Author Topic: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?  (Read 16697 times)

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Offline smoosh

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Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« on: August 28, 2007, 11:07:26 AM »
I know this is a bit off topic as far as Arillas goes, but I've got a feeling I'll soon be asking you lot what I should have for tea tonight!!!

Has anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?  We're flying from Bristol and I've just been looking on the website and it says in order to sit together you have to pay £24 each way!  I'm not the greatest flyer and I'm worried I'll have a meltdown if I'm not allowed to sit next to Julian!  Can we not just arrive the required 2 hours ahead and ask for seats together?  That's what I've always done with other airlines...  EEK!



Offline vivian

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2007, 11:38:46 AM »
We have also done the same just arrived early for years and never had any trouble, seems a bit steep does that im sure friends of our's booked their seats last year for £10 each. Viv

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Offline sharonF

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #2 on: August 28, 2007, 11:39:44 AM »
Hi Smoosh,  we have flown with First Choice.  you can either prebook to sit together or not pay extra and do it at the airport when you arrive.  I pay the extra to guarantee i'm not on the wing.  If i haven't prebooked, I make sure I turn up at airport extra early to guarantee first in queue.  The only problem then is the return flight because you have no choice in queue.  To me it's worth it, if I had to sit on my own, or over the dreaded wing, i'd go gaga.  x

Offline sharonF

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2007, 11:40:55 AM »
just to add to Viv's reply, don't think it was £24 each, more like £10, check it out on website.

Offline smoosh

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2007, 11:43:36 AM »
It said £24 on the website - assuming that's £12 each though... 

We'll just have to arrive super early.  Our flight from Bristol is at 19.45 so if we make sure we get there for about 17.00 we should be ok.  I would lose the plot if I had to sit by a stranger!



Offline kes

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2007, 11:46:09 AM »
Smoosh..we have travelled with first choice & all the other airlines..we never pay extra to sit together..we always get to the check in 3 hrs before take off and kindly ask for window seats  & seats together. always get them we have never been split up on flights..we also never pay for the inflight meal 7 again more often than not get one. Same comeing home as well

Offline smoosh

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2007, 11:48:49 AM »
Thanks Kes.  They just added the price of the in flight meal on to our booking charges - it can be a bit confusing booking hols on line sometimes!  I've always flown to Cyprus with Cyprus Airways and they're always really accommodating, but I've always found them a nice, informal airline.  They'll bend over backwards for you - unlike some others!



Offline kes

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2007, 11:57:40 AM »
When booking online always look for the boxes with ticks in...then untick them all and review the options given...I have noticed that the option to use the companies insurance is sometimes ticked as well.

Offline Smiffypink

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2007, 02:08:40 PM »
Yep i always untick everything in the boxes online, you'll be amazed at how much the price then drops!

But as everyone has said, just arrive in plenty of time and you'll be able to get seats seated together.



Offline Joe

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2007, 02:13:16 PM »
As i'm not on commission I should be ok posting this :)

The charge you pay is to 'guarantee' seats together, instead of playing the lottery at checkin. Of course if you checkin for the flight early there is a very good chance you will get seats together anyway but I never said that. Paying the charge means you will sit together, not paying the charge means you will probably sit together :)

Offline sharonF

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2007, 02:22:26 PM »
Yes, there's usually no problem going, it's the return i pay for really.  I paid £40 altogether to Mytravel for this.  I rang mytravel to do pay it over the phone, said it was because i needed to be away from the wing, she said we would have same seats going out and returning (window and middle seat at front).  On return flight we queued for ages at corfu airport and were allocated two aisle seats right on the wing!  We took them and I said to billy i would complain on return to britain to mytravel.  I was shakin thinking of the flight home.  We were sat in lounge waiting for departure when our names were called out over tannoy to return to check-in, we both looked at each other, like oh god that's us, one security guy was lookin at us very suspiciously, anyway it turned out the check-in girl had wrongly allocated us and we were given the seats I had prebooked.  So i do think it's worth it for the return flight.

Offline smoosh

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2007, 02:29:51 PM »
Thanks everyone - and thanks for the unofficial professional viewpoint Joe!

I just think it's daft that if you book two tickets together you're automatically not sat together.  I should imagine there are much fewer single travellers on these holiday type flights to popular destinations so most people will be in groups.  I can understand it for cheap airline flights to Paris or Brussels where there will be lots of single seats booked but you'd think it'd be common sense that holiday makers will want to travel with their partners/kids etc!



Offline kevin-beverly

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2007, 02:36:16 PM »
         HI ALL


      just arrive the required 2 hours ahead and ask for seats together?  That's what I've always done with other airlines and had no trouble it is just more money for the companies.  anyway have a good flight and holiday



kevin

Offline blondegirl

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #13 on: August 28, 2007, 03:10:10 PM »
We got there 3 hours ahead because of all the checkins at Gatwick... had no problems all sitting together.
If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.

Offline Joe

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Re: Anyone flown First Choice to Corfu?
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2007, 04:19:08 PM »
It was something that was brought in at passengers request and of course it is designed to bring in extra revenue and thus keep fares low :-) and best of all it is an optional charge.

The configuration of most short-haul route aircraft 3-3 will invariably mean people will get split up, Booking your seats in advance just gives you that extra peace of mind. Seasoned travellers will know that you have a good chance of sitting together but not everyone will know this. As a business model its works very well pleasing both the passengers and the airline.


 

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