As far as Manchester goes, yes I can see more flights being added to that route, it's already being Maintained at daily during winter 14/15 which is the first time BE have done this, however to offer this up as a decent alternative you have got to be looking at the SZ days of 2 or 3 daily to really make it viable.
Simon,
You're kind of supporting what I and others keep saying, you talk of MAN in words to the effect, that if MAN is going to be a viable alternate to connections via LON, then "we" need to go back to the Air SouthWest days and ASW just happened to operate 50 seater aircraft.
Before ASW there was BA with 50 seaters, before BA there was Brymon with 50 seaters, before Brymon there was BMA with 50 seaters and before BMA there were the likes of Islanders operating the route.
The Q400 is too large an aircraft for the NQY catchment area and as for A319's and B737-800's, well really.
Need 50 seater or less operations to offer a higher frequency of flights but no doubt CCC will go and make a pig's ear of it again.