1st 2 due for delivery in Nov/Dec 2008 with the remainder in 2009. They will be new build a/c so hopefully will all be the same, unlike the hotch-potch of 767s (configs, engines, etc)
Just heard that Excel Airways are getting A330 's and that they are leasing an A330 aswell for operation out of CDG for the summer.on Carribean routes .
Any truth in this rumour anyone ?
XL Airways UK have 2 firm orders, they are A330-200 due in Nov 2008, options for a few more.
not sure about the one for CDG operations, its possible, do they still have something to do with Star airlines, they were owned by the Avion group too so i belive.
Star Airlines are now XL Airways France, and I believe Star XL Germany are now XL Airways Germany. This gives them a number of options for placing the A330's.
Now XL have rebranded and taken on different airlines in other countrys (Germany, Ireland, France and Australia) how are they performing?
XL have taken on quite a few a/c in recent month's which takes the fleet of 738's up to 15, with 2 more due and 739's due next year.
Does anyone know where these 738's will be based and any other plans for the UK?
Also whatever happened to the new 747's?
Don't know about the aircraft, but they won't need them if their online and telephone bookings system continue to work as they do at present, including their sister company Freedom Flights. They are working as new business refusal departments.
If you don't want your journey to start in the UK, the online booking system of XL won't allow you to do that. If you telephone XL you are told to ring Freedom Flights ("our sister company") who handle all bookings for flights where the journey does not originate in the UK.
The people at Freedom insist that they can only book such flights where the return ex UK is in multiples of 7 days from your day of departure, as they have to match the inbound and outbound pax. Clearly a load of tosh, when you are not so restricted on shortage or length of stay, when your journey originates from the UK, which can be booked online with XL.
I haven't read the previous thread in too much detail, but given the fact it was first created a year ago (!) I think the time is right for a new one.
The way I see it is, and I might be wrong here, what was a very troubled carrier just two summers ago, being the worst for delays as I remember it, is now a completely transformed carrier, with a much brighter future.
By the way, I understand they have an Australian division, I know of the French, German, Irish, and obviously the UK divisions, but I've never heard of XL Airways Australia?
I'm not sure of XL's expansion policy, but this summer seems to be a heavily contracted schedule compared to that of the last two summers, is this because XL are now more focused or what? To use EMA as an example (though I'm aware XL has withdrawn or scaled back from other airports) over the last two years the airline hasn't based it's own aircraft here, instead using XL uniformed crews but MD-83s of Viking Airlines under the brands Air Scandic in S05 and UKJet in S06. This summer they're using Air Malta and bmi for XL flights, as well as one or two XL W-pattern flights. The airline seems to be on a big marketing push with the XL.com brand, but they seem to almost always use other airlines to operate their flights, and have recently closed CWL & HUY.
Hi
Sorry if I asked this question about a FCA flight a few days ago but we've found an XLA flight cheaper.
Could anybody tell me what aircraft type XLA use on the MAN - SKG route in the summer?
Michael
"The way I see it is, and I might be wrong here, what was a very troubled carrier just two summers ago, being the worst for delays as I remember it, is now a completely transformed carrier, with a much brighter future."
Not sure what happened to a couple of posts I made on this topic, but I hope this is still relevant:
Two weeks ago, I flew LGW-ANU (via SKB) on G-VKNG, which left LGW "about an hour late", due to a technical issue.
Didn't think much of it - XL still have a reputation for delays round here, but the price was too tempting to ignore. The next day, I took a flight out of ANU at 6AM - the aircraft, which should have left the previous evening at 20:05, was still on the apron.
I've heard that it eventually got back to LGW about 24 hours late, having been routed up the US East Coast, and via a tech stop in KEF. This sounds like it wasn't allowed to fly ETOPS, but I presume it is still SOP to carry passengers when there is a tech issue, even though this will have been known about before take-off?
Just hoping for an event free flight tomorrow, but would have serious concerns if I was heading out in the other direction, and had a cricket match to get to!
Just been on wikedpedia web site and it is showing that XL have ordered 20 A320's to be delivered from Airbus, first due January 2009. This would make sense with the A330's which have been ordered. Can anyone give anymore info.
Cheers
3REDS
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