Originally Posted by
rog747
TUI have large cruise ship flight contracts with P&O cruises, Cunard and also with in-house TUI Marella Cruises flying from many main UK, and smaller regional airports, such as BOH EXT NCL BRS BHX and until recently also from DSA.
Marella cruise ships operate from Majorca, Corfu, Marmaris (DLM), Malta, TFS DBV LPA MCT SIN MBJ and Florida using TUI direct charter flights.
Flights for P&O are mainly to the Caribbean and the Canary Islands and are in the Winter season usually.
Cunard Historically chartered 767-300's from BA from LHR for their Med fly/cruises flights that flew pax to ATH BCN FCO VCE and IST.
From the regionals, Cunard have used TUI and Titan.
Monarch, Thomas Cook and Virgin Atlantic have all been chartered for Cruise Ship passengers, mainy flying to the Caribbean.
I think Jet2 may also have flown some with the A330's.
Re the Regional airport flight Supplements -
The anomaly in these charges are likely due to the (often high) costs of the Positioning flights which are often the case to get the aircraft and a 'Checked Out' cabin crew to the regional departure airport, plus the HOTAC and taxi costs for them, which are often pre flight, and then post arrival when back in UK.
There are only a few TUI bases that have 787 checked out Cabin Crew.
Possibly P&O are hiking the supplement to cover/underwrite the flight just in case it is not a 'sell-out', although in my experience Fly/Cruises in the winter months to the warmer climes from smaller regional airports usually are sold out more or less as soon as they go on sale with local Travel Agents as they are so popular.
Some Travel Agents such as Hays Travel and Bath Travel have taken a whole cruise and flight allocation and it is up to them to sell it - which they do!
Also some cruise flights are 'Split Load' such as flying BHX-NCL-MBJ (and return) and this too will attract extra costs to be factored in to the 'seat costs' for the Charterer.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Not sure if I fully agree with your rationale about positioning flights. I thought TUI had 787s based at both GLA and NCL.