Waiting for the email was probably a mistake. Better to just keep checking a day or two before it's due to open. You've got to be very quick off the mark with Thomson seat selection. People stay up until midnight when it opens (it's 1.00am now the clocks have moved). I doubt much can be done because it would obviously involve moving other people who selected the seats they wanted, and I'm sure they all have a reason for wanting to sit where they've selected. Had there been a young child involved then possibly, but as you're both adults..........

Their seat selection policy is very unfair, hence why lot's of people won't book with them. People who are going for a week get to book outbound seats a week before those going for two. Invariably by the time you get your email the seating plan has already opened for the 2 week people anyway. It's not like they hide their policy, so everyone is aware when they book, but personally I'm one that avoids them because of their seating policy.

To be fair I was checking every day and night and as you said it must have gone live at 0100 am when normal people are usually in bed. I did strangly enough book the return journey which is fine. I have rang Thompson again and they suggested to ask cabin crew if they can help. I take on board and agree with what you stated. However if on the middle row of three wouldn't mind changing from left to right on the aisle, the couple will still be together, and I don't mind being behind my husband

I hadn't realised it was opened at 1am, I thought it was exactly 90 days from flight time, therefore if my flight is 14.00 that's when the seating selection is opened. I use a free app called Big Day Lite which counts down the days

It's a bit annoying when you have paid extra for luxury and you are seated apart for 10 hours , basically through the systems fault . I would still purchase the champagne and then when they have poured it for you ask them to pop along to seat 5F , and then back to you to top up etc etc , it shows them how stupid their system is , they are happy to sell you champagne and serve it , but can't sit you together for a 10 hour flight ,

As there is probably a couple in 5D &E perhaps the person in 5D would swap with you in your 5F then you would be behind on the same row.

Andy why inconvenience the cabin crew? It's hardly their fault that the seating system is the way it is. It won't do anything to make the decision makers in Thomson Towers change it.

Derwentrocker if it is a couple I agree they may not mind moving, but they might equally be part of a family or group seated across the aisle or in front or behind their travelling companions. The cabin crew can only ask, but lot's of people are unwilling to move because they've selected where they want to sit.

I don't think it's causing inconvenience to the crew , the only other option is then to play pass the bottle with the stranger next to you and passing backwards , hardly conducive to having a relaxing champagne which you have paid for . Of course the seating system is not the crews fault , but it is their problem , and if feedback from them or from the purser / cabin crew director etc highlights this as a problem and that its poor that a customer who has paid quite a bit for a bottle of champagne and then they have to pass it around, the powers that be might decide to change their unfair and unliked seating lottery which requires people to sit up to midnight / 1am dosed up on pro plus , matchsticks in eyelids , refreshing the computer screen to get a seat they want ?? Other airlines from scheduled carriers to even the LCCs have come up with sensible seat booking solutions to satisfy their customers , alternatively Derwentrocker you could wait and have a nice bottle of champagne on your holiday , and be able to sit next to each other in a restaurant or bar , and no doubt the waiter will be along to keep you topped up

The problem with aircraft seating is not every party is a couple,if for example 5 people go away together and want to sit together they can sit a) 5 in a row
b) 3 in one row and two in the row behind
the number of seating senarios must be endless and i know that with aid of a computor and common sense from a human most problems can be sorted out but how many times have the people on this web site had to sit on there own/across the isle/behind each other.It happens and will always happen,such is life:)

andy

People have been complaining to Thomson about their unfair seating policy for years. As long as the same people continue to use them, and play the seating lottery at midnight and beyond, where is the incentive to change it? Until people start to vote with their fee and their wallets they will see no urgency to change. I know lot's of people do actively avoid them, but obviously there is a far greater number who dislike the system, but play it anyway, and then just complain about it on social media and forums.

mobile fitter is correct. There are umpteen permutations when it comes to seating, and whichever system they use there will always be some people that won't get to sit where they want or next to who they want. Not everyone wants to sit next to their travelling companion/s. We prefer to sit across the aisle from each other. There's also people who really don't care where they sit because they can manage to sit apart for a few hours of their lives. There is no way to please everyone.

Of course there is no way to please everyone , but I was stating that other airlines , scheduled and LCCs even offer fair seat booking solutions , the problem is the OP booked a year ago , paid hundreds to upgrade for some " luxury " probably spent a lot of money on a 2 week holiday , and the chances are that someone else who booked a 1 week holiday just 91 days out has possibly been able to book seats together by managing to stay awake at an ungodly hour to " get in " 10 seconds before the OP ?? " such is life " is a poor response to the situation . Of course some people will be disappointed with seat selection choices available as with other airlines too , and my opinion is that Thomson will eventually have to change their seat selection policy , if even the LCCs can provide seat selection on a first come , first served basis ( for a cost ) because they realised they have to be " customer focussed " and revenue can be raised too, then Thomson will become aware that they must improve this aspect of their service . Personally I do care where I sit , but can easily manage to sit apart from my wife , I find even if we are opposite sides of the aircraft it's ok , as long as it's 2A and 2K on a BA747 !! I have used Thomson in the distant past and have found their aircraft fine and cabin crew pleasant , but could easily say the same about Easyjet , and I would happily book again with one of them , but I know not everyone has an abundant choice of carriers that are local to them or routes/destinations available . Finally I do think change will come , mainly due to growth of Ryanair , Easyjet and Norwegian and the fact they are becoming more customer focused to sustain that growth , if you carry on in same old way , and not adapting or changing or ignoring customer feedback you end up going nowhere , flashy adverts and Dreamliner hype can only do so much until the novelty wears off.

Of course there is no way to please everyone , but I was stating that other airlines , scheduled and LCCs even offer fair seat booking
solutions , the problem is the OP booked a year ago , paid hundreds to
upgrade for some " luxury " probably spent a lot of money on a 2 week
holiday , and the chances are that someone else who booked a 1 week
holiday just 91 days out has possibly been able to book seats together
by managing to stay awake at an ungodly hour to " get in " 10 seconds
before the OP ?? " such is life " is a poor response to the situation

Andy66,What is your solution,pay more money and reserve a row for each party?
I am sure it is nice to sit next to each other but as a man who is still married after 44 years sitting apart from my wife for a few hours ( even 10 ) is not the end of the world.When DERWENTROCKER and her husband are together for two weeks on what i presume will be a fantastic holiday and i pressume their own room ( no chance of a mix up in room selection ) then when they look back in years to come what will they remeber? the fantastic hotel,the sunsets,the romantic meals,the romantic nights?
certainly not the bloody flight! after all , and i am pressuming that they are going for at least 2 weeks the flight is 20 hours out of 336 hour holiday actually it is only 10 hours as the original post states " as not so bothered coming back "

Ganga

@mobilefitter -not everyone is a "good" flyer! Whilst my wife is a lot better than she once was, she would be appalled at not sitting close enuf to me on a long flight to be able to bury her fingers in my forearm when she gets nervous ie take off, landing and turbulence !!

Whilst i can sympathise with all the members who have posted on this suject,no one has come up with a reasonable/logical/economic way to deal with the seating arrangements on an aircraft.
Can you imagine if all passengers who were booked on to a particular flight stood in the airport and argued their case for particular seats!
I am tall and require extra leg room,i need an isle seat as i have to get up ofter,i can only fly if near a window etc and also you would have the case of people with young children,people with infirm family members,nervous/frightened passengers who will not travel without company. As i say the list would go on and on and nobody has come up with an answer ( me included )
The only fool proof method would be to aks every passenger were they would like to sit,allocate the ones possible,this would leave lots of empty seats on the plane,work out the cost of the flight and divide it among the people flying which would push the cost up dramatically and that is another can of worms!
If any body can come up with a fool proof plan i would like to hear it

Regards
Ganga

A reasonable way would be to let people pre-book seats on a first come - first served basis like other airlines , instead of setting up a bunfight lottery at -90 days , if you want to pre book a seat of your choice then pay to have your choice , and if you book early you have a good chance of getting it , for whatever reasons you might like , to have space because you're tall , or because you want to sit with your partner or family etc etc , years ago people got to the airport check in early to try and get a " good " seat or sit together , the LCCs used to have queues forming early for people to get on the plane first to get a seat , now they have decided to allocate and offer in advance for a payment a seat choice , I do not understand the reason or logic to let people pay to choose a seat and then start a race at -90 days to see what they can get , and even at the start of that race you could start at a disadvantage because others have been able to already pre select their seat because they are on a shorter holiday than you . I have no interest in whether Thomson will ever change , but I could fly with them 4 times a year and spend around 10k and I would be subject to this crazy seat choice system , and that's why I fly with another carrier who even rewards me for loyalty by allowing me to choose seats for " free " not just myself but anyone travelling on my booking .

and that's why I fly with another carrier who even rewards me for loyalty by allowing me to choose seats for " free " not just myself but
anyone travelling on my booking .


But only if someone else has not allready booked the same seats earlier than you!
As for first come first served some people will still complain that at the end they could not get two seats together whetever the cost.
As for why some companies charge for "your seat your choise " it is all down to profit.I can still remember when if you were lucky you would get an extra room seat as standard,it did not take long for airlines to realise that they could sell something that they allready had for more money.
Whilst on the subject of making more money i explained to my wife that the extra row of people waiting to board an easyjet flight at Palma was a "pay more to board early " i cannot remember the exact name for it but i said at the time before long there would be three or four rows of people at the airport,1) we payed the going price
2) we payed a bit more
3) we paid even more and going to get the best sets
4)We are well heeled and will definately get the best seats.

I think first come , first served works in many markets , booking hotels , restaurant reservations , tickets for events , I guess most companies are in business and stay in business by finding ways to make or increase profit ??
back on topic , the OP has made a choice and spent extra money and booked a year in advance , but has to wait until the same time as everyone else who have probably booked later , and then went to pre book seats after getting an email to advise seat selection was open and found availability was poor because others had got in before the email or had a shorter holiday booked , it is clearly a flawed system and unfair , and other airlines are fairer in comparison when it comes to seat pre-booking, and that is the point of the post , not about paying or trying to get something now deemed as extra for a standard price .

Have to agree with Andy66 - you SHOULD be able to choose your seats when you actually book - if you are prepared to committ your hard earned shekels many months in front then there should be a benefit - then everyone who leaves it til the last minute (relatively speaking) would know that they would be booking seats that might be scattered all over the airplane - no question of arguing about it at check in!!

This all makes very interesting reading. The configuration is 2-3-2 my husband and I are both on the middle 3's aisle. So he is in front aisle left, I am behind aisle right. I will ask the cabin crew if people would be willing just to switch aisles with me, so that I sit behind my husband . What I didn't mention is although I love flying, I suffer panic attacks and on medication. I feel closed in and start stripping off on the plane, decreetly of course as get so hot. I didn't really want to sit away from my hubby as he helps me with my techniques I have to do. Having said that normally bigger cabins are fine, that's why we choose the dream liner as its bigger I am told. Normally we book exit seats which you get straight away. Having paid £500 extra return and with it being our celebration of 30 years, I was disappointed. We are going to Mexico again next week and I am sure I am not letting it spoil my hols, however I don't think it's fair, as ecomony pay to sit together, and premium can't, well some of us. Strange though is that coming back we are together on the same row, so that's something. We have upgraded to a suite as well so very much looking forward to it. I will write about this in the comments when I come back. Thanks everyone x