Birmingham: TUI Airways Flights, New Routes & Base Updates

[Ray Finkle]

Thomson have added holiday packages from Birmingham to Dubai from mid December until mid March.

The flights were originally for their cruises but it seems as if they have done so well that they're now offering holidays too. The article suggests that they will be operated on a 787 rather than a 767 as speculated.

Thomson, alongside their holiday package company First Choice have announced plans to expand into the Emirates Market. They have announced that they will be adding holiday packages to Dubai into their mid haul winter programme from December 2016.

Tickets for flights are now on sale and the airline will operate flights to Dubai from London Gatwick, Manchester & Birmingham twice per week, Mondays and Tuesdays, from 19th December 2016 to 15th March 2017 using their Boeing B787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

Full article: http://www.airlive.net/news-thomson-expands-portfolio-to-dubai/

 

[nwoody2001]

that sounds like an increase too... I thought the original plan was 2x weekly 763s from LGW and MAN and 1x weekly from BHX but 2x weekly from all LGW, MAN and BHX reads as an increase.

who would know that Thomson would operate more flights weekly to Dubai than Orlando!!!

Again, every little helps. 2x weekly 788 flights for 3 months that's circa 15,000 seats!

 

[User001]

It's just 1 weekly from BHX and 2 weekly from LGW/MAN.

It's just a poorly worded article.

 

[Ray Finkle]

MAN and LGW aren't 2x weekly throughout, only on some individual weeks.

Birmingham has departures every Monday from the dates shown.

MAN and LGW show 1x weekly on a Tuesday with a couple of extra Mondays added.

MAN has 4 extra Monday flights, 19th Dec, 9th Jan, 13th Feb and 6th March and Gatwick has two, 2nd Jan and 22nd Feb.

A total of 13 flights for BHX, 17 flights for MAN, 15 flights for LGW and 2 flights each for NCL and CWL.

 

[nwoody2001]

Thanks for the clarification Ray, a poorly worded article indeed, or should we says it's just some nice spin with even MAN only being 2x weekly for 4 out of the 13 weeks! BHX has done pretty well then when you camp are BHX with LGW/BHX

 

[Ray Finkle]

Thomson summer '17 is due to be released tomorrow.

It appeared briefly on their website a few weeks ago so we know that the only long haul increase is an extra Punta Cana. We will see 787 departures every day except Wednesday which I assume will be a maintenance day. It's a bit disappointing that they didn't decide to fit in a new destination but sadly it looks like yet another year with just one Orlando and no Cuba.

Mexico - Mon and Fri

Jamaica - Sun

Florida - Thur

Dominican Republic - Tue and Sat

There were also some increases for short haul but I can't remember them now.

 

[Ray Finkle]

A quick look shows.

New destinations include a weekly Almeria and Alghero (again). I've not looked at any increases but I'm sure that they will be in the press release.

Evelop do a Monday Palma and Alba Star a Thursday Palma.

Two flights to AGP are showing TBA (Sun and Thur) but two flights this year use Monarch.

Still plenty of time for change.

I hope Alghero does operate next year as I quite fancy it myself.

 

[User001]

The 2 Malaga flights with 'TBA' I'm told are going to be Norwegian. Could be right as they are away based timings too.

 

[Ray Finkle]

That was what I was hoping for, if they start doing some flying for Thomson it could open up some new routes.

 

[User001]

There should be a fair bit more D8 flying for Thomson next year, however, it obviously won't be confirmed until D8 put the flights on sale.

 

[nwoody2001]

....and if its one thing we know about D8, its that they can leave their announcements till pretty late in the day! Didn't they announce the new MAN-Spain flights only 3 months before their launch???

If D8 are taking some capacity off Thomson however, this might not mean much actually expansion from TOM themselves, and the freed up capacity will simply be used on the new routes and/or frequency increases?

 

[User001]

They announced MAN-BCN with just over 3 weeks lead in time, so yes, definitely last minute!

 

[Ray Finkle]

It's only a small bonus and may well change but this year (as in previous years) our Jamaica flights stop and Mexico reduces to 1x weekly, as the 787 goes up to Scotland for four weeks over their school holidays in June and July. Next year it currently shows the Bristol 787 doing the extra Scottish flights so we have a full programme maintained throughout.

As they say, every little helps 👍

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Bristol used to lose its 767s for a month in June/July for the Scottish school holidays when Sanford and Cancun were operated until 2013.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Some more flights showing TBA.

Tuesday Antalya, Friday Dalaman and a Monday Bodrum.

All are away based flight times but I guess if bookings to Turkey are well down then they may not operate.

 

[User001]

I think I had read that Pegasus will do the DLM and Freebird the others.

There have been a lot of 'TBA' flights left in the Thomson system across the UK so have been trying to source who they will be.

 

[User001]

One off New Orleans charter on B767 in December.

 

[nwoody2001]

how bizzare, but not unwelcome!

 

[User001]

It's for a cruise that departs New Orleans. There are 2 flights from Gatwick (one TOM and one TCX), one from Birmingham and 2 from Manchester (both TOM).

 

[Brum X]

This is a nice little bonus, also nice to see them including BHX into these one off charters rather than the usual MAN/LGW only.

23rd December 2016

Birmingham – New Orleans
TOM814 BHX1355 – 1815MSY 763
TOM815 MSY2015 – 1045+1BHX 763