Bristol: TUI Airways Route News & Base Updates

[Jerry]

Are they 'runway gobblers' ?

Have read somewhere (can't remember where) that the A321LR needs a lot more runway than BRS has got, to operate at maximum range.

I'm not sure. I did see a post somewhere which said the MAX 9 needed the same amount of runway as the 900er which is a lot. But would they operate at full weight and full range from an airport like BRS? The most they generally fly is 4 hours roughly 2000 miles and their range is generally double that so maybe the runway wouldn't be a problem.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I've noticed some additions to this winters schedule which I don't think have appeared before. Madeira starts now in march 2018 whilst paphos goes twice a week in April

In the end it will depend how many times the flight gets diverted in the season. There are 19 flights left for the season........

14 outbound flights left to both Cancun and Sanford this year. As with the previous programmes with B 767s there is a four-week break from this weekend with the flights returning during the weekend of 22/23 July. With the B 767s it was said the aircraft were used from Scottish airports where the school summer holidays begin about a month earlier than in England and Wales.

 

[Jerry]

14 outbound flights left to both Cancun and Sanford this year. As with the previous programmes with B 767s there is a four-week break from this weekend with the flights returning during the weekend of 22/23 July. With the B 767s it was said the aircraft were used from Scottish airports where the school summer holidays begin about a month earlier than in England and Wales.

Oh didn't realise there was a break! It will be interesting to see if there are any more fuel diversions with those flights.
One thing I still can't understand with TOM is if they are doing long haul for the South Western region out of BRS during the summer then why not do it in the winter. There is only 2 TOM flights (not including any cruise flights for someone else) that I could find in the winter program from BRS yet there are at 5 from CWL. If they can get better money per head flying from BRS on holiday packages in the summer then why not in the winter as well? It just makes me curious as to why they are essentially operating their winter long haul out of Cardiff and not Bristol yet they won't touch Cardiff in the summer.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The cruise market at CWL has long fascinated me. For an airport that serves a relatively challenged economic core catchment they seemingly outperform when it comes to cruises. With BRS's catchment containing a high number of fairly well-off, older, often retired people (one of the reasons Barbara Cassani said that Go went to BRS), it might be thought that they were the ideal cruise passenger, although I believe that in recent years cruising has become much more popular with all age groups. It's not something that has ever attracted me.

Part of the answer might lie in operational capability with, until the advent of the lighter former First Choice B 767s, now disposed of (fewer seats than TOM's own aircraft), BRS would have struggled to fly non-stop to the Caribbean.

Now the 787s are available the operational question might not be now as focused as it once was, but the cruise market seems established at CWL so perhaps TUI believes there is no reason to change things.

It would be interesting to know how many people from the West Country and wider South West use the CWL cruise flights.

 

[Jerry]

The flights I'm talking about aren't cruise flights they are holiday package flights to Barbados and Jamaica which is why I'm surprised, but happy, they are operating them from CWL and not BRS. TOM themselves aren't offering any cruise packages from the South West but they will be operating 4 cruise flights on behalf of P&O Cruises.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Thanks for the clarification. I knew there were some TOM cruise flights this coming winter. I was obviously talking at cross purposes.

Probably the same reason for CWL having most of the flights. The market has built up over a number of years.

I think airports like Bournemouth and Exeter have Caribbean flights in winter - not sure whether they are for cruises or resort flights.

 

[superking]

BOH flights were for P&O..Im sure I read some where that BOH has not got any P&O flights this winter of 17/18. I didn't think Exeter had any of these flights.

 

[kraktoa]

What has the Cancun and Sandford 4 week stoppage at Bristol got to do with the scottish school holidays?

 

[Jerry]

What has the Cancun and Sandford 4 week stoppage at Bristol got to do with the scottish school holidays?

The aircraft may be needed up there for extra flights i'd suggest.

 

[big g]

Even when the CUN/SFB originally operated on the 767 it used to have a 4 week break, so it's nothing new.

As said the Scottish school holiday start before England's, you will see TCX operating W patterns from GLA then ferrying back to home bases.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Three Boeing 757s

I was idly looking through Mayfly and hadn't realised that on Saturdays three TOM B 757s are rostered to be on the ground at the same time.

1210 from Pula
1420 from Alicante (non based)
1455 from Palma

1530 to Alicante (non based)
1630 to Paphos
1655 to Rhodes

There seems a lot of time on the ground for one of the aircraft. Can't be many summers left when we see any TOM B757s at BRS, let alone three.

In addition the based TOM B 738 arrives from Reus at 1120 and departs for Ibiza at 1320.

 

[Marko1]

Changes appear to be starting to the 2018 schedule. Madeira looks to have been dropped on Monday morning and Ibiza goes to a late mon night departure. Missing a Monday am slot now.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Changes appear to be starting to the 2018 schedule. Madeira looks to have been dropped on Monday morning and Ibiza goes to a late mon night departure. Missing a Monday am slot now.

Not unusual for Thomson (TUI) to tinker with their summer programme following the initial announcement. Still a bit odd though because they know that easyJet has flown the route for a number of years and would be competition for them; in fact easyJet operates 2 x weekly in summer and 3 x weekly in winter.

It might be thought that this leaves an opportunity in summer but equally easyJet's experience of the route might mean they have a good knowledge of the demand at various times.

I remember going to Madeira one winter (Nov/Dec) about 20 years ago from BRS with First Choice.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Three Boeing 757s

I was idly looking through Mayfly and hadn't realised that on Saturdays three TOM B 757s are rostered to be on the ground at the same time.

1210 from Pula
1420 from Alicante (non based)
1455 from Palma

1530 to Alicante (non based)
1630 to Paphos
1655 to Rhodes

There seems a lot of time on the ground for one of the aircraft. Can't be many summers left when we see any TOM B757s at BRS, let alone three.

In addition the based TOM B 738 arrives from Reus at 1120 and departs for Ibiza at 1320.

My comment about one of the aircraft spending a lot of time on the ground isn't borne out by reality.

The aircraft of the 1210 arrival from Pula switched with the non-based Alicante flight that arrived at 1420 to operate the return to ALC at 1530. The aircraft of the non-based Alicante arrival operated the departure to Paphos at 1630. The aircraft of the 1455 arrival from Palma operated the 1655 departure to Rhodes.

Hope that's clear as there will be a test later.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Large police presence at Bristol Airport as three men arrested and flight diverted

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/large-police-presence-bristol-airport-180183

A TUI B 757-operated Glasgow to Alicante flight was diverted to BRS late this morning because of three disruptive passengers. Three men were arrested on suspicion of using threatening, abusive or insulting words towards crew while on an aircraft.

The above link contains a local press report with a number of pictures of the incident.

 

[Marko1]

Thomson are launching a weekly hurghada service on Mondays next summer replacing Madeira

 

[superking]

It makes you wonder why ppl get drink into them that they cause trouble on flights as they have bought a holiday which they wont be taking as removed from aircraft and locked up in the process,it causes the rest of pax a minor delay compared to the ones removed from the aircraft.These ppl that get disruptive hit them very hard in the pockets as well as no holiday.I do wonder if they get their price of the holiday returned to them and if they do take that from them as well and seeing its cost them a lot of money and possable prison then keep that money and donate it to a charity.

 

[kraktoa]

Thomson are launching a weekly hurghada service on Mondays next summer replacing Madeira

Todays incident may result in a FCO reconsideration of Egypt beach resorts as a safe destination for Brits.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Cancun resumed today after its 4-week break with Sanford resuming tomorrow.

It seems that the B787-8, G-TUIF, Neil, operated non-stop, departing BRS 1028 (sched 1000) and arriving Cancun 1403 local (sched 1355). FR24 track showed no en-route stop and the elapsed time suggests this too.

 

[Jerry]

Was curious to see how well the Cancun and Sanford flights started off. I believe there were no return flights for the first departures as it started in May? If i'm wrong i'll correct it.
Cancun 1740 average pax 248 LF 82%.
Sanford 1815 average pax 259 LF 86%.
Seems to have gotten off the a good start!