Garry - Your friends should have, somewhere, a set of terms and conditions issued by Thomson at the point they booked the holiday. These should define the limit position for Thomson ... as in what Thomson are obliged to do in this situation. That's not to say that Thomson *will* do what it says in their Ts&Cs. They will retain the right, but not the obligation, to offer your friends anything they choose over and above what is detailed in the Ts&Cs. They can do this on the grounds that it's good PR for them or just something nice to do. Neither of which cut much slack in the cold, steely world of business and profit margins. However another reason why Thomson might choose to offer something over and above their Ts&Cs would be if it suits them or is beneficial to them. That might be an angle your friends could look at if Thomson initially don't seem to want to do anything. Think of it from a 'what's in it for Thomson' point of view and if you can spin it to their benefit they might go the extra mile.

I think that's why airlines sometimes change flights on non-amendable tickets. If you are on a flight that is overbooked to the max and still has demand, and you want to switch to a flight that is only half full, they would be fools not to make the change for you.