MANCHESTER 1

[Dobbo_Dobbo]

Personally I don't see the issue with highlighting surface access schemes for MAN provided the thread doesn't get derailed (pardon the pun). HS3 has been called for by the airport management and I don't see the difference between a discussion on infrastructure or something like APD.

Anyway. Hopefully we'll hear some progress on the TP before long - and a refreshed internal design!!

[GavinC]

Surface access is incredibly important to MAN. Bringing people within shorter catchments to the Airport makes it more likely they will use it.


Take the A556 which opened at the weekend. That will save people between 10 and 20 minutes getting to and from MAN. It could help make the mind up for someone in the potteries considering MAN or BHX or help MAN over LHR for someone in Birmingham.


It's not the be all and end all but it helps.


As will the A6 - Manchester Airport Relief Road (A6MARR) when that opens in 18 months time. As will the Ordsall Chord when it starts to take rail traffic. And so on and so forth......

[MANFOD]

GavinC; Nice to read that someone else can appreciate the relevance of surface access to MAN. Ken O'Toole often refers to its importance in his articles and public comments, but he's only the CEO of the airport so for some folk on here his views obviously count for nothing.

How a few posters and one in particular, can remain unscathed despite their snide and vitriolic remarks from time to time being their only input as they provide not the slightest contribution by way of information, insight or sensible debate, remains a mystery to me.

[tigertanaka]

I think surface access is extremely relevant to this forum.

This week I had to fly to Linz in Austria which basically means flying LH and connecting in Frankfurt. I live in the North East of England so I am faced with a train journey to an airport (LHR, LCY, BHX, EDI or MAN).

I ended up flying out of LCY and back in to EDI. Of course MAN is the closest option for me but the flight timings and the length of train journey did not work for me. A shame really but the Trans Pennine trains to MAN from the North East take too long and do not offer the same level of comfort/service that the East Coast mainline does.

[TURIN]

For those of you who are still skeptical of BA returning to MAN I give you this,

IAG to announce details of foray into low-cost, long-haul market | Air Traffic Management content from ATWOnline

Nothing definate I agree, but the seeds are there.

[Skipness One Echo]

Interesting, thanks for the update.

However, the "fantastic short haul network" needed to make loco long haul is in place already at BCN....with Vueling. Dear God who wants to come off a red eye onto the tightest of locos. His analysis of DY needing feed to make long haul loco work is partially undermined by DY drawing back at LGW and allegedly allowing FR to feed their long haul.
Not sure they're calling this right, but as Walsh says, big fan of Norwegian and the way they operate. God help IAG's ts and cs going forward!

Be a shame if this was how IAG saw MAN rather than AA B787 or A322 done properly. Such a contrast between going east and west nowadays.

[Mr A Tis]

I'm sure WW is a shrewd man, but some of his comments don't make sense to me.
BA did react to loco and set up a perfectly good operation with GO based at STN, which could have expanded into LHR & LGW. Instead chose to sell. Norwegian are in advanced talks with RYR to interline into longhaul. I don't foresee much BA interest in MAN , which it generally views as a bucket and spade low yield regional.
With the falling £ and the Trump Slump effect, I would guess any westbound expansion is already maxxed out- not to mention the slight pulling back by VS.
As Skipness says east is best- the ME3 offering great product.
The SIA could do better and the CX is a sad token of what they could offer.
I use CX, mostly full, crappy lounge, restricted schedule. My HKG based partner (Gold Marco Polo)used CX once from MAN, his view was never again.(schedule & facilities).

[Logohu]

I don't foresee much BA interest in MAN , which it generally views as a bucket and spade low yield regional

Agree, always been a problem with BA, despite there historically being a very high concentration of top tier Executive Club members in the leafier suburbs of Cheshire and elsewhere. Maybe BA just compare everywhere else with West London and surrounds, rather than on its own merits. As a group IAG do however seem to be becoming a lot more adventurous these days, as capacity in the SE fills up. Certainly the AA product ex MAN has been extremely shabby the last several years, and probably hasn't met the expectations of many BA codeshare customers.

I would guess any westbound expansion is already maxxed out

Agree again, the last thing we need right now is another BA branded "beach fleet" landing on us, only to retreat back to the SE after torpedoing the competition.

CX is a sad token

Tried CX myself a couple of times and found them to pretty good tbh, although not quite as good as some of their competition going east. They certainly don't seem to have any problem filling their flights. Maybe the move in June to a 5th service and the A350 will bring us one step closer to the holy grail of a daily service.

[LAX_LHR]

CX goes 6 weekly from 3rd December daily ex Wednesday bookable.

[Logohu]

Good news LAX re CX !!

Any update on QR ? You mentioned a few weeks ago they were going 3x daily from the Winter, but still seems to be showing the current 16x/week. Is 3x daily still happening ?

[LAX_LHR]

The extra QR flights were showing both on GDS and QR site but have since been removed again. I wonder if the new business class refit means not enough aircraft to increase flights. It's usually the reason they can't expand or downgauge.

[Mr A Tis]

Only 5 days ago CX told me daily not on the horizon, but trumpeted the 5th weekly from June. They do keep their cards close to the chest.
When does it change to the A359?

[Dobbo_Dobbo]

Originally Posted by Mr A Tis

Only 5 days ago CX told me daily not on the horizon, but trumpeted the 5th weekly from June. They do keep their cards close to the chest.
When does it change to the A359?

They are clearly aiming for a daily service but are likely hedging their bets on demand by drip feeding the extra services.

Hopefully the TP will deliver better OW lounge facilities given the large increase in recent years from the likes of CX and QR.

[Logohu]

When does it change to the A359?

The A359 starts on Thu 01st June, and the 5th (Friday) service starts the following day

[LAX_LHR]

Vueling have now removed all trace of Amsterdam direct from its booking engine, no longer going to be offered at all.

[chaps1954]

Just to add re Cathay 6th weekly
Cathay Pacific increases frequencies to key destinations across three continents - Luchtzak.be

[Logohu]

I'm relieved the CX spokesperson Mr Paul Loo stopped short of being flushed with the success of the various routes

[TURIN]

The SIA could do better

How? They have put brand new A350s on the route.

Re: Qatar. My info is that it increases the morning QR21/22 to daily frequency in October. The rest stay as is.

[nigel osborne]

Turin.
Not sure what an IAG long haul base to be set up in Barcelona has to do with Manchester or any other UK airport ??

Perhaps I misread the article and UK bases are included somewhere in it ?

[Dobbo_Dobbo]

Originally Posted by Skipness One Echo

Be a shame if this was how IAG saw MAN rather than AA B787 or A322 done properly. Such a contrast between going east and west nowadays.

I agree.

The MEB3 have seriously stimulated the market at MAN. I'd love to see whether a similar effect would be seen at MAN if someone like BA or VS had a real run at cornering the westbound market. Different geographic reality so I wouldn't expect the same outcome, but I bet the take up would be very noticeable.

Perhaps the moment has been lost with the $/£ fluctuation, but perhaps sometime in the future if more inbound traffic or transfer traffic (like SQ) can be generated.