Thomas Cook-Beware

[Dave_t6]

Course?

Has anyone actually started with Thomas Cook in recent weeks? I have been through the process but no course dates have even been mentioned?

[macdo]

Originally Posted by Dave_t6

Has anyone actually started with Thomas Cook in recent weeks? I have been through the process but no course dates have even been mentioned?

I wouldn't be too surprised. Training dept. is maxxed out big time.

[ShotOne]

Agreed the public won’t base their travel choice on strike-unless it were safety-related which it wasn’t. But passengers DO choose to fly with a brand they recognise with an experienced U.K. regulated operation and pilots. Would they have chosen to fly with a small airline in a former-Soviet republic operating far from its regulator with a business model which hinges on high turnover of very low-paid pilots?

[macdo]

Originally Posted by ShotOne

Agreed the public won’t base their travel choice on strike-unless it were safety-related which it wasn’t. But passengers DO choose to fly with a brand they recognise with an experienced U.K. regulated operation and pilots. Would they have chosen to fly with a small airline in a former-Soviet republic operating far from its regulator with a business model which hinges on high turnover of very low-paid pilots?

LoL, if the small ex-communist bloc airline was five quid cheaper, yeah, you can bet that the majority of TC's clientele would be off like a shot. Even if the planes were flown by well trained gibbons! It's a razor sharp cut throat market out there, and to be fair to TC's board, they know it well.

[ShotOne]

In which case why don’t they fly under their own branding so passengers can make an informed choice? I’ve nothing against Smartlynx as such, but holiday-makers are being conned that they are flying on a Thomas Cook aircraft

[macdo]

Originally Posted by ShotOne

In which case why don’t they fly under their own branding so passengers can make an informed choice? I’ve nothing against Smartlynx as such, but holiday-makers are being conned that they are flying on a Thomas Cook aircraft

It is because your average holiday maker knows that an aeroplane flies from one point of the earth to another (see note 1). Above that he/she largely has little interest in the flight other than the cabin experience. Almost all TC ACMI aircraft are branded as TC, have TC in-flight product and TC Cabin Crew. They have bought a TC 'product' and they have received it. On the TC website, if a holiday/flight is being flown with a non MT flight number, it will say operated by xxx airlines. In fact they go further, in the bowels of the website there is even a page which describes who is operating the ACMI a/c. All the info is there, but few customers will go looking for it, but they will always look at the price.

Note 1. It is not uncommon for passengers not to actually know where on the planet they are actually bound for!

[Direct Bondi]

You are correct in your assessment of passenger apathy.

Passengers remain indifferent even when 100% of the pilots and flight attendants are outsourced and have no employment relationship the airline. Unions in the US are demanding this information be disclosed to passengers at ticket purchase. No US airline operates with 100% outsourced crews, ACMI replacements are seldom used.

[macdo]

That's good to hear, usual own goals. As much as I deplore the attempt to reduce t&c's within the group by inventing TCBals, I'd far rather fly on a jet that had at least some oversight and investment from the main airline group, than the aforesaid ACMI's, which I would not fly on by choice. TCBals will struggle in the current recruitment climate, but I suspect it is the shape of the group airline of the future.

[CargoOne]

Originally Posted by Direct Bondi

No US airline operates with 100% outsourced crews, ACMI replacements are seldom used.

If you look at US market, all regional operations are in fact outsourced to Skywest and alike, who operating hundreds(!) of aircraft on the contracts which are a mix of ACMI and charter nature. Skywest alone is 400+ aircraft, Europe is a far cry compared to that.

[Riskybis]

Originally Posted by MonarchOrBust

So, what's the deal. Still seeing FO recruitment adverts across the group. Is that for expansion despite all the doom, gloom and negativity or simply to replace people retiring/moving on?

There is always smoke with fire , but I never trust the media ! They add viscous rumours to sell a story , detrimental to the employees

[USERNAME_]

Originally Posted by midnight cruiser

Airline side almost certain to be sold to keep the wolf (bond holders) from the door. Who knows what happens to the crews then - might be a back door to Virgin, might not. Amazing how quickly the Germans undid the recovery created by Harriet Green.

Word in the galley is that Indigo Partners are going to take us over. Whether they WOW us or not is another story.
The uncertainty is the worst part, and the company don't tell us anything! Not even reassuring us.

[UAV689]

Hope it all works out for you guys. Was reading today about payment companies withholding the dish from tickets, that is a nightmare for short term liquidity

[USERNAME_]

Originally Posted by UAV689

Hope it all works out for you guys. Was reading today about payment companies withholding the dish from tickets, that is a nightmare for short term liquidity

Far as i'm aware, the payments being withheld are bookings made via thomascook.com or other forms of package holiday.

Direct bookings for flights-only on thomascookairlines.com are not having payments withheld, thankfully.

[horsebox]

Alot of the media reporting is borderline hysterical and not helpful. However the company need to be a bit more active in correcting this before it takes hold. Airline sale needs to happen sooner not later.

[Jonty]

Originally Posted by USERNAME_

Far as i'm aware, the payments being withheld are bookings made via thomascook.com or other forms of package holiday.

Direct bookings for flights-only on thomascookairlines.com are not having payments withheld, thankfully.

No, it’s just in the Nordics. And they are not at this point withholding payment. They are in talks with Thomas cook about an extension to terms.
Hopefully it won’t come to that.

[a5in_the_sim]

Perhaps Greybull Capital could buy them........

[AviatorDave]

Originally Posted by RAT 5

The Public also need educating sometimes. Some of the recent decisions in various elections, worldwide, might have been based on mis-information and they might have been suckered by the side that were better at clouding the real issues than the other.

Good luck with educating the public. These days, too many powerful forces want to keep the public‘s eyes shut in many regards. And, largely owning the mass media, they have been doing pretty well so far.

[safelife]

Latest gossip is, TC won't sell their airlines after all.
Apparently found other ways of controlling their dept.

[763 jock]

Originally Posted by safelife

Latest gossip is, TC won't sell their airlines after all.
Apparently found other ways of controlling their dept.

Just gossip. Nothing more. The airlines will be sold.

[Satoshi Nakamoto]

I heard there was a conference yesterday. Any news?