Thomas Cook Flights

[Itsbeentoolong]

Hi, have many people been split up on Thomsa Cook flights to Barbados? I'm not tight but i really begrudge paying 80 quid to make sure we sit together, we've paid all that money and its something Easyjet does! Its our Honeymoon so i dont really want to start it sitting next to a random person but the price of the holiday and the price to buy all the new stuff the 80 will be hard to take.

 

Thanks

 

Dean

[Marmaduke]

We go to the Caribbean every winter on the P & O charter flights and have never paid to pre book seats. We are happy to sit either side of the aisle and can usually get such seats if we check in about 3 hours before departure. The return seats are allocated on board by the ship's flight co-ordinator and we often end up with two together (side by side). From memory the only time we had aisle seats and were seated one behind the other was in the Premium Cabin ! Needless to say we no longer bother paying for the premium seats.

[Itsbeentoolong]

Thanks, so if we wanted to we could just pay for the flights going out there so it would only be 40? Then they sort them for us coming home? Also I've only done a Transatlantic so do we have to check in coming home or does the coach take us straight to the plane?(like when you get off)

 

Thanks

[chrisg1uk]

Thanks, so if we wanted to we could just pay for the flights going out there so it would only be 40? Then they sort them for us coming home? Also I've only done a Transatlantic so do we have to check in coming home or does the coach take us straight to the plane?(like when you get off)

 

Thanks

Yes I understand you can reserve them one way through the personliser. Coming back you leave your bags outsde you cabin the night before and you don't see them again until the home airport. You are provided with all your flight docs and you are simply taken by coach to the security lines at Barbados Airport. The Barbados immigration officials come on board early in the morning so you complete the formalities before you leave. Works well once you have sorted out what to keep in your hand luggage for the day. Remember, all your liquids etc have to go in your hold luggage so only keep back enough for your last day.

 

On the subject of sitting together, I have seen a few couples split up. I have seen the cabin crew try to help but understandably other folk who have paid to reserve are unlikely to agree to move for soemone who hasn't.

Edited October 19, 2015 by chrisg1uk

[groovechick]

Works well once you have sorted out what to keep in your hand luggage for the day. Remember, all your liquids etc have to go in your hold luggage so only keep back enough for your last day.

 

Sorry to hijack this thread chrisg1uk, but do you mean that for flying into/out of Barbados you can't have the customary clear, resealable bag with creams/ liquids of up to 100 ml in your hand luggage?

I was assuming the rules were the same as for European flights.

 

Itsbeentoolong I absolutely agree about the added expense when you have already forked out thousands for the cruise; after much deliberation we decided to pay the extra for the four of us, but there is certainly the option in the CP to book one way only. Maybe look on the CP and see how many pairs of seats are left to get an idea of the likelihood of being seated together?

[chrisg1uk]

Sorry to hijack this thread chrisg1uk, but do you mean that for flying into/out of Barbados you can't have the customary clear, resealable bag with creams/ liquids of up to 100 ml in your hand luggage?

I was assuming the rules were the same as for European flights.

 

Itsbeentoolong I absolutely agree about the added expense when you have already forked out thousands for the cruise; after much deliberation we decided to pay the extra for the four of us, but there is certainly the option in the CP to book one way only. Maybe look on the CP and see how many pairs of seats are left to get an idea of the likelihood of being seated together?

 

Sorry to be unclear. Yes same "little clear bag" rules apply. Other liquids have to be packed in hold luggae. The difference is that hold luggage disappears the night before leaving (late).

[Itsbeentoolong]

As my mum and dad are coming too and we only have to do it one way we're just going to pay....I'll do it on Friday as it's payday, will be a bit easier to bare :) thanks

[sailorbill34]

Hi...like you I didn't like the idea of having to fork out to select our seats on our last Caribbean fly cruise and also came up with the bright idea of only booking them on the outward leg and hoping we would keep the same seats for the return.... all the best laid plans!?! ... the flight seat booker does not let you book one way only....it automatically does it for both legs.

 

Discretion being the better part of valour and not wanting to incur the wrath of Mrs SB by getting the holiday off to a bad start I gave in and booked our seats.... I soon got over it !!!!!;)

[laurakdy]

I could be wrong here but not got time to check my CP just now but I've just booked seat to Barbados for 4 of us and they automatically book you on the same seats for the return journey.

 

That said, whatever experiences people have, there is good chance you could be separated. It really depends on so many things. How full the plane is. How many seats are not booked(most are). What availability is left. No one can tell you that.

 

I would never take the chance. I find the £20 worth every penny but appreciate budgets etc come into it.

[groovechick]

Hi...like you I didn't like the idea of having to fork out to select our seats on our last Caribbean fly cruise and also came up with the bright idea of only booking them on the outward leg and hoping we would keep the same seats for the return.... all the best laid plans!?! ... the flight seat booker does not let you book one way only....it automatically does it for both legs.

 

Discretion being the better part of valour and not wanting to incur the wrath of Mrs SB by getting the holiday off to a bad start I gave in and booked our seats.... I soon got over it !!!!!;)

 

I'm sure when I booked a few weeks ago it asked if you wanted to book the same seats for the return flight, it certainly wasn't automatic that you got those seats. Also it booked them as two separate bookings of £40, rather than one of £80.

[NOVICE WELSH CRUISERS]

We are flying out on the 20th Nov from Gatwick with Thomas Cook. 2-4-2 configuration and I checked out of interest last weekend and all the '2' seats were booked.

[NauticalMiss]

I could be wrong here but not got time to check my CP just now but I've just booked seat to Barbados for 4 of us and they automatically book you on the same seats for the return journey.

 

That said, whatever experiences people have, there is good chance you could be separated. It really depends on so many things. How full the plane is. How many seats are not booked(most are). What availability is left. No one can tell you that.

 

I would never take the chance. I find the £20 worth every penny but appreciate budgets etc come into it.

 

I agree; we never take the chance. The cost of booking seats is just factored into the overall cost of our holiday, just like the cost of excursions, beverages, new outfits (!), etc, etc.

[The Mommy]

We felt like you and didn't feel we should pay extra to sit together so we went early to check in but were split up on the return journey which was horrendous - we now just pay up!

[Mark-Sheffield]

We have always paid the cost of pre-booking seats when we have gone with our family, just because we don't want to be split up on a long haul flight and not having the hassle of trying to get to the airport early to get seats together.

[the english lady]

Is this when the word guarantee comes into play again.

As has been posted ,if you are not sat next to each other , if people have paid extra to , they probably would not want to move for you.

Your call.

[oakworth96]

Hi, we have done the Caribbean twice with me my wife and my daughter and have been sat together on all journeys. But we do arrive early to the airport so maybe that helps

 

Bob