Should I choose Thomas Cook or American Express? That is the question!!

Nowadays, we can use credit cards everywhere. However, I always exchange 5000-10,000 yen per day to pounds before I travel to England. When you use a direct flight, you'll arrive at England in the evening or at night.
The next morning, you need cash, a tip for bed making maybe. You never can put your credit card under your pillow for a tip. Ha ha ha! If you travel with somebody, cash is needed when you pay for your own lunch or dinner. Moreover, when you buy a bottle of mineral water, paying in cash is better than paying by your credit card because water is very cheap!
Therefore, I bring traveller's cheques(T/Cs) for incidental costs. You may say that you'll exchange yen to pound in cash. However, I bring T/Cs only. It is because the exchange rate of TC is better than cash. Moreover, T/Cs are safe because you can ask to reissue if you lose or they are stolen. When you arrive at Heathrow Airport, you'll find a exchange bureau easily, so you can exchange T/Cs to cash which you'll need on the day or the day next.
In recent a few years, I have a problem. "Should I choose Thomas Cook or American Express?"
A long time ago, when I travelled abroad for the first time, the employee of the tourist company recommended us Thomas Cook. Since then, I have chosen Thomas Cook T/Cs.
There isn't any problem when you use T/Cs directly at a shop. However, you may soimetimes need cash. In my case, when I need fifty pounds, it is difficult to get fifty pounds change by using T/Cs to buy something at a shop. When I buy expensive things, I usually pay by my credit card. Therefore, I've never get large demonination TC ; I usually exchange yen to fifty or twenty pound T/Cs. In other words, if I need fifty pound cash by using T/Cs, I have to buy something at least twice. It annoys me when I have nothing which I really want to buy. In such a case, I exchange T/Cs to cash at an exchange bureau.
In London, I always see many Thomas Cook exchange bureaus. I think the number of Thomas Cook exchange bureaus is greater than those of American Express. For example, when you exchange fifty pound T/Cs to cash at a exchange bureau, if your T/Cs are American express's, you have to pay some exchange fee at a Thomas Cook exchange bureau. However, of course, if your T/Cs are Thomas Cook's, a fee isn't necessary. You can get fifty pound cash by exchanging fifty pound T/Cs.
When I traveled to the countryside, sometimes, I couldn't find a Thomas Cook exchange bureau. Akiko, my friend, liked to use VISA's T/Cs, because VISA cooperated with Barclays Bank. Probably, Barclays Bank is the largest bank in England, so VISA's T/Cs were easy to exchange without any fee because she could use Barclays Bank.
However, I liked Thomas Cook T/Cs best. Exchange bureau's opening hour are longer than bank's, so we can exchange even at night. However, there is a possibility that I can't find a Thomas Cook bureau in the countryside, so before leaving London, I'd better exchange some T/Cs for the 2-3 day trip. This is my trip rule.
In Tokyo, the number of banks which deal with Thomas Cook T/Cs has been reduced, but I believed that Thomas Cook T/Cs were the best when I travel in England. Therefore, when I decided to travel to England, I usually take a half-day off my work to buy Thomas Cook T/Cs.
However, I think things have changed a little in recent years. The number of Thomas Cook signs in London seems to have been reduced. Actually, an exchange bureau next to a tourist information centre at Victoria station closed. As far as I know, there used to be three bureaus at Victoria and I thought that the above mentioned bureau was most convinient and useful. The number of customers has probably decreased because several years ago, a big tourist information centre was constructed in Piccadilly Circus, so the scale of Victoria centre has become smaller. It is a good example.
"Maybe, it isn't necessary to stick to Thomas Cook.", I began to think so, but I continued to use Thomas Cook. However, in 2003, I had to stop. The year before, Tokyo Mitsubishi Bank dealt with Thomas Cook only at the teller's windows in Shibuya, but they finally stopped dealing with Thomas Cook in 2003. I could buy only American Express' T/Cs.
"It's OK. I'll try American Express." I thought that it would be a good chance to finally answer my question.
However, surprisingly, when Tsukasa, a friend travelling with me in 2003, exchanged Japanese yen to pound T/Cs at Narita Airport, she received Thomas Cook T/Cs without asking. Why?
Anyway, my conclusion was.... "I'm sorry, Mr. Thomas Cook. I'll never use American Express's any more."
During our travel in 2003, we visited Southport from Liverpool. Southport is a small town and the only exchange bureau was Thomas Cook's. Moreover, people didn't accept my American Express T/Cs. Maybe, I should also add that in some shops, I could buy things only with cash or cheques(not T/Cs!). In other words, I could use neither T/Cs nor credit cards! Furthermore, when I could use T/Cs, they should be Thomas Cook's. I couldn't believe it easily that I couldn't use a credit card in this day and age^＊!
This power relationship may be changed in the near future, but at the moment, I think that Thomas Cook T/Cs are convenient in England.
Osuo, who visited my HP before, said that in Kyushu where he lives, almost all the banks deal with Thomas Cook T/Cs, so he could get them easily. I envy him!
"If I go to America, American Express T/Cs are probably best. However, I visit England. Why do almost all the banks in Tokyo deal with only American Express T/Cs?"
I want to say that they should consider their customer's convenience. Usability is clearly something which every customer demands. I strongly hope that the policy will be changed in the near future.
In closing, I'll tell you about my way to exchange and use T/Cs. As I have said before, I always buy only twenty and fifty pound T/Cs when I exchange in Japan. I usually buy expensive things by credit card, so the main place where I use T/Cs directly are small shops in the countryside. At the shops, when I ask if they accept T/Cs, usually, the response will be, "Yes. If your T/Cs are sterling pound." They may add, "But, what amount is your T/Cs?" If your T/Cs are large amounts, we don't have change." When I wanted to buy things which were less than ten pounds using a fifty pound TC, they didn't have enough change. Therefore, I usually use twenty pound T/Cs at small shops. In the case of twenty pound T/Cs, you have to buy many T/Cs and in addition, have to sign each cheque, thus it's a little troublesome. However, in spite of this, they are useful.
When you exchage your T/Cs, you should ask, "Can I have ten or twenty pounds?"A few times, I saw a shop employee cheking a fifty pound note which I had used in payment as if she suspected that it was a fake. Probably, many counterfeit notes were used in England, or probably, I looked suspicious. Ha ha ha! Of course, I am completey innocent, so if somebody suspects me, it's alright. However, I don't like such a situation. Therefore, I don't want to have large demonination notes.
I don't know what the answer is in using T/Cs. However, this is my way.
I hope my advise will help you in some way or another.

^＊ In Churchtown, a part of Southport, when I wanted to buy some goods at a small shop, I had some trouble. Firstly, I had to wait until the shop opened although they shop was supposed to slready open. Next, when I bought some greeting cards or pictures, I found out that I couldn't use either my T/Cs or credit card. If you want to know the detail, please click here.

(2004.9.4)

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