Jimmy_Kirb flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (19/05/2012 14:30)

I flew with Thomas Cook long haul last year and they have changed so much for the better! This year I flew with them to Mexico on the A330-200.

The flight was on time and once told to go to the gate we went straight on to the plane with no waiting - we took off early! The cabin crew were very attentive and always had a smile on their face - best crew I've had yet! But the food is what made the flight, made by James Martin it was amazing!

We had a choice of Thai Green Curry or Sausage and mash served with strawberry cheesecake and cheese and biscuits! The best food I've ever had on a flight and a great move for Thomas Cook to re-do their meals.

The inflight entertainment was great with 6 films to watch and also TV shows. I didn't get bored of something to watch - even on a 10 hour flight!

Also the legroom was great! 35inchs, it was nice to be able to stretch your legs and feel as though you had space.

Overall if you've been with Thomas Cook and felt disappointed - try them again!! They have improved massively and had the best flight we've ever been on.

andrewpick flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (01/05/2012 20:57)

We flew to Sanford from Gatwick on Friday April 13th and returned on Friday April 27th,

Outbound were standard seats but inbound were premium. I must admit I was slightly worried given some of the reviews here but generally we found Thomas Cook airlines and the whole experience very good.

We didn't bother with any advance seat reservations and found check in to be smooth and with 2 adults and 2 children were all seated together no problem.

Slight delay on the way out but that was out of TC's control. Something about a hot air balloon straying into Gatwick airspace on the way out (well it was Friday 13th!!!).

Food was ok (as it usually is) and service was generally very good from the staff.

Seats were generally very good. Not hugely comfortable but legroom was fine, even on standard seats on the way out (around 33inch pitch).

Premium on the way back were good. Slightly wider seats but with 35inch pitch I believe. Service was no different, apart from the seat sizes with premium.

Bit of turbulence on the way back but nothing too uncomfortable and didn't stop me trying to grab 40 winks on the evening/night flight to Gatwick.

Generally a positive experience with this airline and would definitely use again. Not really that much difference in my opinion between these and Virgin Atlantic for example (which we have also experienced)

laney2442 flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (20/04/2012 18:48)

I have not flown with Thomas cook before, but my son and his fiancé went to Cuba last year and praised the airline and the holiday so much that they have decided to get married there on 05/07/2012. We are travelling from Manchester on 01/07/2012. They said the whole experience was faultless hence doing it again so i hope to be back on here when we get back repeating the same experience.

Pam2011azura flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (07/02/2012 14:23)

We came back from Barbados Christmas morning it has to be the worst experience of our lives.

We were packed in like sardines. I have flown with so many airlines I have lost count, never were they like this. The staff were surly and plastic and as an after thought the captain wished us Happy Christmas as we were fling in to Gatwick.

Never having flown Christmas eve/Day I was expecting something cheerful and happy, what a let down. I have never heard so many complaint's Thomas Cook if you are in trouble you only have to look at your selves you don't deserve to stay in buissiness.

By the way our in flight entertainment was broken.

HazelJoy flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (19/01/2012 15:17)

Well, we have recently arrived back from Mexico, having flown on the Thomas Cook A330 - 354 passengers

On long-haul flights with Thomas Cook you cannot book a seat in the premium cabin- these are offered on a first come basis. We arrived at Gatwick early and were asked if we would like to upgrade for an extra £20 per passenger. For this you get to wait in the VIP lounge and given free breakfast and drinks, except the champagne cocktails, and there is a toilet area and lounge area with plasma TV. There is no premium extras on the flight but the seats are obviously more spacious and more comfy.

You can book the premium seats for the return journey but by the time we made our holiday booking these had all been taken - hence we opted to sit in seats 38H & J (37 had already been taken).

The seats at the rear of the cabin are in a 2-3-2 formation and the 2 seats do give extra room in the aisle but they are standard seats. The problem we found was that the seats had obviously been spaced further apart for the long-haul flights but the over-head individual lights had not been moved so my seat light shone on the passengers head in front of my husband! The toilets are quite close but we found that passengers actually queued in the rear section rather than along the aisle itself.

The only real complaint we had was the food on the return journey. On the original take-off there was severe vibration on the front wheels so the take-off was aborted and we ended up being delayed for 22 hours. This meant the food pre-packed for the return journey had defrosted and Thomas Cook had to get food from Mexico and this was disgusting.

I hope this information helps others.

Poolyjan flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul (04/12/2011 23:34)

I have just returned from a P and Cruise in the Caribbean, returning 02/12/2011.

When we booked the cruise 14 months in advance we also booked premium seats. About 13 weeks before our departure we were informed that Thomas Cook had removed the aircraft for our return journey flight TCX 255 and replaced it with 767 with no premium area. We were unable to rearrange the flights as there was no availability at the late stage.

The outbound journey was reasonably comfortable with no problems. The inbound was the journey from hell. The flight was
delayed by 3 hrs due to a technical fault with the replacement aircraft, though we received no updated information at the airport after the initial 2 hr delay.

We eventually boarded the aircraft after waving off all our fellow cruisers who found it amusing that our Thomas Cook flight was the only one delayed. We then spent the next 8 hrs crammed into the smallest space I have ever had to endure. I felt on the verge of a panic attack on several occasions. There was no way of finding a comfortable position to sleep. The on board entertainment a film was impossible to view due to the screen being located above our heads behind the access to the overhead locker that the cabin crew used for storage.

After about 1 hr the front tort became unserviceable and getting to the others took ages as you had to wait for the trolleys to clear then join a very long queue. I never actually made it as an hour before landing all the toilets became unusable. I therefore had to go a full 9 hrs without the use of a loo! After landing we picked up our luggage to find both solid suitcases smashed at the corners .

THOMAS COOK we will NEVER fly with you again.

judyboughton flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (27/09/2011 08:20)

davidwelsh flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (22/07/2011 19:55)

Nice crew , leg room was good seat no 38 a & b seat back tv worked well nose and belly cam very good ,time flew by 9 hr Manchester to Punta Cana .Thomas Cook gets some bad reviews but not this time flights on time both ways aircraft very clean, date of fligth 30/06/11

mitchy376 flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (28/05/2011 15:32)

Me and my family flew economy to Orlando's Sanford airport in economy.

Gatwick airport was obviously very busy on the day of our departure but we booked into the No1 lounge which offered some very nice views of the runway including the plane that we flew on arriving. Check-in staff didn't seem to have very much experience in the way that Thomas Cook perform but that was because they were on loan from Delta.
The outbound flight to Sanford was very good, with a very attentive cabin crew and decent legroom.

The entertainment was also okay but because we were on the old layout a330, it used a channel system which meant a wait between shows. The food was also okay. The captain kept us well informed as to our location and so did the cabin crew when asked, probably because the map was down during the whole flight. The leather seats weren't too comfortable but the downstair's toilets were very good because there was very little queuing in the aisles.

Orlando's Sanford airport was nice and quiet, which was pleasing and check in was fast. Security was also easy to get through. The inbound flight to the UK was an overnight flight in a newly renovated a330. The entertainment on this flight was considerably better because it was on demand, but other than that, not much was different, apart from the lack of contact from the captain and the less attentive cabin crew, but that was probably because they were tired and didn't want to interrupt people's sleep, or lack of sleep in some cases... loud children most of the time, but what do you expect, its Florida.

Overall, I was really pleased, especially after reading some reviews on here. Take no notice! I would recommend Thomas Cook Airlines to anyone.

sparkyquef flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (01/05/2011 20:18)

We flew out to Holguin, Cuba for christmas and new year, and after flying many times around the globe with various airlines, I can honestly say that this is the worst experience of my life. Only comparible to a shorthaul economy flight by Ryanair. Poor service, seat width and pitch only suitable for a child, and to top it off, charging for drinks on a 10hr flight. How rediculous, to charge for drinks on a 10hr flight with over 200 passengers, all that change (they don't have) for notes, rip off prices etc....

Why not put an extra £10 on the flight and give everyone free drinks, this would not only save a lot of hassle for the crew, it would also mean everyone would get served quicker. Very very poor indeed.

UflyRight flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (26/04/2011 17:06)

From POP to MAN we where in an ex-My Travel Airways aircraft. You always get a better flight on board one of these aircraft than the other type of A330's that Thomas Cook operates.

There are downstairs toilets and no queues for them. The entertainment was a lot better and the maps and cameras were working. I've seen people complaining about the layout being different to the one that is displayed on all websites but you do have a better flight.

I would definitely fly with them again and advice people to look into not only Thomas Cook but the main rival Thomson over other British airlines as they are keeping each other on their toes. As they are competing a lot more than other airlines this means that you tend to get better service than the other airlines like BA, Monarch and definitely Virgin Atlantic.

So next time you fly, Don't Just Book It. Thomas Cook It :)

UflyRight flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (24/04/2011 16:31)

From MAN to POP we were on a Thomas Cook Airlines A330 the has always been with Thomas Cook and after reading other peoples reviews I say don't read the lower raters ones they are just retem be really fussy people and they dont know a bad flight as the have clealy never been on a monarch A330 or a Virgin Atlantic flight. Thomas Cook airlines food is not that good and the same with the entertanment outbound flight I was surpised at how good they were in fact the only thing that lets them down in the A330 layout that they use. But this is the same with all A330's not using an airtours designed cabin as the toilets and gallies are postitioned badly but thats not Thomas Cook that can only be blamed on the manufactuerer Airbus.

amazinggrace flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (07/04/2011 18:52)

Travelled to Jamaica on Thomas cook's first direct flight. It was very enjoyable.

Left on time, arrived home exactly on time.

The crew were lovely very helpful and the food was very good and hot.

We were on the 330 airbus. The leg room was great the seating was comfortable we read some reviews before we went which gave us some concern but i can tell you we never came up against any of them

We are hoping to go long haul again next year and i think it will probably be Thomas Cook again.

My advice to anyone with it in mind is just go for it and decide for yourself

Hope you enjoy as much as we did ...could have done with a bit more baggage weight though......

flyboydixie flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (03/03/2011 19:04)

At last Thomas Cook have given us some decent legroom but the nine across seating means only 16.5 inch width - tight for me (6 ft tall 38inch waist )but hopeless for your average obese Brit.-The service and seatback entertainment were ok for charter flight standard as was the food.We left Gatwick on time and arrived in Goa 1 hour early.The return flight was spoilt - a few posers boarding at midnight dressed for the beach then started complaining about being cold despite all being issued with blankets and pillows resulting in cabin staff requesting the captain to up the heat. So uncomfortable 98% felt we were being cooked alive- why do the few always spoil it for the many? I was not looking forward to this return flight but turned out not so bad as expected.

gooner2233 flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a B767-300 (20/02/2011 19:39)

Went to Cancun x2 last year (April and October). The first flight in the April was fine and the seat pitch was good, and I would say it was 33" but when we went on the October the flight it was very uncomfortable indeed with only a 29" pitch for a 10+ hour flight. I complained to Thomas Cook and was given an answer that the seat pitch is comparable with other long haul carriers?

Row 2 C,D,E and F on the way back was even more uncomfortable. As these seats are offset with 3 in front on row one it was very difficult to put your legs in a comfortable position.

mattman flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a B757-200 (config 2) (07/02/2011 17:12)

I flew from Birmingham International to Toronto aboard the Thomas Cook B757-200 last September, and I must say what a fantastic flight!

Big comfy leather seats with 35" leg room, I'm 6'1" and had loads of space in front of me.

The flight was ontime both leaving the UK and returning. We landed 50mins early on return.

The food on board was OK, and the service very good. If they had TV screens in each seat I would have said that it was by far the best flight I've ever been on in economy.....

badgolfer1954 flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (15/10/2010 19:01)

My partner and I have just returned from the Dominican Republic with Thomas cook, as one of the other reviews state, the seating plan on the tickets did not resemble the seating plan on the aircraft. The out bound flight was bearable, the return flight was a nightmare, we had been in the air over two and a half hours before I could get a drink, the entertainment kept breaking down( I had to watch the same program four times, and still did not see the end of it.) the passenger in front of me kept rocking back and forth for the whole flight, he must have found my discomfort highly amusing. We finally landed at Gatwick and had to wait twenty minutes to get on to a dock.

ferguss flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a B757-200 (config 2) (01/10/2010 09:44)

Booked with Canadian Affair - as 35" seat pitch to quote brochure was "guaranteed". In the event the aircraft used had a seat pitch of 30" - for a long haul flight this was intolerable. Was advised at check in that flight was 3 hours late but the limited seat pitch was only advised at departure gate where it was too late to consider other options. If I book something with a guarantee I expect it to be delivered or given some alternatives if problems arise.

ferguss flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a B757-200 (config 2) (01/10/2010 09:35)

UnhappyThomasCookFlyer flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (05/09/2010 14:49)

Absolutely the worst airlline I have ever flown with and I am a frequent flyer. I paid extra for an extra legroom seat and got a seat that was too narrow to sit in. Trying to arrange a different seat for the flight home with Thomas Cook is impossible. Their online customer service is as bad as their A330-200 seat configuration. I suggest everyone avoid this airline like the plauge unless it is a very short haul flight. I stood for 8 hours becuase i could not comfortably fit into the seat.

johngorry flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (31/08/2010 17:39)

We are told that Thomas Cook longhaul flights next year will not have a premium cabin. however their website shows that there is still a cabin at the front of the aircraft of which you are not able to book. What is all this about Thomas Cook? Removing the premium cabin will make me think twice about booking Thomas Cook again as the same holiday can be booked with First Choice and we are given the availability of a premium seat.

pjs617s flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (23/08/2010 13:43)

We flew to Holguin, Cuba on this aircraft and paid extra for exit seats. The seating plan that came with our tickets and the seating plan on Thomas Cook Airlines website bore no resemblance to the aircraft configuration.

We had extra legroom in front of us but were not aware that here was a downstairs toilet as it was not shown on the seating plan. Our extra legroom area therefore turned into the toilet waiting area and gossip area, not good on a night flight home when you are trying to sleep!

Two of our entertainment screens did not work outbound and one inbound, so very boring on a ten hour flight.

Crew excellent going out and dreadful coming home. Food and drink service excellent going out but food and service awful on return flight.

Four weeks on from this flight am still suffering lower back pain from the seat.

Climate flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (10/08/2010 08:36)

A330 LHR to YVR return. Seat pitch is good but seat width is very tight, especially in the exit seats where table and screen are in the armrest. The entertainment was dreadful - just two movies for a 10 hour flight!! Food OK but all drinks extra. Unless u have done a good deal on price (and some deals are very good) I personally would stay with scheduled.

herrybirch flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a B757-200 (config 2) (21/07/2010 20:42)

We flew with Thomas Cook to Sharm el Sheik from Gatwick and on the way out had a decent flight, sat together nice atmosphere and good legroom.

But on the way back we were split up and the airconditioning was broken so it was boiling and there was about 1 inch of legroom and it was the old horrible cabin. we had no announcements or anything and we took off on time but arrived 1hour late with no explanation. Will now always fly with Thomson who are great and warn you about Thomas Cook

westhpostone flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a A330-200 (Long-haul) (31/03/2010 15:53)

good flight and the staff worked hard but on the outward flight there was some of the channels on the tv not working. on the inbound there was no tv working which made the passengers very noisy. the food on the flight to me was an embarrassment to the airline.

ILOVEHOLS flew Thomas Cook Airlines Long haul, on a B767-300 (20/09/2009 16:11)

WHAT AIRCRAFT ARE YOU USING ON YOUR JAMAICA RUN NEXT YEAR ?