to Thomas Cook Group (2007)Rebranded to Thomas Cook Scheduled Tour Operations Limited (2008)[9] Dissolution (2015) | |
Direct Holidays plc | United Kingdom | Dissolution (2013)[10] | |
Tjæreborg | Denmark Finland | Transferred to Thomas Cook Group (2007) | |
Spies | Denmark | Transferred to Thomas Cook Group (2007) | |
Ving | Denmark Norway Sweden | Transferred to Thomas Cook Group (2007) | |
ALBA Tours | Canada | Transferred to Thomas Cook Group (2007) | |
Sunquest Vacations | Canada | Transferred to Thomas Cook Group (2007)Sold to Red Label Vacations (2013)[11] |
MyTravel Airways Limited | United Kingdom | MyTravel Airways Limited was a British scheduled and charter airline, formerly known as Airtours International. | Transferred to Thomas Cook Group (2007) Merged with Thomas Cook Airlines UK (2008) | ||
MyTravel Airways A/S | Denmark | MyTravel Airways was a Scandinavian scheduled and charter airline. | Transferred to Thomas Cook Group (2007)Rebranded to Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia (2008) |