Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Travel and Accommodation => Flights and Travel => Topic started by: clashgour on February 04, 2011, 05:11:28 PM
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I do understand how much time, money and anticipation is invested in the planning of a holiday, which is why it is so regrettable when any disappointment at all occurs, but disappointment alone does not give a cause for compensation.
This is an extract from the reply received today from Thomas Cook, nearly two months after I wrote to them, following a flight back from Dalaman to Gatwick in early December where I had to SHARE my seat with an OVERSIZED passenger and a nearly 2 hour delay in getting our baggage at Gatwick.
I wrote to Thomas Cook describing my dissatisfaction with the service they provided. The expectation was that they would provide an apology and some gesture towards costs for a future flight. Well there was an apology, which in itself recognises that their service was below standard, but gesture was there none.
This post is to highlight the futility of writing to the airline's customer services department. As a frequent traveler between the UK and Turkey Thomas Cook will be going to the bottom of my list of airlines to use. For our next trip out in March we have chosen Monarch, who, by all accounts, have a good reputation for service.
Has anyone else had this kind of treatment by Thomas Cook?
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Hello there dont get me started on thomas cook.I agree that their customer service is next to useless.If i can help it,i will never fly with them again.The service on the planes is not brilliant either,with the lack of leg room available to holidaymakers,is also not very good,especially on long flights to Dalaman.
We use Monarch all the time and their customer service both on and off the planes is excellent,and their planes have much better leg room.
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whilst using Thomas Cook in the past finding them only mediocre and ready to charge for every possible extra, we can only praise them for the service we received from them last April when we were stranded in Kalkan due to the volcanic ash. our return flight one of the first to leave back to the UK but we were told that all the seats were to be given to people who had been stranded for the previous week. they then advised us that we may be given very short notice to get to Dalaman when a flight became available. we told them that we had our own property in Kalkan but we would need at least 6 hours notice to organise a taxi and get to the airport with the two hour check in before the flight. they then suggested that they move us to a hotel nearer the airport in order that we could get away quickly when a flight was available. we spent the next five days in a four star "all inclusive" hotel at Thomas cooks expense. They had reps at the hotel giving us up to date information day or night. I can only commend them for the service they gave us on that occasion.
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We had 7 changes to our flights last November with Thomas Cook, including cancelling the flight back without informing us. Flights for this year are booked with easyJet.
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I have got to agree with ianb we were in Kalkan in April when the volcanic ash struck.What can i say Thomas Cook were fantastic they put my family and i in four star hotel for 4 nights all inclusive even though we only boked flight only.
Every airline as delays and flight time changes,yes i certainly will fly with Thomas Cook in the future!!
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We've been looking at flights for early June and TC appear to have the best times/prices so before we book I thought I'd check out the forum today as I know there've been a lot of posts about the airline in the past - good and bad. How spooky a new thread on the same airline, think we might go for Jet2 - easyJet flights are full on the dates we want or stupid money :( Just felt this latest thread is an omen not to use Thomas Cook
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Ive never had a problem with TC,yes the leg room can be a bit naff sometimes,but its not on every flight,the prices are good,and I have never had any delays,changes to flight times etc.
I am using TC again in may and probably again in June and oct,unless I can find any other airlines cheaper.
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Hi,
Have to say, no problem with TC. Awful cancellations with Monarch and other ones. TC normally take up the slack. They are often the cheapest as well, especially when we are flying from Belfast.
Rx
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We quite often use TC, not because they are terribly good but because they are quite reasonable and there are lots of flights from Manchester.
We had a nightmare with them when we had a large group booking last year. The group department were awful to deal with and even overcharged by a passenger although we did eventually get a refund. The return flight was overbooked and friends of ours and their young son were flown back to Gatwick and taxied back to Manchester- not what you want at 2am.
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We were lucky with our TC flights last summer. On time and pleasant. At the time I was glad I wasn't with Easy jet as the queues at Gatwick for their flights were dreadful - right round the airport! However, this time we're with Monarch as they were cheaper. I'm pleased to read the positive comments about them. I guess there's a bit of luck involved!
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I am not sure hearing individual reports helps much, all airlines have problems from time to time.
Our last Easyjet flight back from Dalaman was cancelled while we queued for checkin all the staff then disappeared for a couple of hours and then came back to tell us Easyjet couldn't get us home for 2 or possibly 3 days before disappearing again.
Rather than wait to see what happened we rang the UK offices of the next flight out, a Thompson flight to Birmingham, and 10 mins later had tickets and got through just as the checkin closed. We then had to get a taxi back from Birmingham to London, and 9 months later are still trying to get compensation from Easyjet.
Thompson flight was great, on a modern wide body jet with plenty of legroom and at least 100 empty seats (that Easyjet could have used to get people home that night), funny thing is we hadn't used Thompson for years, after we had a 5hr delay stuck on an ancient plane with seats designed for midgets.
This year we have booked two sets of flights with, you guessed it, Easyjet. Hopefully lightning won't strike twice and £90 return in July was too tempting to ignore.
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Has any one tried FLYLO - then you would have something to worry about !!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, all these airlines have upset some one at some time, having flown with Monarch several times & long haul, we had terrible problems with them, not with leg room, oversized passengers, or cabin crew but with the aircraft. Two separate occasions, the aircraft was not up to flying standard, engine failure whilst in the air having to be diverted, parts failure, failure to notify, which all add up to very long time delays. If we are all trying to get the cheapest flights should we really expect GOLD SERVICE.
It's all very frustrating, but we are still all booking with these people & in some cases we have little choice other than not to go in the first place.
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I have used Thomas Cook for flights to Dalaman for some years now. Began to do so when it seemed to be the only airline with direct winter flights to Dalaman. Just received a change in flight times for two sets of flights for this year booked less than a month ago. Not a problem, only an hours difference in flight time - means an extra hour in bed before departure and an extra hour in Kalkan on return (and that can't be a bad thing, time to fit in just another glass or two of something chilled whilst enjoying the view over the bay from a favourite restaurant).
Always found the staff on their flights helpful. Leg room is a bit constricted (even for those with little legs) but think this applies to most flights to Dalaman. If leg room is a real problem try to book flights early and consider (if budget permits) paying for exit seats.
Happy travelling this summer whichever airline you all choose.
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Yes, TC are prone to numerous changes prior to their flights, we had 6 within a short time last year.
We all moan about these airlines but what about some of the passengers,
The ones that although they are aware & moan about the lack of leg room, still insist on putting their seats back into their fellow passengers face behind them, making life very difficult & these people are nearly always the shorter ones, the passengers who travel in groups not always sitting next to each other, they seem that it's great to shout at one another having a conversation for everyone to hear, those who have their personal music player so loud their neighbours can hear it & Oh those who come into the cabin with far too much hand luggage that it takes up not only the space of others but they take for ever trying to put away, then spend nearly all the flight bobbing up & down getting items out or returning them to their bags.
We were on a recent flight where it was delayed due to passengers having far too much hand luggage there was no room left in the overhead lockers therefore some of it had to go into the toilets & yes, they moaned about having less toilets, some had to be put into the hold, the cabin crew were great but obviously not too impressed.
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It seems to be a chain reaction with the seats going back,one person does it,so the person behind them doesnt like having a seat in his/her face so they put the seat back,and so on.
I am 6ft3,But I dont put my seat back if a adult is sat behind me,but if its a little rugrat,I wll,they have loads of room,but if someone in front of me reclines the seat I have no choice,and as you say its more than likely a child or a shorter person who does this.
but if we all want loads of leg room and no kids ect ect,we would pay the extra and fly in a better class,but me,just want to get to Turkey the cheapest way possible,more money for the food and the Efes...... ;D
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...my nightmare is a child kicking the back of your seat for 4 hours and that can happen on any airline. DRBD...Flylo can only be surpassed by Our Lady Air...surely?
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I would fly with anyone to get to kALKAN they are all the same as far as I am concerned, at times no leg room, no food, poor flight times, hot, cold, etc etc but hey its a unpleasant thing but the end result is brilliant! The Thomas Cook planes are cramped & there are definitley more time slots to choose from, Jet2 planes are better but the flights are limited and the cost usually greater, Easy jet is proving a great plus at the moment but we will see how long it lasts! Onur & Pegasus are fine but I find limited from Leeds and Manchester and also Onur at times very expensive with no catering as such or entertainment.
Get a good book and couple of drinks and keep your head down till you touch Dalaman! Dalaman well there is another story! A cramped plane can be comfortable that this airport, were do you sit for three hours in Dalaman? The only two sofa's in the pub at the end of the catering floor if you are lucky and drinks at three times the price of the planes! It is a necessary evil! Butr worth it what I would like to see is flights through out winter like we used to have two years ago into Dalaman, now we have the cramped plane and a transfer from Antalya!
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We use Monarch and have never had a problem (touch wood .. .)
They aren't necessarily the cheapest but they have more civilised flight times than some of the cheaper airlines and, to be honest, I'm happy to pay more not to have a 2am departure for home or a flight that gets you into the resort eight hours before the apartment is ready.
Legroom's about the same as any cattle class flight but if you book 'flight only' you tend to get put at the back where the seats are in pairs so you get a bit more wiggle room.
And as seating is allocated at check in there's not that unholy stampede to try to get seats together . . . speedy boarding's a joke when everyone on the plane has paid an extra £20 to get on first . . .
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When filming was taking place, mainly at Stansted, there were quite a few people trying to book flights on FLYLO! Are these the same ones we seem to come across on our flights to Turkey - I have a sinking feeling they are! >:D >:D
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Maryjane,
Would have loved to have been 'a fly on the wall' at Stanstead during the filming of the series, the mind boggles ........................
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Maryjane,
Would have loved to have been 'a fly on the wall' at Stanstead during the filming of the series, the mind boggles ........................
Did you not see "Come fly on the wall" last night or on BBC iPlayer.
Further to what Molly has said about the various airlines, I'm walking next year.
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DOH guess what eejit googled Flylow thinking it was a low cost airline I'd not heard of ::) ::)
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With TC you can now book your actual seat on-line at time of buying the tickets. However much money I want to save for food and drink in Kalkan I think I will continue with airlines where I have a seat allocated at check-in at the latest. I guess otherwise you have to be fleet of foot to race on to the plane and scramble to find a seat and it sounds as if it is no better if you pay extra for "speedy boarding".
If in a moment of madness anyone wanted to upgrade in the smallest possible way (other than exit seats) have any forum members heard of an airline going direct to Dalaman or even Antalya offering this possibility?? I shouldn't really dream of such a thing when money is needed for all important things once in Kalkan.
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Itstime - I hope you are pulling my long, luscious leg :D :D :D
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Tortoise Lady, Have a look at Exclusive Escapes, although its primarily a tour operator they also offer some flight only, flying with BMI (I think). From what I can remember you can upgrade to business class with them but they only fly from Heathrow or Manchester.
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Itstime - I hope you are pulling my long, luscious leg :D :D :D
I'm ashamed to say that I'm not!!!!!!! Had no idea who the company was but always looking for a bargain flight decided to check them out! Oh dear what a numpty :D ::)
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turkey fan - thank you for mentioning Exclusive Escapes. In a moment of blue sky thinking I did look at their website re upgrades but they are only available if you are having the complete holiday package, not just a flight, and with a house in Kalkan it means there is no point in using them. Some years ago I booked with Tapestry a few times (before buying in Kalkan) and did splash out on what I think they called Premium Seats. It was a real extravagance but have to confess I enjoyed it and get a bit nostalgic from time to time.
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What a shame. :D Was worth a try. :D
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:o some friends of mine who have a villa in kalkan and were due to fly home to manchester with kibris but lost the flight as kibris went bancrupt, managed to get the last two seats on a bmi flight that was for exclusive escapes passengers. it was premium class and it cost them almost 1k !!!. they said they had a nice private lounge at dalaman though!!!!!!!!!
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Itstime ---------you have just brightened up a very dull morning for us ;D
TT lady -- re TC & pre-booking your seat, just bear in mind that should they change the size of the aircraft etc., your pre-booked seat may not be the one of your original choice.