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Thomson Airways

Old 12th Jan 2010, 13:20
  #321 (permalink)  

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The Cardiff Airport website shows a strong schedule of cruise flights to the Caribbean this winter - eight to Barbados and two to Jamaica.

As for Bristol-Barbados on the TOM 767s, the Bristol-Sanford services were said to be operating non-stop in summer 2009, using the 258-seat capacity former First Choice B 767-300 aircraft so far as I am aware.

Are all the long haul TOM 767-300s now so configured?

Are Sanford and Barbados about the same distance from Bristol, Sanford slightly longer if anything?

Does the likely winter en-route weather, compared with summer, also make a difference?

I note Stampe mentioned Bristol's Achilles Heel (the runway). No chance of that being extended for future TOM long haul customers - the airport is pinning its hopes on the B 787 (BRS master plan) and other aircraft that may come on stream in the future with the capacoity to go further with larger loads from the current runway.
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Old 12th Jan 2010, 19:16
  #322 (permalink)  
 
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Lgw - Hrg

Quick question, LGW-HRG, B757 or B767 this season? Many thanks for your help in advance.
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Old 12th Jan 2010, 19:34
  #323 (permalink)  
 
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LGW-HRG

B757 with winglets (B75W), same for MAN
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Old 12th Jan 2010, 19:35
  #324 (permalink)  
 
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Thanks Oli
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Old 17th Jan 2010, 10:42
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Quick question

Will the ex FCA aircraft which have been painted into Thomson livery e.g G-CPEU, G-CPEV, G-OOBA, G-OOBD, G-OOBE and G-OOBF be having a interior refurb with Thomson seating? before the summer season?
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Old 17th Jan 2010, 23:08
  #326 (permalink)  
 
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the cruise flights to BGI could be on a TOM config 763 rather than FCA config 763, that would put seats at 283, so quite a bit more weight on board with and extra 25 pax and baggage....so that could be reason for fuel stop.....
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Old 18th Jan 2010, 09:18
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Using a standard day nil wind 15c QNH 1013 a 763 will at best packs off be able to take off from BRS at around 164.5 tonnes on RW27 (less on 09) as against its structural RTOW of 186.8.Given a likely all adult pax load on cruise flight Zero fuel weight is likely to be around 120t the remaining 44.5t available for fuel and with prevailing headwinds westbound is unlikely to be sufficient for a direct BGI flight.BOH has an extra 200 metres available which makes a lot of difference to the available Take off weight.Bristols runway remains its achilles heel.

What an answer! And it highlights the fact that, sometimes it can be done, other days it can't.
Look at it from a crewing perspective.
If the flight goes direct, the crew can operate the sector no problem. If a tech stop is required, you are pushing them close to (or even over) their max hours. For this very reason, 2 crews are sometimes rostered just in case, with the ETOPS crew being the one at the tech stop airfield.
If on the day, performance allows the flight to go direct, the tech stop still has to take place because the crew swap has to occur.
If they don't schedule a crew swap, and the a/c gets delayed slightly...nightmare!
Just one of the other issues opposing a short runway. Along with the pilots standing on the thrust leavers to get every ounce of oomph out of the kebabs under the wings!

Watabench.......just like the old days! Merchant, shoot me down with one of your alarmingly intellectual replies!!
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Old 18th Jan 2010, 10:58
  #328 (permalink)  

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Hello Windsheer,

Good to hear from you again.

I've been called many things in my life but intellectual is certainly not one of them.

You know I always keep my own counsel when it comes to technical matters because I am in no way qualified to venture a view, although I do sometimes seek guidance on PPRuNe from those who are.

That's why I wondered why TOM (former FCA 767-300s so far as I know) was reportedly flying non-stop to Sanford from Bristol last summer whereas the airline isn't, it seems, to Barbados.
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Old 18th Jan 2010, 17:15
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For Info this last weekends BOH-BGI flight couldn,t make it direct and went via SNN.The zero fuel weight @ 120t I quoted was about spot on for for 258pax cruise flight pax who are likely to be all adults.Typical fuel required for BOH-BGI is about 52 tonnes with a 30 knot headwind component.As you can see BRS needs a lot more runway to lift it out of the regional category,nice terminal or not.Regards to all from Barbados!!! had a 10000ft runway so direct for me.
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Old 18th Jan 2010, 18:54
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Probably one of the reasons that BRS will see the 787 not long after TUI introduce it.
Not sure of the perf', but wouldn't be surprised if it would do a BRS-SFB direct.
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Old 19th Jan 2010, 12:56
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The 787 will eventually be in BRS, after LGW, MAN, BHX, GLA, NCL......to name but a few!
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Old 20th Jan 2010, 02:05
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No 787 for CWL then?
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Old 20th Jan 2010, 11:32
  #333 (permalink)  

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The inference by Fernanjet is that there are other airports ahead of Bristol for the TOM 787 as well as those he mentions - 'to name but a few' as he put it.

Maybe Cardiff is amongst the others that are ahead of Bristol - it would be interesting to learn which other airports make up the whole.

It would also be useful to know whether Fernanjet's information emanates from Thomson or if it is a hypothesis.

Bristol Airport's master plan says that Boeing told the airport that a 787 could reach the west coast of the USA or Cape Town without load penalty from the current Bristol runway. Accepting that aircraft manufacturers are not going to hide their lights under bushels it still seems that the 787 would give scope for longer non-stop sectors.

Last edited by MerchantVenturer; 20th Jan 2010 at 12:13. Reason: typos
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Old 25th Jan 2010, 11:25
  #334 (permalink)  
 
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'Thomson Airways has a zero tolerance policy on abusive behavious towards crew' - with that statement at the beginning of every flight it's nice to know that Thomson Airways are paid up members of the Institute of Stating the Bleeding Obvious. I can't imagine any airline would have a policy of tolerating abuse.

Anyway, that insignificant point aside, it was a little disappointing on yesterday's TLS-BHX flight that the following statement was made (apologies if I don't recall the statement verbatim):

'Due to an error at Birmingham Airport this morning we don't have sufficient meals for all passengers on this return journey to Birmingham. Therefore the complimentary meals will be served to rows 1-20, with a drinks trolley serving the remaining rows. These drinks won't be complimentary as I am not authorised to do this'.

It seems to be the mark of a less customer orientated airline that not so much as a coffee/biscuit was offered to the remaining passengers. Surely a duty manager must have been available to be contacted for authorisation. When we were invited at the end of the flight to donate money to a charity that Thomson Airways supports I thought about suggesting they donate the cost of my meal which I wasn't provided with. Decided against that though as it would probably have constituted abusive behaviour. Happy days....
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Old 25th Jan 2010, 18:12
  #335 (permalink)  
 
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What is Thomsons SCCM on longhaul flights called ? And what is their payscale for that position ?

Can pvte me if you need to !
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Old 25th Jan 2010, 18:49
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I believe Cabin Managers, SCCMS etc are called Customer Experience Managers now. Can be seen by passengers as they wear a variation of the TUI scarf/tie.
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Old 6th Feb 2010, 09:04
  #337 (permalink)  
 
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Does anyone reading this work for TOM at Manchester?

I need to contact whoever is in charge of the cabin crew rota or the crew manager - could you tell me who to contact?

I was on TOM833 yesterday 5/2 from RAK to MAN and my fellow traveller upset one of the crew, basically by making a really nasty remark which this lady overheard. It wasn't pleasant and I feel the need to make amends by contacting the crew manager.

Thanks in advance.
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Old 6th Feb 2010, 10:46
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Cannot help you there but I would strongly suggest that if you do get the details, that it is your 'fellow traveller' that makes the apology. Customer facing staff have to put up with all sorts of crap whether it be on the ground or in the air and it seems your companion is a moron, if the comment was than unpleasant it upset someone.
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Old 7th Feb 2010, 00:39
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A friend of mine was an operating Crew Member onboard your flight, I have forwarded her the link to this forum.

I know most of the crew personally on that flight and can say each of them are truly lovely people!!!
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Old 7th Feb 2010, 10:09
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Cloud1 - having had customer facing roles myself, I know only too well how much unneccesary crap gets doled out! I can't account for anybody else's actions, but I'm one of those passengers who makes a point of smiling at crew, because I know what they sometimes endure.......

stuart212 - thanks so much for that. They were indeed a nice crew, really professional. I only caught one name unfortunately, it was Neil. We had some bad turbulence over the Bay of Biscay and he was great.
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