Ryanair is in a somewhat different position to TUI - They have suffered delayed deliveries of 5 aircraft this year - But yes they have had a profits warning due to the MAX groundings which has seen FR lose one million seats this summer. (= Losing 5000 flights with 5 aircraft with 200 seats, 1000 flights per a/c - over an 8 month period that is around 4 rotations a day)

MOL says We’re having a discussion with Boeing” about getting financial compensation for the delays, O’Leary said “I don’t need cash,” he added, saying he wants movement on pricing. CFO Neil Sorahan told Reuters they plan to discuss “modest compensation.” and get a deal on the order book.

TUI OTH has had to pay out ££££ to cover operating all of their package holiday flights and paying for the delays &.compo, and to charter extra aircraft - TUI do not cancel flights usually.
TUI has had to front this cash and if the MAX does not return this season (as we now expect) then these costs for TUI will be in excess of 300m Euros.

(FR can just cancel pax >14 days prior and refund the ticket cost with no other liability)

TUI are getting an ordered number of max aircraft, as FR are getting a reported 8 per month rolling deal, maybe that is why.....

G-OOBG B757 ferried from St Athans to Manchester Monday lunch time after under going maintenance, presumably to re-enter service, whilst Olympus A321 SX-ACP was ferried from Manchester to Birmingham early Monday morning to be based, thus bring the expected Birmingham based Olympus aircraft up to 2 to operate for TUI.

Meanwhile the 3rd Olympus A321, SX-ABQ after being on the ground at Antalya for over 2 months, ferried to Athens, then onto East Midlands also Monday morning under a TUI flight number, for a few cabin modifications, before presumably being based at Manchester?

Have TUI now got enough aircraft to operate the full summer schedule?

I think TUI were hanging on to see how the RTS of the MAX would pan out but I guess we all know we will not see the MAX back anytime soon, and certainty not for the summer season to end of OCT.

Well maybe by now - They should have had 9 MAX on strength for S19
TUI were likely hanging on for the outcome of any RTS of the MAX and TUI would have had a cut off point to make decisions on fleet needs, but they and we, all know now the a/c will not be back this summer season.

We were informed by TUI that we would be flying on an Olympus aircraft from Manchester to Dalaman on 27 May returning 3 Jun. Ended up on a delayed Sunwings aircraft from Dublin on 27th and returned on a B787-9 with originally 150+ empty seats. Sat on the aircraft for nearly 2 hours whilst we took on the pax from a Sunwings 737 to Norwich that had crew issues. The Sunwings aircraft went back to Norwich empty I believe whilst the not so happy Norwich pax came to Manchester prior to a long coach journey home back to Norwich. They were obviously not too pleased but credit to the Captain and crew of TOM715 who did a great job dealing with a difficult situation and the decisions obviously made by TUI Ops. Great flight home on the 787-9 making up some time. Certainly not an easy time for TUI but seem to be doing there best.

Looking at the on time performances of G-OBYG and OBYH so far is pretty shocking, only a couple of flights have been on time.
Why are they departing an hour or two hours late in the mornings when it's the first flight of the day?

Booked on MAN-RHO 22Jun - so far i have no doubt i'm gonna be delayed..

Matjr79

After two very heavily delayed TUI trips MAN-FUE in 2016 (May and Oct, so not even high season) when all 4 flights were hours late, we realised that timekeeping was not important to them. Once they'd got your cash you were at their mercy.
Arriving back at really Stupid o"clock, instead of a bit daft o"clock on a wet October night was the final straw.
We took our custom elsewhere - and changed our Airport of choice too - MAN never a happy customer experience anyway.

First wave slot restrictions and congestion has been crazy just like any summer. These are not the only aircraft affected. Their technical dispatch rate is actually up there with the rest so nothing to do with that. However, one of the 767s has recently been involved with a ground handling incident in MAN encountering damaging the the LH engine nacelle and cowling. Not what they needed, especially right now!

We have just been informed that our flight to Malta on 2nd July, originally on a TUI 737, will now be operated by a Getjet aircraft. Looking at the Getjet fleet it seems this must be an A320 since it is their only plane with a similar capacity to the 737. However, at 180 seats it is still 9 short of the 737 and I am concerned they will squeeze more rows in and restrict the leg room, since I am 6' 2" with a dodgy knee this could be very uncomfortable. I have now discovered that TUI Netherlands is leasing two such planes, does anyone have any knowledge of their experience?

180 seats are the max capacity for old A320's - the seat pitch is not really that different from a TUI 737-800

TUI cannot reconfigure and squeeze anymore rows in - if they have oversold then it is up to them to sort that problem out before the pax get to go on holiday.
Your best bet at check in is to ask for exit row seats providing your dodgy knee does not prevent you from operating an emergency exit.
Maybe TUI are offering extra legroom too? check that with your booking

Random question...... flew onboard a Sunwing operated flight REU to ABZ today. 2x Canadian Pilots, 4x TUI Crew and 1x Sunwing Crew who was there to "oversee safety features." This Sunwing crew member stood at Door 1 on boarding, did not smile or welcome anyone onboard, whilst the TUI crew welcomed passengers. During the flight, the Sunwing crew member was in the back galley, handing out the hot food orders to the TUI crew as they operated the bar service.

My question is therefore when the TUI aircraft go over to Canada in winter, is there a TUI member of crew who accompanies the Sunwing crews to also oversee safety features? Perhaps because the TUI aircraft change to the Canadian registrations during winter that there is no need for this? Thanks.

G-TAWX