Dreamliner & Thomsons

Tweenieleenie

My husband and I have booked to go on the new Dreamliner airplane inSeptember to Mexico, celebrating our 30th Wedding Anniversary.. We have wantedto go long haul for a few years but I am not good with flying so when we sawthe new Dreamliner we thought it would be ideal as it advertised, less problemswith jet lag, more seat room, mood lighting. We are paying £3500 for a twoweeks holiday, more expensive due to the airplane. Now it looks like ourholiday could be in jeopardy due to this airplane being grounded but Thomson’s are not keeping theircustomers informed of the situation.. I contacted them a couple of weeks agoand they told us to watch their web site. We booked this holiday on the 02/07/2012 last year as wewanted to be booked well in advance due to it being out 30th weddinganniversary.. Now reading the latest updates on news web sites, they Dreamlinerwent on a test flight last week and we have now read it is delayed Indefinitely,has anyone else had any more up-dates from Thomson Holidays.

cockaleekee

Boeing are still looking into the battery problem, Thomson cannot tell you anything until they have a resolution.

Don't let travelling on a different plane ruin your holiday. I honestly doubt you will be able to tell much difference.

Tweenieleenie

Thanks for you kind reply.. I wouldn't let flying in a normal airplane spoil my holiday but I hate flying, normal distances, never mind long haul, I've only done it once and hated the whole experience, we went to the Dominican and I spent most of the flight in tears as it was the worst flight I have even had.. 5 or 6 hours is long enough, plus the holiday was a lot more expensive due to the Dreamliner as we could have travelled with Thomas Cook for a lot cheaper but the Dreamliner was our biggest attraction as it takes away a lot of the problems you experience with long haul flights. We had paid extra for seat upgraded. Surely Thomson would have to offer some kind of compensation to use a normal plane of offer to change the holiday if you don't want to fly long haul in one of their normal airplanes?

cockaleekee

If you have paid extra for their equivalent of premium economy, they will refund that premium if you have to fly on another plane. Other than that, as with all other airlines they reserve the right to change planes.

Lifeforms

The dreamliner would be akin to booking on the (now defunct) concorde, it's marketed as part of the experience, and indeed upon passing often a thompson travel agents, it's imo sold as the experience of it, same as they sell on the experience of a set holiday, or trip sold in the package.

It's not the same as booking to fly on a 747 then being put on a 737 due to a problem with the plane.

Have you had any information in regards to what happens if the plane is still grounded, how they will fly you there, and what they would pay refund/compensation wise?

I'd imagine as it sold extra cost for the experience of the Dreamliner (as I say, akin to flying the Concorde) you should be able to have the refund up to of an applicable holiday on a normal cattle plane

jpsartre

Tweenieleenie wrote: »

Surely Thomson would have to offer some kind of compensation to use a normal plane of offer to change the holiday if you don't want to fly long haul in one of their normal airplanes?

The Dreamliner *is* a normal plane. Like cockaleekee, I doubt you'll be able to tell the difference anyway. From the pictures I've seen of the Dreamliner interior it looks like any other long-haul economy cabin I've ever flown in.

jpsartre

Lifeforms wrote: »

The dreamliner would be akin to booking on the (now defunct) concorde

It is no way comparable to booking on the Concorde.

jackieblack

Tweenieleenie wrote: »

the Dreamliner was our biggest attraction as it takes away a lot of the problems you experience with long haul flights.

Really?
Like jpsatre, from the pictures of the Dreamliner interior it looks like any other long-haul economy cabin .

meer53

I couldn't see what the difference was either !

loobs40

If you can afford it, consider upgrading to business class.

I'm not a great flyer but it made a huge positive difference to the experience when flying long haul, more room, better food, less crowded and lie flat beds

cubegame

Boeing's marketing department is a hell of a lot better than their engineering department what with all these people who think this a 5* hotel in aircraft form.

It's a plane. You'll be packed on it like sardines like any other plane. Especially at the hands of a charter airline!