Jetairfly, Jetair, Arke and others become TUI

[Passenger]

The Times today writes that TUI Travel will formally announce, on Wednesday, a merger of all TUI airlines, when they present their half-yearly results.

Thomson Airways, Jetairfly, Tuifly, Tuifly Nordic and Arke will all be integrated into a new "TUI Airlines", with Thomson Airways as its principal structure.

On 8th April 2015, Travel Weekly already announced that TUI was finalizing these plans.

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/ ... urope.html

[sergioboeing]

The Times today writes that TUI Travel will formally announce, on Wednesday, a merger of all TUI airlines, when they present their half-yearly results.

Thomson Airways, Jetairfly, Tuifly, Tuifly Nordic and Arke will all be integrated into a new "TUI Airlines", with Thomson Airways as its principal structure.

On 8th April 2015, Travel Weekly already announced that TUI was finalizing these plans.

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/ ... urope.html

Do you think it is a good news for the customers?
May I start to dream to go to Curacao or Skiathos from BRU?

[airazurxtror]

A new branding strategy for its tour operations - including Thomson and First Choice in the UK - as part of a capital markets day presentation accompanying half-year results is to be outlined by TUI group on Wednesday.

Most of the company’s brands, including Thomson, already use the same logo, introduced in 2001.
However, the group is expected to take the process a step further by indicating its intention, probably over the next two or three years, to deploy the Tui brand it already trades under in Germany across most of its other European source markets, including the UK.

A source close to the company emphasised last night that the review was a continuing process and that any changes would be introduced only very gradually “over time, not immediately,” according to the Times.

After last year’s merger between Tui Travel and Germany majority shareholder, Tui AG, the company has kicked off plans to bring all five carriers - Thomson Airways, Tuifly, Tuifly Nordic, Jetairfly and Arkefly - under a single operation based in the UK as part of a move to cut costs by at least €100 million.

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/ ... ategy.html

[sean1982]

And that's the end of the most succesfull belgian airline. Management decisions will now be taken in the UK, with the original belgian management of JAF not having much influence further than the day-to-day running of the airline

[Sai]

So from TUI Airlines (Belgium), which was considered a name 'not close enough and too unknown to its market', to Jetairfly, and now again to TUI Airlines
Someone's making big money and I guess it's not the employees but the marketing agencies who come up with these ideas.

I also don't really see how Jetairfly fits in the group of the other TUI airlines which are all 'leisure' or charter airlines selling mainly or some even completely via a touroperator.
Jetairfly mainly does scheduled flights, with only a part of the flights for a touroperator, Jetair.
E.g. according to centerofaviation.com more than 40% of their capacity are scheduled flights to North-Africa, and not to the typical tourist destinations there...

Strange enough...decisions/management in the UK...while Thomson Airways is not really the most cost-effective or most profitable airline of the TUI group, on the contrary.

Reminds me a bit of the other Belgian airline TCAB a few years ago which was succesfull in it's niche and profitable, but had to cover for and share the losses of Thomas Cook in the UK...and became a very small airline in Belgium afterwards...
But let's hope for the best and no (more) job-losses in Belgian aviation over the comming years...

[Passenger]

So from TUI Airlines (Belgium), which was considered a name 'not close enough and too unknown to its market', to Jetairfly, and now again to TUI Airlines? Someone's making big money and I guess it's not the employees but the marketing agencies who come up with these ideas. I also don't really see how Jetairfly fits in the group of the other TUI airlines which are all 'leisure' or charter airlines selling mainly or some even completely via a touroperator. Jetairfly mainly does scheduled flights, with only a part of the flights for a touroperator, Jetair. E.g. according to centerofaviation.com more than 40% of their capacity are scheduled flights to North-Africa, and not to the typical tourist destinations there...

Strange enough...decisions/management in the UK...while Thomson Airways is not really the most cost-effective or most profitable airline of the TUI group, on the contrary. Reminds me a bit of the other Belgian airline TCAB a few years ago which was succesfull in it's niche and profitable, but had to cover for and share the losses of Thomas Cook in the UK...and became a very small airline in Belgium afterwards... But let's hope for the best and no (more) job-losses in Belgian aviation over the comming years...

Well, the decision has been formally announced today: not only the airlines, but also all touroperators of the TUI group will all become just "TUI". No Arke anymore, no Jetair...

http://www.travel-magazine.be/nl-be/Pag ... emID/16519

There will be three regions within TUI: North, Central and West. Executive manager for “Western Europe” will be Jetair's Elie Bruyninckx. He will be responsible for the Benelux, France, Italy, Spain and Morocco.

[Bralo20]

Good news is that all airlines remain separate entities (due to traffic rights apparently) so Belgium and other countries are keeping their airlines.

Regarding the rebranding, it seems they are first going to conduct a trial run with Arke which will be rebranded later this year (september), for the others (including Jetair & Thomson) no specific date is mentioned though their hope is to have it done in about 2 years (Thomson will be the last to be rebranded). So I guess the Dutch market is going to be the trial market to see how reactions are before they are going further with the other rebrandings.

Not sure what to think about it... Jetair, Thomson even Arke are quite strong brands in their markets while TUI may not be known that well... Not exactly sure if their plan will work but I guess we'll have to wait a couple of years and see


Btw: Corsair keeps it name and won't be rebranded (and Corsair is just like Jetair an airline which mostly operates scheduled flights iso charterflights like all other TUI brands do)

[Didymus]

In terms of brand awareness, this rebranding operation is plain stupid. If you say "Jetair", my brain instantly adds "de mooiste tijd van het jaar". It will take a decade before TUI will be able to substitute that.

[Passenger]

In terms of brand awareness, this rebranding operation is plain stupid. If you say "Jetair", my brain instantly adds "de mooiste tijd van het jaar". It will take a decade before TUI will be able to substitute that.

Agree. But I think they will not give up their brand names like Jetair, Jetairfly, VIP Selection, VTB Reizen and Sunjets.be. Too much money has been invested in them and their value is too high to give up. It will indeed take years and years before the consumer understands, accepts and uses the new name. In between, market share will be lost. Just like with Sunsnacks, C&N Touristic and Thomas Cook.

I guess they will continue to use these names, but only as product names / brand names. Like they do with VTB Reizen and Sunjets.be: people think they book with vzw/asbl VTB Reizen or nv/sa Sunjets, but legally they're just brand names. Travel documents mention Jetair nv/sa.

But then, Smiths Chips became Lays, Datsun became Nissan, Cera became KBC, ...

[sn26567]

Thomson will be the last to be rebranded

TUI will begin rebranding of Thomson to TUI.com "immediately", says joint CEO Friedrich Joussen.

[airazurxtror]

In terms of brand awareness, this rebranding operation is plain stupid. If you say "Jetair", my brain instantly adds "de mooiste tijd van het jaar".

I have no doubt that it meant "de mooiste tijd van de jaar" for many.
However, for a not unconsiderable number of Jetairfly customers, it meant :
- unexpected sometimes unpleasant changes of schedule before departure
- frequent and sometimes very long delays
- in case of delay : poor or no information, poor or downright lack of help to the stranded passengers
- great difficulty and long delay in obtaining the due compensation
- at best indifferent on-board service
A change of name could do a lot of good - provided of course that they become much more customer-friendly.

[Sai]

(...)Btw: Corsair keeps it name and won't be rebranded (and Corsair is just like Jetair an airline which mostly operates scheduled flights iso charterflights like all other TUI brands do)

Indeed Bralo20, but...Coirsair never really did "fit" in the group and was put on sale...
http://worldairlinenews.com/2015/02/21/ ... -caraibes/

[KriVa]

I split this topic off from the original "jetairfly in 2015", since this is indeed about more than just Jetairfly.
Thanks for pointing it out, Passenger.

[Passenger]

Luchtvaartnieuws.nl reports these quotes from Hans van de Velde, MD Arkefly (TUI NL):

the name "Arke" will dissappear from the aircraft during their first C or D checks;

4 firm TUI orders for 787-8 will be changed into 2 firm orders for 787-9 + 2 options for 787-9;

the Netherlands will keep its 3 787-8 and Belgium will keep its sole 787-8.

http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/c ... -van-vloot

[Passenger]

... and TravMagazine.nl reports that Arke, Jetair and others will remain separate airlines:

the five TUI leasure carriers will not be joined into one airline;

a central platform will guide them, but all local AOC's will be maintained;

one Engineering and Maintenance division will do maintenance for all aircraft;

aircraft and crew of Arke, Jetairfly, TUIfly, Thomson Airways en TUIfly Nordic must be exchangeable;

planning of long haul destinations will be a joined decision;

local airlines will be respondible for their crew rosters and flight plannings;

overall aim : to increase operational effiency.

http://www.travmagazine.nl/tui-airlines ... engevoegd/

[Bralo20]

one Engineering and Maintenance division will do maintenance for all aircraft;

How many maintenance departments does TUI have?

We have Tec4jets with facilities in BRU and AMS and operations arround the world (France, Morocco and the Dutch Antilles) but besides that...

Monarch is responsible for the maintenance in the UK, Finnair for TUIFly Nordic, AFKLM for Corsair, not sure about TUIfly in Germany?


Given the fact that they build a brand new maintenance hangar in BRU a couple of years ago could this mean that all maintenance will be done in BRU in the future?

[crew1990]

Wouldn't be the hangar to small, for the 100 of aircraft of the company?

Regarding the flexibility of the crew, this would mean that a Belgian cabin crew could fly from London Gatwick or a German from Morocco?

I didn't really got it.

And what about the recruitment of the crew then, they will be recruited with the same guide line, or JAF will still have the freedom to recruit "Jetairfly style" people?

[flightlover]

As I understand the set-up: it will be every entity deciding on it's own recruitment needs and personnel rosters.
The buying and usage of plains will be done as a group.

So when thinking of a new route this will be discussed on group level, but once decided on it the crew will be provided by the local entity.

Since they are scrapping the separate name of each airline, passengers will only recognise the foreign planes on the reg. (but how many of them will notice that )
The crew will make the passenger feel familiar as if they are flying jetair or any of the other airlines. At least that is the aim...

[sn26567]

Btw: Corsair keeps it name and won't be rebranded (and Corsair is just like Jetair an airline which mostly operates scheduled flights iso charterflights like all other TUI brands do)

Isn't that a sufficient reason to keep the name Jetairfly as it is? But Corsair has always been quite different in the TUI group. "L'exception française" ?

[KriVa]

As far as I know, Corsair (at least the airline) is in no way part anymore of the TUI Group?