I'm not sure which section to put this in I'm new here.
We are due to fly out on May 6th. Yesterday (1st May) we received a letter from Thomson dated 20th April saying that the premium seats we had reserved and paid for on flight TOM417 out to Luxor and (we assume) TOM417 returning, were not now available. They offer us a refund but we dont want the refund we want the seats. My husband has been told that having already had pulmonary embolism in the past he should not fly cramped up in economy (p.e s are known as 2economy class syndrome" ) and I am partially disabled so the premium seats are a must for us. We are willing to accept this extra expense as part of our holiday cost.
We have phoned Thomsons but keep getting different stories. They say that the aircraft now being used on the flight has a premium cabin but the seats are not available !
The latest is that they MAY be available on a first come first served basis.
If we reserved a hotel room, a seat on a train or even an item at Argos it would be there. Why should a seat on an aircraft be any different.
I realise this isn't what you want to hear, but sometimes things go wrong. Aircraft need unexpected maintenance or plans change which are unavoidable. There are a number of repatriation flights going out to Mexico at the moment which is effecting the schedule of both Thomas Cook and Thomson Airways, this could be one of the reasons. Your destination can be operated by a smaller aircraft such as a 757 where as Mexico or another long haul route can't be.
Maybe its worth speaking to Customer Relations instead of demanding something that isn't there, ask for a welfare seat and they will or should be able to accommodate you.
Maybe its worth speaking to Customer Relations instead of demanding something that isn't there, ask for a welfare seat and they will or should be able to accommodate you.
We phone customer services and the travel agent. We have not demanded anything. The travel agent is as confused as we are. We have been told (1) that there is no premium cabin on the aircraft (2) that there is a premium cabin on the aricraft but no premium service - we said that was fine it was just the seat we were interested in not bothered about the service (3) that there may or may not be premium seats (4) that all seats will be issued on a first come first served basis even though premium and economy seats are at different check ins.
The travel agents are being very nice and helpful but are not getting any information or straight answers. At one point she was told that there or may not be seats of any kind for us.
We would just like to know what is going on.
The travel agents are being very nice and helpful but are not getting any information or straight answers. At one point she was told that there or may not be seats of any kind for us.
We would just like to know what is going on.
I completely understand what you're going through. We had a similar problem just over 12 months ago with Thomsons on a Jamaica flight. We got differing stories for 3 months. There was premium on the inbound sector but not on the outbound, or so we were told by Thomsons when trying to prebook seat numbers. We got differing answers depending on who we spoke to. It took many, many phone calls to try to rectify this. Eventually we got a letter saying they had sub contracted the flight out to another airline and everything apart from a sightly decreased seat pitch would be exactly the same!!!!
A couple of weeks before departure my friend who we were holidaying with rang me to say she had just maaged to prebook her outbound seats and gave me the number to ring. I did this straight away to be told I couldn't prebook!! Eventually she spoke to someone else and we got this sorted out.
It was only when we got to the airport we found we were flying with TC. Everything the same - I think not!!
A couple of weeks before departure my friend who we were holidaying with rang me to say she had just maaged to prebook her outbound seats and gave me the number to ring. I did this straight away to be told I couldn't prebook!! Eventually she spoke to someone else and we got this sorted out.
It was only when we got to the airport we found we were flying with TC. Everything the same - I think not!!
If you aren't interested in the premium service could they not offer you extra leg room seats so that you aren't cramped? Just a thought.
Well if you are not bothered about the service, rather than fight a losing battle with call centres and different drones repeating different scripts. Ring up tell them you require welfare seats that way you get upto 40" legroom- more than the 36" sold to you as premium.
It sounds like they have swapped a First Choice 767 with 62 premium seats to a Thomsonfly 767 with 31 premium seats.
So they see the flight still operating, they see premium was available but fully booked but obviously you not in it which is confusing them. They are probably not aware of the seating differences between the different 767's.
I am only guessing at this but it seems highly likely.
So they see the flight still operating, they see premium was available but fully booked but obviously you not in it which is confusing them. They are probably not aware of the seating differences between the different 767's.
I am only guessing at this but it seems highly likely.
Pretty good information from TOM-etc etc, seems to make sense.
I hope you get your seats sorted out, kernow-cousin.
What WOULD worry me is THIS comment:
Are you absolutely sure that you're booked on the flight?
Regards
I hope you get your seats sorted out, kernow-cousin.
What WOULD worry me is THIS comment:
At one point she was told that there or may not be seats of any kind for us.
Are you absolutely sure that you're booked on the flight?
Regards
just received another letter enclosing new tickets - they do not say anything in the seating option section and say no hold baggage booked. I have tried to phone but still on hold
You comment that you are in contact with Thomson and a Travel Agent. Whilst I understand your concern the TA is the person with whom you placed the booking. In my opinion it is their responsibility to sort it out. They are being paid commission on the booking so let them earn it!
There is also the danger that your chasing direct and with the travel agent doing the same that confusion could arise. Two different people chasing the same thing if you understand what I mean.
Just spotted your latest post - why are you doing the telephoning - unless you like paying to listen to music. Tell the agent to do it.
fwh
There is also the danger that your chasing direct and with the travel agent doing the same that confusion could arise. Two different people chasing the same thing if you understand what I mean.
Just spotted your latest post - why are you doing the telephoning - unless you like paying to listen to music. Tell the agent to do it.
fwh
Great advice as usual from fwh.
Have you booked a package deal or just a flight to Luxor?
If it were me, I'd be off to the Travel Agent in person - and I'd sit there until everything was cleared up to my satisfaction.
I hope you get it sorted.
just received another letter enclosing new tickets - they do not say anything in the seating option section and say no hold baggage booked. I have tried to phone but still on hold
Have you booked a package deal or just a flight to Luxor?
If it were me, I'd be off to the Travel Agent in person - and I'd sit there until everything was cleared up to my satisfaction.
I hope you get it sorted.
Yes its a package deal through Classic Travel (co-op travel agents) a Nile cruise and a week at El Gouna.
I've left lots of messages on the travel agent phone.
The new tickets this morning just had a covering letter saying "enclosed new tickets". WE have phoned the number on that letter but that office is closed for the bank holiday !
The holiday is for my husband and myself with our son and daughter in law. They live in Worcester and we were flying from Birmingham. We are going up to Worcester tomorow (as planned) and we wil drive to the travel agents and up to Birmingham airport to see if we can find out anything at all.
I dont know whether to cry or scream. We'd love to know our legal position but of course no solicitors are open untill Tuesday and we are talking just more and more expense and when you have saved up for a holiday like this there is a limit tohow much more we can spend.
I've left lots of messages on the travel agent phone.
The new tickets this morning just had a covering letter saying "enclosed new tickets". WE have phoned the number on that letter but that office is closed for the bank holiday !
The holiday is for my husband and myself with our son and daughter in law. They live in Worcester and we were flying from Birmingham. We are going up to Worcester tomorow (as planned) and we wil drive to the travel agents and up to Birmingham airport to see if we can find out anything at all.
I dont know whether to cry or scream. We'd love to know our legal position but of course no solicitors are open untill Tuesday and we are talking just more and more expense and when you have saved up for a holiday like this there is a limit tohow much more we can spend.
I hope you get some joy from the Travel Agent.
It sounds strange (at least to me) that your latest tickets say that you've got no hold luggage booked.
I know that a lot of airlines are charging for ANY hold luggage if you book flight only, but I thought that package holidays at least come with some hold allowance, even if it's only 15kg.
Make sure that you take every bit of paperwork that you have received in case of query and if you are charged for anything that you think should be included, make sure that you get receipts.
I do hope that things go OK for you all.
We've been on a Nile cruise twice and LOVED it and although it can be hard work because of the early excursion starts, it's worth it.
The temples along the Nile are stunning.
It sounds strange (at least to me) that your latest tickets say that you've got no hold luggage booked.
I know that a lot of airlines are charging for ANY hold luggage if you book flight only, but I thought that package holidays at least come with some hold allowance, even if it's only 15kg.
Make sure that you take every bit of paperwork that you have received in case of query and if you are charged for anything that you think should be included, make sure that you get receipts.
I do hope that things go OK for you all.
We've been on a Nile cruise twice and LOVED it and although it can be hard work because of the early excursion starts, it's worth it.
The temples along the Nile are stunning.
Similiar thing happened to us today.
We are off to the Dominican in June, paid a good price for preminum when we booked, just £100 each for both flights.
Got a phone call today from First choice and they told me the plane had been changed on the outband flight therefore they cannot cater for premium. We are however ok for the retun flight.
They offered us 1/2 of our money back.
I told them it cant be helped but can we still have complimentary drinks on the way out, they said no but you will get a meal (Dont we get one anyway!!)
We cannot access premium check in or movies/games but they will still honour our extra weight allowance.
Cant work out why we still cant have complimentary drinks, I even said Im not that bothered about them giving half our money back if we could still have drinks and movies/games
We are off to the Dominican in June, paid a good price for preminum when we booked, just £100 each for both flights.
Got a phone call today from First choice and they told me the plane had been changed on the outband flight therefore they cannot cater for premium. We are however ok for the retun flight.
They offered us 1/2 of our money back.
I told them it cant be helped but can we still have complimentary drinks on the way out, they said no but you will get a meal (Dont we get one anyway!!)
We cannot access premium check in or movies/games but they will still honour our extra weight allowance.
Cant work out why we still cant have complimentary drinks, I even said Im not that bothered about them giving half our money back if we could still have drinks and movies/games
If there's no premium cabin they probably won't have the premium films etc on board. Also if they let you have complimentary drinks it would probably be logistically difficult to know who they had given the comp drinks to and who they hadn't. Plus everyone else would want to know why they couldn't have them. Once the premium cabin is removed unfortunately so are all the things that it encompasses.
Thanks to everyone for the help and advice.
We did check in at the premium desk and had the premium seats. We were told that the premium service was not available. I foujnd this hard to understand because once we were on board they offered to SELL us all the things we should have had free with our premium service.
There were lots of other problems with the holiday and complaints are being made to the travel agent. All in all I would not go to Egypt again, I will certainly never set foot on a Nile cruise vessel again.
We did check in at the premium desk and had the premium seats. We were told that the premium service was not available. I foujnd this hard to understand because once we were on board they offered to SELL us all the things we should have had free with our premium service.
There were lots of other problems with the holiday and complaints are being made to the travel agent. All in all I would not go to Egypt again, I will certainly never set foot on a Nile cruise vessel again.
Hi
I'm sorry to hear that your holiday did not go as you expected and that you had such a lot of hassle before you departed.
Nile cruise boats can be a bit 'hit and miss' and one thing we've learned is to go for the best boat that you can afford.
I hope you get somewhere with your complaints.
Regards
I'm sorry to hear that your holiday did not go as you expected and that you had such a lot of hassle before you departed.
Nile cruise boats can be a bit 'hit and miss' and one thing we've learned is to go for the best boat that you can afford.
I hope you get somewhere with your complaints.
Regards
kernow-cousin
Can you tell me which Nile Cruise ship you went on? We are booked to go in September via Classic Holidays 4 U which is also part of the Co-Op group.
Thanks
Gary
Can you tell me which Nile Cruise ship you went on? We are booked to go in September via Classic Holidays 4 U which is also part of the Co-Op group.
Thanks
Gary
Shame you have experienced problems. I have travelled to Egypt many times as it is a wondeful country and I have done several Nile cruises, all of them excellent. Don't let a poor experience put you off a whole country 
kernow-cousin wrote:Thanks to everyone for the help and advice.
We did check in at the premium desk and had the premium seats. We were told that the premium service was not available. I foujnd this hard to understand because once we were on board they offered to SELL us all the things we should have had free with our premium service.
There were lots of other problems with the holiday and complaints are being made to the travel agent. All in all I would not go to Egypt again, I will certainly never set foot on a Nile cruise vessel again.
The Egypt route is not a premium service, but rather a premium seating section. This is reflected in the price you presumably paid. The full Premium service is sold for as much as £300. In the brochure it states that the seating is available(highlighted in yellow) and does not sell the service- compare Egypt and the Tropical Shores brochures for the wording, there is a full spread in the Tropical Shores brochure. If the travel agent sold you the seating as a normal premium service they shouldn't however it is the only non long haul flight that is scheduled to go on a long haul aircraft so I can see where the confusion arose, especially as you where near the start of the season, information is not communicated to retail staff as much as it should be.
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