NB: Since the time of writing, TUI have refitted their Boeing 767 fleet and therefore some of the information here may be outdated. Please find the more recent review here.
Flight: TOM2666
Route: Manchester - Ibiza
Aircraft: Boeing 767-300, G-OBYF
Times: 07:40AM - 11:25AM
Date: 21st October 2017
Seat: 20A
On Saturday, 21st October 2017, I experienced TUI's short haul product offered on their Boeing 767. This flight was operated by G-OBYF, first flown in 1998. I'll be covering the following categories:
Check-in experience
Personally, I checked-in online (which is available from 30 days before departure), though airport check in is complimentary. This allowed me to skip the sometimes lengthy queues to check in at Manchester in the early morning, due to the morning rush. TUI airways use Terminal 2, unlike other low cost carriers such as Thomas Cook, Norwegian and EasyJet who use Terminal 1.
Following standard recommended procedure, I arrived at Manchester Airport approximately two hours before our scheduled departure time of 7:40AM. Im pleased to report that airport check-in queues weren't bad, which was a relief. Security was also a smooth and quick experience - I was through in just ten minutes, by 5:50AM.
Airport Lounge
At roughly 6:15AM I arrived at the escape lounge. In T2, the escape lounge is a good choice to go for. For £25, you can pre-book the lounge online, which offers food and drinks, complimentary wifi, power outlets and a place to 'relax before your flight'. The lounge is also quiet at this time in the morning, which is handy. It's worth noting the airport itself also offers complimentary wifi, fountain water and charging areas, though most certainly not quietness. You can book it here.
All too soon, I was called to the gate, 300, which is used for remote stand parked aircraft. This gave me the opportunity to get some great airside shots. I was seated in row 20, which meant I was called in the 2nd group in the boarding process. Boarding was smooth and efficient and I was greeted with a friendly face as I entered the aircraft.
The Aircraft
What struck me the most after entering the aircraft was how good a job TUI had done at hiding this aircrafts age, contrary perhaps to what I was expecting. G-OBYF is nearly 20 years old and it didn't look it. Sleek leather seats offered a modern looking interior, which makes a big difference when it comes down to how enjoyable the flight was.
The empty aircraft having arrived in Ibiza.
As I took my seat, I noticed that due to the fact this is an ex-long haul aircraft (and still being used for long haul flights from Sweden in the winter), there are seat-back IFE screens (Inflight entertainment). At first, they were just displaying pictures from where TUI flies and their destinations. The IFE is a really nice feature onboard this short haul flight, however, these did look dated. As of my flight, the IFE still displayed the 'Thomson' and 'First Choice' brand, as shown below. It also displays advertisements as to TUIs destinations while on the ground.
The IFE still displaying 'Thomson Airways'.
We pushed back from the gate at around 8:05AM, 25 minutes behind scheduele. Even though we were late, we didn't hang around at the threshold of runway 23L for long, and before we knew it, we were up in the air and on our way at 8:13AM.
Once in the air, the IFE really came to life and impressed me for the short nature of the flight. There was a multitude of games, movies (14 in fact), TV shows, music, radio and a great interactive flight map to show exactly where you are. The touch screen was very responsive, which can be quite hard to find, so I liked this. There was also a great 'retail therapy' section and, although I didn't try this, there looked to be a pay at your seat option, with a card swiper at the bottom of the screen. Very handy.
The home screen of the IFE.
To listen to the movies, music, radio and TV shows, the crew came around with some TUI headphones. They cost £3 and were effectively a charge to use the IFE. So if you are looking to listen to a movie, make sure to have some money on you or bring your own headphones. They come in a clear plastic bag, and are good quailty.
Onboard crew & food
Food was competitively priced. However, I would say there isn't a huge amount of choice (although there is enough to choose from, don't worry!). On my flight, we bought: a bottle of Tropicana orange juice (300ml), a Cadburys hot chocolate, sour cream Pringles (40g), a mini chocolate finger bag (125g) and a cappuccino for £10.90 (roughly $15 USD).
The flight was full, bar 2 seats. The widebody configuration of the aircraft helped with the large amount of people onboard, offering more space for people to stretch - another reason to try to fly on a widebody. The flight was smooth and the crew were professional. Once they found out that I was an aviation enthusiast, they were really interested and went to speak to the captain, asking him if I could visit the flight deck after landing (even though they knew how busy he was as this was actually a training flight), which I did and I couldn't have been more grateful! Big thumbs up from me.
A look forward from the aft cabin. You can see the IFE being used.
I would recommend where I sat in row 20, as this offers a great view of the engine and wing. Legroom was excellent, at 33 inches and I was able to stretch a full hand out. The seat was comfortable, the leather being a very nice addition.
Final thoughts
We were taken off the aircraft by a bus, which led us to the terminal. I imagine this was because Ibiza doesn't have the capacity for an aircraft this size, rather than TUI not paying for a jetway. Overall, this was a great flight experience and I would definitely recommend TUI, but even more recommend trying to get onboard a widebody aircraft for your flight.
View from 20 A as descending into Ibiza
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