Travel City Direct Delay Today At MAN?

I know tech problems happen to every airline but it’s quiet often (Im not trying to safe there un-safe) you hear about TCD turning back over the atlantic and getting majour delays. Also, Florida isn’t a cheap place to go, even on TCD so if your paying thousand’s of pounds just so you can have a week in Florida, which 2 days your stuck at MAN because your plane has gone tech then i’d be pretty peed off to say the least.

What really annoys me about TCD is they don’t find replacement aircraft. If there plane gets a 2 day delay surely it’s cheaper to higher another aircraft than putting hundreds of people in a hotel for 2 days and usually giving them food vouchers.

I’ve always wanted to travel on a classic 747 but I won’t be going on TCD until they buck there idea’s up! There going to be a great airline when they get there -400’s, only if they stay tech free.

Just my opinion.

I hope the TCD legal team are not reading this,or some of us could get in trouble 😮 .
Why should the age of an aircraft make any differance,all that is needed is more mantainace to keep it in the air.
New aircraft do go tech to you know 😀 .
Iam sure that replacement aircraft are not always on hand,even big airlines like BA or Virgin do not have them to hand all the time,remmeber that an aircraft on the deck is making no money 😮

Tech Probs can happen on any airline. Or would you rather it hadn’t turned back, and run the risk of the problem developing into something bigger?

I know tech problems happen to every airline but it’s quiet often (Im not trying to safe there un-safe) you hear about TCD turning back over the atlantic and getting majour delays. Also, Florida isn’t a cheap place to go, even on TCD so if your paying thousand’s of pounds just so you can have a week in Florida, which 2 days your stuck at MAN because your plane has gone tech then i’d be pretty peed off to say the least.

What really annoys me about TCD is they don’t find replacement aircraft. If there plane gets a 2 day delay surely it’s cheaper to higher another aircraft than putting hundreds of people in a hotel for 2 days and usually giving them food vouchers.

I’ve always wanted to travel on a classic 747 but I won’t be going on TCD until they buck there idea’s up! There going to be a great airline when they get there -400’s, only if they stay tech free.

Just my opinion.

Firstly, let’s remind ourselves that we are talking about Orlando. Travel City Direct and all other UK leisure airlines fly you to Orlando Sanford. It’s like calling Stansted, London. In the UK, you will inevitably pay more for a flight to Heathrow than you would to secondary airports, further away from the capital. Any airline who can get you closer to where you want to be has the right to charge more for their service.

I am well aware that a flight with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic would set you back slightly more than the likes of Travel City Direct or any other charter airline. But that extra money is getting you one or two extra perks, including online check-in and self-service check-in. Not only that, but in Virgin Atlantic’s case, you’re able to take advantage of award-winning inflight entertainment. And British Airways is award-winning as well, but as an all-rounder, having just been announced airline of the year 2006. I think this alone is worth a little bit extra.

And with delays – every airline has them, but for an airline like Travel City Direct and some other charters, delays are not easy to recover from, often having a knock-on effect for a few days. I remember watching an old episode of “Airline” recently, which explained that the average aircraft in the Britannia fleet (now obviously Thomsonfly) was airborne for more than 17 hours a day. Such ridiculously tight turnaround times make it hard to make up lost time. An airline like British Airways or Virgin Atlantic and most other scheduled carriers, especially on long-haul, will have several hours on the ground, ensuring that the aircraft is clean and presented immaculately for it’s next flight. On the other hand, charter aircraft which would have had an hour or less to be back in the air find that they have even less time because they are hours behind schedule and they don’t want to hold later flights up. The numerous British Airways delays that you speak of are easily recovered from.

If any airline could offer half price fares compared to others, then it is worth taking the cheaper flight, but if you’re saving a few pounds, then you need to consider it carefully. A lot of the people on the forum admire so many charter airlines, probably because a lot of them don’t really know any different. But one day, some will make the switch, and like me, they probably won’t turn back.

Agreed BA/Virgins a/c are newer therefore fewer delays – when a virgin/ba jumbo goes tech the delays are quite similar 12/13 hours i recall, they don’t pluck a 747 out of thin air!! My point was that in economy the service is very similar, with TCD you get a decent flight time, decent legroom, meals/drinks at no extra cost as you would with a scheduled airline and IFE. What do BA/Virgin offer that justifies charging double the price?? All airlines are bound by guidelines as to what to offer passengers should there be a delay i.e overnight accomodation, meal vouchers etc. TCD’s punctuality has been good with this exception – ive regularly seen BA delays to shorter destinations like france of over 6 hours. If you are paying for an assurance that you wont be delayed then its a complete waste of money as BA’s is relatively poor. I think ive made my point!!

You can – in terms of legroom and general comfort long haul (FCA 33″, TCD 32″, MYT 31″ in winter) they are very comparable in economy and in terms of service i.e. food/drink – these are always relatively similar. The only difference is aircraft utilisation which is higher for charters – flight times are also quite similar.

Legroom and comfort – surely they are the same factor stretched out to make two? You were trying to compare the likes of British Airways and Virgin to Travel City Direct. I’m convinced that you pay less with TCD because you are receiving a lesser service. If something goes ****-up with Travel City Direct, you suffer the consequences – a ridiculously long delay. If something goes wrong on a British Airways or Virgin Atlantic service, you might incur a delay of an hour or two, but I’m sure they’ll have you back in the air on a replacement aircraft just a little bit quicker – correct me if I’m wrong.

Tech Probs can happen on any airline. Or would you rather it hadn’t turned back, and run the risk of the problem developing into something bigger?

Id personally avoid any XLA flight where all possible, even when you take off theres no telling if your going to turn back due to a tech prob, (as happened to me out of Dom Rep last year, we turned back after an hour in the air and then endured a 19hr delay!)

Excels realiabilty is poor, If you want to get your hoildays off to a good start your better with First Choice or Virgin, excels record is bad

i think TCD’s flight times are great!, i like arriving back in MAN like mid-morning and not 7:25

Jon

You can – in terms of legroom and general comfort long haul (FCA 33″, TCD 32″, MYT 31″ in winter) they are very comparable in economy and in terms of service i.e. food/drink – these are always relatively similar. The only difference is aircraft utilisation which is higher for charters – flight times are also quite similar.

far cheaper than ba/virgin.

It may be cheaper, but I think that based on recent performance, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic would get you to the Orlando and on time, too. I don’t think you can possible compare the service between a charter airline and a scheduled carrier. There really is no comparison.

yes thats why i choose to fly with them, but if i bring back up last summer, they had quite alot of delays and they were all about 24 hours, but anyway, they have been good up to now, but this week there full scheduakle went into force, so its literrally just begun!

Jon

Travel City Directs punctuality has been good up until now, i would doubt the 744’s they are getting are that new. I personally would rather fly a 747 than a 767 anyday and i would imagine many would agree with me. TCD have been good for the charter industry – more legroom than most/free meals & drinks, far cheaper than ba/virgin.

Cardiff flight…surprisingly wasnt a tech delay! 😮

Late catering was the cause. AMJ was in LGW, the flight was from CWL-SFB and the catering was coming from MAN!! :confused:
Its CWL’s first of the season, great start!

Ok, the delayed XLA136 Flight is set to arrive in Orlando Sanford at 5:30pm which is 10:30pm BST as 136L,

And there is 2 departing flights to Manchester from Orlando Sanford one as 137L at 20:30 local and 01:30 BST, and the other 139P Dep 9pm Local, 2am BST,

Jon

The Cardiff flight eventually took off – at 7.27pm when it should have been 3pm i think!

Thanks for the info guys. 😎

Sorry If I was a bit off hand, it’s just that I don’t think you can judge if people know anything or not until you have a 1-1 conversation with them.

Flex

No worries!

I agree, however sometimes if left without a comment they grow out of perspective, especially from operators with which people already have a bad perspective with (which can be undeserved, occasionally spawning from incidents which have been blown ott!)

As you say, just my tuppence worth!

I agree also with you, I mean you do actually know what your on about there is no doubt about that.

Sorry If I was a bit off hand, it’s just that I don’t think you can judge if people know anything or not until you have a 1-1 conversation with them.

Flex

Sorry, you’ll be fine Jon. But although I hate to say this they need to get rid of there -300’s.

Yer no probs, thanks, and i cant agree more with you! they need to get the 747-300’s out of here, heck ill be happy to fly on one of Excel Airways 767-300, they used them on some flights in Winter

Jon

Well that is all very true; I wouldn’t say that everyone on this thread doesn’t know what they’re on about though. I mean everyone over-exaggerates things/events when it comes to aviation, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t know what they’re on about just cause of it.

Just my 2 cents. Not having a go btw.

Flex

I agree, however sometimes if left without a comment they grow out of perspective, especially from operators with which people already have a bad perspective with (which can be undeserved, occasionally spawning from incidents which have been blown ott!)

As you say, just my tuppence worth!

Not automatically Rubbishing – I am just aware of how out of hand some of the comments can lead to. We regularly had issues brought up by situations brought up for issues like the above from people who were unaware of an aircrafts design features. I’m a spotter too, but sometimes what you can hear on these type of forums can lead to the rediculous – what happens when Joe Public reads some of these stories, and theories, so of which are dreamt up out of thin air – perhaps sometimes some reading up could be done first?

I only had a short stint working on the Classics with Atlanta, and don’t know the 74s as much as I do of other aircraft, but sometimes experience helps when putting 2 and 2 together.

Possable explanation of situation offered by myself, I would quite happily listern to what explanations some of the other posters could add – perhaps we could then DISCUSS! :rolleyes:

Well that is all very true; I wouldn’t say that everyone on this thread doesn’t know what they’re on about though. I mean everyone over-exaggerates things/events when it comes to aviation, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t know what they’re on about just cause of it.

Just my 2 cents. Not having a go btw.

Flex