Originally Posted by
rog747
In 1998 Air 2000 AMM took over Leisure International from Unijet and inherited their 2 newish 767-39HER's (ILFC) with a 2-4-2 fit.
The Leisure International Airways pair G-UKLH/LI were re-regd G-OOAN and AO.
AN was kept to 2013, but AO was returned early in 2001.
AMM had cancelled the 4 x A330-200's that Leisure had on order to standardise on the 767, and so AMM then ordered for 1999 and 2000 2 new 767-38AERs from GECAS in a 2-4-2 fit. No Premium cabin
afaik.
G-OOAL and AM. But both were returned early to GECAS in 2003 and 2004.
AL was later to join the TUI Airways fleet many years later in 2017, strangely registered as G-OBYK.
Renamed FCA, who now ended up obtaining early build 763's from EVA Air and Vietnam AL that FCA fitted with a low density 2-3-2 cabin with high quality seats with 33' legroom, plus a 'luxury' Premium cabin...
Merger with Thomson's came along and the TOM/FCA fleets got very fragmented, as did their configs.
Not quite accurate.
Air 2000 were the first to announce and introduce a Premium economy product (Classic Premium) on their first new build 767s, G-OOAL/M, to be delivered in 1999 and 2000. Total seats 312, W38Y274. These were ordered before the Leisure merger.
This caused both Airtours and Monarch to do an about-face with their newly ordered A330s, both planned an all Y380 seat layout but changed to include a Premium cabin by delivery.
The ex-Leisure pair 767 G-OOAN/O gained premium cabins the winter 1999/2000 season.
The Leisure order was only for 2 PW powered A330-200s, originally due to be delivered in 2000. Order cancelled shortly after the takeover.
G-OOAO left the fleet in 2001, G-OOAM in 2003. Leaving just the other pair to soldier on.
In late 2003 the company decided to go long-haul in a big way, and start to expand and roll over the whole long-haul fleet. The ex-Vietnam Airlines 767s were the interim lift, arriving from late 2004, pending delivery of the 787s which First Choice were the European launch customer for in early 2004. In fact it was still the 7E7 when the order was placed. The refurbishment of these aircraft was reportedly part of the 7E7 deal with Boeing. The Vietnam Airlines aircraft weren’t early build, being less than 10 years old at the time. Configuration was 258, W63Y195.
G-OOAL left the fleet in 2005, which left just G-OOAN which was reconfigured to W62Y196, note slightly different config to the others.
The EVA Air pair were acquired in 2006/7, which were slightly older but from the same era as the rest of the fleet (1992 build) while around the same time the 787 order was increased accordingly from 6 to 8.
By the time of the Thomson merger, First Choice had 12 787-8 orders due to the success of the new long haul programme, and all the refurbished 767s including G-OOAN became part of the Thomson fleet.
For 2006, which was the last full year of independence for First Choice, they were serving;
Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Cancun, Cayo Coco, Columbo, Cozumel, Holguin, Huatulco, Male, Mombassa, Montego Bay, Orlando/Sanford, Porlamar, Puerto Plata, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Salvador, Varadero. Plus winter only flights to Goa and Trivandrum. A far wider range than is served today by TUI, but at much lower frequency. Many of the flights were fortnightly, with attendant cost and operational complexity. The TUI model is much more based on frequency to the main destinations.