Thomas Cook TA.

[alibeau]

HI Guys,

We have a villa provisionally booked for Aug 2011 and at the mo I am just keeping my eye on flight prices etc but of course we cannot book directly with VA until the end of Sept....

However, I might be able to get my hands on some Thomas Cook vouchers and I am wondering if we can use these and what are the pro's and con's of booking through a travel agent?

So my question is, can we go to a branch of TC and book VA flights for Aug 2011? if so, can we book now? will I then have problems with adding passenger info/meals etc as we have not booked directly with VA? will I be able to access the VA site to view my booking etc? what about picking seats? and will I be able to earn FC points?

I'm just so used to doing DIY I'm unsure of how to go about things and what is possible?

Thanks guys

Ali

 

[2Tiggies]

I've done TC Signature packages and they are, on the whole, fine. I have found their prices to be slightly cheaper than Disney UK/VH BUT ....

Forget about getting your flight locator number. They always tell me they can 11 months out, then 10, then 6, then 3 ..... you get the picture. It has never happened. So as far as picking seats, it has never been possible for me.

Special meals also have to be done through them and it would depend on the agent who helps you, but we had a total botch up last year where DD's GF meal was booked and confirmed but wasn't on the flight. To this day we don't know if it was TC or VA at fault, although VA did send her a card and a £25 voucher with an apology and a full detailed response. Not even an acknowlegement from TC.

On the upside, the staff are lovely and genuinely want to help. I found it a pleasure going in there. It is also nice to speak to a face and know that you can communicate in your mother tongue ...

I think flights only you would have to do a fly drive at this stage if you wanted to book so early.

I am unlikely to do a package next year as it is rarely cheaper to do package vs DIY, but you do still need to price check and do some calculations because a few years ago it WAS cheaper for me going through a TA. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask for any more info if you need to.

 

[alibeau]

Thanks for the info.....

Hmmmm, the control freak in me definately prefers booking direct but depending on how many TC vouchers I get, I guess I would just have to accept that I may be out of control but the saving would have to be worth it......

So I gather that if we just want to book the flights thru TC TA the same timescale would apply as booking direct ie 11 months out......

I have no desire to book a package or fly drive so I guess we will wait and see......

Thanks again

Ali

 

[2Tiggies]

Don't get me wrong - if the price was right and they had what I wanted, I would book through them again. The instore service was outstanding. Yes, flight seating can be an issue but with DD being the age she is and me being a single mum, I know the odds of having to rectify us being split up are virtually nil. It was annoying nonetheless.

The only thing that put me off is that I am very customer service focused and when you deal with the branch, my experience has been nothing short of brilliant. Go further to the headoffice or anywhere above branch level and they are quite famous for ignoring correspondence. So it depends how paranoid you are about something going wrong.

Also, and this is just something I found highly entertaining, they made a big song and dance every time about the welcome pack and vouchers at the airport that you are given. I had no plans to utilise any of them since we really don't venture off site much, but the ones we got last April had all expired the previous year - some as early as June 08 - yes, every last one of them. I am sure a phone call would have sorted out a reissue of any ones you needed and as I say, more funny than annoying, but not very good PR IMO.

So you have both sides now. Overall as travel agents go, I still rate them pretty high when looking at the elements that really count. You just need to see what is important to you and where you are and are not willing to compromise.

 

[PudseyChancer]

I might be able to get my hands on some Thomas Cook vouchers and I am wondering if we can use these and what are the pro's and con's of booking through a travel agent?

I get Thomas Cook vouchers through work as part of a flexible benefits scheme, having saved them up all last year basically it meant that it negated the increased prices for my flights for this years holiday.

I was looking at flights only having booked direct with Disney, I had the option of Virgin direct to MCO which were more expensive than TC Airways to Sanford. The advantage of booking the TC flights was that I didn't have to pay for the full amount, whereas I would've had to for the Virgin ones. It meant that I could forget about the flights and pay with the vouchers as and when I got them. If the vouchers are a regular thing then I would recommend booking your flights through them at least.