Amwest2United From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 378 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 3246 times:
Just notice that there is a Thomsonfly 757 en-route to IAD from Lutton, any ideas why?
[Edited 2009-10-07 11:04:29]
Life is what happens to you while you making plans to live it!
Amwest2United From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 378 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2998 times:
Quoting BY188B (Reply 1): This is a luxury charter for TCS expeditions:
Departs Washington on the 08th for :
Lima - Easter Island - Samoa - Cairns - Cambodia - Chengdu - Tibet - Agra (India) - Tanzania - Luxor - Marrakech
Arrives back in Washington on the 31st
WOW, cool.
Life is what happens to you while you making plans to live it!
Alphaomega From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 532 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 2888 times:
The TCS Around-the-World flights are done each winter from IAD and SFB using a 757 in an all business class layout (87-90 seats) with a chef on-board and they stop at multiple destinations around the world over 20-25 days.
The flight today was a ferry from LTN - when it arrives back at the end of the month it will ferry to SFB and start another flight.
Gilesdavies From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 2882 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 2864 times:
It's approaching the end of the summer season now, and many of the UK charters will be leasing a large part of their fleets to other parts of the world where capacity is required there...
As LTN is Thomson Airways HQ and main maintenance base, most ferry flights to these leasing destinations will start from LTN. Especially if the aircraft has had to have some changes made to meet the leasing clients requirements - eg. seating re-configs or livery changes.
Canada is a popular destination for UK charter leasings, especially with their winter exodus to the Carribbean. Also Asia for Hajj flights.
FlyIGuy From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 837 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 2779 times:
I don't know about Thomsonfly, but I saw a First Choice 757 land and park on the R ramp today...
Just my 0.02
The opinions I post are of mine and mine alone, not of the airline I work for.
Alphaomega From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 532 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 2754 times:
Quoting FlyIGuy (Reply 5): I don't know about Thomsonfly, but I saw a First Choice 757 land and park on the R ramp today...
Just my 0.02
First Choice and Thomsonfly merged - they just haven't rebraded everything yet.
FlyIGuy From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 837 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 2710 times:
Quoting Alphaomega (Reply 6): First Choice and Thomsonfly merged - they just haven't rebraded everything yet.
Its a First Choice 757 but its Thomsonfly
Ok, Didn't know that...
The opinions I post are of mine and mine alone, not of the airline I work for.
71Zulu From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 2736 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 2657 times:
Dazbo5 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2005, 2578 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 4 days 21 hours ago) and read 2575 times:
Quoting 71Zulu (Reply 8): Its a First Choice 757 but its Thomsonfly
Not to be picky, but it's actually Thomson Airways. Under the rebranding / merger, both First Choice Airways and Thomsonfly had the air operators certificates withdrawn, and replaced and operate under Thomson Airways as of 1st November 2008. They have 25x 757-200's in the fleet, 14 from FCA and 11 from TOM including 5 wingletted aircraft (4 FCA, 1 TOM). I think it's G-OOBF that's doing the TCS charters. It looks quite a trip!
Darren
Equipment: 2x Canon EOS 50D; Sigma 10-20 EX DC HSM, 50-500 EX APO DG, Canon 24-105 f/4 L, Speedlite 430EX
Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Reply 10, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2509 times:
Quoting 71Zulu (Reply 8): $56,950 USD per person double occupancy plus your air fare to and from IAD.
Personally I'd enjoy the trip more all alone booking my own accommodation and travel, probably at less than 10% of that price, but maybe that's because I'm young.
Quoting 71Zulu (Reply 8): Must be nice to be able to afford to do something like this.
Actually, the first thing I thought was: Must be nice to work on a trip like this one! Imagine being one of the 16 crew. You get to see all the same places, probably stay at the same hotels, and even get paid! Now that would be awesome.
Soren
All the things you probably hate about travelling are warm reminders that I'm home
71Zulu From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 2736 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 1950 times:
Quoting APYu (Reply 12): There isnt that many. There isnt room for that many. But they do go with extras in case any go sick on the trip
Well what does this mean then?
Quote: This is like no other air travel you have ever experienced. The custom designed luxury jets redefine air travel. You will feel like you are coming home each time you board your private airplane. A TCS private jet vacation gives you access to expert lecturers in the comfort of your business class seat. You will be pampered by 16 crew members serving only 74 fortunate guests.
Borism From Estonia, joined Oct 2006, 431 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 1896 times:
Quoting SandroZRH (Reply 14): wow, how I would love to be part of that flightcrew!
Yeah! Pretty "sick" (in a good way) routing.
I'm just wondering, does 757 really have the legs to do some of the hops non-stop? Lima-Easter island is obviously non-stop, as there's nowhere to land in between , but what about Agra-Tanzania or Cairns-Cambodia?
Edit: just looked into brochure and indeed Agra, India to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania is the longest flight at 7’ 45”, but IAD-LIM is second longest non-stop! Easter-Samoa is the longest with a fuel stop at 9h!
71Zulu From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 2736 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 1880 times:
From the brochure:
Flight Times
Washington, D.C. to Lima, Peru --- 7’ 20”
Lima, Peru to Easter Island, Chile --- 5’ 10”
Easter Island, Chile to Apia, Samoa --- 9’ 15” (with tech stop)
Apia, Samoa to Cairns, Australia --- 6’ 20”
Cairns, Australia to Siem Reap, Cambodia --- 7’ 15”
Siem Reap, Cambodia to Chengdu, China --- 2’ 50”
Chengdu, China to Agra, India --- 4’ 40”
Agra, India to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania --- 7’ 45”
Kilimanjaro, Tanzania to Luxor, Egypt --- 4’ 25”
Luxor, Egypt to Cairo, Egypt --- 1’ 10”
Cairo, Egypt to Marrakech, Morocco --- 5’ 45”
Marrakech, Morocco to Washington, D.C. --- 10’ 25” (with tech stop)
Alphaomega From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 532 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1828 times:
Quoting Dazbo5 (Reply 9):
Quoting 71Zulu (Reply 8):
Its a First Choice 757 but its Thomsonfly
Not to be picky, but it's actually Thomson Airways. Under the rebranding / merger, both First Choice Airways and Thomsonfly had the air operators certificates withdrawn, and replaced and operate under Thomson Airways as of 1st November 2008. They have 25x 757-200's in the fleet, 14 from FCA and 11 from TOM including 5 wingletted aircraft (4 FCA, 1 TOM). I think it's G-OOBF that's doing the TCS charters. It looks quite a trip!
Thanks, didn't know that - I've heard it called TUI, Thomson, Thomson Airways, Thomsonfly....didn't know what it had really become.
Quoting APYu (Reply 12):
Quoting 71Zulu (Reply 8):
there is a crew of 16 on board!
There isnt that many. There isnt room for that many. But they do go with extras in case any go sick on the trip
There is 16 - 4 flight deck crew, 1 engineer, 1 chef, 1 coordinator (Thomson reps - 1 from Thomson or 1 from Starquest) and 9 cabin crew.
As far as the legs on the 757, a normally configured 757 sometimes doesn't have the legs but with 88 seats, its going the distance! Even the normally configured 757s from First Choice used to make it from LGW to SFB full non-stop, and even sometimes on the way back if the winds were weak.
71Zulu From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 2736 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1820 times:
Here's a long flight on an Open Skies 752 in a similar configuration,
KGAIflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 3650 posts, RR: 1 Reply 19, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1809 times:
Borism From Estonia, joined Oct 2006, 431 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1742 times:
Anyone has pictures of reconfigured cabin? There aren't any in brochure, and no floor plan either (yeas, I've read it's 2-2 config). What kind of seats do they install?
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 11130 posts, RR: 63 Reply 21, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 1705 times:
Quoting Birdwatching (Reply 10): Actually, the first thing I thought was: Must be nice to work on a trip like this one! Imagine being one of the 16 crew. You get to see all the same places, probably stay at the same hotels, and even get paid! Now that would be awesome.
That's just what I thought - a month long paid vacation. Wow!
Quoting Birdwatching (Reply 10): Personally I'd enjoy the trip more all alone booking my own accommodation and travel, probably at less than 10% of that price, but maybe that's because I'm young.
Ditto - rtw ticket for about $2500, accomodation in hostels/overnights on planes perhaps $300, bit more for food, some more for sightseeing, I reckon it could be done for under $4000.
71Zulu From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 2736 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 1705 times:
Dazbo5 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2005, 2578 posts, RR: 2 Reply 23, posted (3 years 7 months 2 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1618 times:
That interior looks amazing compared to what they normally have! Wishful thinking they might keep those seats in when I fly to Egypt on that aircraft in March
This is what they normally have! Apologies for the poor photo, I was wedged in on that flight travelling on my own in a window seat (5F). The couple next to me fell asleep just after take off so I didn't manage to get out of my seat until we landed, 4.5 hours later!!!
Darren
Equipment: 2x Canon EOS 50D; Sigma 10-20 EX DC HSM, 50-500 EX APO DG, Canon 24-105 f/4 L, Speedlite 430EX
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From United States of America, joined Jun 2006, 378 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2003, 701 posts, 
From Switzerland, joined Feb 2007, 3382 posts, 
From Estonia, joined Oct 2006, 431 posts, 
, but what about Agra-Tanzania or Cairns-Cambodia?
From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 11130 posts, 
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