MANCHESTER 1

[MANFOD]

Delta agrees not to outsource trips to partner Virgin Atlantic - Business - The Buffalo News

I wonder whether the MAN-ATL route being transferred to VS has any bearing on this story or whether it could mean that any future growth at MAN will be with VS to ensure that DL a/c and crew are used for new LHR services and none of their existing services to London are transferred to Virgin. Or does the same apply to MAN although not specifically mentioned.

[Funderblaster]

"Later on in the questionnaire it became apparent that it was for Manchester airport. Maybe MAN are looking at San Francisco, LA, Boston & Miami to add to their USA flights?"

TCX are already starting a twice weekly Miami service in May. LA & Boston have been added to their website in the same way JFK & MIA appeared but nothing on sale or confirmed as yet !

[nigel osborne]

Interesting story in many of the papers yesterday,

Seems Saudia Airlines are to instruct their cabin staff to segregate men and women on their flights unless they are close relatives.

This allegedly after some Salafi men complained of unknown males sitting next to their wives.

Wonder how this fits in with Sky Team policies.

Lots of links on this if anyones interested in the full story .


Nigel

[Ian Brooks]

think the terminals will be busting tonight as 2 EY, 2 PK and EK all
B777 bar 1 EY A330 all landed in gap of about an hour tonight.

Ian

[eye2eye5]

Saudia

If that story turns out to be true, Nigel, I hope MAG have the balls to tell Saudia that we do not need their custom. It's only when business has the bottle to stand up to such nonsense that we can make the world a better place.

[Ringwayman]

Their airline, their rules. You don't like it, don't fly on them. Not rocket science. And from what I can gather, it's more to do with letting families sit together instead of being dotted round the cabin

[Ian Brooks]

eye2eye5 once pax onboard airport have no say whether it be no alchol
or whatever so if as a pax you don`t like it you know what to do.
Personally not a problem and if someone wants to swap seats as long as it doen`t stop me sitting next to a collegue OK

Ian

[eye2eye5]

Saudia

Sometimes you have to have the courage of your convictions. Saudia is not the kind of airline which will be hurt by a few western passengers boycotting it. A much stronger message is required. If all airports outside Saudi Arabia adopted a ban then it would be noticed. Culturally, this is not acceptable.

[Shed-on-a-Pole]

If you push for sanctions against airlines whose politicians of domicile offend you, you'll soon have very little traffic left. Leave the customers to make their own choices. As for SV, if they shift me from my carefully-selected window seat to the middle block they can expect complaints of a different kind. However, if the woman sat alongside me wishes to be moved elsewhere herself that would be fine by me. Goodbye, Madam. Don't forget your handbag!

[Armodeen]

Interesting story in many of the papers yesterday,

Seems Saudia Airlines are to instruct their cabin staff to segregate men and women on their flights unless they are close relatives.

This allegedly after some Salafi men complained of unknown males sitting next to their wives.

Wonder how this fits in with Sky Team policies.

Lots of links on this if anyones interested in the full story .

Shown to be media sensationalism and blatent falsehoods already...to such a degree that if Saudia were a western company they would be demanding retractions and threatening legal action, I'd imagine.

[116d]

Interestingly it seems if you put your ear to the ground that BA/AA JV is worried by the potential of DL/VS at MAN, and waterside are considering defensive action. Depending who you talk to that 'could' include action at MAN by BA themselves !! Sounds mad I know, and I personally doubt it as I can't see any success here for BA, but seems the least that is happening is BA is considering it's options regarding MAN.

If the outcome is more routes from any of these 4 airlines from MAN then I would welcome it. It would be nice to see BA long-haul at MAN again, though whether it happens is another thing. If VS/DL continue to expand at MAN then it'll no doubt start to impact on BA/AA's market share out of MAN, especially if there's direct options available instead of changing at LHR or somewhere in the US.

The question is, if AA was to expand its presence at MAN and/or if BA choose to re-establish long-haul operations at MAN, what routes would they do? Would they plug the gaps to places such as BOS or LAX or would they compete on existing routes such as MCO (even though that's well served by VS and TCX and TOM to SFB)?

Later on in the questionnaire it became apparent that it was for Manchester airport. Maybe MAN are looking at San Francisco, LA, Boston & Miami to add to their USA flights?

Well, Thomas Cook are launching MAN-MIA flights this year, so I wonder if MAN are trying to get a second carrier on the route to appeal to those connecting or aren't booked on a package holiday or to fill the gaps on the days TCX don't fly to MIA.

[eggc]

Let's be realistic, we'd all be very shocked if BA came to MAN themselves.

The sensible way would be to see if AA could plug gaps to their hubs, as in BOS, DFW, MIA possibly LAX, with greater tie in with BE at this end.

If BA did try themselves then possibly MCO would be for them, but again it'd take a massive turn around in their policy to come back to Ringway.

Be interesting to see who makes the next move...

[Una Due Tfc]

I'm surprised AA or DL haven't rolled the dice with a seasonal B752 on MAN-BOS just to test the waters. I would have thought there was easily a year round market even on a narrowbody at least.

As for AA on MIA, a seasonal B763? Maybe, but perhaps they feel the MAN-Florida market is already flooded?

[eggc]

MIA is a little different to MCO though, as it would connect onto AA's network and feed the cruise liners.

AA flew MAN-BOS a few years back, possibly only lasted 1 season though, as they did with MIA also.

[116d]

I'm surprised AA or DL haven't rolled the dice with a seasonal B752 on MAN-BOS just to test the waters. I would have thought there was easily a year round market even on a narrowbody at least.

AA have operated MAN-BOS in the past with a 757. I don't know the reasons why it was discontinued, but with the economy improving maybe it's time for an airline to try again.

As for AA on MIA, a seasonal B763? Maybe, but perhaps they feel the MAN-Florida market is already flooded?

The only bit of the Florida market that's flooded with capacity is to MCO/SFB. We drove from Orlando to Miami in September and that's a 3 1/2 hour drive - something that most people would rather fly instead and it's understandable.

Also, Miami is a different sort of market to Orlando as it's a major city/destination in its own right (especially for the under-30s heading to Miami Beach), there's a cruise terminal, it's an AA hub for Caribbean/Latin America flights and a gateway to South Florida/Florida Keys. Orlando is obviously more family and entertainment-orientated, as well as being in the middle for those looking to holiday on the Gulf Coast or Atlantic Coast.

Some of these reasons are probably why Thomas Cook felt confident in launching MIA flights alongside its MCO flights from MAN and why BA and VS serve MIA from LHR in addition to MCO from LGW. Don't forget, BA also fly to TPA from LGW which can also act as an alternative to MCO for those heading to Orlando as it's only about 90mins drive along I-4.

[nigel osborne]

Thanks for the clarifications Armodeen.

Are their links or statements I can view to back up the falsehoods you mention , or are you crew from Saudi telling it 1st hand ?


Nigel

[SWBKCB]

I've had a poke around on the Saudi story but can only find comments from sources I don't trust (particularly on this type of subject) - anybody got anything reliable?

[sarah19981]

mainland China and Hainan Airlines

Hi people is there any further analysis on Hainan airlines in the United Kingdom and any further news with flights to other mainland Chinese cities?
Regards sarah! X

[Ringwayman]

3 tweets that involve the SV representative for you to make up your mind if gender separation is the policy:
quote 1
quote 2
quote 3

[Bagso]

BA - Given that BA are circling EI maybe there IS a change of strategy, that said the UK domestic feed into DUB is minscule compared to the "direct" operation offered by BA from Heathrow so surely they are simply after slots or maybe there are some sort of tax implications. That said a company that the goverment believes is wrapped in the Union Jack having its HQ in Dublin would surely be a final nail in the coffin for LHR and RW3

I would have thought there was more potential expanding the FlyBe feed Manchester but this is equally small.....BUT with a dozen regional cities now served from MAN there is lots of potential to increase marketing/capacity/frequency !

Never understood BOS, was it not in domestic config but full every flight ?