I'm off to HKG again on Thu. Current routing for my 5 trips a year is to LGW thence to LHR. Used to route through MAN and shuttle to LHR for a while, but BA's enthusiasm for cancelling domestics at the first sign of LHR overload (low viz, snow, ATC failure etc etc) put me off. Looking at AY for my Nov trip but concerned at 35 min connection in HEL. Would never consider routing via the Gulf.
Would indeed welcome a direct MAN/HKG routing, even at a small premium.