Thomas Cook Airlines is a travel service provider that specializes in offering package holidays and city breaks for travelers seeking affordable vacation options. Operating under the Thomas Cook brand, the company provides customers with a range of travel deals that include ATOL protection, ensuring financial security for holidaymakers. With a focus on transparency, Thomas Cook Airlines promotes low deposits starting from £39 per person and offers flexible payment plans without hidden fees.
The company caters to a diverse clientele, including families, couples, and solo travelers looking for reliable and budget-friendly travel solutions. In addition to competitive pricing, Thomas Cook Airlines emphasizes customer support by providing 24/7 assistance to travelers during their holidays. With a price match guarantee, the company aims to ensure that customers receive the best possible deals on their travel arrangements.
Thomas Cook Airlines has a poor customer experience.
Thomas Cook Airlines receives overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many customers expressing dissatisfaction with their experiences. While some reviewers highlight positive aspects such as helpful customer support and enjoyable flights, these are overshadowed by numerous complaints about poor service and operational issues.
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Many people report significant delays, lack of communication regarding changes, and unresponsive customer service when issues arise. Additionally, there are serious concerns about high fees for name changes and inadequate handling of customer complaints. Reviewers also mention uncomfortable seating and cramped conditions on flights. Overall, while a few customers appreciate the airline, the majority express frustration and disappointment, leading to a predominantly negative sentiment.
#2854 Manchester-Barbados (Premium). Delayed departure, then cockpit door problem meant further delay as had to taxi back to stand for remedial action by engineers. Nevertheless cabin crew were tremendous. Service was excellent, over and above expectations. They were friendly and made us feel special. Special mention to David, who worked tirelessly the whole trip. Flight crew kept us informed and made up good time.
Return (#2854 Barbados-Manchester) after glorious holiday, the flight was un-eneventful. Once again excellent service from cabin crew 👨✈️, though we slept through most of the flight. The Captain made up over on hour and we arrived back with nothing but praise for the crews of Thomas Cook.
Cheap there are reasons why!! Took a flight in 2017 and I had reason to complain. This was due to poor cabin staff. TCA gave me a £100 voucher. I used this to book a flight to Madeira in May 2019. I had booked accommodation and preflight hotel, then a few weeks ago TCA emailed me to tell me the flight is cancelled. Looking at the booking system it seem TCA has decided to stop flying to Medeira altogether!! I got the refund from TCA but they dont want to refund my £100 voucher, nor offer any compensation for the non refundable hotel stay I have booked. Trying to communicate with TCA customer relations is like pulling teeth. They don’t read emails I send them or don’t understand them. If I were you, based on having issues with 100% of my dealing with this airline, I would not use them again, which makes the £100 voucher irrelevant!!!
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I’m a frequent flyer and my first and only time I have flown with TCA was far from good. Both flights were delayed without communication as to why. This is also the only airline I have been told to remove my airpods and told they were not safe to use. So for Long haul it was grim. The food was dull. It’s sad to see that TCA do not respond to Trustpilot customer feedback.
Totally Rubbish my Cat could do better at running a Airline company!!! we were left stranded at Gatwick for over 4 hours and no one from Thomas cook to talk to. A total joke of a company. Lied about the delay because first they said it was a small fault with the aircraft and then it was a bird strike so no one can claim any compo. NEVER USE THIS COMPANY !!!!!
Rubbish flew the 1st time with Thomas cook & will be the last.
Flew a few weeks ago from LGW TO Larnaca Cyprus on an early flight.
Upon entering the aircraft I advised 1 of the male flight attendants, I'm a nervous flier to which he replied "Oh you'll be alright " with no compassion, not once did he check if I were ok, and I saw him sleeping on the aircraft for most of the journey. How unprofessional and the leg room, was the tightest I've ever sat on.
Thomas Cook sort it out !!
I have flown with Thomas Cook a lot I recently went to menorca with them and back to gatwick . We did get delayed on the way back to gatwick but that was due to gatwick . Even if we were delayed leaving we got back on time which was good . The meals were actually nice on the plane and the cabin crew and check in crew were great . The pilot was great to . The special assistant staff were lovely to made my little brother with autism happy and feel safe . I did enjoy flying with Thomas Cook and I flying with them again next year in July to menorca 🙂
So, first time flying with Thomas Cook Economy and probably the last!
Route was Manchester to Mexico Cancun.
We booked our holiday late through a third party travel company and the flights were with TC which we usually avoided as we typically like better airlines in our opinion. Unfortunately we quickly realised we were right to avoid them.
So to start with the positive out of the whole experience, the flights were smooth there and back. But the best part was the pilots! For all the travelling we have done we have never had the pilot come on and tell us all why we were experiencing turbulence after a spell or during it. Particularly in a lot of detail and also letting us know how much longer it was expected to carry on. Not a problem with me turbulence but my wife is a very nervous flyer and I thank the pilots for the communication they gave to the passengers as it made a big difference for my wife, top class marks for that!
Now the negatives, having flown with Virgin, BA, Thomsons(TUI), Emirates and Brunei where we had great experiences going on holiday we quickly found that Thomas Cook were just not in the same class.
This is mainly around the drinks service, and I was not on a stag doo with a rowdy bunch.
Travelling with my wife to Mexico we had 2 alcoholic drinks for the whole 10.5 hour flight!! 2! We got 1 round firstly which took a while to come, then usually with all the other airlines mentioned above we would get the offer of a nice red wine or white wine with dinner aswell as other drinks. Thomas Cook, nope it was tea, coffee or juice! Really! I’m not on a stag holiday here. I would really like to have a few drinks while watching my movies and socialising with my wife over dinner and other parts of the flight.
I approached one of the stewardesses and asked if I could order a drink as it had been quite sometime since the last. I was told “no, but the manager decides how much alcoholic drinks we give and he is at the back of the plane, it depends on the manager, go and ask him”, well how about no! I’m not in school asking can I please have some more! I’m an adult who knows how to socialise with my wife responsibly.
So one more drink was served after this.
Bear in mind my next point around all this. Thomas Cook are the only airline I have flown with long haul that do not offer complimentary drinks for the flight. I had to pay ridiculous prices for the 2 drinks I had. Again, Virgin, BA, Thomson(TUI), Emirates and Brunei all served complimentary drinks for the duration of the flight including with your meal.
Yes I agree that flights are not for “binge” drinking and I can understand a cautious approach, but then there is cautious and then there’s just no consideration to responsible adults.
Now lastly, the breakfast was just as bad. A long 8.5 hour flight through the night, everyone gearing up for the arrival and to go and drive(in my case) or go on to the next mode of transport to get home. What do we get offered, an orange juice or a water. No tea or coffee. What?! The breakfast was a poppy seed muffin and a yogurt! Who eats muffins for breakfast, I said no thanks as did my wife.
Ridiculous going and coming back except for the pilots on both flights.
Last point, not only did I have to pay for drinks, but I had to pay for “premium movies”, some were premium and some were very old that I could see on free view channels most weeks. Ridiculous!
Once again the other long haul flights we were on had all the movies free and the selections were greater.
Economy on TC makes Econmy on its rivals feel like premium economy.
Thomas Cook in a nutshell are a no frills long haul airline.
Probably the worse flying experience across the Altantic. This is some feat when you remember that two of the worse internationally recognised airlines who also operate this sector - United and Delta, are here. The basic fare is competitive but extras and non delivered services do add up. Yes you can pay extra to pick your seat - but you are only paying to select the seat location in advance - all seats are essentially the same. They do not recline and do not have foot rests or head rests. You are promised a James Martin sponsored meal. However this only applies on flights out of the UK - on the return flight the meals are picked up in the USA. James Martin meal was a choice of two hot dishes (chicken or beef) and actually quite good - the return meal has no choice and is pasta - quite dreadful. On the out going flight they sell as much alcohol as they can but the return flight is alcohol free. This is not an issue for me but many passengers were asking why they could not purchase a glass of wine with their meal? Flights are crowded, noisy and offer very basic facilities - not for me.
I flew from Manchester to Las Vegas. The scheduled plane had a fault so a replacement was provided. During the 11 hour flight we found out that the seats did not recline. We sat bolt upright for 11 hours! As far as I am aware this plane was designed for short haul only. My legs were killing me after only a few hours. On the return flight I chose a bulkhead seat in order to expect good legroom. Big mistake! I am 6ft 2ins and the space between the seat and the bulkhead was ridiculously small. Once again stretching my legs was impossible. 10 hours with my legs tucked underneath is no joke! A complaint to Thomas Cook was sent and they scandalously refused to answer any questions about legality of the seating simply referring me to an independent tribunal panel at a cost of £25! Thomas Cook has "opted out" of the CAA complaints revue service and they in turn also referred me to the tribunal panel. Disgusting is the only word I have for this airline. Never again will I use them and if you want to I suggest that you read the rest of the scathing reviews. Your choice!
Never again, antique Plane, delays, extortion, clueless!
On our way home from Turkey to Belfast the flight was delayed 1 hour and a half then they got us all on the plane and the captain informed us that they had a problem with comms and are looking at getting it fixed so please be patient. 45 mins later the Captain announces that the problem fixed itself by magic (literally what he said) and that they didnt know what was wrong. Now I feel really safe. So another 20 minutes passes which in total over 2 and a half hours delay we take off and as soon as we are in the air the cabin crew start serving drinks at their usual extortionate prices but they tell us to buy twice because it will be a long time before they are going round again. Plane is really old, I would imagine they took it out of the plane graveyard and done it up. Charging people £3 for a cheap pair of headphones to listen to a small tv situated every 4 rows apart. I bought nothing and will never fly with this cowboy outfit again. No apology for delay, no complimentary drink for the delay, it seems to be the norm for them. Trying to charge rediculous fee for putting a bag in the cargo bay and everyone taking hand luggage to avoid obscene prices is a recipe for disaster in the long run. Thomas Cook airlines are a disaster and their primary goal is to get as much money of you as possible to keep there obsolete planes in the air and their Directors filthy rich. Avoid at all costs. I have flown many airlines in my time and the last time I flew on a plane like this was with BMI in late 90s. Sardines in a can comes to mind. If the next holiday company are a few £100 more I would take it without hesitation in the future.
Having read some of the poor reviews had to have my say. Flight Gatwick to Cape Town March 18 to visit family. Plane was refurbished A330, arrived 3 hours early no que at check in and friendly staff, took off on time and had a smooth flight, seats not bad and better than BA 747 that I normally use, meal on way out quite good but had to pay for drinks, in flight entertainment limited but you could pay £5 extra for premium package the actual screen was excellent again far better than the BA747 ( that is normally faulty). Landed In Cape Town 10 min early.
Return flight delayed 20 min due to problem loading food but landed at Gatwick 5 Late, The trip was far cheaper than BA and having flown SAA,BA, and Virgin I would recommend TC based on price and service and have booked again for January 19.
Absolutely appalling Company to Fly with!
I prebooked Extra leg room at £65 each for my Wife and myself only to be told 30 mins before boarding that the Seats were double booked and we had to move to normal Seats.
It has taken an online Complaints form, and a telephone call to find out that they never received my complaint for a refund, Despite them saying I should wait 28 days before contacting them again!
The entertainment system didn’t work in my Seat either, so it was a 10 hour flight without any entertainment at all!
Then on our return to Manchester my Suitcase was damaged beyond repair and it has cost us €27 plus £15 Bank charges to receive a replacement one , as they use a German Company who only accept Bank Payments for goods, NO Credit Card payments ! Hence the £15 Bank Charges!
Since my last review on this company,where I was promised compensation within 28 days (WHICH NEVER ARRIVED) and my subsequent call where they promised me payment in another10 days (they say goodwill) I still haven’t received anything after this period elapsed. I tried to call them today and the first recorded message was that there was a 40 minute delay. So I called again this afternoon and was told there was a 60 minute delay. However they did say that they really care😂. They either don’t have enough people in the Customer Care team or their service is so bad that they are swamped with unhappy customers
I would rather fly Ryanair every time than fly Thomas cook again and that's saying something. 6kg hand luggage what is the point in taking a pull along cabin bag all you can put in that is a towel. £110 to check in a bag return. Even at that only 20kg is allowed.
No hot food service even on a 4hr 45 min flight unless you pre booked the meal service before you fly.
When I asked the crew if there was no hot sandwiches available as we have 4 children I was met with the response of rolled eyes a sigh and well you should have pre ordered your food. I'm sure the cabin crew do get sick of being asked but thought a toastie of some sort was routine on most flights these days. So £140 later on Cold cheese dip snack boxes and a drink later.
Reserved the back row seats not realising that the last 3 seats are reserved for cabin crew breaks which everyone is entitled to but when it is 1 am in the morning and you have a 13 month old asleep on your chest and they sit behind you put all 3 lights on as the cabin is dark and start banging seats and giggling not the best flight I have had.
As we fly probably 5 times a year I will never ever book again!
Flight delayed due to Thomas Cook being too busy fleecing everyone for being a gram over 6 kilos for hand luggage. Plus rude about it also. Never again.
I don’t normally write reviews but I’ve got plenty of spare time due to being delayed (again). I will not be using this airline again. Also the planes are outdated. Also travelled as a couple and was one of the first to check in and still seated appart.
Flew to Valletta from LGW as part of a cruise package.
Despite arriving at the airport 3 hours before the flight as advised, it took us well over an hour to check-in. Only 6 desks appeared to be in use at any one time. From what I could see there were more than ten desks available for use. No reason or apology given by ground staff for this delay. Flight was late leaving, meaning that the original take off slot was missed. Plane was pushed back from the stand and we had to wait about 30-40 minutes. Captain apologised for delay, and managed to make up some time in the flight.
The return flight was also delayed, by an original 15 minutes, but due to problems with the ground staff loading the baggage, this delay was eventually about 30 minutes. Again the captain apologised, and thankfully managed to make up some time in the flight.
The flight itself however was quite uncomfortable, the seats were not very well padded, and I could feel every time that the passenger in the seat behind put something in the seat pocket. When we got off I checked the depth of the padding in the seat back and it felt no thicker than about 1cm. The padding on the seat itself didn’t feel much thicker. Not good for a flight of around 3 hours. Would hesitate to book with Thomas Cook again.
Delayed coming home from Cyprus 3and half hours no information given to us at all just left to guess what was happening. Customer service doesn't exist. No one explained why we were Delayed until I asked, wouldn't fly with them again.
Without question Thomas Cook Airline is the worst my Wife and I have encountered.
Outward flight from Bristol Airport to Larnaca , Cyprus, we sat in the plane on the runway fully loaded for two hours, no information was forthcoming why we we held up.
Several engineers visited the Flight deck, both gangways were still attached during the two hour delay, eventually informed the aircraft needed to be refuelled whist we were on board.
Due to this the Captain missed our Take off slot, consequently we did not arrive in our Hotel until 0200 hours the following day.
lo and behold, whilst waiting to board the return flight, the Aircraft was delayed yet again by an hour this time.
During this totally unacceptable experience with this Mickey Mouse Company, no one, had the decency to update or inform passengers of WHY.
Information whilst travelling is Key and most basic when communicating with passengers.
I have been it's pointless in complaining as it will not be addressed.
Thomas Cook Airlines is a travel service provider that specializes in offering package holidays and city breaks for travelers seeking affordable vacation options. Operating under the Thomas Cook brand, the company provides customers with a range of travel deals that include ATOL protection, ensuring financial security for holidaymakers. With a focus on transparency, Thomas Cook Airlines promotes low deposits starting from £39 per person and offers flexible payment plans without hidden fees.
The company caters to a diverse clientele, including families, couples, and solo travelers looking for reliable and budget-friendly travel solutions. In addition to competitive pricing, Thomas Cook Airlines emphasizes customer support by providing 24/7 assistance to travelers during their holidays. With a price match guarantee, the company aims to ensure that customers receive the best possible deals on their travel arrangements.
