I've noticed just recently that Thomas Cook are also selling Thomson holidays

I noticed this also - and it's interesting to compare prices for the same holiday on the Thomson site. What is also interesting is that Thomas Cook seem - though it's not certain - to be offering only a 15Kg luggage allowance on Thomson holidays and wanting more money to boost it by 5Kg - thus just getting to the normal standard of 20Kg for Thomson.
I don't think there's anything horrible lurking in the future just yet about a merger between the two giants in travel - it would almost certainly be blocked by the authorities for removing competition.
Actually the Thomas Cook website used to sell Thomson holidays a couple of years ago - and then they stopped. It looks like they've just re-introduced the practice.

And you've always been able to book Thomsons holidays at Thomas Cook travel agencies.

offering only a 15Kg luggage allowance on Thomson holidays and wanting more money to boost it by 5Kg - thus just getting to the normal standard of 20Kg for Thomson.

yes, but even allowing for the cost of an extra 5kgs, the holiday being sold on the TC website is still far less than on the Thomson one.

It's very strange. Here's an example-

Thomas cook website offering Venus Hotel, kalamaki through Thomas Cook and Thomson.

Prices-B&B for 14 nights
flying with Thomson on 4th Aug 2011= £660 pp
flying with Thomas Cook on 5th Aug 2011= £462

Not both the above are for sale through the TC website.

I know which one I'd book.

mmmm.... thats food for thought shirley.......I went with thomsons to pefkos....thats one holiday would love to repeat in the future.....wondering how much cheaper it would be with thomascook....tweetie

Sorry the above post of mine should read ' NOTE - both are available through Thomas Cook website.

Sorry, I can't edit the post

hi...had a peep but they arent doing the hotel I like....they are doing olympic hols as well....tweetie

One of my son's is on a Thomas Cook holiday bought on Thomsons website. It was cheaper than EXACTLY the same holiday on the TC website

Hmm That's a turn around for the books. I haven't found one holiday on the Thomson website that's cheaper than on the TC one. It's usually the other way around.

I booked a holiday to Tunisia for August 2011 online with Thomas Cook last week, saved £150 per person on the travel agent price.

Two days after booking I realised I had spelt a couples surname on our booking wrong, they spell their surname with a double "s" and I had spelt it with one "s".

Anyway I contacted Thomas Cook and was charged £35 for each amendment, a total of £70. I know this is the standard charge for a change of name but I thought with our holiday being 11 and a half months away they may have just corrected it for free.

Just a heads up for everyone to double check all spellings etc before booking.

Caribbean hoteliers threaten legal action against Thomas Cook

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association has threatened legal action against Thomas Cook if the operator does not drop its plan to deduct 5% from payments for August and September.

The CTTA joins the worldwide chorus of disapproval at Thomas Cook which says it is dropping payments for UK customers' rooms to hotels worldwide as it needs to recoup losses.

The CHTA said it was rejecting the "unilateral move" by Thomas Cook and would take a "strong collective stand". It added that hotels had been told verbally about the cuts but not in writing.

Thomas Cook chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa has been sent a letter by the Cancun Hotel Association saying that unless he withdraw the 5% cut, the operator will have a legal battle on its hands.

CHTA director general and chief executive officer Alex Sanguinetti said: "CHTA is polling our members to find out how far and wide this unilateral policy by Thomas Cook has spread."

He added that the CHTA would be sending a letter to Thomas Cook on behalf of its member hotel associations expressing concern and rejection of the plan.

Added Sanguinetti: "We can't have any company taking unilateral and unauthorized monetary deductions because they experienced a drop in their earnings, no matter how steeped in history and credibility they have accumulated over the years.

"Tour operator contracts have been negotiated and are currently in place. Contracts are to be upheld by both parties and when this breaks down unilaterally it undermines the entire contracting system."

With permission from Travelmole

The decision by Thomas Cook to cut payments to hotels has also provoked anger on the Costa Blanca:
http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2010/09/10/34651/cook-cuts-hotel-payments-to-maintain-capacity.html
http://www.costa-news.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5982&Itemid=1

David

Anyone been affected by the flight change to Antalya from Newcastle next year.
Originally booked for Tuesday 24th May at 15.50 but flight has now been changed to Monday 23rd May at 07.00.
We may have to cancel altogether and go somewhere different if hubby can't switch, he fought to get them in the first place!

Ref Thomas Cooks 5% reduction in payments to hotels.

Has this affected any tourists traveling to the Caribbean, i.e. are hoteliers treating TC guests any different to those travelling with other operators?

John

I would worry if thomsons also began selling thomascook holidays ....dont think it would be good news for prices ect......tweetie

I know this is but I booked a Thomas Cook flight through Thomsons website and it was a lot cheaper than doing it through TC inself. It also included 20kg hold luggage and a meal on the plane, both of which had to be paid for as extras on Thomson's flights.

i have booked my first holiday with Thomas Cook for next year , when given my paper work i was asked to go online and fill in API information , how early can you do this ? i have never been asked when travelling with Thomson

It's fairly routine thesedays...fairly simple, all you need is your flight details and your passport.. takes about 5 mins...

ATB,J.

hi Llindy....just be careful when you do it...double check the info you have put in before you click the final button....make sure names ...DOB.....and passport numbers ect are correctly entered and exactly as they are on your passport.....as merseygull says its simple....but important you get it right.....tweetie

how early can you do this ? i have never been asked when travelling with Thomson

Hi Llindy, I think it's 28 days before travel, at the earliest.

thank you for your replies, see how eager i am to , i like to be prepared