deedave - your bias is blatantly anti-Manston and that is your open choice, mine is neutral, the place doesn't affect me but I do have an interest. However, you appear to be exaggerating 'failure', and I still dispute your figures.
To the best of my knowledge, LTE were using A320s with a capacity of 168. Going with that figure (some have 162 seats), that gives a total of 7392 seats over 22 flights each way, far lower than your 8280. If your exec charter figure is correct (I didn't know about these and they may not have been captured in the CAA figures anyway), it would give Seguro 4244 pax. That is a LF of 57.4%. Not brilliant, but much better than 50%.
You seem to recall the programme being announced well before Christmas.
It wasn't. It was announced February 1st. I believe it went on sale a couple of days later with online booking a week or two after. That is very late notice for a charter programme, considering the first brochures come out around May the previous year. As I said, figures for June, September and October (months in which a much higher proportion of people book late) were quite strong.
Last year's worst-case figures on next summers a/c would give a LF of over 65%. Best case would be over 71%. With an improved performance in July and August I would expect the figures to be much higher. Seguro clearly believe so too which is why they have come back with an expanded programme.
Cosmos I have no idea about, but since it hasn't been cancelled yet it must be a reasonable success
I've seen the website of one of the US companies using it, and it almost makes me want to go to Kent for a week or two!!