WE BOOKED A PREMIUM UPGRADE FOR AN ADDITIONAL COST KNOWING THAT IS WAS PROBABLY WORTH THE HIGHER PRICE DUE TO THE LENGTH OF THE FLIGHT (7 HOURS TORONTO TO MANCHESTER)
WHEN WE ARRIVED IN TORONTO WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE AEROPLANE HAD BEEN CHANGED FROM AN AIRBUS 330 TO A BOEING 767 AND WE WERE GIVEN A "DEAR PASSENGER SORRY FOR YOUR LUCK" LETTER STATING THAT THE UPGRADE THAT WE HAD PAID FOR WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
THERE WAS NO ATTEMPT TO OFFER ANY KIND 0F CUSTOMER SERVICE TO THOSE PASSENGERS THAT HAD PAID FOR THE UPGRADE IN THE FORM OF COMPLIMENTARY HEADSETS, BEVERAGES ETC. THE CHECK IN AGENTS IN TORONTO COULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY WELL TRAINED MONKEYS.
CABIN CREW WERE GOOD AND TRIED THEIR BEST TO KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY
7 HOUR FLIGHT FROM CANADA WAS THE WORST I HAVE EVER BEEN ON....CRAMPED SEATS, OVER HEATED, NO ABILITY TO CONTROL AIR FLOW ABOVE SEAT. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE
FOR SHORT HAUL FLIGHTS THEY (THOMAS COOK AIRLINES) ARE PROBABLY ADEQUATE BUT SHOULD NOT BE IN THE L0NG HAUL / TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT BUSINESS.
Never fly again with Thomas Cook,
Jan 11, 2009
reviewer: Richard Shepherd
from UK
We flew on Thomas Cook London Gatwick to Lanzarote for Christmas and New Year.
Miniscule 15Kg hold baggage allowance plus 5Kg hand luggage strictly enforced at Gatwick checkin. £8 for each additional Kg. This is ridiculous for a two week holiday and at Christmas time when families want to take presents.
No meals provided on a four hour flight. Any refeshments charged at extortinate rate - small can of beer=£3
Duty free prices on plane higher than in shops in England - bottle of perfume £45 - identical bottle in Debenhams £38.70
Seat back missing on seat in row in front on return flight - my son had no table and this could have been a hazard in the event of an accident.
It looked like a plane from a third world country.
My verdict - Never Again
terrible is not the word,
Sep 22, 2008
reviewer: Mr & Mrs Seeley
from uk
went to zante with the wife for a week.
plane was 4 hours late picking us up from gatwick, but thats not the bad point.
it was a further 5 & 1/2 late taking us home.
it gets worse, they loaded the luggage on, then took it all off again, then put only the wheelchairs and baggage that had medical supplies in it. so nearly all the luggage was left in zante, we were told on the plane that we would get the bags within 12 to 24 hours, because they coulnd't carry it back on that flight, my question is, how come they were able to bring the incoming flights luggage?
absolutely disgusted by the response we got form the reps, will never use thomas cook again.
another family had a connecting flight to catch, which they missed, an the rep said it wasn't thomas cooks responsibility!
this must be the only business you can get away with things like this
and still waiting for the bags to arrive!!!!
Suprisingly Dissapointed,
Aug 10, 2008
reviewer: M Mos
from UK
Gatwick to Sanford Return in Premium Cabin. Not a Disaster as such but never again would we fly with Thomas Cook in a hurry. I can also tell you that you do not get what you are promised in the brochure. Arrived at Gatwick early in the morning to check-in and that was ok. Two Thomas cook representitives guided us to the right queue, but whn we wanted to ask them about something, it seemed that they had just vansihed into thin air. Once boardning the Plane we were horrified to see the Legroom provided. In some cases, it was like not being able to move. The in-flight meals though were another story. On their website they show you an image of the meals that they provide, and I can tell you that it was nothing Like what you saw on the internet. Dissapointed. The only highlight of the flight was a partial amount of the in-flight entertainment and the attitude of the cabin crew. They were polite and friendly and were ther to help. On the way back to Gatwick the flight was delayed by one and a half hours due to what we know as the plane being grounded in Gatwick due to a big Technincal problem with the in-flight entertainment system. Return Journey was good though. Legroom improved and meals were a little better. It was also nice to see a complimentary flight pack waiting for you on the seat when you boarded the aircraft. It contained some nice Little things. Landed back in Gatwick at 07:26. In most ways though, we were glad to be home.
Thomas cook airline dont buy the meal,
Jun 18, 2008
reviewer: C Donaldson
from UK
If you are flying on Thomas Cook Airlines from the UK and you have the option to purchase inflight meals DO NOT. I have just returned from a flight and the food was served in a small cardboard box from an even bigger cardbord box They charge £6.50 each way Better buy a sandwich from Tesco
Cooped up in Battery Hen Class,
Apr 02, 2008
reviewer: Roger Jervis
from United Kingdom
I recently had the displeasure of spending over eight hours on return flights MAN-DLM-MAN stuck in seats 21A and 22F respectively and I vow never to fly with this airline ever again.i am 6ft 2' tall and I could not sit with my knees in front of me, nor could I slide my feet under the chair in front of me. My left leg was tight against the immoveable left armrest and that gave me consistent pain. I was able to gain some comfort by getting my wife to give up some of her leg room but four+ hours in these conditions make me very angry.
Good cheap airline,
Jan 18, 2008
reviewer: diana
from uk
I have flown with tc twice, once to larnaca in cyprus and once to varna in bulgaria. (both from bhx).
Larnaca flights
larnaca was my first ever flight so I was very nervous but check in was smooth (if a little busy). The flight left on time and even though there was not much leg room, it was a nice clean plane with comfy seats. pilots very friendly and chatty on the radio very informative so put me at ease. we went through quite bad turbulence on the way there but the pilot was explaining all about it and what the plane would experience so I didnt feel as nervous. touchdown was smooth and baggage reclaim was quick. the flight back was much the same but without the turbulence. a nice easy flight.
Varna flight
The flight to varna was pretty much the same apart from check in was twice as quick.
thomas cook is a cheap airline and is pretty good. The evening food is better than the breakfasts they do. Drinks are a bit expensive but not too bad. They will take euro as payment and give you sterling back and vice versa which i thought was a nice touch.
Easy Peasy Portugal,
Feb 12, 2007
reviewer: Anonymous
from UK
We flew with TCX last year to Faro.
The planes were on time both ways and the cabin crew were proffesional.
Also the pilot frequently updated us on weather, time if arrival etc.
It was easy and relaxing and i have no complaints whatsoever!
Numerous flights with TCX,
Sep 17, 2005
reviewer: BC
from UK
I have flown on numerous flights with TCX from GLA, MAN & LGW. I have also flown on a model of each of the aircraft that TCX own, and it has to be said, they are by far the best charter airline out there!
I used to work for TCTO, and therefore had a chance to fly through discount to CCC twice in less than 7 months, once from MAN, the other from LGW and everything each crew did was fantastic. I have also flown to PMI, LPA, SPC, BOJ, FUE and IBZ with them and they are by far outstanding.
The happiest and most fun cabin crew seem to be from MAN, but they are all fab, no matter where they are from !!!!
If you can, fly TCX forget the rest!!!!!
Good Value For Money,
May 28, 2005
reviewer: Anne Ony Mous
from UK
Flew on a 'special budget price flight' from Bristol to Lanzarote, travelling with an elderly relative.
We were reserved medical seats in row A, excellent service for boarding (even a lift offered to board plane to save struggling up the steps), help with the hand luggage and stowage too. Flight took off on time, inflight service excellent, film and entertainment up to date, toilets well maintained, plenty of leg room and space in seats - all in all very good value for money for a cheap flight.
Thomas Cook Premium,
Aug 22, 2004
reviewer: Scott Willis
from UK
Flight Route: MAN - CCC
Flight Time : 09:36
Class: C - Premium Economy - Thomas Cook Plus
Meal: Hot Meal, After Noon Tea
Other Services: Complimentary Drinks, Duty Free.
Flight Number: TCX174K
Aircraft Type: A330-200
Registration: G-OJMB.
The trip started on a rather wet morning after a heavy thunderstorm, believe me it is not a good idea to not sleep before a long haul flight.
After a two hour crossing of the pennines we arrived at Manchester Airports Thomas Cook departures area, at the rather early time of 08:05. Plenty of time to check in, in a leaflet that should come with tickets for those booked in Thomas Cook Plus, (sometimes it doesn't), it advises asking at the customer services desk for the correct desk to approach for PLUS check in. At Manchester it is desk 1 which is easy enough.
About 4 days before I emailed pre flight services and requested specific seat numbers for the flight, which of course is free, but it's not guaranteed.
Arriving at check in desk one there was no one operating any of the desks, but someone soon appreared offering to open to PLUS check in straight away, sorry for the delay and I hope this has not affected your travel (looking good so far, if I'm boring you, you can always stop reading).
I have drawn together a list of all the pre flight services you get by upgrading to premium, these go upto boarding the aircraft, and then whilst on board and so on.
Pre Flight Services Associated with Premium
- Priority Check In at most airports
- Thomas Cook Priority baggage labels
- Different hand luggage tags
- Fast track security services is avaiable, but we didn't use it.
After checking in within 2 minutes, I decided to try the food court before passport control. It was rubbish, but the windows are excellent.
The first thing I noticed is the wind from the east so we must be taking off on either 06L/R. That's two years in a row that we have taken off on 06.
To get a good picture of the plane that I would be traveling on, I went to the roof terrace on level 13.
10:45 AM, boarding was announced at gate 24, double air bridge one for premium passengers to the front of the aircraft and the one to the middle door.
Thomas Cook Plus passengers were called for boarding at around 11:00, and I was sat in 01D, within 5 minutes. Watching the welcome onboard flash presentation on the TV that comes out of the arm.
After boarding the plane, the seats were comfy, row one has more leg room than any other seats, it has 35" and 36" in some parts. On the seat was the amenity pack, a pillow, a blanket and a bottle of water. It was quite a hassle to handle all this at once, but I managed.
At around 11:55 we closed doors and started to push back, and then various members of the ground crew came from everywhere, back to the gate to let them off. The purser said very abruptly of the PA "Can all members of the ground crew please leave the aircraft immediately".
It was now a race against time to leave the gate on time, which we did with a few minutes to spare. As the cabin filled with the smell of jet fuel, the captain came over the PA explaining the route and that we would be using a runway that he was unfarmilair with. Our initial cruising altitude would be 35000ft, but later climbing to 40000ft.
We taxied to 06 (not sure which the one on 24R, so I'm guessing 06L). Past the aviation viewing park and onto the final taxi way to the runway, stopping for a moment to let a BY B763 to land, then spooling the engines for a rolling take off, whilst the BY B763 was still exiting the runway at the bottom. Someone actually asked if it was safe to take off with a plane at the end of the runway, which in fact wasn't at this time, it was on the taxi way.
After take off we routed above the penines heading for Wallasy and Ireland. The captain explained that there would be slight turbulence for the next 5 - 10 minutes, which in fact turned into violent turbulence over Ireland and seemed to last around 1 hour, the altitude was consatly changing on the map channel.
It soon gets to the cruise, at this point there are various rumors going around, I'm not sure if its true or not, there were apparently in the words of the two people sitting behind "two sky marshals on board, one had been given an economy seat at the back of the aicraft and was happy with it, the other didn't have one, and had to sit on the front jump seat, the cabin crew seams friendly with him, the first officer even came out to have a natter". It's amazing what you get to hear on an aircraft.
First a complimentary drink service was served, later followed by the choice of oriental chicken or Spanish meatballs. Of the 45 Spanish meat balls they carried for the plus cabin, they only got rid of 2, what a waste.
Later in the afternoon a small cheese sandwich was served and again another complimentary drink service. Later followed by the duty free service.
We began our decent into Jardines Del Rey just over the Bermuda triangle, the pilot over the PA "we have just started our, TOPJET 174 kilo cleared decent to 14000ft" that's the last we heard from the flight deck.
BONG! Seat belts, but there was a queue for the toilets and they refused to move until they had been, so the cabin crew had to stand with them.
The flight deck crew then did a few things wrong, the seat belts signs went off, the non smoking signs went off, the entertainment shut down and restarted. Then they all came back on, oddly enough when the seat belt signs went off, nearly everyone must haven taken them off, come on can't they recognise it's a mistake, when the Cayos are in sight, speed brakes went up and the wheels down early because the plane was too fast for landing.
It astounded me how many corrections have to be made during finals due to the strong winds they have there. For around 10 minutes we were gliding in the wind, spoilers up slightly and idle engines with gear down, and still going too fast due to the high winds. Once he had turned onto the finals for the runway however, the speed decreased by around 50mph in 2 seconds due to the change in direction against the wind for a short while.
Landing.
The reverse thrust was put on full, just so we would come to a stop before the only taxi way to the newly built terminal, since MYT332 went. It rather large now and everything is upstairs.
Once we had pulled up we had to wait 10 minutes for the Monarch flight to depart to Gatwick Via Glasgow, due to it being 4 hours late. The doors were opened and the steam from the vents poured out, I took this time to look at the touch screen panel at the front of the aircraft were the temperature read 18`, so they were keeping it very cold onboard.
Thomas Cook Gatwick - Sandford,
Jul 18, 2004
reviewer: goldeneye
from Scotland, UK
I flew with Thomas Cook in November 2003 from Gatwick to Sandford.
The flight was better than some of the big airlines i have flow with, such as BA.
Flight was on time, crew were very good, and could not do enough for us.
The provided a free bottle of water before take-off, a comfort kit.
Seat back tv's, The food was good.
The seats were fine, legroom sames as most other charter airlines, but you get what you pay for.
Would i fly with them again - Yes, no problems.
Thomas Cook Airline Canada - London,
Jul 13, 2004
reviewer: Captain Pugwash
from England
We flew Thomas Cook Airline on May 27th 2004 from Vancouver to Gatwick.
The plane was late arriving at Vancouver so we were nearly 2 hours late taking off. There was minimal communication to the passengers about this. We just sat there and waited in ignorance.
The plane was a pretty new Airbus A330 and was in good condition, however was not cleaned properly from the previous flight.
The seats were not over-large but were comfortable even though it was an 11 hour flight, and I am a larger person.
All drinks including soft drinks were expensive and charged for and the crew did not have adequate change.
Only half a litre of water was available per passenger (and remember this is an 11 hour flight) requests for additional water, even to buy at nearly £2 were refused.
THIS IS NOT ENOUGH WATER FOR 11 HOURS !
The crew were badly trained. Some did not wear name badges. ONE PICKED HER NOSE AS SHE SERVED FOOD!
Another stewardess dripped coffee over passengers as she served it, waving the coffepot around.
This same stewardess tried to persuade a vegetarian passenger that the chicken choice of meal was vegetarian. She argued quite hard with the passenger about this! Stupid or what?
This same girl also palmed off a Scottish £5 note as change on a Canadian passenger and told her that it would be no problem to spend in London. Not true!
Don't sit in an aisle seat unless you want to get your shoulder whacked every time a crew member goes past. They just don't care!
Although I have emailed a complaint I have not had anything back except an automated response.
I would fly with them again if I had to as the fare was quite cheap and the alternative flights cost a bucket more cash.
I would take my own water and not sit in an aisle seat.
Basically some of the cabin crew were badly trained.
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DO NOT FLY THOMAS COOK,
Jan 01, 2010
Never fly again with Thomas Cook,
Jan 11, 2009
Suprisingly Dissapointed,
Aug 10, 2008
Good cheap airline,
Jan 18, 2008
Easy Peasy Portugal,
Feb 12, 2007