Next time phone your local Thomson shop and pay over the phone there!

Danny, last time this happened I actuall went into a local shop (not very local as the nearest one is in the next town!) but was told that as it was an online booking they couldn't deal with it!

Well thats not true at all.! I nearly always book online but pay the balance in the local shop!

I am just posting my experience! Your's may be different but that is what I was told in my 'local' shop!

I had the same experience two years ago with the "First Choice" web site -wouldn't let me pay the balance online,didn't want to spend time and money phoning an 0844 number so went to the Thomson shop in Penarth.
" Can't pay the balance here because its an online booking but you can pay over the phone on 0844........".
I asked if they would phone thru for me (bet they don't use the 0844 number!!) but she refused!

At least I now know it wasn't personal!

Will use the shops in future - even a trip into the town would cause me less aggravation than spending time on hold being repeatedly told that I can pay my balance online!

I think if the price is the same it's better to use the shops anyway. A much more personal service and if there are problems they have more chance of resolving them (and they are the ones on hold for 3 hours)

TBH I don't blame them for not wanting to deal with internet bookers.

From your point of view it is all one company, from the poor kid in the shops point if view trying to make a career in travel they are in a minimum wage job that relays solely on commission to give them a living wage and you have done them out of their 5%.

Internet bookers are doing high street travel agent out of their previous jobs and contributing to the unemployment figures.

I always get the online price and go to the shop who will usually match it.

lots of alternative numbers http://www.saynoto0870.com/companysearch.php
my local shop matches internet prices but adds £10pp to book in shop now

jhe wrote:

lots of alternative numbers http://www.saynoto0870.com/companysearch.php
my local shop matches internet prices but adds £10pp to book in shop now

sorry link doesnt work, maybe this one will http://www.saynoto0870.com/

Both worked for me jhe

Well, Thomas Cook can't even find my flight booking on line. I'm not going until the beginning of May but booked the flight in case prices went up. At the time I didn't add the £44 baggage charge as I invariably do it later via 'Manage my Booking'. A few days ago I thought I'd get that out of the way, as well as adding my API, but despite in-putting my reference the site simply sends me back to the beginning. I know there's no urgency but I'll probably pop into one of their shops next week and see if they can sort it out for me.

doe wrote:

I think if the price is the same it's better to use the shops anyway. A much more personal service and if there are problems they have more chance of resolving them (and they are the ones on hold for 3 hours)

TBH I don't blame them for not wanting to deal with internet bookers.

From your point of view it is all one company, from the poor kid in the shops point if view trying to make a career in travel they are in a minimum wage job that relays solely on commission to give them a living wage and you have done them out of their 5%.

Internet bookers are doing high street travel agent out of their previous jobs and contributing to the unemployment figures.

Gone are the days of agents getting commission on bookings. The reason stores don't like dealing with online customers is that the customer booked online, usually to get a cheaper price, and their time is then being used to help dot com customers who didn't actually pay for personal help. Store agents time is better spent assisting customers who spend money in that store.

Aslemma wrote:

Well, Thomas Cook can't even find my flight booking on line. I'm not going until the beginning of May but booked the flight in case prices went up. At the time I didn't add the £44 baggage charge as I invariably do it later via 'Manage my Booking'. A few days ago I thought I'd get that out of the way, as well as adding my API, but despite in-putting my reference the site simply sends me back to the beginning. I know there's no urgency but I'll probably pop into one of their shops next week and see if they can sort it out for me. :roll:

They probably won't be able to as they don't use flythomascook to book. If you're definitely using the right booking reference why not ask on their support forum?
https://getsatisfaction.com/thomascook/topics

Thanks Sunaddict. The e-mail I received informing me of a time change for my flight actually came from Fly Thomas Cook and that is where I'm trying to 'manage my booking', but without any luck. I'll try the link you gave next week to their support forum next week. I had enough of a problem when I was originally trying to book the flight on line.

One of the main reasons I book on line is because the shops only deal with a limited number of hotels, whereas on line I have far more choice. Since most destinations are served by a limited number of airlines, I would imagine prices will be the same, wherever one books. Regarding agents time being better occupied dealing with paying customers, I can't remember when I last saw a busy travel agency, though that may be due to so many of us booking independently.

0844 and 0845 are charged at the local rate.
Its 0870 that is expensive but they nearly always have an alternative geographical number on Saynoto0870.
I always book in the shop and they give me the web price.
Thomson charge £5 ,Thomas Cook dont charge.

Aslemma wrote:

One of the main reasons I book on line is because the shops only deal with a limited number of hotels, whereas on line I have far more choice. Since most destinations are served by a limited number of airlines, I would imagine prices will be the same, wherever one books. Regarding agents time being better occupied dealing with paying customers, I can't remember when I last saw a busy travel agency, though that may be due to so many of us booking independently.

Thomas Cook Airlines flight only prices may differ online to in store, but the tour operators package holidays prices don't, whether it's online, over the phone or in store. They introduced a single pricing policy last January.

I was in the Trafford Centre yesterday and both Thomsons and Thomas Cooks had people queuing to be served. Kuoni was empty. I did pass comment to hubby about why people bother with agents, but then not all are happy to use technology, and prefer face to face contact.

Calls to Flythomascook 0844 are charged at 5.2p per minute. I don't know about Thomas Cook stores, but when we used to have to contact TC we had to use an 08 number as well, and be on hold for ages listening to the wonderful music. It was 'inconvenient' at times because calls would get put on speakerphone so they could carry on working, and you got a noise created from different tour operators 'hold' music

Jay Trip wrote:

0844 and 0845 are charged at the local rate.
Its 0870 that is expensive but they nearly always have an alternative geographical number on Saynoto0870.
I always book in the shop and they give me the web price.
Thomson charge £5 ,Thomas Cook dont charge.

...with my phone supplier there is a connection charge of ~14p then (I THINK ) a further 6p pm for 0844 numbers -if you are on hold listening to muzak for ~20 minutes you can quickly be faced with a £2 call -then you get cut off! "Local" rate numbers I can dial via an indirect access supplier like 18185 and it only costs 5p connection charge -but not 0844,0845,0870 etc
As to numbers on "saynoto 0870" site -I'm finding that more and more firms are catching on -either they don't answer the alternative number or refuse to help just quoting the 084X number!

Sunaddict wrote:

doe wrote:

I think if the price is the same it's better to use the shops anyway. A much more personal service and if there are problems they have more chance of resolving them (and they are the ones on hold for 3 hours)

TBH I don't blame them for not wanting to deal with internet bookers.

From your point of view it is all one company, from the poor kid in the shops point if view trying to make a career in travel they are in a minimum wage job that relays solely on commission to give them a living wage and you have done them out of their 5%.

Internet bookers are doing high street travel agent out of their previous jobs and contributing to the unemployment figures.

Gone are the days of agents getting commission on bookings. The reason stores don't like dealing with online customers is that the customer booked online, usually to get a cheaper price, and their time is then being used to help dot com customers who didn't actually pay for personal help. Store agents time is better spent assisting customers who spend money in that store.

Thank you for that explanation Sunaddict, makes even more sense as to why they don't wish to assist a dot com booker who has bypassed them in the first place.