The level of ignorance of travel agency staff has never failed to amaze me me, despite having worked in the industry for many long years, all over the world. I think that the lowest point came when I attempted to make a booking for an advertised fare at a Thos Cook High Street office in the UK. The ignorance and stupidity of the clerk (oh sorry .... sales executive ....!) who attempted to deal with my potential booking was, if possible, exeeded by her 'manager' to whom she referred the enquiry.

Probably fair comment, but you must also take into account that Travel Agency staff, especially in the big IT companies, are notoriously underpaid and under trained. If you go into a high street TA and want 2 weeks in Turkey in August, they will (should) know their stuff. Anything more exotic and its down to luck. It shouldn't be like this, but would you go and by a highly specialized hifi at Currys? No, you'd seek out a specialised hifi shop, travel is just the same. Tradewinds, one of the lesser known TC brands, sorted me out with a very complicated round the world itinary a few years back, it ran like clockwork, but as it happens, 20 years ago, before I had any connection to the company, TC in Watford High street tailor made me a fantastic honeymoon in the Caribbean, and when it went horribly wrong, due to the scheduled carrier aircraft having engine failure,they sorted us out with new bookings with no bother at all and gave us an extra day in resort!

macdo : It's good to hear someone speaking up in defence of TC and the like, but when they advertise in a large window:

Special : Cape Town/Johannesburg from £320

and then the clerk doesn't know that the offer exists, then, under pressure, agrees to come outside to look at the display to see if I knew what I was talking about, then tells me that she 'thinks' it's on 'Chinese Airlines' and that there aren't any direct flights to Johannesburg or Cape Town from London ....... there's not much hope is there. I'd call it defending the indefensible.

Indeed - a touch of senility from me! I think the comparison I was trying to make was the ways of getting 20kg of baggage onto a flight. With TC you get 15 kg with your fare and payextra to take another 5 kg. With Easy you buy a ticket and take 20kg on board, as hand luggage with no charge. The makes me think Easy is a better price than TC. I would always rather fly Easy than TC for other reasons like ease of booking and seating.

I don't think you're comparing like with like, A2QFI. While easy may allow you unlimited weight in the cabin, it's still got to fit the dimensions of the metal cage they have for carry on bags. You'd have to fill a holdall with bricks to bet it to 20kg. If you want to take your suitcase, it'll cost you anything up to £56. But I agree wholeheartedly with the comfort. However, as the fleet roll-over gets underway, which according to the company, it will do, the old 757s will be replaced by new A320/321s.

I am a man and can live for at least a week on the contents, regardless of weight, of a 22" x 18 x 10" piece of luggage. Of course, for those who need leg waxing strips, body lotions, nail varnish, powder puffs and 8 changes of clothes it IS a problem!

A2QFI, thats absolutely true, you can easily travel light and cheap. Slightly off thread, it does worry me how much cabin baggage weight Easy allow. If you go back a long while to the 737 crash at Kegworth, East Midlands, the damage done to the passengers by the overhead lockers and contents was quite horrific, and that was with what I would call normal carry on bags.

Tableview, I quite agree, totally unacceptable.

Macdo, I am sure that carry on luggage may have played some part in the injuries and deaths but my understanding is that the majority were caused by the seats ripping off the aircraft structure and piling up at the front of the passenger cabin. I think this has led to a re-design of seat attachments?

You forgot 8 pairs of shoes, and a range of clothing, regardless of destination, to cover everything from tropical heat to sub-zero Arctic conditions, and cures for every ailment ever discovered.

I seem to be able to manage with a carry-on bag for a week whereas the o/h barely manages to squeeze her needs into 23 kgs.

Two weeks after I encountered the problems with TCX computer system today it seems to be fixed.

I think they should invest a little more in IT.

"Manage your booking online" - fat chance
 

I'm also having problems managing my booking and am frustrated by the two telephone numbers which merely refer you back to the non-functioning "manage your booking" page.
I'm due to fly on 2nd April and as yet have had no response to 2 emails (Thomas Cook's suggested alternative to the non-answered phone or problem-ridden website.)
In the hope that someone from Thomas Cook reads this thread - DEAL WITH THE EMAILS!
Deep breath - count to 10 - relax....