Any long haul routes outside London would undermine the business model which is built on feeding Heathrow. Were the A319s making money in the regions? No. They were moved into London and allowed European service to break even for the first time in ages. That's business.
The services are still all there, just run by carriers with more modern aircraft and cheaper fares. For premium services, it is still possible to use Air France, Lufthansa and KLM via THEIR hub airports. That's how it works.
As for a reality check, Air France are flying from London Heathrow to Los Angeles, do you see Lufthansa moving A340s into Manchester? No? Discuss!