I used to work in the travel industry and know what used to go on they promised the earth to Manchester, got Manchester to build a terminal for them and then said bye bye
Yes they did and they shouldn't have. Actually with hindsight and that cost base, they couldn't even compete on European short haul.
Two broad options
MAN to alliance hub with feed ie ZRH, FRA, MUC on legacy cost base
MAN to holiday or business destination on LCC cost base
MAN to Europe on point to point with no feed and legacy cost base
The last one is BA and they were squeezed by the first two into smaller aircraft, high fares bigger losses. Ideally, the regional routes from MAN, BHX and GLA should have been shut years ago, this is why the BAC111s lasted so long, this is why they got LHR B737-200s when the world was phasing them out. Commercially it was a battle that wasn't worth the fight as the number of people flying with the cheaper alternative multiplied.
Marketing men promise the Earth and often under deliver.
The girl who lived next door to us was a BA long haul stewedess and used to commute on the shuttle and I know many others who used to do that.
Presumably removing a seat from revenue service to do so? Nice work if you can get it (!)