Originally Posted by
j636
UA no longer have connections at LHR connections ex MAN!
If UA were pulling such volumes away from MAN they would address it since Red exited MAN-LHR
Only FRA, MUC, DUB, BRU, YYZ are offered.
I accept LHR generally is a factor but primarily in winter and not summer. UA can fill 3 daily ex EDI but only 2 daily ex MAN. While EDI is a better place to visit
MAN should have much higher demand outbound.
Three points:
Little Red has only just departed the scene and whilst not in the same alliance as BA there is nothing to stop particularly in house travel agents with good UA prices from London putting their clients on BA to London to connect, especially if mileage points come into the equation, though DUB would be more acceptable due to immigration pre-clearance
UA is still going through a major merger and the fleet is still being shaken down. The regional European airports are suffering the 757 because 767s and 777s not required for primary European and Asian destinations are more profitably used to South America where the hold capacity has a greater profit potential. My estimate is that the use of 757s to MAN has driven away a good number of former passengers. The delays to the introduction of the 787 hasn't helped.
Please explain how Edinburgh is a better place to visit than Manchester. In terms of leisure tourism Manchester itself comes third in the UK after London and Edinburgh with just a quarter of Edinburgh's visitors but the airport attracts more inbound leisure tourists than Edinburgh airport because of the greater number and diversity of attractions accessible from the airport and the fact that the majority of inbound visitors to Edinburgh arrive by road or rail. In terms of business tourism, Manchester has three times the number of inbound visitors, even more if you add those who use the airport to visit the surrounding counties. VFR trips are almost equal but Manchester has almost four times the number of Edinburgh's study and unclassified visitors, again the figure increases due to the airport serving the surrounding counties.