sorry forgot to add

can I ask for compensation for loss of Platinum privileges, as the main reason for choosing the Platinum package was to get priority check-in

You do not say what the privilege is that you have lost. Is it of particular importance? What do the T&Cs and brochure say?

There is usually a disclaimer advising that certain items may only apply during specified periods and may not be available at other times.

fwh

Hi FWH

no it is not a special offer - the privilage I have lost which is one of 6 privileges, which is included in the Thomson brochure (VIP holiday) and it includes prioirty check-in (I always book prioirty check-in) less stressful, it states this on page 27 and on pages4-5 in the Thomson Platinum premier Collection brochure and it comes under Platinum Priviliges - new for summer 2008 - the brochure is dated Jan 2008 to April 2009 december edition, I booked march 2008 so brochure is valid

thank you for your reply

I think perhaps the words "subject to availability" may come into this. I don't think they guarantee all the extras.

Pippa

I agree with Pippa here.

fwh

I think perhaps the words "subject to availability" may come into this. I don't think they guarantee all the extras.

Pippa

I replied to your post late last night Pippa - no the extras are not "subject to availability"

I booked a Thomson Platinum Premier collection holiday - VIP treatment all the way

Page 27. Platinum Priviliges

*VIP treatment* Jump the queue with UK Priority check-in, plus sit together at no extra cost and enjoy a complimentary in-flight drink and headphones

*applies from 1/5/08 see pages 4-5 for details (I leave 12/9/08 so it applies to me)

VIP treatment* UK priority check-in means you'll jump the airport queues, your party will sit together on the plane at no extra cost and you'll get a complimentary drink and headphones as you set jet off to your destination. Simply flash your Premier voucher

Taken from the Thomson Platinum Premier Page:-

*Premier Benefits apply to Platinum, BeachClub, A la Carte and Sensatori holidays when taken with a Thomsonfly flight for departures from 1st May 2008. Subject to availability.

There is an asterisk beside the benefits listed.

I think you will find that all benefits are "subject to availability".

Is it really that important to you that you have priority check in? Why not just arrive at the airport a little earlier.

In future if you really do need all these extra benefits then perhaps you would better doing a diy holiday and booking flights where you can check in online before you travel - BA for instance who also include meals.

I really can not see how you will get anything back on this.

Pippa

Thomas Cook did a similar thing - the free executive lounge (at certain airports) was advertised in the earlier brochures, as a perk with the premium cabin package. It has now been withdrawn and is only available to holidays for 08 that were booked before Dec07. Pippa is correct, these perks all have an * next to them which means 'subject to availability' and therefore can be withdrawn at any time. It legally covers them from withdrawing the 'perk' at any time!! You will just have to put it down to one of those things, I'm afraid!
Denny

Thanks for all your replies. I will put it down to experience, however I will still put in a letter of complaint. I work in the public sector, and have to deal with customers concerns/complaints justified or not, and have to complete a CDF, (customer disataifaction form)as long as my complaint gets logged, hopefully TA staff will learn from this, as I will

Denny, not sure who you bank with, the RBS do a royalties account, gives you all sorts of benfits, and one of them is if you book your holiday with them, you automatically get vouchers for the airport lounges, this is who I normally book with, and why I didn't do it this year - I don't know

Not sure how much has changed recently, but booking into the UK airports was never a big issue with us with First Choice Holidays. We got there about 2.5 hours early and got straight in line. At Bristol we had to wait for the desks to open, but even then the queue was not an issue - all part of the holiday - maybe 15 minutes max from recollections of all the holidays.

We always prebooked seats together and so did not have to get there early for that reason.
Providing you have the seats booked, I don't think the booking in part is that much of a loss.

Getting past the security scanners is the worst bit and then the anxious wait for a case at the other end. (FC did leave one of ours back in London for the duration of my holiday)

Hi Steve. Our seats are pre booked - free because its a VIP holiday, we also get complemitry drinks, free headphones, free meal , extra baggage allowance, VIP rate on our Euros, VIP discount of the business mans's lounge, priority transfers , specialist travel advisors and exclusive lounges at our hotel - we also go to the airport in advance. So the prioity check-in for me is a loss, it was the main reason we booked this holiday.

I asked at the time ,when I discovered that although it is a Thomson hotel and flying with first Choice - would priority check-in still apply - the person dealing with my holiday confirmed yes and so did one of her work collegues

I spent 4 hrs in the travel shop going over this holiday, they made an error with the fridge, saying it was free when infact you have to pay x amount a day for use - so the travel agents gave me 56 euros to cover the cost of the fridge.

As for the business man's lounge they messed up with that as well, they booked the 10th sept for me instead of the 12th sept - they offered with me 2 options...

1. Go to the lounge with voucher that had the wrong date and it would be accepted
2. Travel agent would go to the airport the day before and collect a revised vouvher.

I advised them I had been waiting for over a week to get this sorted. In the end I refused to leave the shop until it was sorted - and lo and behold the manager sorted it out withn 5 mins

It's a bit sad when the main reason you book a holiday is to have priority check in. Surely the main reason you book a holiday should be the quality of the hotel/apartment and the destination?

If you had read the terms and conditions then you would have realised that they are "subject to availability".

Pippa

It's a bit sad when the main reason you book a holiday is to have priority check in.

Reading posts elsewhere on HT so many of the questions about holidays that people ask these days are concerned with the price of booze, fags and which bar is showing the soaps or football. I suppose that the loss of the priority check in is at least different.

As Pippa highlights the T&Cs do answer your complaint "subject to availability" and there is not much you can do about it.

fwh

Pippa I don't think it is very nice stating someone is sad for enjoying perks in life. Some people
enjoy the finer things in life some dont. The poster is not 'sad' for being upset at not getting what she
asked and paid for. Yes it may be subject to availability but the poster should still put in a complaint as her holiday Im sure cost her quite alot of money and wasn't expecting easyjet standards. In all honesty I can't see the TA doing anything but it may make them draw customers attention to this subject to availability to stop this happening again.

Hi weeMary,

The point I was probably trying badly to make was that we have not had an issue with checking in with FC and therefore even if the worst comes to the worst it should not be that detrimental to the holiday experience.

Not having had the pleasure myself, can you explain what the priority check in gives you over and above normal. I assume it means a dedicated operator you can walk up to and check in, but if someone else is there before you surely you have to wait until they have been processed?

There must be more to this than I am guessing, but you have the other bits like the business class lounge etc, although I have read people slating them off in the past.

We travel as a party of 10 minimum and quite honestly with all the FC flights within 20 minutes or so of the minibus dropping us off at the entrance we have been checked in and that allows for the obligatory Fag for the smokers and me filling in all the luggage labels!

The other end though is a different matter entirely - complete nightmare but has been the same with all the companies.

I would have thought that if you get taxis transfers rather than the bus like the plebs, then you will get to the airport sooner than the coach and will therefore be at the front of the queue, or are the private transfers something else that has gone.

I think you need to quantify what it is you will miss, how much it will affect you and your frame of mind for the holiday etc and then decide what you want to do.

You could check how much extra it would cost to add to the basic package and use that as a guideline at the TA.

Once you have quantified what it means to you, if it is a serious matter as far as you are concerned, you will have to decide whether to pursue it to the point of cancellation, but check with Trading Standards or Ros first!
On the other hand you may find it is blowing itself out of proportion and the effect on your holiday and its enjoyment is not that great, in which case you can have a little moan and get on with the serious business of having a fun holiday.

At the end of the day it is up to the customer to read the terms and conditions before booking a holiday.

To book a holiday on the strength of "extras" which are subject to availability only increases the risk that you will be disapointed.

I, for one, do not like travelling Easyjet - I prefer a "full service" airline like BA. But I would not let that fact dictate the type of holiday that I booked. Where I am going and staying is far more important.

Pippa

Can I please ask what is "priority check in". Do you get to jump the queue.

Gail

basically yes, a seperate queue for priority check in people

Where else but in the travel industry can you pay for something and find you'll only get it if its available?

How much longer at they going to get away with offering these extras which tempt people to spend more and then add a bit in the small print that absolves them of responsibility for providing it?

Where does it end, how many privileges would a person have to lose before they had cause for complaint?

Priority check in might be important to someone who is disabled or just in pain, so to slate someone for wanting it is unfair IMO.