First Choice - Sun holidays and charter flights

First Choice Airways was the charter airline of travel group First Choice Holidays PLC. With headquarters in Manchester they began flying in 1987 under the name of Air 2000, but were rebranded as First Choice in March 2004. First Choice Airways flights operated for its parent company First Choice, but also for quite a few other tour operators as well.
In late 2008, together with thomsonfly they became part of TUI, the UK’s leading charter holiday and travel company. Early in 2009, First Choice Airways and thomsonfly combined to form the new Thomson Airways charter airline, offering a wider choice of destinations. Holidays and flight only can still be booked online via the FirstChoice website.

First Choice Routes and Destinations

First Choice specialises in sun and ski holidays from the UK and organises seasonal charter flights, using aircraft from the newly created Thomson Airways, to popular holiday destinations worldwide. Flights-only can also be booked on the First Choice website.
Departing from many UK airports they now serve around 80 holiday destinations worldwide. The largest choice of flights are from Birmingham and Manchester airports, followed by East Midlands, Glasgow, London Gatwick, Luton, Stansted and others. For the latest list of destinations see: First Choice Destinations

Passenger Opinions, Comments and Reviews

In 2005 First Choice introduced the most spacious long haul seat pitch of all the UK’s charter airlines. Three new Boeing 767s were fitted with a spacious 33 inch legroom seats in the Standard Economy class, as well as excellent seat-back TV screens and entertainment. This makes most First Choice long haul flights very comfortable. They have won the British Travel Award for Best Charter Airline 3 times and the Golden Globe in the same category 6 times.
Opinions about First Choice flights are good. There are a few grumbles about legroom on short haul flights, but it is generally regarded as a good-value charter. Food, service and cabin staff are praised all round by the majority of passengers.

Other Useful Information

Booking and fees	First Choice holidays and flights are all ATOL protected. Holiday flights from the UK can be booked via the Flights Search pages - this is the cheapest option as telephone bookings cost £10 extra per person. Flight-only bookings paid by debit card adds £2.50, only payment by Maestro (formerly Switch), Visa Electron, Solo or Delta are free. Credit card handling fee is 2.5% of the total. Infants under 2 travel for £29 (£60 on longhaul flights) and must sit on a parent's lap. Keep a record of any booking reference number and flight schedule for check-in if no ticket is issued.
Flight changes	No refund is given if you cancel your flight. Depending on the notice period, changing flight details costs £35 to £55 per person plus any price increase. No refunds if the new flight is cheaper. If an outbound flight is delayed by more than 12 hours, you may cancel your holiday and receive a full refund. If in doubt, try the call centre telephone number on 0871 200 7799 (10p/min).
Seats	All seats are allocated at check-in. On First Choice short-haul flights, standard Economy charter seats have 28 inches of legroom, upgrades are possible but not guaranteed. On most long-haul flights, normal Economy seats are generous with a seat pitch of 33" legroom, or a very roomy 36" in Premium service. Extra legroom seats cannot be reserved for ticketless flights.
Meals	Except on long-haul flights, full meals are not always included on all flights. Special meals can be requested beforehand for a small charge. You can also add in-flight meals later to your booking by visiting www.flightextras.thomson.co.uk, or alternatively call 0871 231 4793 (10p/min).
Baggage	Depending on the airline or flight, your baggage allowance may vary so check tickets for accurate details. Usually, the baggage allowance is maximum 20kgs per person, (23kg max. per single item). Hand luggage is 5 kg (45x35x20cm), one single item only. Infants under 2 now also get a baggage allowance of 10kg. Excess baggage charges cost from £10/kg short-haul, £15/kg long-haul, pushchairs and wheelchairs go free. For sports equipment and more info see: Bacggage Infomation.
Check-In	Allow at least 2 hours before departure, 90 minutes if you have pre-booked your seat. Check-in desks close 45 minutes before a flight, boarding gates close 15 mins before departure.
Fleet	The Thomson Airways fleet used by First Choice consists of 32 aircraft: 7 Airbus 320, 4 Airbus 321, 19 Boeing 757 and 2 Boeing 767.

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