These simple facts should exemplify the pointlessness of the whole operation:
Now consider this:
Airtours began repainting their aircraft less than 5 years ago. This is the thing: they did not complete their aircraft's changeover until March 2001 when the last 767 got the now familiar blue, yellow, red and green scheme. They were ready for a complete identity change in November that year. Think about it: No sooner do they finish changeover to one of the best identities in the business, do they, Less than one year later, start to change again.
Air 2000 began their repaints in 1997/1998. They have only had their scheme in place for a few years now. Now they are ready to change (albeit leaned on by First Choice/Unijet perhaps?).
Britannia had their image, believe it or not, for only about 10 years. IMHO, it looked a damn sight better than the rediculous tui livery that the director of the company obviously got from a watercolor painting from his 2 year old daughter. What was wrong with it? Could it not have been kept but improved like MON's? I don't fault Britannia for it; it was the German takeover that landed them in this subordinate state--moving away from Luton, etc. (By the way, OBYE has rolled from the hangar in the new scheme. It won't be long before all their 767s will have it because those gone on the Hajj were decal-ed up with semi-Garuda logos and now will need repainting in the BAL livery. Hmm, I don't think they'll be repainting them in the old livery only to repaint them light blue)
Meanwhile, Monarch has had the same scheme (more or less) for 30 years. Finally after a year of careful consideration and planning, they have emerged with a tasteful and good looking image that keeps their traditional, recognized, corporate identity while updating it and making Monarch shine above the now ludicrous and rediculous images.
Who has emerged the winner?
If the other airlines had not taken rash and, (let's face it) not well-thought-out decisions which are now costing them the price of a new widebody in repainting and rebranding, they could have their employees fly under an image to be proud of.
All Airtours/MYT Group plc's airlines have the familiar 'blue and colors' livery. Would it not have been easier to call the airline 'Airtours', a MyTravel Group company? After all, the Airtours Holidays name is still to be kept. That would have saved millions in rebranding. Think about it . . . Britannia, Air 2000 and Monarch are not owned by companies who have the same name. Britannia never tried to become Air Thomson. Air 2000 is not (allegedly) changing into First Choice Airlines. MyTravel Airways is the most rediculous thing to come out of this sector of the market for quite a while.
Are all these airlines trying to compete with JMC for colors that are ugly but stand out? Did Airtours really need to change less than 12 months after they finished their aircraft image rollover?
Never in the history of aviation have airlines changed their images completely so rapidly. Name one airline that got a new image then before they had time to draw another breath changed it. Even BA waited a bit before introducing their 'World' liveries.
There is no logic behind any of this.
And that's all I'm saying.
SFly