Originally Posted by easyflyer83
I think the problem with TOM is that if there are a number of flights departing at the same time everyone turns up for check in at the same time. Why? Because many charter pax still think that if they aren't there 2 hours before they won't be able to fly whilst many also see the airport as part of the holiday experience. Of course nearly all TOM pax will have a bag to check in given the length they are away.
Compare that to an airline with a mixture of holiday and business routes where fewer people check bags and the influx of pax tend to be spread over the time up to departure.
As for the Dreamliner, TOM IMO have oversold the aircraft. Technically I'm sure it will be a game changer. Ultimately for the average pax though it is just another aircraft. Having flown 4 times on the A380 I feel the same about that aircraft. Sure it looks impressive and somewhat unique from the outside but once you've sat on it for a few hours it is just a modern 747.
I don't think they have oversold the 787 at all. The 787 is an unprecedented aircraft for a UK leisure airline to use. Most leisure airlines are still lapsing along with cramped seats inside old 767/757's. Even the A330's in use at MON and TCX are looking ridiculously aged compared to the 787.
Having a 787 gives them a competitive edge over every single other airline that might fly to those destinations. If I had a choice of flying to Mexico or any other long haul destination I would choose it everytime, it is by a country mile a superior product to any other offering. It is only right they should oversell it as much as possible because it really does beat everything out there in that market.
I flew on the A380 to DXB last year and I have to say the same about the A380, the economy experience is beyond anything I have ever experienced before. Compare economy on the A380 with the 77W I returned to Manchester on and there is just no contest.
Both the 787 and A380 are stunning aircraft and excellent examples of what the future holds for the average traveller who can get a level of comfort they won't have seen before. I have travelled on both and they both have two product offerings there to be very proud of.