Thomas Cook

[White Heather]

I have read somewhere that the LBA flights for S13 would appear in the 2nd edition brochures - so when are they due - June?

As Pug says, something very odd is definitely happening, and all the messages I have read so far can be interpreted different ways. I still find it almost unthinkable that TCX would bail out of Yorkshire's No 1 airport and take the risk and financial hit of moving their entire operation to DSA. I cling to the hope that their programme has been withdrawn for amendment in view of Thomson expansion/Monarch arrival/whatever.

If TCX did pull out completely it would be the biggest single loss of IT routes from LBA ever. Even when Intasun collapsed it wouldn't have been as bad as they didn't offer as many routes as TCX.

All I can say is I hope that between them, TCX and LBA know what they are doing to our nerves out here! Being an LBA (and HUY Pug!) supporter should carry a Government Health Warning. Should we put one on the forum front page Aviador??

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

All I can say is I hope that between them, TCX and LBA know what they are doing to our nerves out here! Being an LBA (and HUY Pug!) supporter should carry a Government Health Warning. Should we put one on the forum front page Aviador??

I mentioned it earlier in my post some time back, it's like being a LUFC suppourter. When the going gets good, something or someone goes and ruins it. This is like the 80th minute and LUFC have just let one in to take it to 1-1 against Manchester United. HA!

 

[White Heather]

Its a Leeds thing, and as a LUFC supporter myself, I fully understand your sentiments. I am not sure really which of the two (LUFC or LBIA) has caused me more worries. It must be so nice to be someone who isn't interested and doesn't care one way or the other - boring, but nice to have no worries

 

[LUFC Jonno]

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, Thomas Cook pulling out of an airport which is currently on the up at the minute and moving the entire operations to an airport which has not been a success at all (sure they had a few regular long haul flights) is going to put them into more finacial trouble. They should look at what Thomson did at the end of 2006, Thomson left Leeds for Doncaster and they failed to make a massive impact there and now they've come back knowing they made an error. However, I wonder if Thomas Cook are waiting for its rivals like Jet2, Thomson/Monarch, and Ryanair to release next years flights and then introduce a few new flights which none of the other four fly to ie Skiathos

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Jet2 are slowly releasing their Summer Schedule. I doubt they will know FR route till early/late july or early august although i'm sure the airport may let on.

 

[lbaspotter]

I was told by a friend this weekend that Thomas Cook's own aircraft will be appearing at LBA next summer 2013. But they will no longer be a based aircraft at LBA.
They will operate about 4 or 5 weekly w-leg patterns from other bases on there most profitable routes. By doing so it may allow some services to be upgraded from the current A320 to either the A321 or B757’s. We may even get to see a couple of foreign airlines reappearing on routes to Spain and Turkey.

I also understand that Thomas Cook Holidays will be taking a seat allocation on a number of routes operated by another airline. E.g. Jet2 and maybe even Monarch.

 

[White Heather]

That sounds encouraging and in the circumstances, it makes sense. I have said myself that I wouldn't be surprised if Monarch carried some TCX passengers, and we know already that Jet2 may have more capacity next year with a 4th 757. I suspect that some routes such as Mahon will end up on the Jet2 service, and it would be good if, for the first time, Jet2 upgraded that route to a 757 or 738 as a result, at least during the peak period. It would be interesting to see one or two foreign carriers coming back in again.

The main thing now is getting things sorted out quickly now. Whilst its a long time between now and next summer, the fact is that our 'early bird' passengers are currently booking from MAN, EMA etc because they can't do so from LBA. That is not a situation that should carry on for much longer. You would have to think that TCX were not planning to do things this way and that something unexpected must have occurred to lead to this happening - and the arrival of MON may just have presented an opportunity to cut back that they couldn't refuse in their present financial circumstances

 

[LUFC Jonno]

I would suspect that the routes to the Canaries and Turkey will most likely be operated by foreign airlines which is good in some ways. Also regarding the Palma route, would Thomas Cook operate a B767 like Thomson did last year or would they see that as too much a risk to take?

 

[tleeds]

I would suspect that the routes to the Canaries and Turkey will most likely be operated by foreign airlines which is good in some ways. Also regarding the Palma route, would Thomas Cook operate a B767 like Thomson did last year or would they see that as too much a risk to take?

It would depend when the 'W' route would take place, for example if it tallied up with MAN's busiest PMI day as well etc.

In a way, although we are losing the based A320, we could start to see quite a range of TCX aircraft which should be good for us spotters!

 

[lbaspotter]

Interesting development. As I've just noticed on the Olympic Holidays website this evening that they are offering a weekly service to Zante-Zakynthos next summer 2013 using a LBA based Thomas Cook Airlines aircraft again.

Now if this is the case I wonder if Thomas Cook have got a new deal sorted with LBA management? They did say to me a few weeks ago that by early June all would be revealed as to what they were up to. With June the 1st been this Friday we might find out what is happening with Thomas Cook Holidays very shortly..

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

That is very interesting. And throws ideas around as to what they will offer. This could suggest a fully based Mon-Sun aircraft. But then it could also suggest a part based aircraft over the busiest days. Who knows, one day to wait!

 

[pug]

As I've just noticed on the Olympic Holidays website this evening that they are offering a weekly service to Zante-Zakynthos next summer 2013 using a LBA based Thomas Cook Airlines aircraft again.

Were they ever not offering Zante in their system? Just look at where they claim to be flying to from HUY this summer, and compare it to where they actually are doing.

 

[lbaspotter]

The point been pug is that Zante is bookable from LBA using TCX aircraft, But non of the routes listed from HUY are available to book.

Leeds Bradford - Zante Airport = 01-Aug-2013 06:30 12:10 Thomas Cook TCX8164
Zante Airport - Leeds Bradford = 08-Aug-2013 13:10 14:55 Thomas Cook TCX8165

 

[pug]

As I should have asked, how long has it been on sale?

 

[lbaspotter]

Looks like we are still no closer to finding out what Thomas Cook are upto regarding Summer 2013 operations. As here is the latest update from them today. It just looks like a normal stranded reply to me.

Source: http://customer-community.thomascoo...tm_medium=email&utm_source=reply_notification

Hi,

We don't have an exact date for the Leeds - Bradford. We are continuing to review options and will update here as soon as we are able to confirm our program.

 

[User0001]

See that sounds like a pull out to me.

They are unwilling to say 'yes, flights are nearly bookable', and avoiding direct answers. It does sound like a member of the press teams hands are tied, like they know whats happening but cannot say.

Hope to be proven wrong however.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

I'm remaining positive, for TCX. Afterall olympic wouldn't sell holidays to ZTH if they didn't know something. It's not very good PR if they suddenly have to transfer alot of bookings over to MAN or alternative airports and offer some type of money back.

Now i know Olympic however are a bit slack, for example last october they still offered bookings for Jet2s flight to CFU at 1600 when Jet2 timetable stated it is 1635.

 

[User0001]

Dont forget, Olympic can just change airlines if need be, without having to re-accommodate pax to other airports. plenty of airlines such as strategic, privilege, travel service and the likes offering last minute aircraft.

Olympic for example, change their BHX airline almost yearly, and alter to other airlines when ops go tits up. In terms of TCX, they were down to operate MAN-DJE this year, on sale right from last year, but it changed to Nouvelair early this year.

In other words, the fact they have chartered TCX means nothing.

 

[Aviador]

You have to look at the bigger picture with Thomas Cook. The company has made no secret of the difficulties it faces. It is going through a massive restructure because of the serious debt it's in. If they don't restructure, sell assets and offload parts of their business, they will go bust. It's as simple as that. So far they have made numerous efforts to change the business to ensure it's long term survival.

It is my personal belief that Thomas Cook holidays will remain even if the airlines own equipment isn't used. A sizable proportion of the airlines passengers already fly with Jet2. Next year Jet2 will be adding an additional 757 to it's fleet based at LBA so I suspect Jet2 will have been in discussions with Thomas Cook about taking on their LBA operations. I could be completely wrong, plus you can't discount a release of flights until after Christmas which is usually regarded as the do or die period for releasing charter programmes.

 

[White Heather]

I fully appreciate Thomas Cooks problems, but what I cannot see is why they would only axe LBA (one of their reasonably successful airports and one that is about to climb the airport league table) and yet continue to operate from every other airport they use except HUY (whose flights often use the LBA based aircraft on a W leg). Airports such as Doncaster, Norwich etc are minor players and if you were trying to save money you would surely leave those too and direct the passengers to EMA, MAN and STN respectively? Thomas Cook operate from lots of airports, and it just beggars belief that they would only leave LBA and HUY.

There has been talk of contractual reasons for the delay. To me that suggests not a complete pull out (yet, although it could happen), but that things are changing in terms of either the deal with LBA itself, or with the airlines being used. As Aviador says, Jet2 are clearly capable of carrying a significant number of Thomas Cook passengers, although there are routes where that wouldn't apply (eg Antalya). Thomas Cook themselves could carry some on W legs using aircraft based elsewhere whilst we know also that Monarch are coming to LBA with an (as yet) unannounced programme of holiday flights, and it is not out of the question surely that they could also carry Thomas Cook passengers in addition to any carried for the likes of Cosmos and Thomson.

It just seems to me that whatever came about, it was quite late in the planning process, with the result that Thomas Cook suddently pulled the entire programme to have a re-think and enter into the contractual negotiations that have been mentioned.

Information I have been given suggests that the critical time is when the 2nd edition brochures are published, whenever that might be. If there is no LBA in those, then I think its reasonable to say that Thomas Cook have sacrificed LBA. If they have, I just hope it results in Thomson upping their game even further to include some of the routes dropped by Thomas Cook.

What with this Thomas Cook issue and the Leeds United takeover, my nerves are shot!!