Warning for parents booking with Thomson Holidays (or First Choice)

[Minsmummy]

We booked our first holiday with Thomson this year, as now we are parents, we thought a package holiday would meet our needs better than trying to do it all ourselves. We booked a hotel in Menorca in January and upgraded our accommodation as we will be spending every evening in the room, while our daughter sleeps.

However, today, under a week before we are due to fly, we have received an email to say that due to over booking rooms we've been DOWNGRADED. That's right, a holiday we booked in January. No explanation. No compensation.

I phoned Thomson (and held for 30 minutes to get through to someone) who were really unhelpful and explained that when they give the bookings to the hotel a week before the holidays, 'this sometimes happens'. So basically, even when you think you've booked a holiday with Thomson, and during all the confirmation emails they send you, you actually don't book anything until ONE WEEK BEFORE YOU GO.

We'll never book another holiday with Thomson (or First Direct its sister company) and wanted to warn other parents of this too.

So what are they offering in terms of compensation? I assume the downgrade is cheaper?

That's crap! I hope you still have a great holiday - for what it's worth, it won't make any difference to your DD

How did the conversation go?

Did you tell them it wasn't acceptable? Have you been offered a partial refund etc?

Forgot the phone, you need to go into a shop. They really don't like people pointing out loudly that they have fucked up in front of a shop full of customers.

I discovered this is a fairly common occurrence when looking at package holidays last summer. In the end it's a faff, but is safer (and can be cheaper) to do it all yourself.

Unfortunately it's probably hidden in the Ts&Cs.
Thomas Cook changed our flight time, irritating but nothing we could do, they reserve the right etc etc.

They have said they will refund the difference (but we have no idea what the difference would be, so I'm assuming they'll give us the least amount possible). No compensation or explanation really. But we don't really want any money back, we want the holiday we booked.

It's the first package holiday we've booked and definitely the last. I've always booked separately, but thought as we are taking our DD it would make more sense to book something all together (coach transfer, rather than sorting car seats etc etc). HUGE MISTAKE.

10percentbattery - I'm not surprised it's so common, now I know what the system is for them booking. Next time I'll go directly to the hotel/apartment. I just wanted to warn others. We had no idea as we've not booked anything like this before!

It's ridiculous they can still get away with it.
Have they at least told you what the downgraded accommodation is?

It's in the same resort group, so we didn't get specifics, just 'you won't get what you booked, you'll only get this'. I'm fuming. But getting through to anyone at Thomson, especially with authority, is almost impossible. They use lots of delay tactics...

Do they have a social media page you could post on, might get a response then.

I've tweeted and Facebooked them and they just give you email addresses to contact. Delay tactics to shut you up. No one actually replies to emails.

I've also contacted the hotel myself and they have said that all the rooms we booked are now gone, so we can't even try and sort this out ourselves.

Tweet them. Just make sure it's the UK site.

Ask them what is the point of the booking system. Paying in full months before. Only for them to downgrade a week before. No explanation. No idea if it's a little or
Major downgrade.

Cross posts
Tell them stop fobbing
You off giving u an email no one ever replies
To. If ur company cared you could deal with it rather than fobbing me off..
Them spam them.

I did this with a company. Every 30 minutes I asked the same question.. When you going to answer my questions.. Or when you going to deal with me... Or you realize I am not going away.

After several hours others also started asking why I was being ignored.

Oooooh good idea! Will do that now! thanks

I am a travel agent and have never known the tour operators to downgrade customers. In an overlooking situation which is actually quite rare, they normally upgrade or offer something of the same standard in the same resort. That's really rubbish and they certainly should be offering compensation.

Pinkmagic, if you book early for day flights, then are told you have night flights can you ask for compensation? Everybody knows night flights at cheaper. My daughter booked last year and has now been told she has night flights. I know flight times are not guaranteed, but think this is wrong.

You need to start dropping 'regulation 13 of the package travel regulations' into every conversation, OP. You are entitled to a similar package or superior one. If you decide to accept the change you can not only be repaid the difference in cost but also compensation, if appropriate.

I would post link but I'm on my phone. Google it!

Coenzyme - Oh wow - this is great. Thank you!

In an overlooking situation which is actually quite rare, they normally upgrade or offer something of the same standard in the same resort.

I suspect they try it on with customers they think that they can get away with it with, and then move to upgrades when things get stickier.

That sounds really disappointing Minsmummy - I really hope some of these options work for you. Complaints via social media seem to be the way to go these days so Twitter seems like good option.

Sorry, life sucks, only just seen your post. With flight time changes they normally follow a 12 hour rule and cover themselves in the booking conditions, meaning they only compensate if your flight times alter by more than 12 hours.

OP - Why not copy in the CEO and also drop his name into every conversation.

press.thomson.co.uk/tui-uk-ireland-announce-new-managing-director/

I am guessing but if you are downgraded and do not like it you could still
make a complaint? After all a holiday is supposed to be a holiday and if you
do not feel it was a hol then breach of contract etc

How awful of them. You have just reminded me to check our Thomson booking as I had an email from them last week while I was away about a change to our flight. It's been put back an hour. I hope they don't mess about with it any more - we already paid over the odds for a decent day flight.

Yes deffo to spamming their social media page.

I booked a family room with 2 separate sleeping areas as I need to be away from the children due to medical reasons. Double checked the room configuration before booking (paid extra to upgrade).

Guess What I received this afternoon ? An email saying they had made a mistake in the brochure/on website and a family suite is actually a normal room with a double and 2 single beds! Spent 45 minutes on hold with First Choice waiting to speak to someone who to be fair was helpful and understood my problems but tbh I am not expecting an upgrade (which actually means getting the room I booked and paid for). DCs not looking forward to sharing a room with me and noisy cpap machine and eldest (from experience)has queried whether we should cancel