Have you tried the new app from TUI? Thomson launched their MyThomson smartphone app for free download last Friday without too much fanfare, but discount vouchers and a wealth of info on destination excursions should have brought out more party poppers. Let’s take a look at the app.
MyThomson Excursions App
Dubbed MyThomson, this mart new app is available in the iOS variant only for now at the iTunes store. We downloaded it for a test drive for one of our upcoming trips, here is what we found.
Slick, effortless, wading in to test the TUI excursion waters is pain free. I loaded the app to my iPad (image below), which I am forever trying to use as a gigantic iPhone. Except for a bit of hunting via the web and Thompson’s site to find the app in the first place, loading and using the cool tool is a breeze. And as for utility, you are after all reading this. If you base your smart app usage by how fast and easy they load and run, TUI’s latest should probably be on your iPhone screen today.
TUI's MyThomson Excursions - 1 Minute to this point
Not to many writers would take the time to complete an app test if the tool had zero value for readers. Such is the case with MyThomson, the only word I can think to use to describe it is “snappy”, that is if you are hunting a travel excursion to go off on (which we are). For the purposes of the test it seems practical that I selected Crete, as this is where Mihaela, Paul (our youngest) and I want to head to.
As you can see by the screen below, TUI has a bunch of excursions on the Island, but this is not the best feature TUI has packed into the app, it’s the actual iterneraries possible on top of the easy nav.
MyThomson Excursions app shows Crete off - check nav at bottom
As suggested by the MyThomson PR, one of the best features of the app is the “Special Offers” tab (image above too). We will want to take the Myths and Legends excursion to the palace at Knossos sure, but what about great deals that can be had via TUI? Here we ran into the only snags I could find in using the brand new app.
First, users cannot select all of Crete as a filter for finding deals. Hitting the “Special Offers” tab at bottom with Crete/All Resorts selected ends in being asked to select one of many. If there are no deals present, you end up going through one by one. “All Crete Deals” should be a choice. Secondly, and maybe more problematically, MyThomson redirects users to the Thomson Excursions site, rather than allowing you to book directly from the app. This might not be such a bad thing if there were some added user value on the home website. As it is, travel websites are not yet Thomson’s ultimate forte.
Summing up, MyThomson is a super nice app for discovering quick possibilities wherever TUI travels to, which is just about everyplace. Nice imagery, ease of download and use, and comparative excursion deals that on the surface look fantastic, all this and more utility make the app well worthwhile. As for what to look for later, or what will make the app better? Here are some suggestions.
- Direct looking and booking
- More extensive area and attractions
- Some filtering options
- If redirects are used, nav to rich content on the home site (the current one goes to blah)
- Use of map orientation (like Stay.com does)
MyThomson is intended as a lightweight application so that TUI travelers might quickly connect their trips and added touring pleasure. At least this seems apparent from using the app. As always, Thomson and TUI have provided very nice content and good value here. To be honest, I expected a bit more from them on this go round. We will try and contact TUI for news on what’s ahead for the app. Until then, see the Argo App rating below.