Nothing new in the charter airlines hiring in extra capacity during the peak season - its been happening for years as has UK charter airlines offloading capacity in the UK off peak season to other places - e.g the Sunwing leases by various UK airlines. No charter airline can equip for the hoped for peak and then find they have expensive slack should bookings be down. Instead they hire in from the likes of Titan in the UK or other airlines that specialise in short term leases such as Mint.

Thomas Cook are not selling flights beyond their means and are leasing in extra aircraft to add capacity. This isn't unique to Thomas Cook and I think you will find most airlines will lease extra aircraft in the summer months. Thomson are using an Astraeus 757 all summer from Edinburgh, Jet2 are leasing 2 Allegiant 757s this summer to name only a couple of examples. Does this mean these airlines don't have enough capacity to operate their own programme either? It is common pracice for airlines to take extra aircraft for the peak summer months.

Aside from the Astraeus 757 and the Mint Airways 757, unless there are any technical / operational issues, all flights will be on a Thomas Cook aircraft.

They were operating for a majority of the summer with 2 Aurela Airlines Aircraft last year..

I also came across sub charter aircraft such as a Transavia 738, Blueline MD82, Mint Airways 757, and a few other wierd and wonderful airlines!

TCX did have a fair few tech delays last year and I'm sure the tradition will continue another :ok:

Kazzie do you have any real world experience or do you just work with a crystal ball?

Check every other airline out and see how many sub charters are used because aircraft become tech. In the summer there is not much spare lift capacity. If you need to get a sub charter you will have to go far afield to find it and therefore it will be likely to be a name that is not awfully familiar in the UK.

Very bold for someone with such experience to forecast the likelihood of tech problems. :ugh:

Being I dispatched such aircraft last year. I would say real world.

The delays are usually to do with 757's, which are still in the fleet, which always cause problems, and have done for a few years now. Given that the fleet is ageing, delays will be inevitable. Things should get better when we get some new aircraft.

Yes Sharron! :)

Main technical issues we had with the 75's were engine related (RB211's) There was of course other problems. But the Engines were the main culprits. Which is a shame.. I do like the 211!

We did have an occasion however when a passenger spotted a mouse on board the aircraft :p, A/C was offloaded for search, Though. No mouse was every found. I had giggle at that one ;)

I think that the main tech probelms come from the 767's and years of being battered.

Was Mint Airways operating a flight from Manchester this afternoon? relative said they where delayed and it wasnt a TCX757 on the gate. Also noticed the Reus flight into Manchester is delayed at least 9 hrs this afternoon

Yes, Mint are operating on TCX unexpectedly at the moment. No idea how long for or why. Saw Mint and not TCX there earlier.

Thanks JSCL they where going to Palma and where delayed 2 1/2 hrs (which is nothing really)

Is this a knock on from the Reus flight that should have landed at 1pm this afternoon? if so full marks to TCX for getting a replacement there so fast

Has STN now become a B757 base for this summer?

PSP's are being withdrawn from all aircraft from Wednesday.

Can't say I'm surprised - I don't think I've ever seen anyone purchase one. Last year I flew BHX/KGS and the 757 went tech so they sent up an A330 from LGW - I thought we might have been treated to the inflight entertainment but sadly the stewardesses came round with the PSP's! Are they putting the TV's back in again or just doing away with it altogether?

We haven't been advised but the TV's and licencing/maintenence etc cost the company too much so I wouldn't hold out on them being put back in.

Either Canadian Affair haven't loaded the LGW/YVR flights yet or it looks like all flights post November 01st will be with Air Transat including right through Summer 2012. Is this the end of the TCX contract?

May well be although don't forget Sunwing are starting the route 4x weekly on a 763 so that probably makes up for any lost capacity/frequency on the route.

Are you sure about that it is not on their website? Toronto, yes, but not Vancouver.

I am not sure why there is such surprise. Wasnt it always the plan to transfer the Canadian ops to Transat, complete with A330's ?

CabinCrewe - Not sure why I should be aware of the contractual relationship between Canadian Affair and TCX. I travel back and forth and want to book flights in both October and December that is why I ask the question!