Doe, if you google your hotels, and select UK sites only. You may find other independant tour operators that are putting packages together with their own contracts with the hotels, you can still fly with Thomson, but you can get better prices overall.
The best time for prices on Thomsons, I have found is the first couple of weeks after New Year, usually weekends and then they start to go up.
If you want to hang in and wait, try putting in the maximum of 9 people in the website to keep an eye on availibility, once you can't get a booking for 8/9 people you need to make your mind up pretty quick.
It's the school holidays that are always the killer. I've just paid over the odds for February half term, but we really wanted a particular hotel, and the availability went down to 4 people, so we just had to bite the bullet and pay the extra. I know if I went out of school holidays I could have got the same late deal for around £500 cheaper.
Hi Katiesmum and Duncan.
I'm sure last year and 2006 I booked for April during the second week of January and got excellent deals on both the Crowne Plaza and the Rennaisance. So I have only got myself to blame.
Katiesmum, I have been checking various hotels, the Meridian & Hilton in Dahab and the Baron, Hilton Sharm Dreams & Sofitel, quite fancy the Hilton Waterfalls but can't get this up on their site.
Thanks for the pointers Duncan, I'm going to give the 8 or 9 person thingy a go on the TUI sites. Pehaps monitor it for a week. I am looking at a school holiday period though so I could be out of luck.
Doe
I'm sure last year and 2006 I booked for April during the second week of January and got excellent deals on both the Crowne Plaza and the Rennaisance. So I have only got myself to blame.
Katiesmum, I have been checking various hotels, the Meridian & Hilton in Dahab and the Baron, Hilton Sharm Dreams & Sofitel, quite fancy the Hilton Waterfalls but can't get this up on their site.
Thanks for the pointers Duncan, I'm going to give the 8 or 9 person thingy a go on the TUI sites. Pehaps monitor it for a week. I am looking at a school holiday period though so I could be out of luck.
Doe
Good Luck, and let us know how you get on 
TUI confirms shop closures
TUI Travel has announced plans to close 100 of its 1,100 UK agencies.
The shop closures, due to the merger of TUI with First Choice, will focus on branches which are unprofitable or in locations where there is more than one shop.
The group has also begun redundancy consultations with staff at its offices in Crawley and Manchester, which are due to close and relocate to Luton.
TUI said it hoped most of the losses would be through staff turnover.
The announcement of shop closures has heightened the concerns of staff at Thomsonfly, whose union, Unite, has already been in discussions with TUI.
Unite has asked 1,700 cabin crew at Thomsonfly if they will support a full strike ballot after TUI failed to guarantee there would be no compulsory redundancies.
The vote is due to take place tomorrow (Wednesday).
A spokesman for Unite said: "With the redundancies announced by TUI today, cabin crew are even more concerned.
"It is complicated because Thomsonfly staff are not yet employed by TUI Travel."
If there is a majority vote in favour, the union will have 28 days in which to take strike action and is required to give seven days notice of what action will be taken.
By Bev Fearis
With permission from Travelmole
I heard something on radio about this yesterday but didn`t know the full story. Thanks. What a shame all those people could lose their jobs. Are First Choice keeping theirs??
It is a huge shame that people will lose their jobs, there has been a lot of restructuring, our local Lun Poly (TUI) travel agent is now a cruise shop.
I suppose it is inevitable though, how many of us now don't use a travel agent. We are all on here discussing web deals, and everytime I have tried to match a web deal in a Travel agent shop they have never been able to get close. They just can't compete, even within their own company.
I just hope they don't strike, I am due to fly with Thomsonfly on 11th Feb, when its school hols you can't just switch weeks and go a bit later. We've had a rough time lately and are really looking forward to this break.
Fingers crossed.
I suppose it is inevitable though, how many of us now don't use a travel agent. We are all on here discussing web deals, and everytime I have tried to match a web deal in a Travel agent shop they have never been able to get close. They just can't compete, even within their own company.
I just hope they don't strike, I am due to fly with Thomsonfly on 11th Feb, when its school hols you can't just switch weeks and go a bit later. We've had a rough time lately and are really looking forward to this break.
Fingers crossed.
Glynis, can you tell us where the Thomsonfly information came from.
I can only find out about the shops closing. I've been looking to see if there is any news on the ballot, but it isn't even mentioned on the Unite website.
Thanks
I can only find out about the shops closing. I've been looking to see if there is any news on the ballot, but it isn't even mentioned on the Unite website.
Thanks
Duncan
That article came from Travelmole. Re the flights, you may get a better response in the Flights and Airlines forum.
luci
That article came from Travelmole. Re the flights, you may get a better response in the Flights and Airlines forum.
luci
Thanks Luci,
I found the article, the ballot must be due Thursday, ahh well fingers crossed all will be fine.
Maybe they could strike after I have left, so I have to stay a couple of extra days
I found the article, the ballot must be due Thursday, ahh well fingers crossed all will be fine.
Maybe they could strike after I have left, so I have to stay a couple of extra days
I would like to say I find it rather hilarious that Thomsons prices seem to rise during a sale!! 
I just checked prices the other day (because I'm sad lol) and I have just checked the prices now the "weekend sale" is on and the prices have risen for some accomodation!
I would love to know how they work the prices out.
I'm actually booked up for this summer but do check back time to time to see if the hotel is booked up etc.
Pleased I did this year because I found that our hotel had been sold since we booked it (not a word from Thomson to tell us) and had to contact Fiesta to find out what was happening.
Had to keep on at Thomson to get any information whereas Fiesta gave us as much as they could.
Rant over ! lol
I just checked prices the other day (because I'm sad lol) and I have just checked the prices now the "weekend sale" is on and the prices have risen for some accomodation!
I would love to know how they work the prices out.
I'm actually booked up for this summer but do check back time to time to see if the hotel is booked up etc.
Pleased I did this year because I found that our hotel had been sold since we booked it (not a word from Thomson to tell us) and had to contact Fiesta to find out what was happening.
Had to keep on at Thomson to get any information whereas Fiesta gave us as much as they could.
Rant over ! lol
A holiday I found 3 weeks ago has now increased by £400 for one week at Whit! (thats Portlands prices) we really love the hotel which is Thomsons only but I refuse to pay it, so can see us doing without at this rate.
Just checking the website for an advertised deal to a specific hotel and everytime one goes to check availability and book it changes the hotel to a more expensive one with only SC not AI as the original.
No problems as I was only browsing but I thought I would do the decent thing and let them know they have a problem.
Checking the current website shows that there is now no way to contact them via email only snail mail or .... tada da da ..... 0871 numbers (10p per min).
I just love the thought process that must go on behind a text line such as
That's real UK customer service! They give you a problem and ask you to pay to get it resolved.
So now the way I read it, if you book with them and you have issues or queries bang goes the cheap holiday. 10 minute wait in the queue is £1 and in the past I have had to hang on much longer.
With this is mind it may be better to go back to using the shops.
Out of principle they are off my lists.
A site I will not be using for a long while
No problems as I was only browsing but I thought I would do the decent thing and let them know they have a problem.
Checking the current website shows that there is now no way to contact them via email only snail mail or .... tada da da ..... 0871 numbers (10p per min).
I just love the thought process that must go on behind a text line such as
If you are still unable to view our website, or you fail to make a booking because of a problem with our website, please contact our Call Centre on 0871 231 4691 (Thomson) or 0871 231 4869 (Thomsonfly).
That's real UK customer service! They give you a problem and ask you to pay to get it resolved.
So now the way I read it, if you book with them and you have issues or queries bang goes the cheap holiday. 10 minute wait in the queue is £1 and in the past I have had to hang on much longer.
With this is mind it may be better to go back to using the shops.
Out of principle they are off my lists.
A site I will not be using for a long while
there is now no way to contact them via email only snail mail or .... tada da da ..... 0871 numbers (10p per min)
A quick search on http://www.saynoto0870.co.uk gives you a geographical number for Thomson - 0161 489 6102 - I agree that this ever-growing use of non-geographical numbers is very annoying, but in most cases there are ways around it
I see they switched from 0870 to 0871 to keep the revenue sharing going, thomson will make 50% of the call charge. I don't see why I should pay them to talk to customer services. Just take the web price to the shop to have it matched or like me my local travelcare who will beat the web price.
Just popped into my local Travelcare and the Thomsons holiday that was £1800 ish a few weeks ago is £2550 and they can give me £75 off it!!!!!!!! I really don`t believe what Thomsons are doing. I won`t be booking with them.
This year they are managing to sell more holidays and as they sell more the higher the price goes, everthing is supply and demand. I think you will find all the tour ops are doing the same as thomsons and upping the prices. Last year thomsons had loads discount voucher codes floating around, this year they are rare.
Neither will I Katiesmum and I have for the last couple of years to both Sharm and Turkey. I prefer the big names. Looks like it will have to be Travel Republic or a DIY. (and before people post I know all about the risks of dynamic packaging and DIY, but cant afford the extra 500 pounds thomson want). 
(and before people post I know all about the risks of dynamic packaging and DIY, but cant afford the extra 500 pounds thomson want).
Totally agree Doe.
I was going to book holidays for Whit and August (child friendly hotels for the first time ever) now I am back to pricing up flights and accomodation for self catering in Turkey for August and we may have to miss out on a Whit one, I can get my 3 piece suite covered and by a new dining table for the price of the holiday!!
Two summers ago I had a week at Whit in Taba at the Hyatt and 2 weeks in El Gouna at the Sheraton for £2850 (total for the 2 weeks for the 3 of us)
Think these travel agents are going to price themselves out of business - though saying that all the agents I passed today in town were busy!! some people don`t know any better I suppose. We did DIY to Florida last year... didn`t think of the risks!! saved us loads. Have done many a DIY to Turkey.
Hope you get sorted soon.
I was going to book holidays for Whit and August (child friendly hotels for the first time ever) now I am back to pricing up flights and accomodation for self catering in Turkey for August and we may have to miss out on a Whit one, I can get my 3 piece suite covered and by a new dining table for the price of the holiday!!
Two summers ago I had a week at Whit in Taba at the Hyatt and 2 weeks in El Gouna at the Sheraton for £2850 (total for the 2 weeks for the 3 of us)
Think these travel agents are going to price themselves out of business - though saying that all the agents I passed today in town were busy!! some people don`t know any better I suppose. We did DIY to Florida last year... didn`t think of the risks!! saved us loads. Have done many a DIY to Turkey.
Hope you get sorted soon.
well I'm very disappointed,,,,
have been trying to organise a week in Greece for herself and i, morning flights charter airline[not the Micky mouse type] half board and all they can offer is 40% dearer than last year. .looked at tc & Cosmos as well its the same thing..with the recent takeovers/amalgamations competition has gone out of the window
have been trying to organise a week in Greece for herself and i, morning flights charter airline[not the Micky mouse type] half board and all they can offer is 40% dearer than last year.
.looked at tc & Cosmos as well its the same thing..with the recent takeovers/amalgamations competition has gone out of the window
Hope you manage to find something Wizard.
Similar Topics