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Premium Economy Flights- choice of seats??


ann141
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We are flying to join Britannia next March and have decided to book Premium Economy seats. It will be a Thomas cook plane and I think the configuration of seats for PE is 2-3-2. There aren t a lot of seats and higher tiers can book theirs 2 days before me. Has anyone had experience of booking after the top tiers and if so roughly what proportion of seats are left and are there usually any of the 2 window seats left?(I know it will vary but just wondered if anyone had an idea?)

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We are flying to join Britannia next March and have decided to book Premium Economy seats. It will be a Thomas cook plane and I think the configuration of seats for PE is 2-3-2. There aren t a lot of seats and higher tiers can book theirs 2 days before me. Has anyone had experience of booking after the top tiers and if so roughly what proportion of seats are left and are there usually any of the 2 window seats left?(I know it will vary but just wondered if anyone had an idea?)

We're not top tier and have always managed to book 2 seats together - but we do it as soon as they go live 🙂

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Forums mobile app

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We're not top tier and have always managed to book 2 seats together - but we do it as soon as they go live 🙂

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Forums mobile app

 

Thanks:) We flew Economy earlier this year and booked as soon as the seats were on sale but am aware quite a few people stay up too!I am a very nervous flyer(it will only be my 2nd long haul flight) so am hoping for 2 together and not the front row(though I know that row may be someones first choice!)

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Thanks:) We flew Economy earlier this year and booked as soon as the seats were on sale but am aware quite a few people stay up too!I am a very nervous flyer(it will only be my 2nd long haul flight) so am hoping for 2 together and not the front row(though I know that row may be someones first choice!)

Haha! We're those people that like the first row [emoji6]

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Forums mobile app

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Hi, we are in the same situation as you, but as I am disabled really need to sit with my husband. Also we prefer window seats. I contacted P & O to ask them about the top two tiers taking seats before we could access and their reply was that they would be very surprised if there were many taken before we could book.

They reassured me that we wouldn't have a problem but did stress that a lot of people wait up for midnight to book as soon as the seats are released to everyone. So I guess that is what we will have to do.

 

Good luck with yours, we fly in February so we will be booking before you, will try to remember to let you know how we get on.

Nancy

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Hi, we are in the same situation as you, but as I am disabled really need to sit with my husband. Also we prefer window seats. I contacted P & O to ask them about the top two tiers taking seats before we could access and their reply was that they would be very surprised if there were many taken before we could book.

They reassured me that we wouldn't have a problem but did stress that a lot of people wait up for midnight to book as soon as the seats are released to everyone. So I guess that is what we will have to do.

 

Good luck with yours, we fly in February so we will be booking before you, will try to remember to let you know how we get on.

Nancy

Thank you.Hope you get 2 suitable seats:)

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I'm flying in December and also book PE, waiting for seats to be released and I'm also worried. I HATE flying and its my first long haul flight which is why we upgraded, I was also advised to wait up until Midnight and book seats in AB rows. Fingers crossed.

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Hi all,

 

Can I ask why the front 2 rows are better? I always prefer to be in the middle of the plane and I too am a nervous flyer so also get a little anxious about sitting with my family. We are flying in February also and did look at upgrading to premium economy but it looks like it's £299 pp so that would amount to another £900 for us and I'm not sure it it's worth the extra cost? Do you get to book your seats early? Any help is appreciated.

 

Many thanks,

Bikermouse

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I'm flying in December and also book PE, waiting for seats to be released and I'm also worried. I HATE flying and its my first long haul flight which is why we upgraded, I was also advised to wait up until Midnight and book seats in AB rows. Fingers crossed.

Actually you might find that flying PE is more enjoyable than you think, especially compared to short European flights. Lots of room, in a comfy chair, in a small cabin. Drinks and a hot meal, some good films to watch. You won't want to get off!

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Hi all,

 

Can I ask why the front 2 rows are better? I always prefer to be in the middle of the plane and I too am a nervous flyer so also get a little anxious about sitting with my family. We are flying in February also and did look at upgrading to premium economy but it looks like it's £299 pp so that would amount to another £900 for us and I'm not sure it it's worth the extra cost? Do you get to book your seats early? Any help is appreciated.

 

Many thanks,

Bikermouse

 

Is isn't the front 2 rows in the AB seats in any row.

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Thank you both, I'm more concerned with sitting together than having little added luxuries (although don't get me wrong I do like them), but it's looking like even if you upgrade you still have to wait to pre-book your seats after the upper grades have the opportunity 2 days before the rest of us so you're still not guaranteed seats together.

 

Thanks again,

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How far in advance of departure - we depart on January 19th - are you able to book these seats and is it a bit of a 'dogfight' as I see staying up until midnight mentioned? Our flights will be with Thomson on a 787 aircraft both ways.

Is the cost for return seats, or is it for each sector ie 2 x single? Does anybody know what the additional cost might be this year?

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Thank you both, I'm more concerned with sitting together than having little added luxuries (although don't get me wrong I do like them), but it's looking like even if you upgrade you still have to wait to pre-book your seats after the upper grades have the opportunity 2 days before the rest of us so you're still not guaranteed seats together.

 

Thanks again,

Thanks.Thats the bit I m most worried about- not being able to sit together as there are fewer seats to choose from in PE.I would be interested to hear how many seats were left after the top tiers have chosen when you come to book.

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How far in advance of departure - we depart on January 19th - are you able to book these seats and is it a bit of a 'dogfight' as I see staying up until midnight mentioned? Our flights will be with Thomson on a 787 aircraft both ways.

Is the cost for return seats, or is it for each sector ie 2 x single? Does anybody know what the additional cost might be this year?

 

You can book your flights 14 weeks before but top tiers can book 2 days in advance of that.The cost for thomas Cook flights is £299pp return though as we are only flying one way (translantic cruise) it is £149.You then pay about £20pp to choose a seat.Quite a few people do stay up until midnight but there is no need if you don t mind where you sit

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You can book your flights 14 weeks before but top tiers can book 2 days in advance of that.The cost for thomas Cook flights is £299pp return though as we are only flying one way (translantic cruise) it is £149.You then pay about £20pp to choose a seat.Quite a few people do stay up until midnight but there is no need if you don t mind where you sit

 

Thanks Ann - very helpful......

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Just to update I notice that Flightmapper is now showing the charter flights, well certainly the Thomson's ones, and our flight, Gatwick to Barbados in February, Tom 046 is listed as a Dreamliner, 787-8 so if that remains the case then we know how many Premium seats will be available. Must say I am looking forward to being on a Dreamliner, so many mixed reviews it will be interesting to see for ourselves what it's like.

 

Good luck all with reserving seats,

Nancy

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Just to update I notice that Flightmapper is now showing the charter flights, well certainly the Thomson's ones, and our flight, Gatwick to Barbados in February, Tom 046 is listed as a Dreamliner, 787-8 so if that remains the case then we know how many Premium seats will be available. Must say I am looking forward to being on a Dreamliner, so many mixed reviews it will be interesting to see for ourselves what it's like.

 

Good luck all with reserving seats,

 

Nancy

 

If you look on seat guru it shows a seat plan for your particular flight.Ours is a thomas Cook plane but it is a 2-3-2 configuration in Premium economy and only 49 PE seats so hope some will be left sitting together!

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Flown PE a couple of times internationally to UK and to USA. Bit of extra space, bigger seat and improved service. Not as good as Business Class, but certainly better than Cattle Class ! Always picked our PE seats with Qantas, Air NZ, Cathay Pacific. Way to go. Enjoy.:halo:

 

Did not know Thomas Cook owned and operated aircraft, let alone the Dream Liner, Boeing 787/789. OR does Thomas Cook just charter?

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Not sure why so many people get worked up about the 787 ? Talk about marketing hype. At the end of the day it's the crew and the service that determine my enjoyment of a flight, not the aircraft manufacturer's marketing budget.

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Did not know Thomas Cook owned and operated aircraft, let alone the Dream Liner, Boeing 787/789. OR does Thomas Cook just charter?

Thomas Cook does indeed have an airline. 34 planes in fact but they don't have any Dreamliners. They use Airbus A330 for their long haul flights.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cook_Airlines

P&O charter both Thomson (who have the Dreamliner) and Thomas Cook for their Caribbean flights.

Brian

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Not sure why so many people get worked up about the 787 ? Talk about marketing hype. At the end of the day it's the crew and the service that determine my enjoyment of a flight, not the aircraft manufacturer's marketing budget.

 

Not sure what you mean by your comment here 'people get worked up about the 787'? It is nothing to do with 'marketing hype' as you put it.

The Thomson 787 aircraft which are still newish as yet, and are state of the art aircraft, whereas the Thomas Cook 767 aircraft are older and can rattle somewhat like a boneshaker from experience, even on a transatlantic Virgin Atlantic scheduled flight, rather than charter to Atlanta from Manchester that even they use!

Yes, service delivery on board is a very important element on any flight, but comfort and air quality is also very important these days.

I am glad we are flying with Thomson rather than Thomas Cook - 'hype' or not!

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The cost for thomas Cook flights is £299pp return though as we are only flying one way (translantic cruise) it is £149.You then pay about £20pp to choose a seat.

BEWARE - P&O charge £60/pp for a Row 1 seat on Thomas Cook flights whilst they charge £20/pp for the same seats on Thomson flights. On both planes Row 1 are bulkhead seats not Emergency exit seats, but P&O stick to their guns and continue to say TC are different.

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