Hi blue rabbit!
We have booked to go this year with thomsons too! Fly 16th December from Manchester! 2 adults and 2dds aged 7 and 5. I'm so excited! We are staying at the holiday club in Saariselka.
I have researched the trip for several months as I wanted to get it right. I fancied the esprit trip but for the same hotel and resort the price was 3.5k! I booked early June for 3 nights for £2290 with thomsons online. Prices on the 16th start at £2095 from Manchester for a family of four for 3 nights so very reasonable compared to other operators!
The are less reviews for Thomsons though as they only started going to Lapland last year but I contacted a few customers through trip advisor for comments and all said it was fab.
Be careful which resort and date you choose as snow was very late last year and I believe people in rovaniemi had to be bused out to activities! Also some of the thomson resorts have you meeting Santa at a gala meal which you may think is less personal.
We have booked the saariselka trip as a) it's the most northern resort and always has snow in Dec and b) they go the same place as esprit for their Santa activity day and you go on a private snowmobile-sleigh ride for 10 mins searching for santas cabin in the woods!
Their website is cheaper than in store plus I think they may be trying to fill flights 1 at a time as the 16th (peak week really) is up to £600 cheaper than other dates to manchester!
Crystal ski are doing a fab package or a week on the 16th to ruka for about £2200 inc four days of activities! I would have booked this but they only fly from Gatwick.