thomson holidays nasty sales tactics

steve290

Just sounding off but if any one has any advice would be appreciated. We have booked and now paid for a 2 week holiday in Cuba in July. My wife has just had a call from Thomson holidays informing her that 80% of the passengers have now pre booked seats on this flight so as we are in the 20% of passengers who have not pre booked it is likely that we will all be seated seperately. This is our last chance to stop this happening. She was also informed that as adults [although our daughter is actually only16] that we are low priority for allocating so even more likely that we will be seated seperately. She was also told that it was no use turning up on the flight day to try to allocate together at check in as this would be done automatically three weeks before the flight.
Now every part of me tells me this is just a nasty sales tactic to prise more money out of us but my wife is a nervous flyer and is now convinced we will be seperated and now doesnt think she will be able to go through with the holiday as she doesnt think she will cope on her own.
I am furious and cant find a way of contacting anyone on thomsons without going through expensive time consuming automated systems.
I have tried the local thomsons but as we ordered online they are not able to deal with although they are disgusted with what I have told them.
We have been so looking forward to the holiday but to calm my wifes nerves I am saying not to worry we will not go as this is the only way at the moment I can calm her nerves.
Help!

SuperHan

Not to be callous, but book seats?

Personally, I think if you can pay to book seats together, people who do not should be sat apart, otherwise it isn't fair for who have paid!

Although, that said, when I was about 3 I was sat away from my parents on a flight. Luckily the man next to me offered to swap, but I do think that was a little cruel!

ukjoel

I would put in a call to their head of operations complaining about your wifes secret holiday of a lifetime being spoiled by a horrible sales call.

Alternatively get your wife to phone them demanding to know who the harlot is that is booked to go away with her husband of 20 years.

The second one is always a lot funnier.
Its even better when you phone to tell them your marriage is now over as they spoiled the suprise and your wife now feels you are having an affair.

Wont fix the problem but always makes me chuckle. Despite the huge amount of training they get in call centres these days they never seem to get told how to handle this type of complaint.

steve290

SuperHan wrote: »

Not to be callous, but book seats?

Personally, I think if you can pay to book seats together, people who do not should be sat apart, otherwise it isn't fair for who have paid!

Although, that said, when I was about 3 I was sat away from my parents on a flight. Luckily the man next to me offered to swap, but I do think that was a little cruel!

Thanks for reply. Maybe I am out of touch. I have never paid to pre book seats and have always sat together so it just feels like a hard sale to get us paying more money, for what already is not a cheap holiday

pmduk

It's possible your daughter will be happy to sit away from embarrassing (to her) parents

Justicia

steve290 wrote: »

Thanks for reply. Maybe I am out of touch. I have never paid to pre book seats and have always sat together so it just feels like a hard sale to get us paying more money, for what already is not a cheap holiday

With the options now pretty universal that seats can be selected online (with a cost or otherwise), and with people (couples) booking (for example) two seats out of perhaps a set of three, there will almost certainly be single, available seats spread throughout the plane - this then results in those not having done the same and booked seats, having to make do with these odd, widely distributed seats that are often spread out.

For peace of mind, these days my gf and I always pre-book seats where available to avoid being 'dumped' with the leftovers.

vic_sf49

I'm sure you must have e-tickets or a reference number of some sort, so can't you go online and reserve your seat?

I'm used to booking directly with airlines and hotels, rather than a traditional package holiday, so I don't know whether it is possible or not.

wary

We went abroad as a family-of-3 in February. Although we had the option of pre-allocating seats in advance, paying for 3 of us both ways made it quite expensive. So we took our chances and made our seat allocations when checking in online 24 hours before depature ... and had no problem getting seats together.

She may have been telling the truth and was genuinely trying to do you a favour. But without knowing the cost of seat reservations (particularly relative to the cost of the flights), 80% does sound a bit dubious, as indeed does this terrific act of good customer service.

How much does it cost to book a seat one-way?

steve290

Squiddy wrote: »

I don't think I've ever paid more than £10 each way to book a seat. Surely if you know your other half is a nervous flyer, it's worth this extra fee for the reassurance of sitting together?

£10 i guess would not be a problem. Wife told £30 per person so to do both ways is £180 for three of us.
Reading the replies seems like maybe I am being a bit precious.
Just felt it was a hard sale tactic to pay for something that I have never had to pay for in the past.
Thanks for replies and guess we will need to try and find the money.

wary

steve290 wrote: »

£10 i guess would not be a problem. Wife told £30 per person so to do both ways is £180 for three of us.
Reading the replies seems like maybe I am being a bit precious.
Just felt it was a hard sale tactic to pay for something that I have never had to pay for in the past.
Thanks for replies and guess we will need to try and find the money.

£30 per person each way sounds very steep. This makes her 80% figure sound more dubious as whilst I can understand that it may be of paramount importance for some people to sit together, at that price, I would expect a higher percentage of people to take a chance and be prepared to split up if need be.

j2011

I'd be quite happy to be seated away from my wife as she always falls asleep and starts snoring.

Let someone else suffer I say.

Do you actually have to sit in the seats you are allocated at check in or can you go on the plane and swop?