I think if you wind back this thread about 3 years there was a general feeling being expressed that MAN-PHL was a dying route. It had been down-gauged from A333 to A332, and the announcement that Astra-Zeneca were shrinking the Cheshire research centre seemed destined to take away much of the premium traffic. Roll on to today and MAN-PHL is just about all AA have left at MAN but it seems to be doing quite well, with no suggestion it will be cut back or pulled. Times change rapidly. 3 years ago MT weren't even flying to JFK let alone SFO, BOS, LAX and (soon) SEA. We probably are seeing a long-term decline in the presence of US Legacies at MAN, which is a shame in a sense but the overall picture on the MANtlantic is good and growing, a case of the right product wins. Europe is different, where most EU Legacies have survived, some have even thrived at MAN despite the meteoric growth of the locos.
And yes, we do often blame BA or LHR-centricity when something goes sideways. There is some historical justification for that sentiment but it is time we let it go. After all, when the last 'Speedbird' departed MAN we were at 20mppa, now we're at 28m. Where would you rather be?