Thomas Cook Airlines memories of spotting and travelling

As we all know, the struggled British charter company Thomas Cook Airlines has gone to administration & ceased all operations. This topic is all about my memories with Thomas Cook Airlines featuring spotting and horrors I've experienced with in my travel history of Aircraft Aviation in Europe.

My first photo of Thomas Cook Airlines started in Malta from the summer of 2005 back then it was new when JMC Air ceased operations in 2003 by the merger of Thomas Cook Group. Since then I was mostly seen Thomas Cook Airlines between London Gatwick, UK & Malta during my teen years. It wasn't till 2015 I was mean't to travel with Thomas Cook Airlines from London Stansted, UK - Las Vegas, USA with one stop over in Glasgow, UK.

This is where I started to hate Thomas Cook Airlines during my worst travel experience. First up, when I arrive at the gate at London Stansted, UK in August 2015 all passengers had given a letter by the gate agent the aircraft will be operating by Hi Fly Portuguese registration operating on behalf of Thomas Cook. I had three hour delay departing London Stansted airport then picking up passengers in Glasgow, UK we had another three hour delay it's normally 1 hour layover. Their was no flight entertainment just Hi Hly and Thomas Cook cabin crew. I've already done a flight report (ish) on my first long haul trip so go & check it out. Also I have a full flight video on this flight.

My second one coming back to the UK from September that year it was in full Thomas Cook brand with all Thomas Cook themed cabin and flight entertainment was perfect that was my good flight from Las Vegas, USA.

Overall on this flight back to London Stansted, UK I really had a good flight with only an hour delay. I've managed to get some good sleep till in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. I also have a flight report on this flight so feel free to check it out.

This is also where Thomas Cook has starting to go down hill in delays when spotting. In Malta (I'm also sure the same in few countries) are terrible in delays on their flights back to the UK when it  comes to spotting during the summer months. I know TUI has similar thing with long delays comparing Thomas Cook when waiting in hot summer months then you decide to give up. Thomas Cook always had leasing airliners during the busy season mostly summer where Avion Aviation and Smartlynx came along to operate with Thomas Cook. This photo you are familiar was from Aviation in Malta Summer 2019, this was  my final Thomas Cook Airlines in Malta for it's departure to runway 23 instead 13 taken 6th June 2019.

As a passenger I had my bad experience yet again on my latest Thomas Cook flight from Malta to London Gatwick, UK last year. I was almost two hour delay on departure due to landing slot, baggage issue and passenger errors. By looking at this old Boeing 757 cabin layout, it looked perfect.

The main reason why I chose this flight because Boeing 757-300 was due to retire returning to Condor in Germany as you can see on the winglet it has Condor logo. I also had an infant by me who kept screaming almost half of the flight so that's why I was let down by the airline this was also one of the passenger error who was the last one in family embarked the aircraft.I got a flight report and full flight video on YouTube. Other than the horrible delay I had last year, I enjoyed hearing the Boeing 757 engines again.

Of course their are also more Thomas Cook franchise across Europe. I took this photo in 2005 back in Malta this was the hydrid ish of old Condor and Thomas Cook branding. This was because in 2003, Thomas Cook bought the subsidiary to be part of the Thomas Cook group family. Theirs also couple of more Thomas Cook family other than UK & Germany. Theirs Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia, and Thomas Cook Airlines Belerarcis from Spain which sadly they are all ceased operations. As of September 2019 Condor is still in operation currently seeking financial help.

After the collapse of Monarch almost two years ago, Thomas Cook Airlines introduced more of it's Airbus A321 aircraft from Monarch with only the heart on the tail and Thomas Cook font at the fuselage while the rest all Monarch. This aircraft was taken last September in London Gatwick, UK with a rough shot didn't expect to see. During the same time, Thomas Cook ordered second hand Airbus A321 from Aeroflot that has Areoflot livery just the heart & Thomas Cook font on the fuselage. 

Those are my memories of Thomas Cook Airlines, if you like to see more of my Thomas Cook Airlines photos check out my social media pages to share some memories you had with Britain's oldest holiday form Thomas Cook.