Thomas Cook Airlines changing flight times

jaspercat2002

I don't think there is anything I can do but I am so cross I just thought I would ask in case anyone has any ideas.

Booked flights with Thomas Cook airlines about a month ago for next August. At the time of booking the website offered us a choice of two flight times for the outward flight - 5.55am or 9.20am. The return had a choice of about 9.30am or 11.30am. Both later choices cost extra but as we are travelling with children we decided getting to the airport for a 3.55am check in would be hard so paid a total of £300 extra for the later options for both journeys.

A week later we get an email from Thomas Cook to say they have moved us onto the earlier flights. The later flights are no longer showing as options on their website. After being on hold to customer services for hours we explained that we had paid £300 over the price that was showing at the time for those earlier flights (it is still the lower price for the flights we have been moved on to). They are not interested - they just keep saying 'terms and conditions state we have the right to change your flight times'

We have accepted that we will have to be on the earlier flights but just feel they have effectively conned us out of an extra £300. I don't know if the later flights have been cancelled or are full. Is there anything we can do or do we just have to accept it and never book with them again?

Lyndacarter

First of all you have to accept it and never book again with them but
I think you should go through there terms & conditions again and read them carefully and see if there's anything that can be used against that and you can contact ATOL and ABTA as well about this matter and explain them what happened and see if there's something can be done and also keep Trading standards in loop.

callum9999

Lyndacarter wrote: »

First of all you have to accept it and never book again with them but
I think you should go through there terms & conditions again and read them carefully and see if there's anything that can be used against that and you can contact ATOL and ABTA as well about this matter and explain them what happened and see if there's something can be done and also keep Trading standards in loop.

No, no they do not just have to accept it and never book again...

Did you only book flights? If so, then you have the right to a refund under EU261 regulations. Common sense would dictate they'd be better off just refunding you the difference, but if they won't get a refund then rebook the flights at the cheaper price. Though if you have the spare cash, book the new flights before you receive the refund (but after they've promised it) in case the price goes up.

jpsartre

callum9999 wrote: »

No, no they do not just have to accept it and never book again...

Did you only book flights? If so, then you have the right to a refund under EU261 regulations. Common sense would dictate they'd be better off just refunding you the difference, but if they won't get a refund then rebook the flights at the cheaper price. Though if you have the spare cash, book the new flights before you receive the refund (but after they've promised it) in case the price goes up.

Would they not have a right to a refund even if the flights are part of a package? I was under the impression EU regulations applied to both.

callum9999

jpsartre wrote: »

Would they not have a right to a refund even if the flights are part of a package? I was under the impression EU regulations applied to both.

I have no idea. Don't packages usually have a condition that says your flight times are only indicative and they can change them? I don't know if EU261 overrules that.

TravellingJake

These time changes are so small that they wouldnt be considered as a "major change" in their T&Cs so they dont have to refund the difference or allow you to cancel.

I'm not saying you should leave it there though.

I'd take a screenshot of the cost of the holiday based on the new flight times and send that, along with a letter of complaint to their complaints department. If you get no sense from them, write to their CEO and copy the documents to ABTA. I cant imagine they'll hand over the money without a fight.

What's your cancellation policy? Can you get a similar holiday through another company for a similar price? If you dont get the response you want, look at alternatives and consider taking your custom elsewhere.

callum9999

TravellingJake wrote: »

These time changes are so small that they wouldnt be considered as a "major change" in their T&Cs so they dont have to refund the difference or allow you to cancel.

I'm not saying you should leave it there though.

I'd take a screenshot of the cost of the holiday based on the new flight times and send that, along with a letter of complaint to their complaints department. If you get no sense from them, write to their CEO and copy the documents to ABTA. I cant imagine they'll hand over the money without a fight.

What's your cancellation policy? Can you get a similar holiday through another company for a similar price? If you dont get the response you want, look at alternatives and consider taking your custom elsewhere.

There is no time change. The flight was cancelled and the OP was rebooked. Under EU261 the customer has the right to choose whether to get a refund or be rebooked, not the carrier.

If it was a time change I'd agree with you, though most major carriers would allow you to cancel. Off the top of my head I believe Ryanair specifies 4 hours though - I assume most of the LCCs follow that?

bagand96

As other posters have said, if they have moved you onto a different flight with a different flight number then they have in effect cancelled your flights and EU261 does give you the right to a refund. So take this up with them quoting that legislation.

The trouble here is the flights may not stay at the lower price for too long so it'll be in your interest to sort this quickly. I guess you could book the flights at the cheaper price to secure them but then you'd absolutely have to ensure you get that refund for the original ones!

jaspercat2002

I can't work out what they have done. When we booked they offered us a choice of 3 flights on the way out - 5am, 5.55am and 8.20am - and we paid the extra to go on the 8.20am. For the return they offered us 10.15am or 12.40am and again we paid extra to go on the later flight.

However the email they have sent us about the change on time gives the same flight numbers for the earlier flights as we had for the times we originally booked. Obviously we didn't take screen shots at the time of booking as we never would imagine this happening so I doubt we will have a leg to stand on but they were definitely all there as options (4 adults were there and we all remember the discussions we had about whether to pay the extra both ways). As the flight numbers are the same I think they will deny there were ever there as options and that they haven't cancelled a flight but moved the times. I don't understand how they've done this though.

The 'revised' times are the only times that are available on other dates. We purposefully picked that week to go as it was the only date offering later times.

Thanks for all your information and suggestions.

bagand96

jaspercat2002 wrote: »

I can't work out what they have done. When we booked they offered us a choice of 3 flights on the way out - 5am, 5.55am and 8.20am - and we paid the extra to go on the 8.20am. For the return they offered us 10.15am or 12.40am and again we paid extra to go on the later flight.

However the email they have sent us about the change on time gives the same flight numbers for the earlier flights as we had for the times we originally booked. Obviously we didn't take screen shots at the time of booking as we never would imagine this happening so I doubt we will have a leg to stand on but they were definitely all there as options (4 adults were there and we all remember the discussions we had about whether to pay the extra both ways). As the flight numbers are the same I think they will deny there were ever there as options and that they haven't cancelled a flight but moved the times. I don't understand how they've done this though.

The 'revised' times are the only times that are available on other dates. We purposefully picked that week to go as it was the only date offering later times.

Thanks for all your information and suggestions.

Hmmm this makes it a little more complicated. If your booking confirmation showed flight TCX1234 and they've now moved you to the earlier TCX6789 then you have a clear cut case of cancellation. However it's confusing that the earlier flight retains your original flight number? When you try and book the earlier flig now as a new customer does it still have the same flight number as your later flight?

It also seems odd that you say the week you chose was the only week with the the later flight. It's almost like its some system quirk and the flight was never supposed to be the. Unless of course your week was some peak demand week (school holiday?).

The problem is that keeping the flight number they can always claim it's just a time move. You could keep going with your complaint though, hound the, on social media, get in touch with the CEO office etc...

callum9999

As above, that's pretty strange. Though I'm not sure if you've just misunderstood what was happening as you keep changing the times.

First there were two flights at 5.55 and 9.20, then there three flights at 5.00, 5.55 and 8.20 (3 flights within 3.3 hours seems incredibly bizarre for Thomas Cook - were they offering flights on other airlines as well?). And first the return flights were 9.30 and 11.30 then they were 10:15 and 12:40 (so 3 go out but only 2 come back?). Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?

It would help if you gave the flight details (i.e. flight number and date) and if you could check what your original email confirmation says.