I think these are exactly the things the airport need to advertise... Let people know Madrid is new, let them know it's a city worth visiting, tell them there's more to Spain, and especially for the North East... Go and see a football match and have a weekend away
1 year ago yesterday I flew NCL-BCN on the Friday night, back Sunday night. Bar our school trip party of 8-ish, most of the rest of the passengers were there to see Barca play, and I'd have said about half of the passengers were the same people on both flights. About 90% full IIRC, not bad for January but the flights were about £50 return
SWBKCB - I had to check it wasn't April Fools Day when I read your reply, I can't believe we agree on something... Let alone 2 things!
I agree as well, it has to be a US airline for the connectivity and that's why I think Jetblue is pretty much perfect for us. Lower fares, better service and product (compered to the European image of Low Cost Carriers) and connections at JFK. But it obviously depends if they do go transatlantic. I know we're a small market but it's a chance for them to avoid going head to head with NAX.
Yeah again you're right and not only that, Dusseldorf isn't a nice airport to transfer in really... There's not a whole lot to do unless 1. You're in the LH lounge, 2. You don't bore easily and are happy in a cafe for 3/4 hours or 3. You smoke and are sociable and get drawn into conversations in the smoking areas. I did #2 on the way out and was bored shi*less and #3 on the way back and almost missed my flight. If the connection is less than 2 hours it's wonderful but after that you start struggling - you can go to the observation deck on the train if you go through security though, but I'd be wary and only do that if I had about 4 hours.
It amazes me that bmi regional don't fly NCL-FRA, and it also amazes me that Berlin is only just coming back and that one or all of Hamburg, Hannover and Munich haven't been reinstated after HLX went bust. I hope Eurowings might change that, especially in the case of Munich at least