Yes there may be a bit of "spotters logic" in there, but mainly a loyalty to my local airport trying to maintain a long haul portfolio and my local community that benefits from long haul direct routes ie inbound foreign tourists (Manchester third most visited city in UK) also the huge amount of freight that arrives in wide body holds, airline economics dont purely rely on PAX yield.
My personal experience in european transits as opposed to Middle or Far east are nothing to do with spotter mentality but everything to do with, comfort, stress, ease of use, shopping, logical break in journey approx 1/2 way, availability of stop overs etc etc.
Joe public does notice these thing and votes with its feet or bums, the success of Emirates UK regional routes is proof of that.
Through experience I avoid LHR in its present form like the plague, FRA is not much better, AMS is OK but again why stretch my feet 1 hr into the journey when I can break the journey 1/2 way.
I would like to know if QF are interested in regaining the passengers that it lost on the termination of its MAN flights, with a MAN service reinstated.