Air Transat stopping UK flights?

[MAN2YKF]

Does anyone know anything about this?
Whats the reason? is it permenant?

A couple of FA's from TSC have heard rumours that they are losing there UK flights at the end of this year.
I did a little research using Canadian Affiar, Thomas Cook and Air Transat and i got this.
Thomas Cook operating all MAN/LGW/BHX/GLA as of 2010
On some routes earlier.
As for Exeter and Newcastle, TSC's website states no outbound available in 2010!

For years i was under the impression the UK was Air Transat's bread and butter, offering scheduled flights between the two countries.

Anyone have any insight?

Thanks

[doo]

Thomas Cook operate on behalf of Canadian-affair.com, owned byTransat

[MAN2YKF]

I know that, but why the sudden change?
What will they be doing instead?
last summer Air Transat increased it's LGW flights to twice a day and now they are going to nothing.
The increased flights to Italy & Spain surely won't be as lucrative as the UK has been.

[Carrier]

Like other airlines, Air Transat never made the effort to properly serve and develop Canada-UK traffic. So many airlines from all parts of the world seem to have a self-destructive fixation on Heathrow and Gatwick. Gatwick is fine for those living in or visiting the south east of England and London but what about the rest of the UK? Mrs C and I used Air Transat’s service in the past between Toronto and Birmingham International Airport. Our relatives in the UK used it in the opposite direction to visit us in Ontario. Birmingham International in the centre of England and serving the country’s second largest city is the best placed UK airport for access to all parts of the UK, including London. It has its own rail station, which also serves the NEC, on the West Coast Main Line with frequent fast electric trains to most parts of the UK. For those who prefer to drive, motorway access to other parts of the UK is equally good.
Air Transat, like some other operators, did not think about serving the whole of the UK and how its pax are to travel between their arrival airport in the UK and destinations in all parts of the country. They should try again and concentrate their flights from all parts of Canada at Birmingham International. I mention all parts of Canada because the last time Mrs C and I went to the UK we flew out of Edmonton on another carrier because Air Transat did not have any flights from Edmonton or Calgary to the UK when we needed to travel.
Heathrow and Gatwick are no longer suitable for connecting flights to other countries. Mrs C and I regularly fly from Canada to South Africa and other countries in Africa. However, UK and USA security nazis have become so obnoxious that we avoid travelling by air through the USA or UK. Apart from the security hassles, both countries, the USA in particular, seem to have stopped through baggage checks, so one now has the extra inconvenience of retrieving and rechecking bags at connecting airports. We travel via more customer service oriented countries using friendlier airports such as those in Zurich, Amsterdam or Paris.
I hope someone from Air Transat management will read this and enable them to get their act together. Their service has been fine in the past but we cannot give them our custom if they refuse to fly the routes that we need.

[MAN2YKF]

For a while they had the UK covered, (10yrs ago)
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds/Bradford,
Birmingham, Cardiff, Stanstead, Gatwick, Exeter.
Then they dropped Aberdeen, Leeds, Cardiff & Stanstead and added Heathrow and for the past few years all seemed well.

A lot of the FA's i have spoken too are lost to why this has happened, in fact i know a few FA's live in the UK and commute.

Air Transat are keeping things very quiet.

I have heard rumours that Westjet may operate Edmounston / Halifax - LGW next year.

We will see...

[PaperTiger]

Like other airlines, Air Transat never made the effort to properly serve and develop Canada-UK traffic. So many airlines from all parts of the world seem to have a self-destructive fixation on Heathrow and Gatwick.That's what the visitors want - London. Stansted (no "a") qualifies and is marketed as such, but few know or care where BHX, BRS, CWL etc. are, except they don't want to go there.

[Boeing737jock]

You want to know why, 12 pilots layoff for next summer,we give all the jobs to Thomas Cook and Canjet!


ps:stay tune it will be ugly soon!:ugh:

[billy34-kit]

boeing, ...and you talking on behalf of wich group please?

[Married a Canadian]

have heard rumours that Westjet may operate Edmounston / Halifax - LGW next year.

Does the 737 that Westjet operates have the range to do Halifax to Gatwick?

[Minorite invisible]

Air Transat is an airline wholly owned by Transat A.T.

In addition to Air Transat, Transat A. T. also owns these Tour Operators and several others not listed here.

nolitours
vacancestransat
revatours
merikatours
jonview
tourgreecedmc
bennett
canadavision
look-voyages
amplitudevacances
canadianaffair

Transat A.T. is only interested in the bottom line. They have no special affinity or love for its airline, Air Transat. As long as Transat A.T. and its Tour Operators are making money, they do not care if Air Transat and its 3000 or so employees have any work or not. The Transat A.T. bottom line is what sets the pace.

When Transat A.T. can make more money by signing contracts with other airlines such Canjet, Westjet or Thomas Cook, they will. The day it becomes evident to them that they can do without Air Transat, they will just get rid of it, downsize it, close it or sell it.

Air Transat's financial situation is not even public since its wholly owned by Transat A.T. The airlines financial results are integrated in the Group's financial results.

Air Transat no longer flies to many destinations, but that does not mean that Transat A.T. does not sell tickets or packages to those destinations. For the most part, they are just flown by other (cheaper) carriers, thats all.

[CanadaRocks]

I miss the people at Transat, but it looks like I made the right decision. Only 45C in the desert today!

[CLIPPER 33]

I would suggest that maybe they havn't (havn'@t) loaded their own schedule yet
for 2010 as this year TS also used a mix of codeshares ex the UK. They dont appear to have loaded any of their own flying to Europe for 2010.

[Boeing737jock]

Canadarocks


The 6 others Air Transat Pilots now at Emirates don't think the same as you!:mad:

[MAN2YKF]

There is also talk of layoffs at Air Transat this coming fall, though this often happens at that time of year, one must wonder how the Air Transat employee's feel knowing they may get laid off but at the sametime Transat is subcontracting out flights to Canjet and Thomascook.

If i was at TSC i would be a little pissed at that. (if the above happens)

[CanadaRocks]

Hi Boeing,

I guess I got lucky! I'm with EY TRI 330/340. I left Transat as an A330 FO.

CR

[Boeing737jock]

i know you! you land in Terciera on 24 august 2001?:ok:



ps: hope you do well!

[MAN2YKF]

I know of you then, and my wife knows you if you were the FO on 236.
My wife bumbed into you in LGW back in the spring.

[TheCanuck]

He's not the 236 FO, that person works for EK not EY.

[CanadaRocks]

Bonjour Crazy Canuck,

You're correct. How many 310's and 330's does Air Transat operate now.

CR

[TheCanuck]

14 A310's and 5 A330's.
The plan for now is to replace all A310's with A330's by 2013.
We will see.

Cheers!!

[Nuuk]

Boeing,

Can you share with us why do you think the 10+ ex TS drivers at EK want to go back to the charter life?
Keep the blue side up and enjoy!

[Toubob]

Minorite Invisible

Bang on!

I had a great time working for Transat, loved the team the flights and the experience. But the whole group Transat thing always had me worried.

That's why I moved on. Still miss the old company and the fun, I thought charter flying was hard till I ended up in my new digs, but honestly I don't regret it. After Piche and 236, SARS and 911,I realized that if Transat At's profits are threatened by the airline that Group Transat could bin the airline or give away your job to the lowest bidder like CanJet at anytime and there is "S.F all" you or the union could do about it. The Airline is only a tool of the bigger group.

I hope the airline has many more good years in it as it is a professional outfit that taught me a lot. A place that I am proud that I was once part of.

737Jock is sadly delusioned. There are over 30 ex AT guys in Etihad and Emirates. In fact in Etihad the 15 that came over are it's most senior pilots and are all TRI and TRE's. The group in Etihad and at Emirates stay in touch, and although we all miss home and get pissed off here by management. We could never make this much cash in Canada at either with AT or AC.

Keep the Blue side up "les gars", pour les autres mange la merdes

[CanadaRocks]

Toubob,

Your French is improving. I need a French girlfriend I guess.

Merci Canuck!

Ramadan Karem,
CR