Thomas Cook had been constantly ribbed over the name he shares with the famous travel agent. For years people have asked whether he can get them a free holiday. So, in a bid to get some 'compensation', the 26-year-old posted a cheeky request for a weekend in Paris on the company's Facebook page. Thomas Cook refused to give away the 'free holiday' but, seeing an opportunity to get over on their rivals, quick-thinking travel agent Lowcostholidays.com offered to take Mr Cook to Paris instead. Yesterday, Mr Cook, from York, uploaded a photograph of himself and friend Rob standing under the Eiffel Tower on the Reddit website. Bonjour! After asking Thomas Cook for a weekend in Paris to 'compensate' for the years of ridicule he had suffered because of his name, Thomas Cook, left, and a friend finally took the trip earlier this month...with rival firm Lowcostholidays.com . The snap, titled 'Benefits of sharing my name with a travel agent', shot up to one of the most-read items on the website and also went viral on Twitter. Mr Cook, the bass player in punk band The Fear, had taken to Thomas Cook's Facebook page last November to lament the ‘years of . ridicule and torment’ he had suffered because of his name. He added that the trip to Paris could help 'promote your brand by constantly keeping it in . peoples minds every time they speak to me' (sic). But when the travel agent declined, Mr Cook received an email from Charlotte Hunt at  Lowcostholidays sympathising with his plight. Missed opportunity: Mr Cook had posted a cheeky request on Thomas Cook's Facebook page asking for a weekend in Paris . Quick-thinking: Seeing Mr Cook's message to Thomas Cook, Charlotte Hunt from rival company Lowcostholidays.com stepped in to offer him the trip instead . Marketing representative, Ms Hunt wrote: 'Here at lowcostholidays.com we . completely sympathise with your suffering and if your name was . “lowcostholidays.com” we would certainly have accepted your request to . be sent away on a weekend in Paris. '...So how about we send you on that weekend in Paris?' Mr Cook finally took the trip earlier this month. Speaking to the MailOnline Mr Cook said he posted the request on the travel agent's Facebook page 'for a laugh'. 'I didn't think for a second that it would amount to anything at.' And when the offer from Lowcostholidays came through Mr Cook admits he didn't believe it at first. 'I thought it was some sort of joke,' he said. He added: 'Looking at the response on the Lowcostholidays' Facebook page, I'd say they definitely missed out. Companies need to be aware of how social networking works. Lowcostholidays saw an opportunity for some fun and good press and grabbed it.' Despite missing out on the golden PR opportunity, Thomas Cook posted a message on its Facebook page congratulating Mr Cook. They wrote: 'Just a quick one from the team . to say we're really pleased our namesake Thomas Cook looks like he's . had a great time on his free trip to Paris!!! 'We’d love to have helped him out (along . with all the other 'Thomas Cook's who write to us!), but we'd love to . help out ALL of our other loyal customers too... so unfortunately we . can’t give freebies to people who just happen to have fantastic names!' This is not the first time the rival companies have sparred. Mr Cook's campaign last November came weeks after Lowcostholidays was forced to axe an online advertising campaign that asked its customers whether they had ever been 'Thomas Crooked'. After Thomas Cook threatened legal action, Lowcostholidays were ticked off by the association of UK travel agents and tour operators.
Thomas Cook, 26, posted cheeky request for French holiday on Thomas Cook's Facebook page .
But when they refused, quick-thinking rival travel agent offered trip instead .
Mr Cook's snap of himself and friend in front of Eiffel Tower goes viral on Twitter .
Thomas Cook had been constantly ribbed over the name he shares with the famous travel agent. For years people have asked whether he can get them a free holiday. So, in a bid to get some 'compensation', the 26-year-old posted a cheeky request for a weekend in Paris on the company's Facebook page. Thomas Cook refused to give away the 'free holiday' but, seeing an opportunity to get over on their rivals, quick-thinking travel agent Lowcostholidays.com offered to take Mr Cook to Paris instead. Yesterday, Mr Cook, from York, uploaded a photograph of himself and friend Rob standing under the Eiffel Tower on the Reddit website. Bonjour! After asking Thomas Cook for a weekend in Paris to 'compensate' for the years of ridicule he had suffered because of his name, Thomas Cook, left, and a friend finally took the trip earlier this month...with rival firm Lowcostholidays.com . The snap, titled 'Benefits of sharing my name with a travel agent', shot up to one of the most-read items on the website and also went viral on Twitter. Mr Cook, the bass player in punk band The Fear, had taken to Thomas Cook's Facebook page last November to lament the ‘years of . ridicule and torment’ he had suffered because of his name. He added that the trip to Paris could help 'promote your brand by constantly keeping it in . peoples minds every time they speak to me' (sic). But when the travel agent declined, Mr Cook received an email from Charlotte Hunt at  Lowcostholidays sympathising with his plight. Missed opportunity: Mr Cook had posted a cheeky request on Thomas Cook's Facebook page asking for a weekend in Paris . Quick-thinking: Seeing Mr Cook's message to Thomas Cook, Charlotte Hunt from rival company Lowcostholidays.com stepped in to offer him the trip instead . Marketing representative, Ms Hunt wrote: 'Here at lowcostholidays.com we . completely sympathise with your suffering and if your name was . “lowcostholidays.com” we would certainly have accepted your request to . be sent away on a weekend in Paris. '...So how about we send you on that weekend in Paris?' Mr Cook finally took the trip earlier this month. Speaking to the MailOnline Mr Cook said he posted the request on the travel agent's Facebook page 'for a laugh'. 'I didn't think for a second that it would amount to anything at.' And when the offer from Lowcostholidays came through Mr Cook admits he didn't believe it at first. 'I thought it was some sort of joke,' he said. He added: 'Looking at the response on the Lowcostholidays' Facebook page, I'd say they definitely missed out. Companies need to be aware of how social networking works. Lowcostholidays saw an opportunity for some fun and good press and grabbed it.' Despite missing out on the golden PR opportunity, Thomas Cook posted a message on its Facebook page congratulating Mr Cook. They wrote: 'Just a quick one from the team . to say we're really pleased our namesake Thomas Cook looks like he's . had a great time on his free trip to Paris!!! 'We’d love to have helped him out (along . with all the other 'Thomas Cook's who write to us!), but we'd love to . help out ALL of our other loyal customers too... so unfortunately we . can’t give freebies to people who just happen to have fantastic names!' This is not the first time the rival companies have sparred. Mr Cook's campaign last November came weeks after Lowcostholidays was forced to axe an online advertising campaign that asked its customers whether they had ever been 'Thomas Crooked'. After Thomas Cook threatened legal action, Lowcostholidays were ticked off by the association of UK travel agents and tour operators.
Facebook page. Thomas Cook refused to give away uploaded a photograph of himself and friend Rob standing under the Eiffel Tower on the Reddit also went viral on Twitter. Mr Cook, the bass time they speak to me' (sic). But when the travel posted a cheeky request on Thomas Cook's Facebook