We've just returned from a package holiday to Turkey, booked with and flying with Thomas Cook.

The ticket booklet states:
outbound check-in opens 3 hours before departure and inbound 2 hours before.

It also says that you must check-in at least one hour before departure as failure to do so could result in you being denied travel.

A word of warning regarding check in should you be travelling at a busy time. Last year we flew from Birmingham with Thomas Cook on a very busy Saturday afternoon in August. Not sure if it's the same now at all airports but ALL Thomas Cook flights checked in together using about 10 or so check in desks. If our experience is anything to go by please allow yourself plenty of time as it took an hour and a half from joining the queue to get checked in. There were some very stressed people who'd been waiting patiently for well over an hour who's flights were closing and they had to call out to staff to be allowed to the front to get checked in. Not the start you want for your holiday at all..

Thanks ill keep that in mind, my flight is going to be very early on a sunday morning so don't think it should be too busy

On July 5th I posted that the holiday I had arranged was now shown as £161 cheaper than when I booked. I would save money even if I cancelled and rebooked. However on Monday the price had gone back up. This morning it was reduced again so I phoned Thomas Cook and asked if they would reduce the price by the £58 I would save by cancelling and rebooking. After checking with the supervisor the answer was no and they asked if I really wanted to bother for £58. Anyway I cancelled, rebooked and am being refunded £1100 already paid, which I will now pay back to them as payment for the new booking. Incidentally since my cancellation and rebooking this morning they have reduced the price by a further £62. I know prices can vary, but this is now 13% cheaper than my "early booking" price, and the holiday isn't till November.
I have two points to make, firstly Thomas Cook seemed to be happy to give themselves more bureacracy (and cost) by having me cancel and rebook rather than an additional discount on the booking even though I still made the same saving,and secondly it appears to me that these early discounts are often false and prices fall later, although on the previous occasion it happened the fall wasn't enough to warrant cancellation and loss of deposit. Anyone any views

Its a common practice. I didn't realise until I started checking the prices on a regular basis after my holiday to the DR suddenly came within my budget. First Choice were well known for doing it and made big moves (both ways) but it seems Thomas Cook have cottoned onto doing it more now. All the hotels I was looking at for summer 2010 to Turkey have also come down again today (by £230) - I booked others at a good price. Its a chance you take I guess. I have no complaints for the ones I've booked for next year though - they've all gone up or gone off sale!

I booked Royal Dragon with Direct Holidays and it is off-sale now whilst they sort out the contract, but got it at a great price. I also booked Royal Wings with them for October 2010 and now I see there are no family rooms left and Thomas Cook don't have it listed at all.

From my experience, it is still best to book early as you get the hotel and destination you're after. The price may fluctuate, but in the end it does go up!

Thanks ChrisDavies. you are probably correct. I did get the particular hotel I wanted and I was happy with the price. What I'm surprised at, is in a day and age when we can check current prices on the internet they should reduce prices to such an extent that its worth it those of us who have already booked holidays cancelling, losing the deposit and rebooking the same holiday with the same company.

Cashback kings are giving 4.5% cashback on thomas cook holidays

Blimey - that's better than Quidco! Direct Holidays matched the discount though when I booked for next summer - always worth a phone call - I got a free child place by ringing.

I am slightly confused (even though that is easily done ). I looked for a holiday on the Thomas cook website in 3 different ways and got completely different results.

I wanna go to the Saray Regency Hotel in Side as I read pretty good reviews for it.

When I put in my holiday dates and asked for a 5*, 10-day all inclusive package holiday in Side, it was giving me only 3 hotels, none of them the one I wanted and all over 600 quid per person.

I then used the Flights and Hotel option for those days and the Saray Regency came up, with flights on the dates I wanted for 1070 quid for two people, inclusive of transfers (1035 for the flight and hotel inclusive of an £60 online deduction and £35 for transfer).

That was still a bit more expensive then some of the offers I found elsewhere online, so I thought I might just book the flights and then book transfers and the hotel somewhere else. So I chose the flight only option on the website, chose the same flights that they offered me before and got them for £229 each. I then spotted an "add hotel" option, so I tried it and added the same hotel for that time. Funnily enough that came out at £522 for the hotel and £229 x 2 for the flights plus £35 for transfers. That brought me to a grand total of £1015, which is £55 less than when choosing the flight and hotel option.

This would come out at about £20 more per person than if I would book it through A1 Travel, but I somehow feel safer booking through Thomas Cook.
If I book everything through Thomas Cook, does that mean that I am covered like I would be when I book a package holiday even though I didn't choose their package holiday option on the website but put it together on their website on my own? I.e. if the flight gets cancelled for some reason, would I get a full refund or would they expect me to still pay for the hotel and transfer if we can't find suitable flights for similar prices?

Many thanks for your help.

Sagom

Never done it that way before so can't offer any advice - very interesting option.

Also, check FlyThomasCook, as the flights come in cheaper on that site that on the TC website.

hi all.....just come back from the Paradise Lago Taurito ...Playa Taurito in Gran Caneria....went with Thomascook on a package.....am amazed...everything was brilliant....the girls in the shop sorted me out a treat....they held tickets in shop for me to pick up when I went for my euros....so no worry about anything happening to them last minute in the post....check in and flights spot on....Sue the resort rep was brilliant....really honest and helpful and there every day in same place at tea time so no problem if you needed anything....made sure we had numbers to call if we needed her at other times....there when we were checking out as well....really nice sweet girl who knows and likes her job....take a bow Sue ....your a holidaymakers dream

Transfers went smooth

Hotel was great....staff absolutely brilliant....so efficent yet relaxed happy and really friendly....really enjoyed all my meals....good choices, fresh, and suitable for veggies children and anyone else, well known brands of pop, amstrell beer and white red and rosa wines which were really nice, all on self serve ....rooms clean and pleasant, and room staff cleaned every day,

Facilities on site good....pool, jaquissi, and water park, shooting, archery, pingpong, darts ,arobics. water polo,fashion show, and even a scuba diving lesson. all free on AI....bird shows ect in the evening.

Never been on a full package before, and after some of the things I have read I went prepared to enter the holiday jungle, determined to enjoy myself no matter what went wrong....Instead I found the rose garden....an was a very happy bunny all week.

And NO MOZZIES .... bingo full house.....thank you Thomascook.....make sure next years prices are a bargain next year as want to take 8 of us out for 2 weeks

Hi Bugalug,

it actually would have counted as a component holiday, so we wouldn't have been covered if one of them would have fallen through. Called Thomas Cook though and the lady spoke to the headoffice and they matched the price I would have paid for the components and sold it to me as a package holiday. Their Package holiday option would have been £120 more expensive, so it's always good to play around on the website and try different options and then ask them if they are willing to sell as a package.

Hope that might help.

Ta,

Sagom

Yes - always worth a phone call. I booked Royal Dragon with Direct Holidays and the free child places weren't being offered online. I got them by ringing.

Is anyone having difficulty viewing the payment on line service, I am getting the message "Secure Connection Failed".
I booked a holiday for next year on line and received my invoice and it is £45 more
than the price on line, I do have a print out for the booking at the price I booked it for ( £45 less than the invoice) but now am unable to view my booking on line.
Do you think I should phone and query this.

Wait until tomorrow Caz. Customer Services won't be in today anyway, and I'm sure the online system will rectify itself by tomorrow.

Just wanted to let potential customers know that when you get a quote on the TC website, the quote includes, "your seat - your choice". I didn't realise this when I booked my hol to Turkey on Wednesday but as I was pleased with the price I paid, it was an added bonus. It's worth knowing this in case you're looking for the cheapest possible quote. If you don't want to pre book your seats you have to tick the box and then the price will be adjusted accordingly. Quite sly really.

Shirley

They should have the box unticked and let you decide if you want to tick it, its the same £2 donation, what I always untick, if I was given the choice I might tick but if its forced on I won't. It all adds to the cost of your holiday and know they are not meant to tick it, the same for airlines because its an extra and the airlines have had their card marked if they tick any of the boxes on extra's.

Just wanted to let potential customers know that when you get a quote on the TC website, the quote includes, "your seat - your choice". I didn't realise this when I booked my hol to Turkey on Wednesday but as I was pleased with the price I paid, it was an added bonus. It's worth knowing this in case you're looking for the cheapest possible quote. If you don't want to pre book your seats you have to tick the box and then the price will be adjusted accordingly. Quite sly really.

Shirley
Are you talking about booking flight only or a package?
At what point does the system do this?

I've been looking a Thomas Cook package holidays and it gives you the following options under "Customise your holiday - Flight extras":
In-flight meals
Resort transfer
Travel Insurance

On the next page it just asks for passenger details - which I don't want to provide unless I'm actually booking.
At this point, the breakdown of cost is shown as:

2 Adults £668.00
2 Fuel Supplement £20.00
2 Atol Protection (Apc) £2.00

This is opting not to have in-flight meals/insurance and de-selecting transfers which it selects automatically.

At NO point during this process so far is 'your seat - your choice' mentioned.

If Thomas Cook ARE doing this, I think it's more that QUITE sly.

Your seat-----Your choice is on the DH web site.