Originally Posted by
gilesdavies
The problem Thomas Cook have with their long haul fleet is, they have an inconsistent hard product, as you have their own fleet with Premium Economy and offer Seat-Back TV's throughout. The Air Tanker fleet don't offer either and if the Air Transat A330's enter the fleet for the summers and are not modified, this makes the hard product even more difficult to match customers expectations.
TCX have invested a considerable amount of effort into building a long-haul product and I am happy to choose them over say AA or UA. However that would only apply to their own fleet - NOT the Air Tanker birds which, having once experienced, I would avoid - it's a bit of a 1990s style experience and that just does not cut it anymore.
I'm a savvy flyer though and know what to go for and what to avoid - most aren't. So many people will get the TCX long-haul experience through Air Tanker, being totally underwhelmed and telling all and sundry that the TCX brand is 'awful' (or other phrases).
Additionally some of the routes they fly the Tankers on might be considered Premium routes like Antigua and St Lucia but the option to buy said Premium seats (ie to give TCX more money) does not exist.
TCX will have to sort this inconsistency pronto otherwise their careful brand and product building will be undermined.