TUI Airways

[LBA787]

Anybody know when the LBA Thomson base re-opens?

:crazy:

 

[lbaspotter]

May 1st is first flight for based Thomson (leased Sunwing Boeing 737-800.) I understand the flight crews are due to position in late April from Toronto.

 

[lbaspotter]

Just read on the dried fruit forum that there is talk that Thomson's maybe using there own Boeing 737-800WL aircraft and UK based crews for this summer charter flight programme instead of the expected Canadian Sunwing aircraft and crews.

Can anyone confirm what's happening? As this goes against everything I have been told. And that was from the "horses mouth", so to speak!

 

[BigMac]

I have also heard that they may be using their own 738

 

[imagineif]

Hope they do, the performance of the Sunwing aircraft last year was shocking.

 

[lbaspotter]

Hope they do, the performance of the Sunwing aircraft last year was shocking.

But at least Sunwing can CATIII on to runway 32 in the fog where as Thomson's just divert straight to Manchester "so crew can be in pub for last orders"

 

[imagineif]

lol Meow

Fogs gone by the time the Sunwing rattles in 5 hours late

 

[lbaspotter]

You'll regret saying that when Thomson's divert due to early morning mist. Saying that they are operating less flights this summer so aircraft has alot off on the ground time

 

[lbaspotter]

Just been told that Sunwing are now not coming to LBA this summer (not confirmed from my source) , Instead Thomson Airways are looking to put a Manchester crewed Boeing 737-800 here or there is the possibility off upgrading all flights and basing the spare fleet back up Boeing 757-200 here instead. #shocked

Question for you all is as follows, If the Leeds based aircraft is needed elsewhere with-in the fleet as a back up will they sacrifice all Leeds pax and send them all through Manchester? As we know this has been the usual case with thommo's and it maybe even more the case seen this aircraft was originally planned to be a spare back up if what goes wrong.

 

[adam]

I hope not otherwise it'll all but kill off Thomson at LBA if they have a lot of delays diversions and bussing over the hills

 

[LBA787]

If they are the options then I sincerely hope the 737-800 gets the nod. The spare 757 would be an absolute disaster if it were to be LBA based, Leeds passengers would simply be sacrificed every time over the MAN, LGW and BHX core bases!

I really cannot understand what this airline doesn't like about LBA and it's catchment? It's clear there is a year round market for at least one 738. LBA is the same as airports like EMA, BRS, NCL and CWL yet Thomson cannot see it! Instead they let Jet2 and Now Monarch (Thomas cook) take almost everything...

Do they really think there's more of a market in places like EXT & NWI than LBA!

They really annoy me this lot!!! :diablo:

:crazy:

 

[White Heather]

They have been this way since I was in my 20's!! Even the change of ownership to TUi hasn't changed them - if anything they are worse now than before! They still have serious potential at LBA if they could be bothered..............

 

[imagineif]

They made a massive boo boo when they cut and run for DSA. The next "Manchester" the Thomson Super-hub. Several 757's, based 767's and long haul flights for Yorkshire travellers!

Well... we all know how that turned out. Now down to a 2X 737 base with 3 flights a day from an airport with 5-6 outbounds a day overall.

From a year round base with the Boeing 757 to even the 767 in summer - Thomson enjoyed great success from LBA and had an incredibly loyal customer base.

My sister is a Thomson travel agent and she said Thomson lost customers overnight due to the pull out, people turned to Jet2 and Thomas Cook when they announced a base because what matters to frequent travellers is convenience almost as much as cost.

People will add up the cost versus the commute and associated costs to DSA or MAN.

Last year rejoice all round when Thomson announced a "proper" summer base once more for LBA. The reality was a Sunwing operated aircraft (regardless of ownership) with a lousy performance which caused no end of complaints due to delays. People also underestimate customer observation, you would be surprised at the number of complaints purely because the aircraft was not in Thomson livery.

The reality now is that people want it Cheap, Reliable & convenient. Well on last check Thomson is certainly not that cheap and going on last years performance not reliable. That shoddy summer performance last year did do them damage. People are asking about the aircraft when booking my sister said, and up until now they could not guarantee what it would be.

The Thomson product when it goes to plan is very good, a cut above Thomas Cook and Jet2 but off the back of last year who knows. If they do put a SBY 757 in LBA and constantly pilfer it to rescue other parts of the programme then they may as well pull the plug completely on LBA.

Compare it to Monarch who have put 2 aircraft in from the go and shipped in aircraft from LTN LGW EMA & MAN when needed to recover LBA operations instead of the other way round.

 

[Jordan-34092]

If they commit a bit more time and effort into there LBA base i am sure it'd be a success, look at Monarch, been here a year now (or nearly) they got 2 based aircraft and a customer base that is slowly starting to build, just goes to show it does pay to take risks to stop youself from going stalemate.

 

[lbaspotter]

I hear we should find out what Thomson Holidays have planned from LBA next summer 2015 as the new brochures are due out on the 24th. They might be something new in the offering but don't hold me to it!

Also was talking with me friend the other day who works for Thomson's and it would seem even they don't know still what aircraft will turn up next week to operate this summer's flights. So all 3 previously posted options are still open and on the table.

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi all
RUMOUR ONLY
just been talking to a friend that works for Thomson
they were hoping for a Benidorm and a Malaga from leeds but she has been told no chance,thompson are starting cruising from Croatia in 2015 she has asked HQ for a link from LBA,rumour only tomorrow we will no.
regards sm1

 

[lbaspotter]

I think what's more annoying is the fact the Leeds based crews still don't know what aircraft is going to turn up next week to operate this summer programme.

You'd have thought with a week to go someone would know by now! I even went as far as asking a Thomson rep today on there Facebook page and didn't get a straight answer. Instead got the following:

Hi, When you visit our website and take a look at your holidays, the website will display who the flights are with for your holiday. We may use different third party airlines who can offer that route at that particular date and time. Where are you looking to jet off to? ^James

 

[Hull City Fan]

I've just got my hands on a Thomson Summer 2015 brochure and can confirm initial offerings from LBA for Summer 2015. However, there are no flight times in the new brochure layout for the flight information so we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out if it has changed much from this years schedule.

Palma: 3x weekly
Ibiza: 1x weekly
Tenerife South: 1x weekly
Enfidha: 1x weekly
Corfu: 2x weekly
Rhodes: 1x weekly
Dalaman: 2x weekly

Monday: Dalaman, Corfu
Tuesday: Palma (W leg - to HUY presumably)
Wednesday: Enfidha (W leg - to EMA as 2014 presumably)
Thursday: Ibiza (W leg - to BRS as 2014 presumably)
Friday: Corfu, Dalaman
Saturday: Palma, Rhodes
Sunday: Palma, Tenerife South

No increase for Summer 2015 & more importantly no decrease in 2014 operations.

 

[Hull City Fan]

Confirmation of the initial schedule for Summer 2015 for Thomson.

Monday:
Dalaman: 10:35 - 20:40
Corfu: 22:00 - 05:55* (arrives Tuesday am)

Tuesday:
Palma: 07:25 - 21:25

Wednesday:
Enfidha: 06:00 - 22:30

Thursday:
Ibiza: 06:00 - 20:20

Friday:
Corfu: 06:35 - 14:30
Dalaman: 15:55 - 01:50* (arrives Saturday am)

Saturday:
Palma: 07:25 - 13:55
Rhodes: 15:30 - 01:10* (arrives Sunday am)

Sunday:
Tenerife: 07:00 - 17:10
Palma: 18:40 - 01:05* (arrives Monday am)

Only change from this years schedule is the Sunday Palma and Tenerife flights swap round!.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

If I may wade into the whole expansion at LBA argument with a degree of realism.

Clearly, Thomson have a large, traditional, customer base in Yorkshire. Again, traditionally, they have excellent brand loyalty. However, much the same as Thomas Cook, their failure to keep the brand relevant and their slow reaction to the emergence of competitors has led to a reduction of over 30% in the number of flights they operate over the last 5 years and a loss of almost 5 million customers! Moreover, they have seen a fleet reduction in recent times with an increasing reliance on outside contracting to fulfil their summer programme. There are, to my mind, two ways Thomson could expand at LBA.

1 - They could order new aircraft or charter further operations to increase the offering. In their current situation, this would amount to suicide financially. Their profit/loss figures are not healthy enough to do that AND replace their fleet.

2 - They could move a/c from other bases. But why would they? As long as the operation is financially viable, there is absolutely no point. A lot is made of the Doncaster thing. Thomson's reasons for going there instead of LBA in the first place might be a little suspect but precisely what incentive is there to move from DSA to LBA? Quite aside from that, where would they put the aircraft?

Of course, it could be argued that the based a/c could do more flights and not go off on its W legs but, again, why? That would just mean a contraction elsewhere! It doesn't make sense. I'm afraid to say that, until Thomson's product becomes the product to have again, the likelihood of them expanding AT ALL is unlikely, let alone at LBA. And that is before we talk about the inherent problems of LBA. It is no small feat that the airport management were able to tempt them back in and, as the LBA base is the smallest in the Thomson menagerie, with MAN nearby, if any were to be dropped, it would be LBA.