Question – Which 767-300?? TOM or FCA?

The time has come………..

Heading out in the morning, all packed with DLSR im hand lugage, the hotel we are staying at is only 10 mins from the airport so should be able to get some nice photos!!

Trip report and photos to follow!

Bye for now!

Rick

As the TOM and FCA 767s appear to have different seat configs, IF the flight is allocated to an FCA aircraft (and your post above appears to suggest that it is) then its extremely likely that you will indeed get one of those aircraft simply because changing config at the last minute messes up all sort of things for the airline – like pre-paid pre-assigned seats (different configs means different seat numbers, different rows have extra room/bulkheads, etc).

However just a minor note of caution – I presume that the TOM a/c have a higher capacity than the FCA a/c, so if they have operational problems with the assigned FCA aircraft (eg. it goes tech or is running really late) and they have a spare TOM a/c available, its not beyond the realms of possibility that a last minute sub occurs.

Andy

Found this on another forum — not sure where the information is coming from or how accurate…

Welcome onboard

MAN-MBJ-MAN (TOM101/2) are operated by an ex-FCA Boeing 767-300/ER. Refer to our dedicated Thomsonfly (Thomson Airways) thread for more details.

and found this..

Hi,

We are flying to Montego Bay on 23rd April ToM101 from Manchester – could you tell me what aircraft will be operating on this route and the seating configuration please?

Thanks

sunnyjim,

Your Flight Will Be Operated By A Boeing 767-300ER (ex FCA)
Seating Is Configured 2-3-2

Gower

Since this generates the most questions I have compiled a list of which routes which the ex Thomsonfly and ex First Choice 767-300’s will be operating this summer. This as always is subject to operational change but should give everyone a rough idea of what they will be flying on.
So far I have done the list of which routes will be operated by the ex-Thomsonfly 767’s(2-4-2 in economy)

Monday:-
TOM112/3 MAN-SFB-MAN(Orlando)
TOM094/5 LGW-HOG-LGW(Holguin, Cuba)
Tuesday:-
TOM122/3 MAN-POP-MAN(Puerto Plata,Dominican Republic)
TOM030/1 LGW-MBJ-LGW(Montego Bay, Jamaica)
Wednesday
TOM126/7 MAN-PUJ-MAN(Punta Cana, Dominican Republic)
Thursday:-
TOM156/7 MAN-AUA-MAN(Aruba)
TOM070/1 LGW-PUJ-LGW(Punta Cana, Domincan Republic)
Friday:-
TOM174/5 MAN-VRA-MAN(Varadero,Cuba)
TOM 050/1 LGW-SFB-LGW(Orlando,Florida)
Saturday:-
TOM118/9 MAN-SFB-MAN(Orlando,Florida)
TOM046/7 LGW-SFB-LGW(Orlando,Florida)
Sunday:-
TOM136 MAN-PUJ-MAN(Punta Cana,Dominican Republic)
TOM060 LGW-AZS-LGW(Samana,Dominican Republic)

If your flight is not listed here, it will be operated by an ex First Choice 767(2-3-2 throughout) I will put specific flights/flight numbers.

I have posted the above for ref incase anyone else is interested and saves them time searching……..

Loads of answers in this thread… http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68846&p=1323753#p1323753

Cheers

Rick

Why is it so important?? its beyond Belief to me a planes a plane gets you from A to B!

Why dont you just look out the window when you get to your boarding gate and vuala there will be your aircraft! Complete with Reg!!!

Thanks for that lukeylad……. really helpful… 🙂

Let me explain a little further………………

End of last year I went to Sharm, I used and booked via First Choice in store at their Hypermarket, upgraded to “Star Class Premier” which cost £150.00 per person where i was offered the below…

Priority check in and boarding
Dedicated Premium cabin crew
Pre-take off cocktail and complimentary drinks throughout your flight (excluding champagne)
At least 36” seat pitch
Choice of at least 12 movies and 10 interactive games
Personal 9” widescreen seat back TV

The tickets arrived, stated MAN to SSH (long Haul) —

Arrived at the airport, boarded TOM G-OBYE (exisitng TOM aircraft) and sat down……. after paying the premium upgrade we felt a little disappointed, … worst was yet to come…… I requested a pre-take off drink, the cabin crew member said we are not offering that on the flight today….. I thought.. ok.. its only a drink before take off………….

Once in the air, i requested a drink and was told, thats £2.80 please!!! :confused: — at this stage i said… no.. is it not complimentary drinks throughout the flight for us premium PAX’s??

The answer was NO…. this is a short haul flight!!! All you get is extra leg room!! At this stage around 50% of the PAX all started complaining because they had all been sold the “Star Class Premier” package…

IFE

TOm Cabin in Premium..

Leg room in Premium.. (im 5ft 9in)

IFE again…. sky map..

When we arrived in resort I called First Choice to complain and to down graded our return leg… (i was not paying the same amount go going home!!)

In short.. they downgraded me and said i would have to appeal/complain once back in the UK.

(im not going into detail about this… but i got the £150 per person refund for the return leg but not the outbound! )

IFE in ECO… (Smaller screen)

Photo of the TOM 767-300 – (BYE) through the gate, blue tinted glass..

I have used the FCA 767 to Mexico twice in premium which is like this….. (see the difference…)

Below is a poor quality photo of FCA 767-3 — with the “relax” lighting

First Choice have advised it will be one of their FCA aircrafts rather than a THOMSON aircraft’s but using the new ToM prefix??

So…. the reason i would ideally like to know which aircraft im is that i have an option to pre-book seats,

If its the FCA 2-3-2 config we dont mind were we sit… even in the middle as its not as cramped with the 2-3-2 config from experiance with them in economy, but if its a ex TOM 2-4-2 i would prebook as the 4 seat in the middle are cramped (from experiance)..

Some people may just say, why did you not go with Virgin or another carrier… reason.. cost and the hotel which we wanted to stay in…..

Skymonster – just like to say thank you for your post as its the most constructive.

Cheers

Rick

Why is it so important?? its beyond Belief to me a planes a plane gets you from A to B!

Why dont you just look out the window when you get to your boarding gate and vuala there will be your aircraft! Complete with Reg!!!

Probably somewhat too soon – even if there is someone on the inside prepared to tell…

When I was at bmi, the aircraft plots went out about three days but that was on shorthaul. Longhaul, the plots go out further because of the nature of the trip lengths. However, such is aviation, even if a specific aircraft was already allocated for that trip, from ten days out things can and quite probably will change – all it needs is an aircraft running late, or a minor technical niggle that requires an aircraft into a specific base at a specific time for a fix, and the plots will change.

Maybe by 20th, IF there is someone here in the know, then what they know stands a better chance (but still no guarantee) of actually happening.

To be honest, I think you’re getting far too wrapped up in all of this… Sit back, relax, and enjoy the trip whatever aircraft in whatever config you get. Nothing you can do will change it, and if it isn’t what you want to hear you’ll only be unhappy for longer.

A

One word – No.

The company with probably know 3 days before but that doesn’t mean it’ll be available on the web.

Like I say to all of these posts, wait and see. 🙂