MANCHESTER 1

[Shed-on-a-Pole]

Ryanair Routes By-Passing MAN

BAGSO - Thanks for your comments. The list below summarises routes offered by Ryanair from MAN's four neighbouring competitors [EMA LPL BHX LBA] but not served from MAN itself on RYR metal.

BERGERAC - EMA / LPL [Served from MAN by FlyBe]
CARCASSONNE - EMA / LPL
DINARD - EMA / LBA
LA ROCHELLE - EMA [Served from MAN by FlyBe]
LIMOGES - EMA / LPL / LBA
BERLIN SXF - EMA [Served from MAN by EasyJet]
RHODES - EMA / LPL [Multiple operators serve MAN]
KNOCK - EMA / LPL [Served from MAN by FlyBe]
PISA - EMA / LPL / LBA [Served from MAN by Jet2]
MALTA - EMA / LPL / BHX / LBA [Multiple operators serve MAN]
TREVISO - EMA / LBA [Nearby Venice served from MAN by other carriers]
LODZ - EMA
WROCLAW - EMA / LPL
MAHON MENORCA - EMA [Multiple operators serve MAN]
NIMES - LPL
KOS - LPL [Multiple operators serve MAN]
CORK - LPL [Stobart - Aer Lingus Regional serves MAN]
VILNIUS - LPL
POZNAN - LPL
SZCZECIN - LPL
PORTO - LPL [Served from MAN by EasyJet]
OSLO TORP - LPL *suspended month of Aug* [Oslo covered from MAN via Gardermoen & Rygge]
BRATISLAVA - LPL / BHX [Neighbouring Vienna served from MAN by Jet2]
CITY OF DERRY - LPL
PERPIGNAN - BHX
KAUNAS - BHX
BYDGOSZCZ - BHX
KATOWICE - BHX
MONTPELLIER - LBA

From this list, the glaring gaps at MAN appear to focus on Poland, the Baltic States and Regional France. To the newly recruited MAG executive who recently stated that MAN had all European routes covered ... not quite! Plenty of homework to get on with there. No room for hubris or complacency! Fifteen destinations there completely unserved from MAN (after allowing for services to same-region airports OSL/RYG, VIE & VCE).

EDIT: LAX_LHR - Thankyou for your correction ref Valencia (I've only just spotted it). When I checked the RYR online timetable last night, MAN-VLC showed no flights for the Summer months. However, this must have been a glitch as (following your post) I have re-checked and they're showing again. Twice weekly - as you say.
So corrected figures: MAN offers 218 departures / 436 movements pw for S15. 41202 return seats pw; 82404 seats pw total.
MAN dropped routes is FOUR (not five).
When I make a mistake, I'm very pleased to note that its such a positive one! A route I hope to use as well.

[sparkysam]

t1 queue

Travelled through T1 on sunday 03/05 with tcx. Joined queue at 06:00 and got to immigration at about 06:40. The line was moving quiet fast and we were in the shopping area by 07:00. Staff working at the gate we passed through were courteous and friendly. Enough time to shop get a coffee and go to the gate. On return the aircraft was on stand at 07:20 we came through the E passport area and it took approximately twenty minutes to pass through there, being about ninetieth in the queue. There were four of the five E gates working. Two people helping out instructing everyone how to use the E gates. Had to wait fifteen minutes for cases to arrive. Took cab and was having cuppa at 09:00 in Hazel Grove. Not to bad as traffic on the motorway was horrendous. Cheers Sam

[1-11days]

Just to add to comments on passport control. I arrived back on EK019 on Saturday evening. Flight was reasonably full downstairs. The queue for EU residents at the manned desks peaked at circa 60 people. Having worked out eventually that my passport was chipped, no one tasked to offer guidance at T1 unlike T3 but a couple of staff by the e gates to ask once you got to the front of the queue. The T3 approach of guiding people to e gates where possible sounds like excellent use of staff and I'd already thought the same should have been done at T1. That said from touching down at 19:35 I was still in the car by 20:15 - so not bad at all considering I was pretty much at the back of the plane.

Experience at Dubai was a bit of a contrast - flight from Dar Es Salaam involved a 10 minute taxi to a remote stand and a 30 minute bus journey to the terminal, so give me Manchester any day!

PS Just to add to the thanks to Shed for the time spent on putting together an excellent analysis of Ryanair - very interesting read which gives a clear insight into how upgrading the 3 T3 stands mentioned would likely produce a very decent return on investment.

[Bagso]

Could the CEO of a certain company come out NOW and make a "from the heart" apology ?

Not to save the share price BUT to do the right thing !

Before its to late......

[LN-KGL]

A small correction Shed-on-a-Pole:
easyJet's Berlin airport is Schönefeld (SXF), not Tegel (TXL)
SXF is the LCC airport for Berlin, while TXL have legacy carriers, Germanwings and Air Berlin (have their own terminal)

[MANFOD]

Could the CEO of a certain company come out NOW and make a "from the heart" apology ?

I suspect the damage has already been done so perhaps too late to mitigate it, although it may not do any harm to try. Couldn't an ex-gratia payment as a gesture of goodwill have been made to the family without accepting liability? Perhaps the tragedy highlights the potential conflict of cautious legal advice and the need for good PR in such circumstances.

Anyway, TCX are an increasingly important customer of MAN with the long haul expansion so we wait to see the impact.

Travelled through T1 on sunday 03/05 with tcx.

And on a similar (and happier note), our family will be there this Sunday for a 06.00 flight with the same airline. After the queues reported last year at T1, and given it's the start of the school holidays and a Bank Holiday, will planning to arrive at the airport for 03.30 be ok, do you hardened travellers feel?

Thanks for any comments.

[Shed-on-a-Pole]

Thanks LN-KGL ... I should have spotted that. I've previously flown into both Berlin Airports: TXL from MAN (Air Berlin ... many years ago); SXF Germanwings (from CGN), also ages ago. I recall SXF being very active with LCC's.

[easyflyer83]

Strictly speaking, SXF isn't the LCC airport of Berlin. Sure it is well served by EZY and FR but there are legacies there too and of course the airports of that city have generally enjoyed equal status in the past unlike say LTN or STN to London, and of course is a by-product of Berlin's history.

As for Thomas Cook, it could have handled the situation better but I think the back lash (understandably) has a very emotive maternal undertone to it and ultimately people have short memories. In literally two weeks it will all be forgotten about. I'm sure Cooks will have learnt a lesson.

[LN-KGL]

Could be that SXF isn't officialy the LCC airport of Berlin, but again there are only five airlines I will call legacy carriers at that airport: Aeroflot, Aer Lingus, Air Egypt, El Al and TAP

The three largest operators at SXF are: easyJet, Ryanair and Norwegian

[Scottie Dog]

New terminal 3 bussing gate for international arrivals and departures

I noticed that stand 50 has now been converted to a remote bussing gate for international flights and is no longer in service for aircraft parking.

This was effective from yesterday, 19th May. The facility seems to have 3 doors, 50, 50A and 50B. Can anyone confirm that this is in fact the case and, if so,does that mean that the T3 remote stands will be used for passenger services.

[Johnny F@rt Pants]

Having worked out eventually that my passport was chipped, no one tasked to offer guidance at T1 unlike T3 but a couple of staff by the e gates to ask once you got to the front of the queue.

There is a big sign when you enter the passport area directing you to the EU chipped passport queue.

[Betablockeruk]

New terminal 3 bussing gate for international arrivals and departures
I noticed that stand 50 has now been converted to a remote bussing gate for international flights and is no longer in service for aircraft parking.

This was effective from yesterday, 19th May. The facility seems to have 3 doors, 50, 50A and 50B. Can anyone confirm that this is in fact the case and, if so,does that mean that the T3 remote stands will be used for passenger services.

All here, including a diagram.

MAG World - AIRSIDE DIRECTIVES

[1-11days]

Johnny - Just a rider to the T1 e gates queue. There is indeed a sign directing those with chipped passports, my problem was working out how to tell if my passport was chipped - I now know but I suspect there will be others who are unsure. Cheers 1-11days

[Espada III]

Passport checks on departing passengers

Haven't flown for a few weeks. Are all passports now checked for departing passengers? For T1 where are the checks carried out? Has this added much time to the security process assuming online check in and no luggage?

Thanks

[eggc]

Emirates 3 daily 388 from Dec 1st, apparently !!

[Betablockeruk]

Aer Lingus - Imagine - a new route from Dublin to Liverpool John Lennon Airport for Winter 2015/2016

More 'feeder' capacity to Dublin and extra capacity to the States.

One day, MAG and local politicians will wake up and see that Dublin is a major competitor on TATL, but it may be too late.

[Skipness One Echo]

Come on be serious, they're well aware of where DUB sits in the marketplace in terms of a competitive offering. However DUB has a few key advantages MAN can't match.
1) APD in the UK isn't helpful.
2) DUB has preclearance for US flights
3) crucially DUB has a based network carrier with embedded relations with the Irish state, that flies the flag and commands immense long haul brand loyalty.
How exactly can MAN match that in a market where BA couldn't make it work in that market?

[LAX_LHR]

Thats quite a signature of intent from Aer Lingus, up to 4 new daily flights between DUB and the North West in one felled swoop, and, they are all A320's too.

[Shed-on-a-Pole]

Well, let's see Skipness. Non-stop flights, no en-route change, competitive prices (courtesy of TCX). BA had inhouse reasons for MAN-JFK withdrawal ... it was 'made to work' very successfully for many years when it suited them. DUB is strong competition but it doesn't comprehensively trump MAN as you suggest.

[insuindi]

@Espada III

Flown to Germany from various UK airports (Not MAN however) over last few weeks, have not seen any additional passport checks at any airport for those Schengen area flights (only check remains the comparison of name on boarding pass with passport name).