28 March 2008

Combined TC/MyTravel airline set for take off

The new Thomas Cook Airlines, formed following the merger with MyTravel, is to offer an improved in-flight service.

Passengers on short haul flights will be shown one of two films chosen by cabin crew.

This enables in-flight staff to Ã¢â¬Åâœtailor the film option to the customers travelling,Ã¢â¬~ according to the airline.

There will be a greater selection of films on long haul flights.

Passengers in premium cabins will have duvet quilts instead of blankets and u-shaped pillows for extra comfort.

The combined carrier takes off on Sunday with a flight from Gatwick to Reus at 05.05. It will operate a fleet of 42 aircraft from 11 UK airports.

The fleet is capable of handling almost three million passengers this summer to 78 destinations.

Thomas Cook Airlines will be the second largest leisure airline in the UK. It comprises of seven Airbus A330-200s, 11 Airbus A320s, four Airbus 321s, two Boeing 767-300s, two Boeing 757-300s and 16 Boeing 757-200s.

Managing director Frank Pullman said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœWeÃ¢â¬â¢re very pleased to have our all-new airline ready for take-off, enabling us to serve our customers even more effectively during the all-important summer season this year.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœThe improvements donÃ¢â¬â¢t stop there though, over the coming months, we have a number of changes scheduled, all of which will add to the customerÃ¢â¬â¢s enjoyment and comfort, such as increased seat pitches and new cabin crew uniforms.Ã¢â¬~

by Phil Davies