I live in the North East, my wife and I travel to florida every summer. We travel business class but want it for a decent price. Until around 4 years ago we always traveled via Manchester. We now get the ferry to Dublin instead, about an extra hour and a half drive then on the ferry as foot passengers where the holiday begins. We have to travel the night before anyway as its too far from up here to manchester to travel on the morning anyway. Last year traveling from Dublin saved us £1200 once the cost of the extra petrol, ferry and 20 euro 15 minute taxi from dublin port is taken into account.
I booked for next summer again from dublin the other day for summer 2015, this year it will be a saving again of about £1200. It will be excellent news for me if Scotland also becomes an alternative route for us and a way of avoiding APD like the dublin route.
Around 20% of all passengers going through Dublin airport originate in the UK.