I guess they are and they aren't.
Thomsonfly are a budget airline, borne out of the much bigger fish, Thomson and their owners TUI, one of the biggest travel companies in Europe, if not the world. This means they have considerable financial clout and can “move mountains” or at least hold ... Read review
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Advantages: Excellent flight prices and good customer service, wide range of european destinations, good leg room Disadvantages: Poor terminal facilities, discriminatory?
I guess they are and they aren't.
Thomsonfly are a budget airline, borne out of the much bigger fish, Thomson and their owners TUI, one of the biggest travel companies in Europe, if not the world. This means they have considerable financial clout and can “move mountains” or at least hold local councils to random, but more about that later.
Being on the former Britannia Airways (now Thomson Flights) mailing list, I discovered ... ...started flying out of Coventry. It was quite a fortuitous e-mail. I was looking for flights to Alicante at the time, to take advantage of a holiday apartment we had been offered on the Costa Blanca for a ridiculously cheap price during the school holidays.
WHO ARE THEY?
As already stated, owned by Thomsons, they are a scheduled budget airline flying out of Coventry to 19 European destinations, including locations Spain, Ireland, ... more
I guess they are and they aren't.
Thomsonfly are a budget airline, borne out of the much bigger fish, Thomson and their owners TUI, one of the biggest travel companies in Europe, if not the world. This means they have considerable financial clout and can “move mountains” or at least hold local councils to random, but more about that later.
Being on the former Britannia Airways (now Thomson Flights) mailing list, I discovered Thomsonfly probably before many, and about 2 months before they started flying out of Coventry. It was quite a fortuitous e-mail. I was looking for flights to Alicante at the time, to take advantage of a holiday apartment we had been offered on the Costa Blanca for a ridiculously cheap price during the school holidays.
WHO ARE THEY? As already stated, owned by Thomsons, they are a scheduled budget airline flying out of Coventry to 19 European destinations, including locations Spain, Ireland, Italy, Balearics, Austria, France and the Netherlands. At our time of booking, they were only flying to Valencia on the Costa Blanca, but are due to start flights to Alicante soon.
BOOKING This was via their website, called, unsurprisingly, www.thomsonfly.com. The site is ridiculously easy to use, and I am glad to say, completely navigable using both keyboard and mouse, although sight impaired users may struggle as text is not resizable. You can also book through their call centre, although you will incur a £5 / 7.50 Euros charge for this.
You select where you want to fly from (at the moment, Coventry is their only UK airport, although they are due to start flying from Robin Hood airport near Sheffield at the end of the year), where you want to fly to, preferred travel dates, the number of people travelling, (up to 20 adults, 19 children and 19 infants – but a maximum of 20 passengers per on-line booking), click the search button and wait to see what comes back. As with EasyJet and BMI Baby you will be presented with flights for the desired day of travel, the day before and the day after. All prices quoted are for a one-way trip and are exclusive of tax and extra charges.
On this note, I would say that prices have risen substantially since we booked. We paid a paltry £138 including £4 booking fee for three of us to fly to Valencia in July, with those prices we just had to book. The journey from Cardiff to Alicante with BMI would have cost us around £500 then. However, prices rose very quickly once the public got wind of the service, and a month later we would have found ourselves paying nearly £700 for the same trip
Thomsonfly is ticketless, so your only confirmation will be a screenprint and an e-mail; the day before we were due to fly, I ‘accidentally’ lost 700+ e-mails, but had no problem obtaining repeat copies from the Thomson call centre.
What we didn’t know at the time of booking is that Thomson’s had not actually got the go-ahead to run flights from the airport. They had exploited a loophole in the airports planning laws and built terminals (portakabins really) that fell within 1m2 of the airports planning limits. This op is not directly about Coventry International airport (probably more familiar as Bagginton Airport for the locals), but it is worth mentioning a few things about it so you don’t get too much of a shock.
Changes can be made to flight tickets for £30 per one-way journey up to 3 hours before departure and bookings can be made on-line up to 2 hours before departure. No refunds are given for missed or cancelled flights.
PARKING The airport does not currently have its own car parks and is making use of local business excess space to accommodate customers. It does not come cheap just at just under £7 a day if not booked in advance, and £4 odd a day if you book in advance. People arriving at the airport will need to check in at the main terminal to be allocated a car park and space if not secured beforehand. Local hotel have not, as yet, committed themselves to offering 'Park and Fly' from Coventry, although I suspect it is only a matter of time, particularly as there is Britannia outlet about 10 miles down the road, which already provides the service to Birmingham International.
All four car parks are within a 2 mile radius of the main passenger terminal and there is a regular bus service back and fore.
CHECK-IN AND ARRIVALS As mentioned the terminals are portakabins and space really is as at a premium,. Customers cannot take trolleys into the check-in area, and once the queue reaches about 10 / 12 families, you will find yourself queuing outside, so it is worth arriving early, particularly if the weather is poor. I would not advise entering straight into departures after check-in, as it is no smoking and there is no entertainment and also no alcohol on-site. There is a nice coffee bar outside the departures area, and you can enjoy a cigarette on one of their ‘park’ benches.
Have I put you off yet?
THE FLIGHT All Thomsonfly’s planes are Boeing 737 500’s seating 131 passengers each. I naively expected them to be new planes as the Britannia fleet are 757’s and 767’s. With hindsight I believe they must be using planes from somewhere else in the TUI family, as these planes are definitely not new.
Unlikely EasyJet, seats are not on a free for all basis but allocated on check-in. Thomson advise customers on their website, that they can chose their seats on the plane by ringing their call centre, and a charge of £5 upwards will be incurred for this. Having had some bad experiences with Thomson and their pre-booked seats, we decided to save our money.
On the way out we were fortunate enough to secure extra legroom seats for no extra charge, however, on the way back this was not to be. However, the leg pitch in the normal seats is substantially higher than that of EasyJet, BMI and Britannia’s and caused no problems for any of us, although Martin did complain that the seat backs could be slightly higher to accommodate taller people.
REFRESHMENTS No meals are included in the flight price, but you can buy refreshments such as sandwiches, crips and nuts on-board, although on the return journey they had run out, again, in my experience, this is not unusual. Prices are reasonable in commercial terms; we paid around £5 for three soft drinks, nuts, a Mars bar and Pringles. A double G&T will set you back £4.
ENTERTAINMENT Simply put, there isn’t any, so if, like me, you can’t sleep during flights, take a book.
LUGGAGE LIMITS A fairly standard 20Kg per passenger, and no more than 2 pieces of luggage per passenger for the hold. Hand luggage is the standard 1 piece, 5Kg maximum weight, although laptops can be carried in addition. This is quite common practice, as most airlines are not prepared to take any risks with such a valuable commodity that tends not to be insured in the UK, let alone overseas.
Overhead lockerspace on the planes is actually quite substantial, the plane was probably around two thirds full, but wouldn’t have caused a problem had it been full.
As with most small planes, embarking and disembarkment is quick. At Coventry you will be straight out onto the tarmac via your nearest clear exit.
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Everyone was very friendly both on the ground and in the air, and staff did everything in their power to accommodate those with limited mobility. However, I was shocked, on reading their website, to discover that they state that those with sight impairments who are unable to fly without assistance, must travel accompanied and pay for an extra seat. A blind colleague recently flew alone from Glasgow to Coventry with BMI Baby (operated by Air Wales), and the staff supported him every step of the way. I would be intrigued to know where they would sit under the disability discrimination act with this situation should anyone chose to complain.
TIMEKEEPING Being the only major airline flying out of Coventry, there is little to stand in their way of airspace, save the fact that they are less than 20 miles from Birmingham International Airport. We didn’t encounter any problems in either direction. Speaking to airport staff, it transpires their timekeeping is excellent, although it is early days.
They may, like Air Wales, encounter overseas difficulties in the fact that their UK destinations are not well known, however, unlike AW, they have the financial clout of the Thomson and TUI names behind them.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES ThomsonFly have teamed up with various hotel and car rental providers to get preferential rates. We hired a car through Europcar from Valencia airport for some £100 less than it would have been had we booked direct with the company and even Holiday Autos. They have also negotiated special bus rates for transfer from Rome Ciampino airport to the centre of Rome and Pisa airport into Florence
SECURITY Don’t be fooled that because they are small they are less security conscious, if anything they are more so. Both Tasha and I were subjected to bag searches and I had a couple of lighters basking in the bottom of my bag confiscated.
Also, on the day we arrived back at Coventry, someone had been arrested dropping off passengers because he was found to have a small arsenal of weapons in his car. If this had been Gatwick or Heathrow, chances are he would not have been caught, although what his intentions were is anyone’s guess.
SUMMARY Excellent prices, clean aircraft, efficient timekeeping, easy booking, they have all this going for them. However, Thomson are at war with the local council and residents, it therefore remains to be seen what the long-term future holds.
I do sympathise with residents who won’t want Jets flying over their properties at any time of the day or night (there are currently no restrictions on night flights from Coventry because of their status as a Parcel Force airport). However, if you buy a property near an airport, this is a risk you take. We currently have jet engine planes flying very close to our property daily, and it is really not a problem, however, Air Wales have now been beaten and are sadly wrapping up operations at Swansea Airport.
The impact has to be offset by the additional income that will be generated for the region and the jobs it will create. It will certainly help local hotels who frequently offer very low rates, probably because of their close proximity to Birmingham, and it will help give this city back a pride that has dropped since the demise of the motor industry.
Advantages: Small airport, helpful staff. Disadvantages: Temporary terminal, poor directions to car park.
I flew with Thompsonfly from Coventry to Venice in April 2004. I booked over the internet which was simple and trouble free. You do not receive tickets or any confirmation through the post, so it is important to print off the confirmation e-mail, or at least make a note of the reference number.
Without exception all the staff were friendly, cheerful, and helpful, including the car park attendants, the check-in staff at both ends, and the cabin crew.
... ...catering exclusively for Thomsonfly. When I travelled it had only been operating for two weeks. There were a few teething troubles, but nothing major and I would definitely fly with them again.
If you are leaving your car at the airport, give yourself plenty of time to park the car and get to the terminal. There is a discount if you book parking in advance, which we did. They said they would send directions, but in fact they only sent a receipt ...
AnneMarieIsted 26.04.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Thompsonfly
Advantages: Cheap flights, easy to book Disadvantages: Delays, poor customer service
As a student, holidays are a once every-three-years affair. And after our last journey, flying with Thomsonfly will be a once-in-a-lifetime affair. Cheap flights, yes - punctual flights...ah, no.
Our flights were booked on the internet, from Doncaster to Amsterdam International Airport, departure February 23rd and return flight February 27th 2006.
Booking Flights - Internet
We booked our flights via the thomsonfly.com website. The site is incredibly ... ...dates you want to fly, where you want to fly from and to, and how many people are flying, all using drop down menus which are on the front page.
The site then brings up a list of available flights, showing both departures and returns (if you're flying return.) You choose the flights you want, and the next page shows you the total amount of the flights (inc. airport taxes). You're then asked to confirm your booking, input the passengers' details, ...
Ki_caelum 10.03.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Thompsonfly
Advantages: They can fly me there quicker than I could fly myself Disadvantages: I'd rather strap a couple of pigeons to me and fly myself!
Now, I have left writing this review for a few weeks since returning from my holiday, in that my opinion may now be balanced having calmed down from my awful experience with this airline!!
And so to my balanced review..........
I am lucky enough to have parents who own a small house in Playas Flemenca, a 40 minute drive from either Alicante or Murcia airports (very convenient). They have owned the villa for around 4 years and myself and the bloke ... ...twice a year if I can find cheap enough flights (can you tell I'm from Yorkshire?!), which seems to have become something of an obsession of mine!!
I have always until this year been a keen user of EasyJet, for their prices, the ease of booking on the internet, the overall service and because they flew from East Midlands (sorry, Nottingham East Midlands as it now likes to call itself), which is a 40 minute drive from said blokies family, and is ...
angelatawn 12.08.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Thompsonfly
Advantages: pre-booked seats Disadvantages: very little legroom
Thomsonfly (not thompsonfly as the name of this category suggests), formerly Britannia Airways, is the charter airline of the Thomson travel agent (formerly Lunn Poly) and the Thomson Holidays tour operator, all of which are owned by parent company TUI, the german mega-company.
I have only been on one pair of Thomsonfly flights, and this was only due to me leaving the booking to the last minute, and that being the cheapest available option - I wouldn't ... ...I did a piece of A level economics coursework about this market, and discovered that Thomson and the other three big operators are rated the worst for customer satisfaction. However, I was reasonably impressed with them. They sent the tickets through fairly quickly, they came printed in a book with a whole host of information about the holiday, and with tags to put on our bags. The seats were also numbered, which was nice, as I am used to flights ...
Pyrokeet 24.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Thompsonfly
Food Quality
Customer Service
Punctuality
Space
Value for Money
Quick review of Thompsonfly
Rubbish customer relations.Has anyone succeeded in getting through to the help desk.Beware they do not answer the phone and its a high rate call number.Checked with BT have spent £11 so far and still cant get through.Resorted to email dont bother answering these either.Flight from Malaga - Cov was 9 hour delay.Advised by Thompson ground staff to purchase tickets on another flight and claim original back as over 5 hour delay should get a full refund.Filled in forms allocated to us by Thompson staff sent away 3 weeks on still waiting for any sort of correspondence.
Appalling customer service ...
LEESUEELLIMILLIE 23.08.2007
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Thompsonfly
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