TCX at LTN

[Powerjet1]

From the airport website earlier this month, Thomas Cook announced they were expanding capacity at the airport for the busy July/ August period and positioning an additional aircraft to do this. So far, I don't think anything has happened and to the best of my knowledge no TCX aircraft have been seen at LTN other than the weekly 'W' from Palma on a Tuesday. Correct me if i'm wrong.

Anyone know anymore?.

[Standard Jet Dep]

Hi powerjet to answer your question yes we will be at LTN with a near full weekly programme in August and i believe early september. A GLA based 757 will operate into LTN and op about 2 slot deps a day till the 9th Sept. Anyway it makes my job more interesting as i get to visit another field and from a couple of previous visits LTN looks quite interesting from a ground perspective.

[Powerjet1]

Standard Jet Dep

Many thanks for the info. Will add a little bit more variety to the usual orange & blue & hopefully bode well for a similar or slightly expanded exercise in S05. Here's to a busy August !!!.

[Powerjet1]

Do you know the actual start date of the series ?. The reason I ask is that flights from Luton to Corfu & others have been showing as holiday flights operated by TCX on the airport's holiday website but they don't actually seem to operate. Take today for example, on the holiday website, a flight is listed at 10.00 to Corfu by TCX but no mention on the flight departures.

[Standard Jet Dep]

I believe we start covering flights there from this Thursday. I did have the full programme but lost it so i should have a new copy tomorrow. From memory I think we are flying to CFU on a monday morning as you said with a DLM rotation at night however my memory could be very wrong.

[Powerjet1]

Thanks for that information.

[Powerjet1]

To Faro @ 09.20 today, ex Luton, would appear to be the first departure of this series.

[Powerjet1]

Have noticed that on these additional TCX flights, whilst there seems to be two departures daily to various Med destinations from LTN, the return flight always seems to route straight back to GLA. Infact, I have yet to see any TCX flights arriving back to LTN at all. It seems purely one way traffic. So what happens to LTN originating pax at the end of their hols?. Can anyone explain?.

[FormerFlyer]

I have a sneaky feeling they are coming back on HV - that's what it's saying on their tix at work, but not sure what real life is reflecting.

Anyone else know if it is HV bringin 'em home?

cheers ;)

FF

[LGS6753]

For the first week or two, the inbound flights will be bringing GLA pax back. When the first LTN-originating pax finish their hols (7 or 14 days from the start of the series), the inbound flights will come to LTN.

In the 2005 jmc summer brochure, these flights are repeated, starting in early Aug and going through to end Oct.

[Powerjet1]

LGS6753

Know what you are saying but with the first outbound on 5 Aug, I would have thought the first inbound would be 12 Aug(ie 7 night hols returning). Today is the 18th Aug and to the best of my knowledge the only inbound was ex Palma.

[LGS6753]

This business of moving aircraft around in mid-season must be nightmarish for the airlines, but the tour operators must think it's worth it.
If the last GLA departure on a given route carried both 7 and 14 day holiday-makers, there would be two part-full return legs to run. Also, if the first LTN outbound carried 7 and 14 nighters, there would be at least one part-full inbound (the first). It may well be that TCX only took 14 nighters on the final outbound, thereby maximising revenue and keeping the aircraft full. If so, they should have only sold 14 nights on the first LTN outbound for the same reason. That implies returns into LTN starting tomorrow (19th - 14 days after the first outbound).
I guess their reservations systems would be up to that.
Also, I wonder what the split is between 7 and 14 nights in high season - I would expect an overwhelming proportion of 14s.

Edit:
The Palma flight operates all season

[Standard Jet Dep]

Affirm LSG flights from Tomorrow will stop positioning back to GLA as so far everything from catering etc has been organised from GLA. This will transfer to STN from Tomorrow as a/c dues not originate or terminate at GLA. Actually will be over in LTN next week looking after a couple of flights so should be a little bit more varied to work on something different than the bus.