Premium (BIG SEATS) are pre allocated (there is a proceedure for this but not able to divulge), there is no way of reserving seats on the outbound flight in PREM.

Basically you upgrade on the plane to get around the tax so just listen out for the announcement it's actually quite a good idea.

I do wish Thos Cook would actually make their minds up about how they are allocating these seats. Or at least tell all their employees, and then they can all sing off the same hymn sheet.
Upgrading on the aircraft goes against what several people have been told when enquiring direct to the airline.
This information came direct from TC

<You have the option of booking the Premium seats (extra legroom seats) for £50 on your inbound flight only but Premium seats ( extra legroom seats) on outbound flights will be allocated at check-in. There is no way that these will be allocated before departure and no way of selecting these before hand by either the Airline or the Tour Operator. Its going to be on a lottery basis once the final manifest has been sorted out.

If you have selected the Your Seat Your Choice option, you will not have the option to select premium seats (extra legroom seats) on the way out. You will still be able to select your seats elsewhere on the plane. You will still be eligible for the free upgrade to premium seats (extra legroom seats) even if you have prebooked other seats in the standard cabin>.

How is anyone supposed to know what on earth is going on!! The amount of people complaining about this, as well as cancelled holidays, must be reaching an all time high

Hey,
I am wondering with the lease on some of TCX's A330 which ones are the keeping in the fleet for summer 2012?
Looking to book for the dominican republic and interested to see which A330's they are keeping,
Thanks
Z.J.C

BEfreeTODAY wrote:

Basically you upgrade on the plane to get around the tax so just listen out for the announcement it's actually quite a good idea.

As nice as it sounds I can't see how this would make economic sense!
To keep the maths simple, lets assume there's 200 standard seats and 50 premium seats. If you upgrade in the air, all 50 premium seats would need to be empty at take off. This would leave a fifth of the aircraft's seats empty!
The chap I spoke to from the airline this week told me that the allocation would be offered to passangers a few days pre departure, he said not everyone is accepting the upgrade as they might want to keep their existing selection or they've got extra legroom (which is more than prem). He said they would keep calling party by party randomly until prem is full.

It really is very complicated and as mike bravo said I can't really go into Either unfortunately but the basic concept is let's pretend we don't sell the seats so we don't pay the tax.

z.j.c wrote:

I am wondering with the lease on some of TCX's A330 which ones are the keeping in the fleet for summer 2012?

It's the original TCX aircraft that are being returned to the lease company at the end of the summer season; G-OJMB, G-OJMC and G-TCXA. G-OJMB and G-TCXA will go to Air Transat. The ex-MYT will remain.

Darren

Sounds to me as if they are making things as complicated as possible for their paying customers ....... not surpirsed they are losing customer and money!!

Regards,
Pat

Bear in mind this has all been brough about by substantial increases in Air Passenger Duty. Thomas Cook aren't the only airline to be making changes because of it and overall, the UK's air travel figures are down with many avoiding the UK and transiting via other hubs to avoid the high taxes. As confusing as the seat allocation may be, this is all to avoid passengers having to pay the same tax as a passenger flying in First Class. APD has risen by 325% in the last 6 years on long haul routes. APD is now £150 for all premium classes on band C flights (4,001 - 6,000 miles, ie all the long hauls destination TCX operate).

Darren

I think most people are aware of why they have dropped the premium cabin, although there are still plenty of people out there that would have paid the increase.
The main problem seems to be that the information around the allocation of these seats is just not transparent. If TC are playing 'let's avoid the taxman' that's one issue, but at least give some clear and consistent guidelines as to how these seats are to be allocated.
That fact that different parts of TC along with various employees, seem to not be able to come out with any consistent information, is what is annoying passengers, and losing TC credibility.
Surely the paying customers have the right to know?

Hello, can you tell me which plane reg my plane will be for tomorrows Newcastle to Kos flight. The flight number is TCX6234.

We know its a Boeing 757 200.

Sunaddict wrote:

I think most people are aware of why they have dropped the premium cabin, although there are still plenty of people out there that would have paid the increase.
The main problem seems to be that the information around the allocation of these seats is just not transparent. If TC are playing 'let's avoid the taxman' that's one issue, but at least give some clear and consistent guidelines as to how these seats are to be allocated.
That fact that different parts of TC along with various employees, seem to not be able to come out with any consistent information, is what is annoying passengers, and losing TC credibility.
Surely the paying customers have the right to know?

You only have "a right to know if" it includes you, as there is nothing you can do about it to pre book these seats on the outbound!! Knowing the criteria does not mean you can tweak your booking to be included in there.......

EG. If I flew ECONOMY to New York with BA, I don't give a monkey how their First Class cabin is allocated, it does not affect me.......if I got upgraded FOC then lovely.....

Sorry if that is harsh but a sort of example to mull over....

But it does effect sunnaddict,

To get an upgrade from Economy to First is rarer than rocking horse droppings and not something we can control, pretty much only if you've on an overbooked seat, a very loyal BA customer with their top loyalty card and then you'd probably only get WT+ or Club at best. Thomas Cook have a criteria that means Economy customers get upgraded free of charge on every flight there is no reason why this doesn't effect every economy customer. Not every economy BA customer will be in a position to be upgraded to first based on how they book their seat. The way TCX are handling this, from what i've read seems very shambolic in my opinion and in all honest I hope Thomson don't follow suite, I have never read so many complaints and negative comments about premium seating from so many customers.

richards8610,

G-BYAW is up in NCL at the moment and should be your aircraft.

Have a great holiday

Darren

Sunaddict wrote:
I think most people are aware of why they have dropped the premium cabin, although there are still plenty of people out there that would have paid the increase.
The main problem seems to be that the information around the allocation of these seats is just not transparent. If TC are playing 'let's avoid the taxman' that's one issue, but at least give some clear and consistent guidelines as to how these seats are to be allocated.
That fact that different parts of TC along with various employees, seem to not be able to come out with any consistent information, is what is annoying passengers, and losing TC credibility.
Surely the paying customers have the right to know?

MikeBravo wrote

You only have "a right to know if" it includes you, as there is nothing you can do about it to pre book these seats on the outbound!! Knowing the criteria does not mean you can tweak your booking to be included in there.......

EG. If I flew ECONOMY to New York with BA, I don't give a monkey how their First Class cabin is allocated, it does not affect me.......if I got upgraded FOC then lovely.....

Sorry if that is harsh but a sort of example to mull over...

I'm not going to dignify that response with a reply!

........well let's hope that your holiday is of the 'grade' that would push you up to a Big Seat for your flight......you could be lucky!!

Perhaps its me being too simplistic but if Thomas Cook decided to stop premium why did they not take the premium seats out and replace them so all get the same seat.

qatarman wrote:

Perhaps its me being too simplistic but if Thomas Cook decided to stop premium why did they not take the premium seats out and replace them so all get the same seat.

they are in the winter

Dazbo,
Thanks for the reply its a real shame to see them slimming down on their long haul operations. I do look forward to flying on one of the ex-MYT's however.
Thanks
Zack