TUI Airways

[TheLocalYokel]

Cancun

TOM644 is non-stop again today it seems. G-TUIF (Neil) took a different departure track than I believe is usual. In the past I've noted departures via either North Cornwall or West Wales.

Today G-TUIF headed to south-east Devon and departed the UK overhead the vicinity of Seaton on the English Channel coast before passing the vicinity of the Brest Peninsula. Te aircraft is now well out over the Atlantic.

 

[superking]

It looked like yesterday nearly all holiday aircrafts from the UK took the northern route to which ever destination they were headed.

 

[Marko1]

After announcing yesterday that Thomas cook are releasing a second weekly enfidhna service next summer , tui have now dropped theirs

 

[TheLocalYokel]

After announcing yesterday that Thomas cook are releasing a second weekly enfidhna service next summer , tui have now dropped theirs

June and July passengers figures on BRS-NBE this year were not great according to the CAA stats table - August yet to be published for BRS.

June saw 1585, average load 198.1 and July 1786, average load 178.6 on the Boeing 757-200.

As things stand there will be two flights each week next year compared with this year's one. I suppose TUI might be taking seats on the TCX flights. If not they will undoubtedly lose passengers to Thomas Cook; they'll probably lose some anyway.

I wonder what use they will make of the aircraft released from the NBE schedule. Ironically, if BRS sees all 189-seat B738s next summer the loads this year would have been fine unless holidays/flights were heavily discounted.

 

[Marko1]

The enfidhna was planned on a TBA anyway so it doesn't affect the based schedule fortunately . Incidentally Cardiffs is still on sale and I'm just wondering whether the potential loss of capacity next summer is being made up with aircraft no3 based at Cardiff instead

 

[Marko1]

Incidentally Cancun has gone direct again today. They seem to have got something right now to make it go direct. Is it a reduced payload or something as the weather cannot be a true factor as there's been quite a few Atlantic storms recently

 

[Jerry]

Incidentally Cancun has gone direct again today. They seem to have got something right now to make it go direct. Is it a reduced payload or something as the weather cannot be a true factor as there's been quite a few Atlantic storms recently

It's possible that as it's coming to the end of the summer season the loads are less hence going direct.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The enfidhna was planned on a TBA anyway so it doesn't affect the based schedule fortunately . Incidentally Cardiffs is still on sale and I'm just wondering whether the potential loss of capacity next summer is being made up with aircraft no3 based at Cardiff instead

That might be part of the equation. Checking TUI's summer 2019 sun holidays there is no availablity to Tunisia from Bristol which suggests they are not taking seats on the TCX flights.
Some people from the West Country will use the CWL flight but not to the degree that they would have used a TUI flight from BRS.

TUI must calculate that one flight a week from CWL will be as good as or better for them than one flight from BRS and one flight from CWL, and having an inhouse aircraft available at CWL is probably more efficient than a third party airline into BRS. They will know they will lose a lot of BRS passengers to Thomas Cook's NBE flights or to other destinations instead (perhaps they assess that the other destinations will be with them for the most part).

The TUI summer 2019 timetable is still showing BRS-NBE for three weeks next April on Fridays and there are bookable holidays for this period on the TUI website. No doubt they are looking to Easter which is fairly late next year.

Incidentally Cancun has gone direct again today. They seem to have got something right now to make it go direct. Is it a reduced payload or something as the weather cannot be a true factor as there's been quite a few Atlantic storms recently

It's only gone via MAN once in August and September - all other weeks it's been non-stop. If they can't get good loads in August they never will. Past history shows they do.

Sightly different inital routing today: Not Cornwall, Seaton or West Wales but North Devon near Barnstaple. G-TUIH (Mr Patmore) now out over the Atalantic.

 

[Red Flyer]

Over 91% so not that low Jerry

 

[Jerry]

Over 91% so not that low Jerry

Maybe low enough to enable it to go direct though?

 

[Foxlimayankee]

It's capped at about 95% anyway. Usually 10-15 seats blocked off from sale.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Maybe low enough to enable it to go direct though?

Isn't the main factor the headwinds? Simply put, is it not the case that one day an aircraft might be nearly full and go non-stop because of light winds; on another day it might have fewer passengers but strong headwinds would necessitate a fuel stop because it would be too heavy to take off from BRS with the requisite fuel load?

It's capped at about 95% anyway. Usually 10-15 seats blocked off from sale.

How many seats are normally available on TUI B787-8 aircraft, assuming no runway restrictions? The Wiki site says 300 but both Seat Guru and Seat Maestro say 288 (47 premium and 241 economy) on TUI long-haul flights.

Are the seats blocked off based on 300 seats or 288?

The only full calendar month of passenger figures so far available on CAA stats for BRS-CUN are those for May when 2127 passengers were carried, average load just under 266.

 

[Jerry]

sn't the main factor the headwinds? Simply put, is it not the case that one day an aircraft might be nearly full and go non-stop because of light winds; on another day it might have fewer passengers but strong headwinds would necessitate a fuel stop because it would be too heavy to take off from BRS with the requisite fuel load?

Yeah i'd imagine the headwinds are a big factor but if the load was light enough that could help to negate them to a certain degree?
I also wonder if as they've being doing the route for a while now TUI are building up a bank of knowledge about the winds and what routes may be best in certain conditions?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Cancun

Gone direct again today - two months now since it needed an outbound fuel stop. B787-8 G-TUIF (Neil) departed via Cornwall (Morwenstow).

 

[superking]

I know this destination has gone direct all summer. TOM 614 to PUJ went direct today. I half expected it to do a fuel stop today, with all the weather problems over the Americas.The captain must be sure they will not hit too many problems with weather.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Cancun

Gone direct again today - overhead Bude in north Cornwall.

Interestingly the aircraft is a Boeing 787-9, G-TUIM. I guess the outbound is lightly loaded as I believe it's the last outbound of the season. It's probably replacing the Sanford aircraft which is heavily delayed on its return. Not expected until 2230 instead of the scheduled 0530.

 

[superking]

The first 2 787 flights of the week was on G TUIF. The sanford flight was on T UIH. Is the delay a tech delay or some thing else.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The first 2 787 flights of the week was on G TUIF. The sanford flight was on T UIH. Is the delay a tech delay or some thing else.

I don't know. I took the details from the BRS website arrivals page.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

SFB delay is a technical delay.

 

[Marko1]

There will be 2 787s arriving an hour apart tomorrow morning. The delayed Sanford with the 787-8 and the cancun will the 787-9 .