Thomas Cook

[backtrack]

EC-LGL, Boeing 747-400 of Pullmantur Air operating the evening TCX service to SSH on Friday 13th Aug 2010.

[rimg]http://tasreports.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/ec-lgl-pullmantur-air-b747-400-w.jpg?w=630&h=331[/rimg]

 

[backtrack]

G-POWD, Boeing 767-300 of Titan Airways operating the early evening TCX service to Palma de Mallorca on Saturday 21st August.

[rimg]http://tasreports.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/g-powd-titan-b767-300-w.jpg?w=630&h=329[/rimg]

It doesnt stop there either, today has seen two Boeing 757-200's of Jet2.com being utilised to cover TCX services from MAN. It seems as though MAN is getting the worst of it all, whats going on with TCX right now?

 

[Aviador]

Smart picture Type Rated!

It's called maximum utilisation I guess, I suppose there's nothing wrong with utilising the aircraft to the maximum. I would imagine it would be silly to have spare aircraft lying around that only ever get used during the peak of the busy summer season. Easyjet along with a host of other airlines seem to do the same.

 

[rhinoscrazy]

Hi I'm flying to gran caneria in the feb school holidays and I'm a bit curiouse about if it's still a b757-200 still operating this route . I'm guessing it it b'coz I flew there last year at about the same time and It was 🙂

 

[Aviador]

It goes without saying that I hope Thomas Cook pulls through and sorts it's financial state out. It will be a terrible situation for passengers already booked with them for next summer and it would lead to a gross lack of competition in the IT industry.

The Inclusive Tour market has dwindled over the last few years. In the North of England it has concentrated the majority of it's business at Manchester airport. This has backfired on them now as just about every low cost airline has moved into Manchester. I'd be interested to know what exactly is at stake at Manchester? What does Manchester airport stand to loose if Thomas Cook do go under and what are the implications for other IT companies if the airport needs to rely further on the not so traditional low cost airlines?

 

[User0001]

What does Manchester airport stand to loose if Thomas Cook do go under

There is the hangar and offices at MAN. There would be a lot of jobs up here that would go, but, I'm lead to believe Etihad are interested in taking on the staff/hangar at MAN due to the Airbus specific speciality of the hangar, and also having a paint facility on site interests them. They were going to build one anyway, and going up to 3 daily next year boosts this.

Flight wise, there would be a blow, but, MAN has shifted its strategy and is moving away from a reliance of charter operations and replacing them with low cost flights. There are scheduled long haul flights to Orlando, Las Vegas and Bridgetown, with Thomson still being in a healthy position, the slack could be made up amongst Thomson and Jet2. Also Easyjet sell holidays now, so, There would an initial drop in passenger figures, but, MAN will bounce back just like it has done with others such as Excel.

The other implication is that if job cuts at MAN are made, LBA could be under threat as LBA is technically a MAN based unit.

 

[Aviador]

Thanks User001, I was also referring to the number of based units at the airport with a breakdown of types and so on?

 

[User0001]

Well, since the last posts were quite 'doom and gloom' for TCX at MAN, some very positive news to report.

Thomas Cook Airlines has now merged back office functions with Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium and Condor Airlines.

This means that the business is more streamlined, and also sees TCX shifting from 100% charter to a quasi charter-Scheduled airline, with scheduled flights and the ability to see the flights in GDS systems such as Sabre and Amadeus.

Condor have also started code-sharing on the long haul routes from Manchester, thus giving more visibility and raising awareness of flights.

Long Haul in 2014 looks to be the healthiest it has been in a long time.

There will be at least 3 based A330-200, with a leased A330-300 of Viking for the summer too.

New long haul routes starting this November are Manchester-Barbados-St Lucia, and Mannchester-Barbados-Antigua, both 1 weekly.
Both these routes continue into Summer 2014.

In 2014:

Las Vegas will be 3 weekly
Orlando will be 3 weekly, and also moves from the charter airport at Sanford to MCO (international)
Cancun will be 4 weekly
Punta Cana, Varadero, Antigua and St. Lucia will be 1 weekly each.
Barbados will be 2 weekly.

Condor will also be opening a base alongside Thomas Cook at Manchester, with a B757-300 based initially and flights to:

Palma 5 weekly
Fuerteventura, Kos, Rhodes and Ibiza 1 weekly.

Kos will also have a W pattern to Frankfurt. Thomas Cook will codeshare on these flights, but will primarily be sold under the Condor 'DE' code.

All in all, exciting times ahead for Manchester, and here is to hoping that some of Condor's more exciting destinations will appear on MAN's departure boards (Havana, Panama City, Bangkok and the likes!)

 

[adam]

i noticed today whilst tracking a friend at Orlando Sanford that the thomas cook flight operates from Cancun Mexico to Manchester via Sanford with a TCX/Condor codeshare.
will this have Cancun to Man passengers on who get a long flight or is it an example of aircraft utilisation with it been 2 different flights a Cancun to Sanford and a Sanford to Manchester flight?

 

[User0001]

It may have been a combined flight due to OY-VKF, an A330 of Thomas Cook Scandinavia (currently MAN based), diverting to Bermuda last week due to an IFE fire operating CUN-MAN.

At the time you looked at the SFB boards, the aircraft was still out of service, so, being an airframe down, could have needed to run a combined flight.

The Condor 'DE' code is part of a new agreement between TCX/DE whereby Condor have a base at MAN and codeshare on TCX flights too.

 

[adam]

it ended up been 6 hours late back to uk whatever it was.

 

[User0001]

Thomas Cook are in advanced talks with Oakland Airport, San Fransico to run regular scheduled flights from 3 points in Europe.

Thomas Cook UK will run 2 weekly A330-200's from Manchester

Condor will run a 2 weekly B767-300 from Frankfurt

Thomas Cook Scandinavia will run a 1 weekly A330-300 from Stockholm.

Flights are expected to start some time in 2014, and is not clear if the flights will be seasonal or year round, but, looks like Manchester could finally get its west coast destination!

 

[User0001]

Condor/Thomas Cook will run 1 weekly MAN-Tobago next winter:

http://m.travelweekly.co.uk/Article.asp ... s&id=45894

 

[User0001]

TCX848 MAN 1320 JFK 1640
TCX849 JFK 1930 MAN 0555

Mon Thu and Sat, A330-200 from 2nd May 2015.

TCX830 MAN 1015 MIA 1240
TCX831 MIA 1440 MAN 0600

Fri and Sun, A330-200 from 3rd May 2015

DE83 MAN 1020 TAB 1430
DE84 TAB 1530 MAN 0800

Sun, Condor B767 from 29th March (now a summer route instead of winter)

 

[48vanman]

Can anyone provide me with an email address for Thomas Cook Airlines at Manchester airport.I have tried the airport feedback form but didn't get a reply.

I would just like to complement a member of the check in staff who went above and beyond her duties at the ungodly hour of 3am recently.I know people are quick to complain but I would like my positive comments to be passed on to the person concerned.

 

[Aviador]

I can't find an address for the check-in at Manchester airport. I don't know if they do their own handling or if they contract out the check-in. I have found a generic customer service address which is: Customer Relations Department, Flythomascook.com, 2-4 Godwin Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 2ST. Receipt of your complaint will be acknowledged at the earliest opportunity and a response will usually be provided within 28 days. I thought there Bradford office had closed but the above address is still on their website. Perhaps I'm wrong.

 

[48vanman]

Thanks Aviador.You are correct that address in Bradford they left some time ago,it's empty and up for let/sale.I would imagine Royal Mail would forward any correspondence on.

I might pop into a Thomas Cook travel agent and see if they can help with an email address.

 

[User0001]

Using Thomas Cook in October, as Im off to Vegas with the wife.

Staying in the 5 star Cosmopolitan, with a balcony. Going to be an epic week!

 

[LBA787]

I went in 2009, what a great city!!

:crazy:

 

[User0001]

I went in 2009, what a great city!!

Been a few times for work, but, this is the first holiday and we decided to just go big. 5 star hotel, car hire, shows, the lot!