Temporary Low Cost Travel Cafe

[jonni04]

New to these forums and I hope that the experts out there can help me.
I have booked a return flight from Luton to Tel Aviv on Thomsonfly. I have read a few reviews of this carrier and am now afflicted with buyer's remorse. Any opinions, reviews or thoughts about Thomsonfly?? Please tell me I didn't make a huge mistake.
Thanks,
Jonni

[attitudetravel]

It's not impossible that you made a mistake but I think you can rest assured that it's fairly unlikely.

Negative comments about no-frills airlines from disgruntled passengers who wanted to pay a discount price but expected more than a bus ride through the sky are not uncommon.

On the one hand I have read negative reviews of Air Scotland (now bust), Helios Airways (now bust) - both of these were Greek airlines and run with very lax attention to detail, by all accounts. In these cases the negative reviews appear to have been deserved.

I have also read one or two unfavourable reports about the Scottish low fare airline Fly Globespan - which is still going strong and, despite the disparaging comments, appears to be quite popular and successful.

It's worth noting that the budget airline I most often read negative reviews about is Ryanair - the airline everyone loves to hate - which in terms of passenger numbers is the most popular short-haul airline in the world.

To date I have never heard anything scathing about Thomson Fly but I'd be interested to read what people have written.

Can you quote excerpts from and link to the negative reviews you read about the airline, jonni04? I'm sure it would be instructive for the rest of us to read what other people are saying about this low cost carrier.

I would comment myself, but, though I have flown on a number of European low cost airlines, I have not yet had the pleasure of flying on Thomson Fly.

Is anyone else here familiar with Thomson's low cost carrier?

If so, what was your experience?
_________________
Alan Lansdowne
Editor, attitudetravel.com

[jonni04]

Hi Alan,
Thanks for your words of wisdom. Below are links to some of the review sites I found:

www.reviewcentre.com/reviews-all-98026.html
www.airlinequality.com/Forum/thomson.htm
www.holidayjets.co.uk/Thomsonfly-Airline-Review

It seems that there is a fair mix of positive reviews and really scathing ones about Thomsonfly. The common themes of the negative reviews are rude/non existent staff and chronic delays.

I realize that most times you get what you pay for, and I certainly don't need food, entertainment and the pampering that vanished long ago from legacy carriers based in the USA. What I do expect though is a decent attitude from the ground staff and air crew, and a well maintained plane that leaves when advertised and arrives more or less on time. Is this wishful thinking for a low cost airline?

Anyway, thanks for your help. I hope there are others out there who can add to your reply.
Regards,
Jonni