I remember flying to Yugoslavia (as it was then) on my honeymoon 20 years ago and being seated separately from my new husband so when my children came along, around the same time as the charter airlines began offering the facility to pre-book seats, I opted to sit together when possible. To me a few pounds extra at the time of booking is a small price to pay for your family not being seated scattered around the four corners of the aircraft. I guess it depends somewhat on whether you actually enjoy sitting with your family

My husband and I went to Cuba in October and witnessed a scene at Holgiun airport for the return journey where an extended family (maybe 10-12 people) had checked in and found they were not sitting together and their party included very young children. They were not happy at all with being split up and had an absolute paddy at check-in. I was surprised they were allowed to travel at all after being so abusive to the check-in staff but they were allowed to travel but not sitting together. The family must have spent thousands of pounds on the holiday ... surely an extra £100 for peace of mind would have been worth the cost.

I think others have made the point that not booking pre-booked seats is fine as long as you don't complain when you are split up .... fine maybe for a 2 or 3 hour flight but not so nice for long-haul or if you have young children.

As for 1% of seats being pre-booked, I have recently pre-booked seats for a TCX flight to Cancun in October 08 and many of the seats together had already been allocated. There were plenty if you didn't mind being separated by the aisle.

Thomas Cook has axed its Glasgow/Almeria service. Alternative flights are being offered from Manchester. In addition to passengers who have booked with Thomas Cook, this may also affect those passengers already booked with MyTravel and Direct Holidays. Direct Holidays carried 5000 passengers on the Glasgow/Almeria route last year. Anyone holding reservations on a Thomas Cook Glasgow/Almeria flight should contact their booking source as soon as possible, if they have not already been offered an alternative flight.

David

not so nice for long-haul or if you have young children.

It would be lovely if they would sit your young children beside somebody else

Gosh that sounds like bad news for a lot of people David. How did you find out was it posted on a specialist web-site? Presumably they would contact people who had already booked and paid.

doepsmc wrote:

Gosh that sounds like bad news for a lot of people David. How did you find out was it posted on a specialist web-site? Presumably they would contact people who had already booked and paid.

It has been attracting some local media attention, not least because the alternative airport which is being offered is around 230 miles away. All affected passengers should be contacted regarding an alternative flight or a full refund. However, those not yet contacted should get in touch with their booking source, while there is still some availability left. Not all Direct Holidays clients are aware that their chosen company is part of the MyTravel group, which in turn has merged with Thomas Cook and so they may not be aware that they are directly affected by the cessation of this route.

David

I think its disgraceful how Thomas Cook have been so far this year. Changing so many flights, and not just flight times, its a change of time, airport and sometimes a different day to fly out of.

And of course some flights have just been dropped all together.

Moving a flight from one airport to another over 200 miles away is no joke. Ok they say that you can get a full refund if you want, but then you have all the hassle of trying to get another flight, possibly on the same day, especially if you have holidays booked at work and of course sorting out accommodation. Worse if you have accommodation booked seperately, as you will need the dates to match.

How many people are going to be wary next year of booking with TC, knowing that they are free and easy with just pulling flights as they see fit.

To be fair to Thomas Cook this year has been unique in that it merged with MyTravel bringing endless problems with both flights and accomodation, once this summer is out of the way there should be no further problems like this because everything will have been done from fresh.

BEfreeTODAY wrote:

Thomas Cook this year has been unique in that it merged with MyTravel

Unless someone can explain otherwise, I dont see this as 'unique' Thomson merged with First Choice. This board has been plastered with flight problems and hotel problems from Thomas Cook, Airtours, Direct Holidays customers and it's only February.

I don't see the same level of complaints and issues from those that have booked with Thomson and First Choice so far (although I know there is still time )

If you can remember as far back as last year Thomas Cook and MyTravel was the first merger, this means that it is currently in the period that no-one likes to be in and that is the changeover. First Choice and Thomson are not in this period yet and will not be until the end of this year, nothing is changing for the summer unlike Thomas Cook, this is why it is currently unique, come back in a few months and see similar problems with Thomson and First Choice and no problems with Thomas Cook.

This is by no means an excuse for Thomas Cook, they do have problems, but mainly related to how flights were managed before the changeover and the fact that many flights are double what they used to be and they need to cut costs to survive with the likes of easyJet.

The airlines will be one of the final mergers and will occur in March/April when MyTravel Airways will cease the exist, this in turn brings its own problems as it will when Thomsonfly and First Choice Airways come together later this year/next year to create a brand new airline.

It was never going to be easy and anyone should have realised that, although i do wish they would have spent more time informing passengers than repainting the entire MyTravel fleet as quickly as they did.

Thanks for the reply and satisfying my curosity. It is something I have been wondering about. IMHO what bugs people is not the probelms in themselves, it is way the customer services departments and after sales services are run. It's not being able to get through on premium rate phone lines for 50 mins and once you do get through the staff know less than you do. I do apprecaite it's all run on a shoestring to keep holiday costs down.

Will it be the Thomson/First Choice Winter 08/09 programme that will experience problems or will it be summer 09?
I appreciated this will be just your personal opinion.

As for the customer services departments thats another merger which has gone wrong so to speak, most dont know whats happening.

As for First Choice, Thomson its difficult to decide whether it will be Winter or next summer because there has been little information. My guess would be this time next year so Summer 2009, i know they possibly wanted to relaunch the airline with the introduction of the first B787 in this country, so in big style then, possible interiors are being discussed but i wouldnt expect anything as generous as the current FC configruation simply for costs, but there has to be 33" seat pitch as this has become the standard with long haul it seems, but again nothing confirmed.

What we do know is that First Choice will focus on family holidays but will still sell all types and Thomson on the upper end of the market as it used to be. If you ask me this is the wrong way around but anyway.

Just to report that we got to check in at around 7am (departure for 8.55) and got seats together there and back

If we took, did you pay the extra for sitting together or did you save yourself some money.

Arghhhh on hold to book a seat at Thomas Cook - 52 minutes and not spoken to a person yet. Anyone know how I can get through. TC should give u the option of seats when u book online, its nuts.... Im going crazy. Anyone got a contact number that gets me through to a person????

You can book the seats online at thomascookairlines.co.uk if you have already got a flight booked. You need to enter your booking reference and flight details then can select seats of your choice. If you require extra legroom seats, you need to phone the airline as this cannot be done online.

Cazz your a life saver, all done, plus got extra baggage. Wish they would just put them as opt outs on the booking system like thomas cook... Have saved the site to my favourites now. THANKYOU.

i am a first time flyer - -flew with thomas cook on 8th march from gatwick to fuerteventura and then back again on 15th march 2008

at gatwick, we got checked in very quickly and got seats together, i am disabled and assiantace was pre-booked via travel agent. we were seated in the disabled seating area, where when called was taken by electric buggy down the 20min walk route to the gate

all special assistance people were boarded first,
we had the in flight meal, which was nice, chicken pie with vegetables, a banoffee cream pie, cheese & biscuits,
flight entertiantment was the film stardust

on arrival at fuerteventura, they were waiting with a wheelchair to get our luagguage, and then was met by thomas cook for the coach to our hotel

coming home the thomas cook reps, helped us check in and helped us board.

everything went exttremy well, would certialy fly thomas cook again

and our REP adam was fab throughout the whole holiday along with katie & jodie on the trips

Glad you enjoyed your holiday pinkangel. It's nice to hear some positive feedback on here and to know that the tour companys can get things right when it matters.

Going to CUBA............

TC have on hold music "what a difference aday makes" sure does cos they don like answering calls.

I don't want a lot, and I realise I get what I pay for..............

Don't want to get tooooooooooooo grumpy, but bad service!

They say: Thomas Cook - Our world revolves around you,

That like the big bang? NICE words BUT they have to deliver!

Try: Thomas Cook - Our world revolves around you, BUT we won't talk to you!
Or answer e-mails, letters or calls. We are too busy revolving to help!

Now, Re my booking: part .net and part tele, bound to be a cock up, so no surprise...........
only wanted to check IF I had food on a 14 hour + flight? I am a geezer, I do get hungry.

Feed-backed them, asking, waste of time, email takes seconds, I know I run it.

Your customer support telecoms, NEVER ANSWERS,

I only got through when I cheated/blagged it, then checked and paid for food on flight.

NOTE: Their "tele-comms" man < although surprised when I called him, and asked to be put through though!>
He said a max 7 mins wait LIAR! He checked his screen! he Must be right

I said I would prove it if he emailed me, I would send my call log, his mail is STILL awaited, I must have been on the hands free about 3+ hours in 20/30 mins attempts.

.net customer account didn't say? Why???? it look's good but useless.

Called Peterborough, 2 weeks ago, I go april and someone said will call in 3 <he he he he> days ( didn't say which 3?)

with .net and other direct sales, NOT hand holding US punters, Thomas Cook as a service company will be in deep POOO
Now I know why I have been generally booking direct! And have for the past 7/8 years and I holiday 2 /3 times a year.

1, they sent a invoice/bill with no advice on it. What was the £10 bill for? I did pay it, cos I didn't want any more problems.......

Sorted the others, like....

I mailed the hotel direct and sorted one query, took a few hours inc time difference
Note: the Hotel is on the ball!

I really hope the holiday goes better,

So far...... I am

Disappointedly yours THOMAS COOK

Pablo

look on saynoto0870 .com for NON 0870 tele nos or it will cost a packet!