hi....Ive read on another sight that some going Rhodes has had a letter from thomascook informing them that thier flight is now with Smartlynx....I googled it as dont know them...they are a latvian airline....and they and its an A320...my invoice says thomascook and a B752....so now Im wondering why bother booking with thomascook if they then put you on someone elses planes....Ive prefered thomascook as felt safe with them...but all this uncertainty ...and now cant even ensure I will be on a thomascook plane...is rattling me out of my comfort zone.

The aircraft in question only flies from newcastle and has been planned years in advance

TWEETIE PIE wrote:

hi....Ive read on another sight that some going Rhodes has had a letter from thomascook informing them that thier flight is now with Smartlynx....I googled it as dont know them...they are a latvian airline....and they and its an A320...my invoice says thomascook and a B752....so now Im wondering why bother booking with thomascook if they then put you on someone elses planes....Ive prefered thomascook as felt safe with them...but all this uncertainty ...and now cant even ensure I will be on a thomascook plane...is rattling me out of my comfort zone.

It looks like thomas cook does this alot, two years ago I flew to Lido di Jesolo, package holiday with thomas cook, flight with fly-be, even excursions werent done by thomas cook

tweetie, Darren answered your post about this a couple of hours ago, on the Thomas Cook Airlines thread.

hi sunaddict....I hadnt realised Darren had replied when I posted on here...and I do now understand the situation better...the last post I put here was about how I felt ....had I been traveling via Newcastle I would have been affected....and as naive as it may sound....if I book a thomascook holiday I expect to be on a thomascook plane...if the holiday description when you book gives you a thomascook flight ....I expect a thomascook plane (baring last minute emergencies)....I would be concerned if I recieved a letter telling me I was on another companies plane...

The people who had experienced this were concerned...one from last year said an arm rest was held together with tape...the other just recieved letter and concerned his wife just wont get on the plane.

Both surprised by letter....if planned so far in advance why the need to send letters...why not just put it on the pre-booking details.

I am a worrier...so I decide what I want...and make sure Im getting what I want....I book with a well known company because I dont trust I'll get that with the others....the cheaper prices just dont justify the worrying I would do afterwards....I am not afraid of flying....but need the reasurance of a name on that plane that I know and trust...

Changing the plane would be as disturbing as having my hotel changed to me...

The point of my last post was to say I booked thomascook as I trusted them to give me the holiday I pay for.....and all the things that Im finding out at the moment are questioning the reasoning behind the reason I book with thomascook....it may all mean nothing but is unsettling just the same...

Where as my post Darren reasuringly answered was a request for any useful information...as I thought I could also recieve a letter.... tweetie

hi tweetie. All tour operators can change the airline, for any reason, and booking with TC or Thomsons or Monarch doesn't guarantee you will get one of their aircraft, even when they have the same flight numbers. I've booked a Thomson holiday and had a TC aircraft on the outbound flight and Thomson on the inbound.
I do understand your concerns. I am a nervous flyer. No one is going to charter aircraft that are unsafe. All the aircraft have to adhere to strict regulations, and because the insides are a bit tatty, doesn't mean they're not safe. I read elsewhere where an employee had posted to say that the Mint aircraft that were chartered last year, were really good inside when they leased them, but at the end of the season, after TC had used them, they were in a disgusting state. Maybe the holidaymakers fault as well, not just the airline?
I think they send letters out to people that have already booked, as a matter of courtesy. People would only complain if they weren't told, as can be seen from last year's complaints. It does tell you on their website, when booking, that it may be Smartlynx, so I'm sure it will also be on the travel agents reservation system.

Thomas Cook Holidays use all different airlines they always have as they are a travel agency. You could expect to be on a Monarch Aircraft, a TC Aircraft, Thomson etc This has always been the case, so i dont understand why someone would think this was something new of something to worry about

Thomas Cook travel agent do sell lots of tour ops holidays, but I think tweetie means that if she books a Thomas Cook package holiday, not another tour ops holiday via a TC travel agent, she expects a TC aircraft.

I just think that is unrealistic, as I dont beleive that they guarantee what aircraft you get when you go on a charter they have to do the best they can given the aircraft available. I would rather go up in a safe aircraft from a different company than an unsafe TC one if there was an issue, i dont like the idea of passengers dictating what I should and shouldn't fly in, I feel that should be a matter for the Company and what they are paid to do.

I agree. As already said, airlines/aircraft are never guaranteed. I can think of lots of airlines I would choose before choosing TC!

LOL me too, especially having just come back from Hurgharda on a TC plane that was my most uncomfortable flight in years of flying, but you are limited for choice in some destinations unfortunatly. I would never travel with them by choice to Spain, Algarve etc

hi Doe....I must have just been lucky...but when I had booked thomsons...I flew both ways on a thomson plane...when Ive booked thomascook...Ive flown both ways on a thomascook plane...I thought it was only in an emergency they would use some other companies plane...naive I know...but I never realised they did this as normal practice....and its not just me it seems...the posts on another forum that set me off were by 2 others who were also unaware ...tweetie
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hi sunaddict...thanks for posting the full story...atleaste now future readers as niave as me about these things will understand how things work

(and because the insides are a bit tatty, doesn't mean they're not safe.)

But it doesnt encourage confidence...if I walked into a holiday flat and it was tatty...I would give a thought about if the boiler had been checked.

(It does tell you on their website, when booking, that it may be Smartlynx, so I'm sure it will also be on the travel agents reservation system)

Both the posters on the other site were unaware ...one had been unhappy when it had happened the year before...and complained...and been reassured it would not happen this year ...so he had booked with thomascook again....tweetie

hi... I agree thomascook is not the best when it comes to comfort...and Ive been relieved to get off the plane....the most comfortable flight I had was with olyimpic...but with me its familiarity that spells security and safety ...and the reason that though Ive really wanted to save money and take a chance with the likes of OTB or to do a DIY.... I keep opting to book with thomascook.

Hi tweetie
I think they generally use their own planes if they can as that is the way it seems to pan out. But I have had substitute aircraft on occassions. Yes I agree it's difficult to know what to do regarding carrying on booking with Thomas Cook, Thomson, Cosmos or defecting and going to onthebeach, travel republic etc. The whole point of the former is the security of the package & then if you suddenly think that is not there, well what's the point? I end up taking out loads of travel insurance and paying by credit card as well to try and cover all bases - nightmare really. And the % charge for paying with a CC is really starting to erk me. If the holiday is quite expensive and then they add that on as well it makes you want to

I just been checking out The Thomas Cook Holiday Club, looking at the web site, everything looks normal, until

You try to enter a date for departure, and you find it no longer gives you any date, now Im hoping there just uploading holidays for 2013, but if not it might be a sign that everything is not ok with thomas cook, so maybe there going to drop the holiday club

I'm not sure why it might be a sign that everything at TC is not ok. If you use the advanced search it seems to be working ok.

Thanks sunadict, I see advance search does work, but Im sure last week, they didnt have holidays for 2013

Thomas Cook group finally appoints a new CEO and share price jumps 17%

http://online.hemscottir.com/tools/insite/jsp/download_file.jsp?cms_system_id=2294966833&fundamental_id=8525389&article_type=thoc-press&componentId=35010058

Looks a decent appointment and the City seems to approve. She has a solid background in multi-channel operations and has successfully managed strategic change. Good news for TC and follows the news yesterday on the sale of the Indian JV stake which generates net £94m to reduce borrowings. Some good news at last !

I have just been on and picked my seats for my holiday in July, last year I upped my baggage allowance to, but can't seem to find an option for this now. Is this no longer possible