Hi Harry. I think what they have done is what you could have done yourself with different companies - Flight, hotel and transfers booked separately but they probably added on a bit for doing it.
It is not a package where you are under their umbrella as such.
We fly with Easyjet and it is fine but it is first come first served, unless you pay a bit extra for priority boarding - check that they have added hold luggage onto your booking too.
Don't think you will have any problems with the transfers - just make a note of the name of the Company and a Rep or an Office will be at the airport close to where the Thomas Cook Reps will be waiting. They are very helpful.
Before you get off the bus, make sure they tell you the arrangements about picking you up as sometimes you have to ring them the day before you leave to arrange a time. Please don't be put off by this as is really is quite easy as long as you know what to do and they are doing it all the time.

If you require further assistance, I would be happy to help.

Hi and welcome to HT!

I have copied your post to our Tour Operators forum to hopefully reach a wider audience.

I've never heard of Flexible Trips before, but it sounds like it may be a dynamic package, although I'm surprised at a Thomas Cook travel agent selling you that rather than a package. If it is a dynamic package it won't be covered by the Package Travel regulations.

I would go back to TC and ask specifically whether it is a tour operator's package or a dynamic package.

luci

thank you susie, and luci for your very helpful, and prompt replies. by nature i am a terrible worry, and this has sort of started me off lol.........I went along to their site ( the link at present is not allowed to be shown )
which I see shows a abta and thomas cook logo at top of the page, so hopefully that wil assist the worry a bit..........its just me most likely being a little silly............something new, a new way of doing things etc etc.................the lady did say that she has got us 20kgs luggage each, so heres hoping that when the tickets arrive it also states that lol.

other comments would be helpful, and thank you luci for adding that post of mine to another thread..................first time ever on a site like this, and already being well looked after

harry

You're welcome Harry.

Remember to subscribe to the Thomas Cook topic in our Tour Operator's forum HERE as you have a reply there too.

You can read reviews of your hotel by clicking Hotel Reviews at the top of the page, or if it's not listed let us know and it can be added.

luci

As far as I can see, you're fully backed up/covered by TC. Flexibletrips is another trading arm of Thomas Cook.
You might find some answers to your questions in the links below

http://www.flexibletrips.com/information/about_us.jsp
http://www.flexibletrips.com/information/frequently-asked-questions.jsp

Yes flexible trips are part of Thomas cook . (Accomdation only ) Had them stored in my favourites for a while now .

thank you sanji and lyn for your replies, and indeed my confidence is now increasing, on reading your and other replies............I'm the sort of fella that if i didnt have something to worry about, I would soon find something . Weather here in Belfast has certainly improved over the last few days, and maybe, just maybe, i might get the shorts on and gets the legs tanned. later today I am off to provide some entertainment, via my keyboard, to folks in a lovely sheltered dwelling for approx 40 people.............So if anyone has any questions ref musical keyboards, give me a shout lol.............gotta put back here some of the advice received...........Now just to repeat. I know a lot about musical keyboards, BUT not computer keyboards lol..........the number of times I was gonna throw this thing out the window is in 2 figures lol

Harry I have just used flexiable trips for a hotel booking in Ibiza. I booked my own flights through Jet 2 and used flexable trips for the hotel booking.The main difference you will have is that you won`t have a rep to use in resort but a telephone number is provided if you need help. Any problems you encounter with the hotel just speak to reception and I am sure they will sort things out for you.

We have had a problem with our booking due to the fact that the hotel/hostel we booked didn`t give us a room with a balcony because only 7 out of the 25 rooms had balconies. So Thomas Cook/Flexablile trips are in breach of contract and I am disputing this with them. But I would have had the same problem had I have booked a package holiday with Thomas Cook to the same hotel.

Apart from this hitch I would use them again and I wouldn`t worry about travelling with them as the problem I encountered is very rare.

I don`t think you will get tickets for your trip, it will be a sheet of paper for the Easyjet booking, an accomodation voucher for the hotel and a separate sheet for the transfer.Have alook at Easyjet in the flight only section for hints and tips, I have flown with them before and they were fine.
Don`t worry about confirmation it normaly takes up to 2 weeks but if unsure go back into the branch you booked through. Any thing else you are not sure of go back again to the branch and get them to explain it to you.

The main thing now is to relax and to look forward to your holiday, Costa Del Sol is a wonderful place for a holiday.

hi there christine, and all on this thread.........Well.........what a day, and indeed a great day. Tomorrow would have been 2 weeks since i booked/paid for the holiday, and today still hadnt received my confirmation invoce, which is normal for me in the past.........and this in turn raised in my mind just when would i get the tickets which arrive later .......So off I went to the branch of thomas cook, was sort of building up to the member of staff, my surprise and concern that it hadnt arrived, she in turn clicked on the computer, gave a very broad grin, and said Mr............you tickets are here waiting for you.
Was I gub smacked or what lol.........as christine and others mentioned here, no tickets, as i would have remembered them........Several sheets of A4 containing flight/transfer/hotel accomodation.............So there we go lol
the count down has now begun lol............thanks folks for being patient with reading my long postings...........now gotta brush up on my salsa lol
Harry

I hope all goes well for you Harry. Let us know when you get back how you went on.

Christine.........I certainly will be letting you all know, how the holidays, and maybe even better lol, the dancing goes on lol. I have copied and pasted the link to the site and added it onto an email address of mine. so most likely, when the wife is off shopping near by in fungerola , I will pop into a place with internet access, to read up on what you are all up to. maths was always my strong point in school all those years ago, and its now that i am glad , because its 12 days to go........yeehaaaaaaaaa ( what a sad idiot lol )

harry

5 days to go , then off to sunny warm fungerola in costa del sol. this morning in belfast we have the sun, and blue sky, and hopefully it will last until bed time . The wife is trying on some of her holiday stuff, and guess what ?. because she has been loosing weight these past few months, she is spending the day shopping for clothes......to pack........this then wil be followed by 14 days shopping in Spain, for even more clothes. i love her to bits , but the phrase " travel light " isnt working lol............all the best folks

harry

well so far our holiday is going great............the weather is brill. the check in and boarding at belfast airport fir deoarture was also brill. we where first in the queue so therefore in group A, so happy with that, and then when going through the gate to access the plane, we where upgraded so to speak to one above group A, because my wife was using a stick..........will add more later timed out

harry

Glad to hear all is going well Harry. Happy hols to you both

My personal experience when using thomas cook flexible trips using jumbo transfers

When we arrived at malaga airport , collected our luggage, we had to walk past or though approx 30 people standing with notices or clipboards.........None of these where jumbo transfers or thomas cook. We kept walking, not knowing what to do, then this young fella came forward, stating he was from jumbo transfers........he asked me and the wife to stand against a wall some 20 yards away. at the same time he wanted to take our transfer voucher of us to check it against his list..........nope lol there was no way i was letting that voucher ot of my sight.........Then came the sort of bomb shell........they where in dispute with the airport authorties in malaga, who where not allowing them to bring there transport up close to arrivals...........We waiting approx 30 mins more to get some other passangers, and then we set off on a approx 10 minute walk or more , around this corner and that corner to get to the bus transfer........
two days before or return home we tel them as requested and cancelled the pick up...........the flight home was for 10.50am approx with the desk being closed at approx 10.20am.............we where advised that they wouold collect us at the hotel at 8.20am and of course there woukld be other pick ups, then there was the matter of the long walk round this corner and that corner with two very large suitcases and hand luggage...........clearly there was no chance of being in the first group A of 30 people.................During our lovely holiday we used a taxi to mijas, and a lovely young lad driving with great english. the banter between us was great on that taxi ride........The wife asked for his mobile no, telling him about our expereince at the airport...........The result ??

he took us to the airport , we where approx 12 in line, so therefore group A, and it gets better...........While at the departure gate, waiting, a young spanish Easy Jet lady took my wifes arm and led here to the front of the queue
My wife was using a stick................30 euros for that taxi ride was well worth it

i have hesitated in adding this post since returning home 2 weeks ago , but, it happened, and it gives another view on seat allocation, etc and boarding.
On leaving belfast international airport a few weeks ago to fly to malaga, there where others like oursleves anxious about getting a seat together.....two folks at check in where using wheel chairs supplied by the airport, and they where also in a party of 10. i never paid attention really to them on boarding, except wondering why did the whole party of 10 need to board first.......But anyway they did.............a lovely 3 hour 10 minute flight with easy jet to malaga............On arrival, there was some noise developing at the first few rows of seats , and people started booing.............the two people, who had been wheeled from check in, through to departures, and then boarded first, refused to wait to disembark in malaga..........up they got from their seats, down the steps of the plane, walked un aided to the transfer bus and walked all the way out of malaga airport In my life I too had to use a wheelchair for a little over 12 months, and wouldnt think of this abuse of that system........Maybe someday when they are disabled, they may stop to think...........I too booed them, and their party.....................please admin feel free to delete or post elsewhere. It happned a month ago, at a time when I got myself worked up about seat allocation, and I was met with this incident, and nothing to do with the airline

Harry

thomas cook don;t post tickets out.you have to collect them from the shop.nice if you live in say scotland and booked your hols on a day trip to london.i got t/c to post mine seeing as it would of cost me money to collect them from nottingham.even though i only live 7 miles away.its a the hassle of packing or bus.not the best of campanys to work with..but a package i had in june worked out cheaper than diy.but in oct diy works out cheaper and better for me.

Good to hear a hols story where all's well that ends well.. interesting story about the wheelchair antics at Belfast airport... have seen that stunt pulled there a few times.. perhaps the airport operators should tighten up a bit.. have to say, though, that negotiating Belfast International has improved with the expanded search area. The searchers can be a bit over-zealous, however, compared to other airports. The inconsistency in search procedures at different airports bamboozles me. Had occasion to come through Jersey in August and have to say it was a model for how things should be done... thorough but unobtrusive.

Hi, I would advise NOT to book a holiday using Flexible Trips

I recently unknowingly booked a flight with Flexible Trips. I had actually booked it on the Thomas Cook website but when I received the booking confirmation it said it was a Thomas Cook flight booked with Flexible Trips. The flight was to Tunisia for April.

Due to the recent problems in Tunisa, I decided It was best to cancel my holiday. I rung the number on my booking form and was eventually put through to a call centre. I was then passed on to several people, put on hold and then eventually cut off. I then emailed them and got an email reply a week later. They told me that tickets are 100% non refundable, which I feel is really unfair as i have no choice but to cancel. I really didn't want to go to Tunisia with my family and risk getting hurt or worse!! However they said that for a admin fee of £30 they would let me change my ticket to a different destination.

I decide to change my destination to mamaris. I chose a flight that was cheaper than my original flight so as cover the £30 admin charges, I really didnt want to pay anymore for my flight. I rang them to change my ticket and was eventually put throught to a rather irritated and bordering on rude girl at the call centre. She booked the new destination but informed me I would have to pay an extra £168! I asked what this charge was for bearing in mind that the flight was cheaper than the 1st and the admin charges were supposed to be only £30. I was told these were 'extra costs' I reluctantly paid and when I got the invoice, it said the £168 was for admin charges. I will never book with flexible trips again