Thomas Cook Airlines Customer Reviews and Passenger Trip Reports

TCX6025 Tenerife to Newcastle. Supposed to take off at 13.40. On arrival at airport at 11.30 all seemed well. Called to gate 37 around 1pm. Staff took 4 wheelchairs through and returned with them minutes later. Never at any time informed as to why our flight was cancelled/delayed. Food vouchers were given out but had to be spent in same establishment. Constantly had to visit the information desk to find out what was going on. We eventually left at 01.38am, 12 hours late on a Cosmos plane. Customer service needs seriously considered!

Delayed 6 hours on outbound journey to Orlando. Flight itself was very turbulent. The crew, service and food was excellent! Seat pitch excellent, entertainment average. Return flight delayed, we don't know how long, we are currently in a hotel overnight waiting for information on when we will leave! Will never fly Thomas Cook again!

TCX2026 Manchester to Paphos on 16 October 2012, delayed 8 hours and the handling of passenger welfare was unacceptable. Flight due to depart at 0700 hrs. On checking in at 0545 we were advised it was still 0900 for a technical problem. Only update was via the departures board which pushed back to 0930 then further information at 1000. A tannoy announced delay until 1400hrs and to collect a £10 refreshment voucher in a queue that took 1 hour. Thomson flight drafted in as replacement - departure now posted at 1430. As boarding given letter of explanation, found out that the meal we had prepaid for was not available via Thomson. Letter stated we would be refunded flight meal money on return to UK but now have discovered we have to write in to claim it back. Took off at 1505.

Boeing 757-200 Gatwick to Antalya return. My husband and I returned from Antalya, a 4 hour flight, at 4am Wednesday (after a 3 hour delay). We had the same problem on our outward journey. The worst thing was the inadequate seating space, plus both of our seats had clasped, so it was just impossible, from the time we sat down to get any comfort. I had a bump on my seat which caused discomfort at the base of my spine. Difficult to eat our meals because of elbow room. We sat in row 40E and F at the back of the aircraft, the seats did not tilt back to any degree so we sat bolt upright for the 4 hour night flight! Yes we tried to buy extra leg room on the way back but there was none available. What a shame Thomas Cook! Everything else was just great!

No problems with our flight from Stansted to Fuerteventura, but on our return flight never before have I encountered such an unprofessional team of stewardesses, all making unsuitable jokes and talking to passengers as if they were old mates, not to mention using the trolleys as weapons, crashing into elbows of passengers etc. We were rudely told we couldn't have the in-flight meal as 'you ain't paid for it, you're on a Thomson's holiday', although they did relent under protest. The aisle on the plane was too narrow for a toilet queue.

Manchester to Hurghada on Boeing 757-200 G-FCLH and it was the worst flight I have been on! Sat in window seat 15F. I argued at check-in that although 15F was on the side of the aircraft with windows it did not have one. Boarded the plane, seat 15F. No window! I am by no means large, neither was the 10 year old who was kicking my seat behind me which could not be helped as he also couldn't move because of the poor legroom. Aircraft was filthy. Flight time from Manchester to Hurghada is usually 5 hrs 35 mins. It was pleasing when the crew said this was to be only 5 hrs 18 mins. In truth the aircraft shut down 5 hrs 50 mins after it had first moved for the purpose of its flight. Will I fly them again? Yes but only because I need to fly home. Lookout for an identical review about Halloween time. Unless they send an A320/A321/A332/A333/B753/B763 to cover the flight instead I don't expect to be happy!

Manchester to Dalaman. Outbound flight was on time, but that is about the only positive. Aircraft was a 757-200, it was far too old! We had the two seats at the rear of the aircraft 30 C/D. The seats did not recline at all and the legroom was bad. You had to pay for pillows, blankets and headsets now. Not that the headset was any good, because the TV screens were so small and far away you couldn't see the film. Return flight was almost one hour late taking off. The aisle is so narrow that you were frequently knocked by the trolley. The main problem was the legroom, just awful.

Glasgow-Malta return, economy class, as part of a Thomas Cook package holiday in Gozo. Outbound flight delayed 30 minutes, largely due to the police having to come on board and remove a drunk passenger. Return flight was on time. The aircraft seemed clean and well-prepared, but the legroom was pretty restricted (I'm 6'6"). Nonetheless, I found it reasonably ok for a 4 hour flight, although I wouldn't want to go on a long-haul in these conditions. Staff were friendly and helpful, and provided good service. I was particularly impressed by the way in which they dealt with the drunk passenger on the outbound flight, and by their announcement on both flights that they would sell alcohol in moderation but reserved the right to refuse it - marked contrast to another airline where we had to sit next to two obnoxious drunks whom the staff kept plying with booze. All in all, a perfectly reasonable trip, and in view of all the negative reviews that this airline has received, I thought it only appropriate to give the other side of the story.

We travelled to Hurghada from Gatwick on 5th October and returned on 12th October. We had a 4 hour delay on both outward and return flights and was offered a £5 voucher on the outward journey and a couple of stale rolls on the return as compensation. The leg room was virtually non existent on the standard seats but luckily we had pre-booked long legroom seats on the way out at a cost of £30 each extra. The guy sitting next to us who had left the UK 3 weeks before had had a 6 hour delay on the outbound journey and said delay on this airline was normal! Altogether a very unpleasant experience and would never fly Thomas Cook again.

I flew to Hurghada from Gatwick on 5th of October. The flight was 4.5 hours late leaving (should have been 12.50, left 17.20), we received a £5 food voucher at Gatwick as compensation. The return flight was 3 hours and 26 mins late leaving (should have been 20.10, left 23.36) we received a meal box at Hurghada containing two rolls, a small carton of fruit juice and a bottle of water. The aircraft (Boeing 757/200, G-FCLJ both ways) was clean but seat space was fairly tight, two inflight movies were shown each way, the staff were polite and efficient. Passengers who asked to be seated together on the return flight were distributed randomly around the cabin. This flight from Gatwick to Hurghada and the return seems to be regularly delayed, see other posts on this board. I will be a very reluctant passenger on a Thomas Cook flight in the future.

Flight out to Tenerife bearable but the return was a joke. Party of 20 blind people, no priority boarding arranged, flight back delayed then diverted to Glasgow "for operational reasons". Cabin staff unhelpful, especially manager who stated "if you have a problem see me or the captain when we land and we will call the police". Very diplomatic and calming! Waited over 2 hours for coaches then had to try and arrange homeward travel for 20 disabled travellers at midnight. Unfortunately Thomas Cook Holidays faired little better and were unhelpful and full of undelivered promises.

Having travelled to Cyprus with a large wedding party, we weren't even sat anywhere near each other on the plane. The planes were old, tatty and cramped. At Larnaca airport there was a massive queue to check in, so 4 of us decided to part with 40 Euro for express check in. We ended leaving the desk at the same time as our friends who took the long queue. When asking the reps why this is acceptable, they advised 'it's the risk you take'.

This was the first (and last) time we had the misfortune of flying with Thomas Cook to Antalya in Turkey from Manchester airport on the 24th September. We were supposed to fly at 07.45am and eventually took off at 22.45 a full 15 hours late . Any information about what was happening was sporadic to say the least. When we realised we would probably arrive at our accommodation in the middle of the night we were given International Phone Cards!! Worth wait for it - 66p. !! We had to ask for food vouchers throughout the day which totalled a massive £14 per person. The whole experience was a shocking shambolic mess Oh and to add insult to injury we were also delayed one and a quarter hours on our return flight. Thomas Cook Airways your Customer Service stinks and you should be ashamed of yourselves! Never again.

Flew with Thomas Cook to Dalaman on 21st September, 5 hour delay going out and 3 hour delay coming home, as they were late flights we obviously lost 2 nights sleep out of a weeks holiday, the seating very tight in cabin, not very impressed as we have spent a lot of money with above over the years, and feel as a company they are letting their name and standard's slip.

Booked with Thomas Cook Manchester to Tenerife South - disgraceful treatment. Following a 7 hour delay, ended up being shuffled onto a eastern european budget airline. No seat allocation, food or drink or English speaking cabin crew. No prior information or update.

Flew from Heraklion to Gatwick TCX1269, 03/10/12, 01.05am - Sat in seat 40a. Very cramped. Cabin temperature was uncomfortably warm. Food - breakfast was more like a soup. Poor service and poor value. Not booking with Thomas cook ever again!

Flew Manchester to Antalya and back. Hopefully I will never have to fly with Thomas Cook again as it was not a good experience! Flights were booked as part of a package deal. We picked this holiday because it had semi decent flight times (departing 3pm out and 10pm back). When filling in the API online I found that the flight times had been changed to departing at 7pm and 2.30 am. No communication about this from TC. Their response was 'oh you should have had a letter'. Yes I should have but I didn't! Checked in online, no queue for bag drop but told flight delayed by 3.5 hours. Then 4 hours. Finally called to gate to be told that although plane is here there is now a technical problem and we'll be updated in an hour. Bearing in mind how long people have been in airport (and some of them drinking) this does not go down well, especially as all airport facilities now shut. Eventually boarding commenced and we set off at 12.30 am. The flight was just about bearable - rock hard seats that don't recline and no seat back pouches to hold water etc. As plus point the food was good. Coming back at least we weren't delayed but you can't check in on line for the return flight. We weren't at the back of the queue and we stood in line for 1 1/4 hrs. Same rock hard seats and less leg room - we were on the same row as we flew out on and there was a noticeable difference. The only good thing I can say is at least the luggage arrived.

Travelled Birmingham - Paphos return on one of their ancient 757's and have never experienced such little leg room. My wife stands 5'2" and found the seats cramped, as I had an aisle seat I spent most of the time standing on a flight lasting well over 4 hours. When the staff enquired why I was standing for so long I explained the space situation and their lack of interest was underwhelming. Never again.