Bing-bong. Would passengers for today’s flight to quality, operated by Thomas Cook and Tui Travel, please go immediately to gate 2009?

Manny Fontenla-Novoa is like an eternally upbeat travel agent. Even as workers shudder at salary freezes and redundancy notices, Thomas Cook’s chief executive makes a compelling case for everyone to shake off the credit-crunch blues and book a trip to a sunnier place.