Thomas Cook

[lbia]

I wouldnt go by the tickets too much, the TCX passengers ticketed on Jet2 flights have 'Jet2.com A320' on their tickets.

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi lbia
i checked with my friend at travel agents this morning,its the confirmations that have come thro for summer 2012 that are showing A320 not the tickets as i first reported.

sm1

 

[lbaspotter]

Yeah just heard that Thomas Cook Holidays have now confirmed that they will be basing one of the own in-house airlines Airbus 320-200 aircraft at Leeds/Bradford this summer 2012 season again. So the planned upgrade to an Boeing 757-200 is now off.

I'm also hearing that the spare Thursday afternoon slot will be filled with an Arrecife-Lanzarote service . Its not on sale yet but it has appeared as a destination available from Leeds/Bradford in the booking search engine. I still don't know what they are going to do with the Saturday over-night slot that needs to be filled. I'll update if I find anything out but a Tunisia flight has been hotly tipped. So watch this space.

 

[LUFC Jonno]

That's a shame but it doesn't come as a surprise to me seen as Thomas Cook are removing the B757's from the fleet and replacing them with the A320's.

 

[Aviador]

I think many people will be just glad to see flights continuing with Thomas Cook after the turbulent last 18 months or so. It's good to see the gaps being filled if LBAspotter is right which I'm sure he is.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Summer 2012 TCX A320 Timetable! There are a few little quiries or odd flights if you will on the booking system .For example i did get a 1900 departure flight from PMI on Saturday yet there the a/c doesn't touch down till 1910. So unless it changes week upon week! Looking from the one i've got on here, it would look like a nice generous 2:45 turnaround at HUY and with the arrival time back into leeds suggests nothing! Put a possible ACE flight it on thursday too!

Monday
0700 LBA LPA 1140-1240 LPA LBA 1705
1825 LBA DLM 0040-0140 DLM LBA 0400

Tuesday
0625 LBA PMI 1005-1105 PMI LBA 1250
1355 LBA HER 2010 2110 HER LBA 2325

Wenesday
0700 LBA LCA 1340-1440 LCA LBA 1745
1855 LBA AYT 0115-0215 AYT LBA 0500

Thursday
0630 LBA ZTH 1210-1310 ZTH LBA 1455
1600 LBA ACE 2030-2130 ACE LBA 0200
0900 LBA ACE 1330-1430 ACE LBA 1900 after ZTH ends early October

Friday
0530 LBA IBZ 0910-1010 IBZ LBA 1150
1250 LBA MAH 1630-1725 MAH LBA 1900
2000 LBA DLM 0210-0310 DLM LBA 0535

Saturday
0635 LBA PMI 1015-1115 PMI HUY 1305
1550 HUY PMI 1930-2030 PMI LBA 2205

Sunday
0700 LBA PMI 1040-1140 PMI LBA 1320
1435 LBA TFS 1910-2010 TFS LBA 0030

 

[tleeds]

Looks fairly reasonable does that TimeTable!

Don't forget, TCX and a lot of other airlines are now adding on minutes where they can, in case delays have occurred further in the week.

For TCX especially at LBA, at the height of the Summer season, it will be very difficult to find a spare aircraft to cover delays, and we have seen this for the past few Summer's now, if a 4 hour delay is picked up somewhere, it has the potential to have a knock-on effect for the following few days!

Also, slot's have a part to play.. who say's that they just couldn't get a slot at peak time into PMI...?!

 

[White Heather]

Not sure if anyone noticed, but the inbound Enfidha flight on Sunday 1st April was operated by an A321, rather than the usual A320 operated from LBA. Does anyone know if this is a regular visit by the type on this route or just a one off? I am assuming that there was an aircraft change down there, unless the A321 had come into LBA on Saturday and night stopped?

 

[lbaspotter]

Not sure if anyone noticed, but the inbound Enfidha flight on Sunday 1st April was operated by an A321, rather than the usual A320 operated from LBA. Does anyone know if this is a regular visit by the type on this route or just a one off? I am assuming that there was an aircraft change down there, unless the A321 had come into LBA on Saturday and night stopped?

Heather the sunday, Enfidha charter flight is now planned to be operated by a non based Thomas Cook Aircraft, which w-legs in to LBA from another UK base.

The reason been is that the LBA based Airbus A320 now operates the Tenerife service through the day and then it goes onto operate the over-night Turkey - Antalya service which recommences this week.

By way, For info Yesterdays flight was operated by Airbus A321, G-DHJH. Hope that helps.

 

[White Heather]

Thanks for that lbaspotter. Glad I wasn't imagining the A321. It was nice to see one actually as they are not that common these days at LBA are they?

 

[Jordan-34092]

Sure aint, something to do with the braking system and the runway im told.

[ Post made via Android ]

 

[LUFC Jonno]

I find that strange to understand but then again there is a few performance issues regarding the A320. Over the years, the airport has had numerous A321's come into the airport on a regular basis during the summer like Onur Air and many others. Are Thomas Cook using the A321 on the Enfidna route because its popular or are they considering replacing the A320 with the A321 for next year?

 

[Jordan-34092]

Or fingers crossed, basing an A320 and A321 at LBA that would be so much better, but a long way off!

 

[Severn]

It looks to be operational reasons, but then i'm not 100% certain...
The LBA based A320 operated a TFS most of the day and best guess is that for crewing/aircraft hours/other operational reasons an aircraft based elsewhere is required to operate the NBE route.
The A321 that operates the NBE route uses an EMA based aircraft operating EMA-NBE-LBA-NBE-EMA.
The odd thing is that most of the TCX flights to NBE are flown early morning on a Sunday, and nearly all aircraft return before doing another longer rotation in the afternoon to either ACE,PFO or TFS depending on base. Why the LBA based A320 doesn't do this I can't say, but I'd be surprised if it was down to more pax wanting to use the route. The A321 can take only 60 pax more than the A320 and this is the only route that is operated with a larger aircraft than a A320 out of LBA at the moment.

 

[752]

Just arrived back from ACE from LBA and on board the pilot said there is something to look forward to with TCX and LBA so hopefully something positive announced soon.

 

[752]

Sorry I mean the pilot said it is an important time for TCX and LBA so hopefully something positive to come out of this.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Its a pilot. So not to expect too much traditionally they are one of the last to know the goings on of their airlines. However reading inbetween the lines, and few posts over few days, aswell as todays metro looks like thomas cook are JUST about to secure a loan that they need. Financing etc. I think that with that the airline will suddenly start to realise that have major bases at Gatwick & Manchester, and less so at BHX & GLA, and that maybe regional flying is good too. Not only that MAN has gone nearly all LCC having being a bit slow, as have gatwick so i think that TCX are now looking to dance in the backyard of the LCC carriers not the other way round. With this i think LBA will hopefully get a year round A320 based here, with a second based A320 during the summer period. I think LBA has great potential for the market it serves here, as Jet2 have proved. I've just drawn up a list of destination and days that they could fly;

Monday-
A320- LPA, DLM
A320- ACE, CFU
Tuesday-
A320- PMI, HER
A320- FUE, FAO
Wenesday-
A320- LCA, IBZ
A320- AYT,RHO
Thursday-
A320- ZTH, TFS
A320- ACE, PMI
Friday-
A320- IBZ, DLM
A320- PMI, MAH
Saturday-
A320- PMI(w leg to HUY)
A320- BJV,ZTH
Sunday-
A320-PMI, TFS
A320-ALC,AYT

Blue=Retimed
Red=Brand new destination.

The Director of the airport, said on the video that was put on this forum a while ago, that there is room for much more Mederterreanean. There you have it. Some destination's can be swapped just to get the discussions going.

As for winter, well five flights a week, 2x to TFS, 2x to ACE and one to either FUE/LPA which one is best? Also during winter maybe add SSH maybe? Would a A320 do that perfect or not? Dec-Apr maybe could add some ski destinations onto that list. So overall a massive increase for the airport. And fantastic for local jobs, i know serviceair would love this! On top of this LBA could have another FR based a/c next year so all is looking up. If it is a second base summer and permement based a320, will this come as the airport opens it's internal face lift? Will FR & Jet2 join the party too?

 

[752]

How do you know that FR are going to add another aircraft? Also my flight from ACE was 100% full yesterday, however the cabin crew said the flight out was low figures which is not a good sign.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

They are an expanding company. It's inevitable. Manchester is supposed to get 6 next summer, so i can see a fourth over here at leeds. If not S13, then S14! LBIA is a young airport onto the scene, and they want to expand. FR are more then happy to do this. As are Jet2 but at a far slower rate.

Low figures for one flight does not tell the full picture. Lets face it the ACE flights nearly end at the end of the month. Coming back, 100% shows you week before it went 100%ish full. Just take. NO giving. Swings & Roundabout is aviation. FR could have 3 on outbound and 189 on inbound, does not mean the route does not make money nor is it unsuccessfull.

 

[Aviador]

Since the company had financial woes they have had to rethink the way they run their business so perhaps there is something credible here?

Pulling aircraft from one of the airlines larger bases to operate more flights from a niche operation such as LBA could be a winner for them. That's one way of looking at it, on the otherhand there has been talk of Thomas Cook pulling flights from Cardiff. If that is the case then perhaps LBA will prove to be a more profitable place?

Back with my feet firmly on the ground and my head out of the clouds, the summer 2013 season is a long way off and we're unlikely to see any substantial commitment or announcements before winter 2012/13.