Manchester-3
Anybody can self-connect at the moment if they are prepared to take the risk of a late / cancelled flight causing them to mis-connect.
How do you suggest MAN could implement a better self-connection scheme? I guess they could charge a premium for an insurance based scheme (they put you up in a hotel and purchase new tickets), but how much extra would that cost per ticket?
How do you suggest MAN could implement a better self-connection scheme? I guess they could charge a premium for an insurance based scheme (they put you up in a hotel and purchase new tickets), but how much extra would that cost per ticket?
My thought was more basic.
It’s currently difficult to discover self connect opportunities. They aren’t really advertised.
I’ll give you a for instance. I have family in New York who want to spend about 3 weeks in the summer in Beijing.
At the time of booking recently, that could be done for about $1900 each via a GDS, or for about $1450 each assembling a self connect with a really decent connection time in Manchester.
As far as I can see a GDS cannot reveal that option even using tools that a travel agent has such as forcing routing codes X=MAN etc.
Warsaw is advertised as a connection point, but Manchester isn’t.
Now, maybe saving that roughly 25% via MAN is worth it to any given traveler and maybe it isn’t, but most people won’t even get to discover it.
It is worth it to my family and it will be to others.
All I am suggesting is that creating better ways of discovering that option could be useful.
I would see it as some IT investment (detailed work but not rocket science) and some marketing (the more complex part). I do think an alliance of similar airports could be useful. It might even create a tool that would help preserve the life and usefulness of some travel agents. People here have also noted various existing services that could be built upon.
I don’t work there but frankly would consider this an interesting project.
It has to be more interesting than “we don’t really have a hub carrier so we can’t do anything”
Last edited by Bbtengineer; 6th Feb 2024 at 01:23.
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Shame for Signature as was a good revenue opportunity.
Last edited by Navpi; 6th Feb 2024 at 10:31.
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As far as I’m aware, no freight was offloaded. The flight was handled by Signature FBO who lack any heavy Ramp equipment. Menzies were sub-contracted to do the Pushback.
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They won't want a split-operation whereby MAN gets the fuel stops and PIK gets those flights with onload / offload needs. The selected airport must be able to deal with all eventualities.
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Insurance would be a nice add on.
My thought was more basic.
It’s currently difficult to discover self connect opportunities. They aren’t really advertised.
I’ll give you a for instance. I have family in New York who want to spend about 3 weeks in the summer in Beijing.
At the time of booking recently, that could be done for about $1900 each via a GDS, or for about $1450 each assembling a self connect with a really decent connection time in Manchester.
As far as I can see a GDS cannot reveal that option even using tools that a travel agent has such as forcing routing codes X=MAN etc.
Warsaw is advertised as a connection point, but Manchester isn’t.
Now, maybe saving that roughly 25% via MAN is worth it to any given traveler and maybe it isn’t, but most people won’t even get to discover it.
It is worth it to my family and it will be to others.
All I am suggesting is that creating better ways of discovering that option could be useful.
I would see it as some IT investment (detailed work but not rocket science) and some marketing (the more complex part). I do think an alliance of similar airports could be useful. It might even create a tool that would help preserve the life and usefulness of some travel agents. People here have also noted various existing services that could be built upon.
I don’t work there but frankly would consider this an interesting project.
It has to be more interesting than “we don’t really have a hub carrier so we can’t do anything”
My thought was more basic.
It’s currently difficult to discover self connect opportunities. They aren’t really advertised.
I’ll give you a for instance. I have family in New York who want to spend about 3 weeks in the summer in Beijing.
At the time of booking recently, that could be done for about $1900 each via a GDS, or for about $1450 each assembling a self connect with a really decent connection time in Manchester.
As far as I can see a GDS cannot reveal that option even using tools that a travel agent has such as forcing routing codes X=MAN etc.
Warsaw is advertised as a connection point, but Manchester isn’t.
Now, maybe saving that roughly 25% via MAN is worth it to any given traveler and maybe it isn’t, but most people won’t even get to discover it.
It is worth it to my family and it will be to others.
All I am suggesting is that creating better ways of discovering that option could be useful.
I would see it as some IT investment (detailed work but not rocket science) and some marketing (the more complex part). I do think an alliance of similar airports could be useful. It might even create a tool that would help preserve the life and usefulness of some travel agents. People here have also noted various existing services that could be built upon.
I don’t work there but frankly would consider this an interesting project.
It has to be more interesting than “we don’t really have a hub carrier so we can’t do anything”
There are already several OTA's bundling Self Connection Itineraries with varying levels of included / additional protection cover / Insurance.
There is a particularly big player based in Iceland who partner with airlines and airports to build these itineraries, the airport / airline don't need to do anything different they stay point to point and IF the airport want to add an airside connection if you have no luggage, or fast track if you re-clear security then that is a perk they can choose to fund.
Any delays / misconnects are totally handled by the 3rd party firm and the reviews online give them good feedback.
The benefit of them actually working with the airline is that they have partnerships so for example Jet2, easyJet, Loganair, Virgin, Singapore, Cathay, Air Transat, Icelandair, Emirates and many other. work with this firm, they were also the people behind "Gatwick Connects". Imagine the connection opportunities provided by easy & Jet2 to long haul for example and you can see that this could be a big opportunity for MAN.
The connecting itineraries including protection cover are already distributed through Google Flights, Kayak, Skyscanner etc so are relatively easy to find.
Now add into the speculation that Ryanair have just (in January) quietly removed their own "1 Stop Connections" product from sale, and all references in the T&C's are gone and imagine if they were to partner with this firm to offer connecting itineraries but with no additional cost or changes to their business model and the opportunity for MAG becomes enormous.
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Various sources are now publically reporting that China Eastern are starting PVG-MAN 3 weekly using 77W's in June this year 
Last edited by eggc; 8th Feb 2024 at 20:31.
Aeroroutes reporting that Gulf Air are adding a Friday flight from July, going 5 weekly, Turkish adding late evening 4 times weekly, increasing frequency from 21 to 25 weekly from 19 May and Egyptair going daily for the summer
This has the potential to be a big winner.
There are already several OTA's bundling Self Connection Itineraries with varying levels of included / additional protection cover / Insurance.
There is a particularly big player based in Iceland who partner with airlines and airports to build these itineraries, the airport / airline don't need to do anything different they stay point to point and IF the airport want to add an airside connection if you have no luggage, or fast track if you re-clear security then that is a perk they can choose to fund.
Any delays / misconnects are totally handled by the 3rd party firm and the reviews online give them good feedback.
The benefit of them actually working with the airline is that they have partnerships so for example Jet2, easyJet, Loganair, Virgin, Singapore, Cathay, Air Transat, Icelandair, Emirates and many other. work with this firm, they were also the people behind "Gatwick Connects". Imagine the connection opportunities provided by easy & Jet2 to long haul for example and you can see that this could be a big opportunity for MAN.
The connecting itineraries including protection cover are already distributed through Google Flights, Kayak, Skyscanner etc so are relatively easy to find.
Now add into the speculation that Ryanair have just (in January) quietly removed their own "1 Stop Connections" product from sale, and all references in the T&C's are gone and imagine if they were to partner with this firm to offer connecting itineraries but with no additional cost or changes to their business model and the opportunity for MAG becomes enormous.
There are already several OTA's bundling Self Connection Itineraries with varying levels of included / additional protection cover / Insurance.
There is a particularly big player based in Iceland who partner with airlines and airports to build these itineraries, the airport / airline don't need to do anything different they stay point to point and IF the airport want to add an airside connection if you have no luggage, or fast track if you re-clear security then that is a perk they can choose to fund.
Any delays / misconnects are totally handled by the 3rd party firm and the reviews online give them good feedback.
The benefit of them actually working with the airline is that they have partnerships so for example Jet2, easyJet, Loganair, Virgin, Singapore, Cathay, Air Transat, Icelandair, Emirates and many other. work with this firm, they were also the people behind "Gatwick Connects". Imagine the connection opportunities provided by easy & Jet2 to long haul for example and you can see that this could be a big opportunity for MAN.
The connecting itineraries including protection cover are already distributed through Google Flights, Kayak, Skyscanner etc so are relatively easy to find.
Now add into the speculation that Ryanair have just (in January) quietly removed their own "1 Stop Connections" product from sale, and all references in the T&C's are gone and imagine if they were to partner with this firm to offer connecting itineraries but with no additional cost or changes to their business model and the opportunity for MAG becomes enormous.
The potential volume is limited by the competitive disadvantages.
Aren't these super low cost value players? As in who is going to take a connecting flight to get on a Jet2 holiday flight? Who flies to connect to a one stop over Dubai on Emirates rather than fly locally with them or one of the other ME3? From where are you going to do a non STAR connection to Singapore via MAN rather than book via Lufthansa Group over FRA/MUC? No serious long haul traveller would be booking a self connection with Ryanair, I love em but only on point to point short haul with limited bags. The margins here are wafer thin. Gatwick Connects is almost unknown outside of these boards btw.
Saving the pennies on short haul is different from long haul, if you're that price sensitive when flying that far, I'd be worried.
No anchor carrier, no wide appeal for connections. But that doesn't stop keen people trying
Brilliant news!
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Are we pleased that MAN has a nonstop to PEK?
Do we want that to remain and grow?
In the summer timeframe I was looking to book, nonstop NYC to PEK in RESTRICTED economy on United was close to $10,000.
Yes, you read that right.
So that’s a market for people who just can’t pay it so where do they go next?
The absolute cheapest I could do with an advertised connection was via Warsaw at $1900.
Self connect at MAN was $1450.
At the moment, the $1900 will be discovered, but the $1450 won’t.
I think it is worth trying to exploit that.
It’s just an example.
I have had many other occasions where self connect in Manchester was really worthwhile, including $1350 business TATL then short haul versus $2600 best advertised.
I only discovered any of them because I’m a Manc.
Last edited by Bbtengineer; 9th Feb 2024 at 00:09.
I gave you an example and let me please flesh it out a little bit more.
Are we pleased that MAN has a nonstop to PEK?
Do we want that to remain and grow?
In the summer timeframe I was looking to book, nonstop NYC to PEK in RESTRICTED economy on United was close to $10,000.
Yes, you read that right.
So that’s a market for people who just can’t pay it so where do they go next?
The absolute cheapest I could do via an advertised connection was via Warsaw at $1900.
Self connect at MAN was $1450.
At the moment, the $1900 will be discovered, but the $1450 won’t.
I think it is worth trying to exploit that.
It’s just an example.
I have had many other occasions where self connect in Manchester was really worthwhile, including $1350 business TATL then short haul versus $2700 best advertised.
I only discovered any of them because I’m a Manc.
Are we pleased that MAN has a nonstop to PEK?
Do we want that to remain and grow?
In the summer timeframe I was looking to book, nonstop NYC to PEK in RESTRICTED economy on United was close to $10,000.
Yes, you read that right.
So that’s a market for people who just can’t pay it so where do they go next?
The absolute cheapest I could do via an advertised connection was via Warsaw at $1900.
Self connect at MAN was $1450.
At the moment, the $1900 will be discovered, but the $1450 won’t.
I think it is worth trying to exploit that.
It’s just an example.
I have had many other occasions where self connect in Manchester was really worthwhile, including $1350 business TATL then short haul versus $2700 best advertised.
I only discovered any of them because I’m a Manc.
Genuine question, what's the TATL / short haul at £1350 you're quoting, what was the route that got you that?
The $1900 connection is market rate for a protected connection that will get you on the next flight if things go amiss, if you don't wanna pay market rate and take your own route, then you're not at the front of the queue for a rerouting in any misconnect. I have done self connecting many times in the US, it's not a big deal for me, but the wider market is wary. There's a chap called patrickz80 elsewhere who promotes that sort of thing for Europe and can't wrap his head around why more people won't do it.