I can pretty much guarantee you that in the current climate every single TUI flight deck employee will be apoplectic if there is any ACMI work undertaken this year.
There are already questions being asked in relation to this specific post. |
Max Drift- I did think at first that it was wrong that in the current climate that they are booking pax onto ACMI carriers but on the other hand thought maybe that the commercial contracts were signed before CV19 and they are unable to get out of them where as employees can be on Furlough.
It looks like BHX is planned to have 3 A320s at present hopefully this changes and my holiday can go ahead and on TUI own aircraft |
Originally Posted by 737James
(Post 10811841)
Max Drift- I did think at first that it was wrong that in the current climate that they are booking pax onto ACMI carriers but on the other hand thought maybe that the commercial contracts were signed before CV19 and they are unable to get out of them where as employees can be on Furlough.
It looks like BHX is planned to have 3 A320s at present hopefully this changes and my holiday can go ahead and on TUI own aircraft Something I do like is that TUI will always place their own Cabin Crew on to these ACMIs as representation, even if as I experienced the ACMI crew are friendlier and nicer than the TUI crew! Albastar last year, their crew were a delight whereas the TUI representative was somewhat frosty. I don’t know if it is a requirement to do so but at least it helps to distribute some of the cabin crew jobs albeit a very small number. |
Former Norwegian EI-FHH (to be G-TUKC) is parked at Lasham in TUI colours.
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Originally Posted by max_drift
(Post 10811794)
I can pretty much guarantee you that in the current climate every single TUI flight deck employee will be apoplectic if there is any ACMI work undertaken this year.
There are already questions being asked in relation to this specific post. |
A couple of interesting things to happen today I have been contacted by journalist this morning looking for more info and evidence about Tui outsourcing work to SmartLynx and other ACMI carriers when they start operations but are then using furlough scheme until the end and not taking UK staff back on to recommence operations.
Also TUI have made a public statement to say that they expect late Summer for UK flights to commence with at present that their summer season is only 25% sold as so many customers have amended bookings until 2021, they are hoping to get this up to 35% by the time flights commence so I expect the holiday change team may be busy as I can see cutbacks on frequency of flights especially when they have two flights a day to some destinations like with LCA and PFO from LGW and MAN they have a morning and afternoon flight. |
Originally Posted by 737James
(Post 10812352)
A couple of interesting things to happen today I have been contacted by journalist this morning looking for more info and evidence about Tui outsourcing work to SmartLynx and other ACMI carriers when they start operations but are then using furlough scheme until the end and not taking UK staff back on to recommence operations.
Also TUI have made a public statement to say that they expect late Summer for UK flights to commence with at present that their summer season is only 25% sold as so many customers have amended bookings until 2021, they are hoping to get this up to 35% by the time flights commence so I expect the holiday change team may be busy as I can see cutbacks on frequency of flights especially when they have two flights a day to some destinations like with LCA and PFO from LGW and MAN they have a morning and afternoon flight. |
Cloud1- Yes I have said that he best speak to the Tui press office although my complaint is on Tui social media platforms but as yet they have not even come back to me with an email address to send my formal complaint to. The seat map has opened up today which does show it as a SmartLynx A320
I really do hope that the situation changes and I can travel as planned on Tui aircraft with all their own hardworking crew rather than a second class Eastern European airline with old unreliable aircraft further affecting Tui's already bruised reputation. As other posters have indicated they cannot justify at present times having their own crew at home not flying or even worse laid off while they have a third party contractor offering a lower standard of service and customer satisfaction. This would be fine if we had not had this pandemic as it would be extra capacity to cover for demand. |
The problem the large travel companies face is that in normal times the booking process is largely automated. Hotels are contracted and flight programs are drawn up months in advance. In a normal season there might be some disruption due to unforeseen events in a particular destination or minor changes to the flying program but overall the changes are minor when compared to the scale of the operation. With lockdown most of these businesses were forced to close down their customer service centres at a time when thousands or even millions of flights were being cancelled. This resulted in a huge amount of customer dissatisfaction as people tried to find out what was happening or obtain refunds. As we move through this crisis companies have been able to reopen their customer service centres and increase the number of agents but there is still a far greater demand for assistance than in a normal season.
As the companies get on top of the refund situation and operations restart there will be further problems. Not all countries will reopen, nor will some hotels and not all flights will operate. At the moment the situation changes on a daily basis. Therefore, many customers will need to be contacted to see if they are happy with the changes or wish to re-book or cancel. This will be very time consuming and I would assume it will be dealt in date order. Hopefully, as time progresses there will be more certainty. |
Originally Posted by 737James
(Post 10812458)
Cloud1- Yes I have said that he best speak to the Tui press office although my complaint is on Tui social media platforms but as yet they have not even come back to me with an email address to send my formal complaint to. The seat map has opened up today which does show it as a SmartLynx A320.
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Originally Posted by 737James
(Post 10812458)
Cloud1- Yes I have said that he best speak to the Tui press office although my complaint is on Tui social media platforms but as yet they have not even come back to me with an email address to send my formal complaint to. The seat map has opened up today which does show it as a SmartLynx A320
I really do hope that the situation changes and I can travel as planned on Tui aircraft with all their own hardworking crew rather than a second class Eastern European airline with old unreliable aircraft further affecting Tui's already bruised reputation. As other posters have indicated they cannot justify at present times having their own crew at home not flying or even worse laid off while they have a third party contractor offering a lower standard of service and customer satisfaction. This would be fine if we had not had this pandemic as it would be extra capacity to cover for demand. How do you know you will get a lower standard of service and customer satisfaction? You haven’t even got on the bloody thing yet. Whether TUI use a leased aircraft or not and whether they use their crew or furlough them isn’t really your concern as a paying passenger. Let the Unions pick that up. As long as you get your extra legroom seats or indeed a refund as it will say in the t&cs that they cannot be guaranteed you don’t have a lot to complain about yet surely? I noted your comments about the £800 more to change flights and yes that does sound steep so just stick with what you bought in the first place unless I have missed something in which case I apologise in advance. The public are too quick to moan and groan about everything. It grates my tits. |
Cloud1- Although I have not travelled with SmartLynx before I now know people that have both on their A320 and A321 so far I have not seen any positive comments about them online or reviews.
I fully understand that aircraft and airlines can change its the nature of the industry but I personally do not consider Tui and SmartLynx to be of the same standard or level of service & comfort. The main complaint i wish to register with them is about the way it was dealt with they waited until after the balance had been paid in full to advise of the change, which I now know from speaking to Swissport staff they have had this down as A320 operating my flights since Jan. Also how they can justify the charge to amend the flight to an airport 48 miles away but same everything else. To me they continue to not provide all the information to the consumer at the point of purchase for them to make their informed decision as they still show flights as being operated by Tui and offering Extra legroom seats. I am very thankful for all users feedback and input, it now appears to be a case of wait and see especially after today's announcement of only operating 35% of planned capacity for the rest of summer 2020 |
I'd be amazed if their T&C's don't give them the right to change the a/c type and operator, or that a charge will be made for booking changes.
From a contractual point of view, what your opinion is of Tui and SmartLynx is irrelevant - you contract is to get from A to B and back |
Originally Posted by SWBKCB
(Post 10812605)
I'd be amazed if their T&C's don't give them the right to change the a/c type and operator, or that a charge will be made for booking changes.
From a contractual point of view, what your opinion is of Tui and SmartLynx is irrelevant - you contract is to get from A to B and back |
The TUI system hasn’t been updated since March, so any flight that was due to be operated by an ACMI operator - and there were a few due to the Max grounding - will still show as being operated by an ACMI operator. The “confirmation” you received is just what the system is still telling either you or the staff member who confirmed it to you, if that’s the case.
When the U.K. government lifts the FCO advice against all but essential travel, and the company has finalised a revised schedule for the Summer - both of which are expected imminently - the system will be updated. You’ll almost certainly find that your flight times are changed either slightly or significantly and your flight will be on a TUI aircraft. Not worth panicking over, and certainly not worth any members of the “press” on here getting their knickers in a twist over. |
They are what they are, we booked a Dreamliner from Manchester to Rhodes in 2016, lovely flight over, on the way back it was changed to a 767 which of course is not the same level in terms of comfort but was one of those things and got the money back on our pre booked seating. (Not that I personally minded as maybe fewer chances to fly 767s!)
The Eastern European operators these days are generally decent enough and Smartlynx etc have had very good relationships with the Western operators. Expect though flights will be condensed so multiple daily flights to destinations pushes into one on a TUI AC etc as pointless if flights are not full sending 2 or 3 flights a day to Palma or Alicante for example this summer. |
Remember LH is going to be slower to recover so a few dreamliners can be used on the bucket & spade routes on what was before multiple daily departures, if things recover that well.
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Originally Posted by Cloud1
(Post 10812544)
You have taken the opinion of some random posters on here to determine that the airline you are flying on is “second class” with old unreliable aircraft. With all due respect the aircraft successfully operated for Thomas Cook UK last year in their colours and their on time performance was no worse than normal and certainly no evidence to point to those leased aircraft as being the reason for performance issues. .
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Hmmmm. Aircraft originally a 787 on booking departing North Terminal now changed to departing South Terminal 'operated by TUI' but appears to be an A321 (so presumably borrowed aircraft) configuration. However never been sent an email informing of aircraft change as you normally get. If the North Terminal is now the operational terminal, I wonder if the aircraft will change back to 787?
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Reading previous posts, I think the only thing that is certain is that what ever it says now, it will change...
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