Leeds Bradford: TUI Airways Flights, New Routes & Schedule Updates

[Len Fish]

But that would suggest they don’t have enough holiday bookings to fill one of their own aircraft to certain destinations from certain airports.

 

[Seasider]

Reading into their advertisements, they are using Ryanair so they can offer more destinations and variable days of the week and length of holiday. Something Jet2 have been doing for years and became No. 1 Tour Operator.

 

[White Heather]

But that would suggest they don’t have enough holiday bookings to fill one of their own aircraft to certain destinations from certain airports.

Not really , it suggests they dont have enough aircraft to serve those routes from those airports and rather than not make flights available at all, they use other carriers. If they dont provide an aircraft they wont really ever know whether it would have been booked up or not

 

[Len Fish]

Not having enough aircraft of their own but having to use other carriers to maintain a reasonable presence at airports such as LBA gives the impression of a half hearted, disinterested approach. In truth only TUI knows what their strategy is, if they have one!

 

[rollo]

For obvious reasons ws aviation enthusiasts we think of TUI as an airline but in reality they are and always have been a holiday business that amongst other things formed an airline originally Euravia then Brittania and now its current form as a pan Europe operation to sevice its main business of offering people vacations accross the continent and around the globe. They offer cruises and river cruises own the ships and own and operate 463 hotels. They most definitely have a cordinated strategy and a much wider spread and reach than say Jet2 and importently retain within the group all the revenue from hotel accommodation and cruise ships have a captive clientele who are a relatively wealthy income stream and last year their ships ran at 99% capacity.

On yhis forum we obviously ompare TUI and Jet2 who are the two most important airlines in the UK IT market. Jet2 are great business and have come from nowhere to become the biggest player in the UK IT market to Europe but in a sense have become a one trick pony (a good one) and are now in effect a holiday company who have its own airline ie. Most of the money we the customers pay for our 2 weeks in the sun goes on accommodation etc and not on the say 5hrs on flights ro and from say Alicante or Palma

From a LBA perspective TUI couldn't have set up a base of say 4 aircraft even if they wanted to given limited terminal capacity now nearly resolved and stupid out of step night restrictions set by the authorities plus the clever and effective rise of Jet2 at Leeds and elsewhere.

Finally as an aside regarding TUI it's worth remembering rhey have seen off or out lasted practically every holiday company from the start of the IT boom in the 1960's going way back to the likes of Court line (bankruptcy) and Horizon (taken over) TUI in my view are a well constructed company.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Good points, but I think they have lost their way somewhat in the UK.

Tui have never struck me as a 'real' airline I think of them more in a holiday charter context. Probably just me but the feeling was reinforced recently when we used them on long haul, there's no comparison with Virgin. Beyond our first drink and snack everything else was payable.

 

[Len Fish]

Good observations from everyone. I suppose as enthusiasts we’re super critical of airlines and their operations at LBA, especially when rumours of a new base or routes come to nothing. I suppose for your average punter all they’re really concerned about is that they have a great holiday in a half decent hotel. The airline they travel with will be far less of a concern for most of them, especially on short haul destinations where creatures comforts are less of a concern!

 

[gulftraveller]

TUI has never positioned itself as a stand alone airline but rather an in-house operator for Thomson/TUI. Jet2 was a stand alone operation which now, like TUI, operates mainly for a holiday company. Both will sell off extra seats where the forecast suggests the holiday company will not need them.

There was ThomsonFly which tried the L/C market from e.g. CVT and DSA. It did not work. I am surprised to hear the recent announcement of TUI flights from LGW which appear to be flight only. I assume they are trying to take up the slack Wizz UK is vacating.

 

[rollo]

The one other point I meant but forgot to mention is the collapse of first Monarch in 2017 folowed by Thomas Cook which created an opportunity which TUI for whatever reasons pretty much ignored but opened a door that Jet2 charged through.

 

[BCFC]

Imagine booking a holiday with TUI only to find out your flying with Ryanair, I for one like Ryanair but I bet there are a lot of TUI customers who don't. Not a great start to your holiday.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I agree, Ryanair suffer from a bad reputation earned many years ago and they have since reformed. I would say they are better than Easyjet these days.