Thomas Cook

[White Heather]

Lets just hope they are fiddling around with the website!

 

[northsouth]

Looking at Thomas cook airlines web site now! not showing any departures form LBA from summer 2019 at the moment - o oh dear this just is getting worse now

 

[northsouth]

Tried to do dummy booking on Thomas cook holidays web site now from LBA but no nothing on any destinations that were planned to operate from LBA.

 

[LBA8098]

Just messaged TCX. They advise no flights from LBA for S19.

 

[oldendays]

Can't wait to hear David Laws make something positive out of this latest setback. In fairness, he isn't to blame but this is getting seriously shitty. First TUI, then TCX. All we need now is for British Airways to throw in the towel.

WTAF is going on ?

 

[LBA8098]

Let's hope LS &/or FR can provide the lost capacity.

 

[northsouth]

Thanks - struggling to keep my personal opionons to my self at the moment better to keep quite ! seems LBA is getting pushed aside. M62 westbound!

 

[oldendays]

a300boy. You have a private message.

 

[Hendi]

What is going on? Everything was looking all promising a few months back, shiny new terminal, a new based airline, a new hub route! Few months on and no new routes, loss of tui and now it would seem from posts above Thomas cook has gone by the way side. At least the terminal got approved! Start building quick!!

 

[paully]

My purely personal opinion, for what it's worth is this. LBA is the victim of retrenchment by two of the biggest package holiday companies. In the case of Thomas Cook they are in financial trouble, and not for the first time.Their airline has been up for sale for the last 2 years with no takers.Its a money pit to them. Pulling back to fewer but bigger bases makes sense to them.Ditto TUi..

I'll bet,however, the bosses at Jet2 will be quietly very satisfied. Rest assured getting rid of the competition at LBA will have been part of their business plan, which has come to fruition.

Aviation is going through a period of retrenchment at the moment, so it's unlikely that anything new will be turning up anytime soon here. It will change. Everything goes in cycles it's just us that have to be patient..Keep the faith..

 

[AirBingley]

Agree completely - it would be fairly easy for Jet2 to get extra capacity and if demand requires it rest assured they will as they know they have a very strong following - as i've said before they are actually very good at what they do so I'd rather have them as the lead airline than TUI or TC. we also seem to be going through a time of general economic scare mongering with the big vote which isn't going to encourage anyone particularly but at leats it's not putting the new owners off planning for the future!

 

[airforced]

The Brexit issue is having an effect I'm afraid with both airlines and punters. They are both dithering and not sure what to do and in the airlines case reverting to programmes that they think they will be able to sell whatever the Brxit outcome. With the punters it is quite straightforward. They are sitting on their hands and not booking anything until they see what the outcome of Brexit will bring. Will the Pound go north or south? Will they need a Visa and will the tour companies shove an extra 10% (or more) on their holiday? Etc, etc.

We may, and I repeat may, get a hint of the direction of travel following the vote in the Commons tomorrow. More likely is that we will still be left hanging in the air for a further period. This of course won't help anyone or resolve any of the questions that people have had for far too long now but that is life as they say.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

I'm just going to say this.

The "big 4" all those years ago neglected the regions in favour of the big main bases - leaving it wide open for a certain carrier. The "main one" and "3rd biggest' are now paying for all those years of neglect to the regions.

 

[LBA8098]

Just checked TCX website. Enfidha is available from LBA S19.

 

[LBA4EVER]

What a joke of an airport, but then again jokes are suppose to be funny and this aint! what is really going on at LBA!

 

[a300boy]

Onwards and downwards !
The way it’s looking the new arrival terminal and stands may not be needed.
Gonna have to get myself a new hobby.
Sad for all of us but what can we do !

 

[Hendi]

The demand must be there? These routes from tui/Thomas cook must have had plenty of bookings in the past? is it just too costly to run these routes from an airport that's not there main base/they can make more profit from there main bases? Unsure how it all works. Hopefully someone will see a gap in the market and take a chance.

 

[airforced]

What a joke of an airport, but then again jokes are suppose to be funny and this aint! what is really going on at LBA!

I really think that is a little unfair on the airport operator.

They have no influence over the rubbish deal Mrs M has brought back from Brussels and must be as disappointed as the rest of us with the situation we are in. They have tried, as far as I can see, to be positive in recent months by talking to prospective new operators and by announcing the new arrivals terminal which has received formal approval in record time. If TC and TUI make a business decision to retrench to more profitable bases there is little the airport could have done about it. They are in the same Brexit limbo as the rest of us. What they can do and what they actually will do will only become clear once we know in which direction we are heading. The delayed vote in the Commons doesn't encourage any positive thoughts from me for a swift resolution however.

I think LBA ought to be allowed some slack until that becomes clear as there are enough 'doom and gloom' merchants out there already.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Onwards and downwards !
The way it’s looking the new arrival terminal and stands may not be needed.
Gonna have to get myself a new hobby.
Sad for all of us but what can we do !

Not sure this is the case.
The holiday market has totally changed and both TUI and TC are not offering what the customer wants.
Its all about flexible holiday building, something LBA with its two major LCC carriers can take advantage off, far faster then being tied to rigid operators whoes days are now well passed.
Thankfully TUI and TC are not the future, its companies such as On the Beach which allow you to build from all options on the internet, (not TUI or TC), youngsters want their smart phone to build the most wonderful holiday on offer, flight through a LCC carrier, hotel through a booking site, car hire via a price comparison site, holiday extras from another site, but all done via one site, knowing they have the same protection as a TUI package holiday, if one of the elements fail.
Every destination from LBA allows you to use this new platform, a far bigger option then anything TUI or TC can put together.
LBA management should embrace the opportunites, the holiday market is moving away from TUI and TC offer, the airport should move with the market, which means expansion in numbers, not a contraction. This is a market that Jet2 exploites, Ryanair at their AGM intimated greater ties with internet holiday platforms as has Easyjet, LBA having two out of three of the leading players cant be bad news.
Markets dont stand still, accept this situation forced on the management, but as Monarch has shown, others adapt to the changing landscape.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

If TC and TUI make a business decision to retrench to more profitable bases there is little the airport could have done about it.