Also travelled to Atlanta twice this year, One connecting to onward destination and one terminating. No problems on either fairly fast baggage reclaim and car hire desk in the terminal. Just the seven dollars for a beer excessive. cheers Sparky

Ezy Man
 

EasyJet
 

Parky747 -

The simple answer to your question is that I don't know at what rate EasyJet intend to develop MAN (useful post, eh?). However, I can tell you that EZY consider themselves to have been presented with exciting short-term opportunities elsewhere which they are keen to exploit.

Amongst these opportunities two stand out. The first is ITALY. The near-death experience of Alitalia which now appears likely to survive in a much reduced form (probably merged with Air One) has left a big hole at EZY's existing Milan Malpensa base which the company hopes to exploit. Other carriers including Lufthansa (5 x A319) are diving in there too. Result: more EZY fleet commitment at MXP in the short term. Obviously Rome is affected too, though I believe that EZY favour Ciampino there rather than the Alitalia hub airport at Fiumicino, so perhaps the Rome opportunity is less attractive.

The second opportunity seen by EZY is at LONDON GATWICK. Recent events - notably the demise of XL and the transfer of several LGW Transatlantic schedules to LHR - have resulted in a surprise windfall of juicy LGW slots for EZY. This implies a short term move to increase the LGW stranglehold before competitors pitch in for those slots.

So where does this leave MAN? Slightly down the pecking order, I fear. Short term opportunities for expanding key bases are likely to be optimized. New capacity will go to those bases first. Whilst MAN is ultimately of interest to EZY, it is difficult to suggest that this airport will top the list of priorities when windfall opportunities have arisen at key established bases elsewhere. I guess my thesis is that MAN will be forced to wait its turn in an orderly queue! But if anyone out there is able to tell me with authority that I have got all this horribly wrong, then bring it on! I would be absolutely delighted to see MAN developed as a key EZY base ASAP. And I must say that MAN itself is fast becoming a serious opportunity for some enterprising carrier out there. It's a long-established top 20 European airport with a huge catchment area, and the availability of lucrative slots there for the taking hasn't been this good for years. Come and get 'em! Lock them away.

Any comments from EZY insiders?

Cheers, SHED.

"Are FR and LS then to move to T3 as planned?"

Im looking into that at the mo..........i think we need Jet there asap but its convincing the local heads, as they appear to like T1. However nearer to the Rwy usually swings it for Loco.

zfw

Am I being a bit forgetful in my old age, but aren't LS already in Terminal 3?

Parky 747, Why do you assume that Manchester would be a more profitable base for EZY than Liverpool? This is the same delusion as people who think BA and BMI can make more money on long-hauls out of Manchester than out of Heathrow.

For Summer 2009, Liverpool to Malaga with EZY (16 flights a week), Manchester to Malaga with EZY (7 flights a week), Liverpool to Alicante with EZY (15 flights a week), Manchester to Alicante with EZY (4 flights a week).

MAN's catchment is more than twice the size of LPL's, so therefore there is unquestionably better potential to attarct more passengers at MAN.

What is to the the West of Liverpool, and how many people live to the West of Liverpool ??? Answers....Sea & None....half of LPL's catchment area is water !

EZY would come to MAN now if it was as easy as that...although I'm pretty sure MAN will be the NW's largest base - enventually.

Counting the number of rotations to served destinations, apart from helping you learn to count to ten, means **** all matey !!!

Shed-on-a-Pole

Let me buy you a drink next time I'm back in Manchester - much appreciated your analysis of BA's approach to the UK Domestic Market and Shuttle Cancellations.

Quote:-MAN's catchment is more than twice the size of LPL's, so therefore there is unquestionably better potential to attarct more passengers at MAN.

What is to the the West of Liverpool, and how many people live to the West of Liverpool ??? Answers....Sea & None....half of LPL's catchment area is water !

West of LPL is North Wales or are they supposed to go to CWL!
LPL is considered to be in MAN catchement area so it follows MAN is in LPL's or there wouldn't be so many buses to MAN from LPL
East of MAN it is mainly sheep in the hills until you get to LBA area or is that counted as in MAN area as well !:}

Shed, you are absolutely spot on!! Throw into the mix though the very restrictive deal that EZY did with Peel holdings over operating from LPL and not having MAN and LPL competing for pax and it does leave MAN somewhat down the pecking order.

From what I have been told LPL is a very profitable base with some of the most profitable routes in the UK. Can't see how MAN would be more profitable initially. I think EZY's growth plans at MAN are hamstrung by the peel agreement and that fact that the airframes could be making more money at other bases in other countries!

I did say if it was easy for Easy to move - by this I was refering to their contract with Peel, hence the eventually bit - because sure as BA are based at LHR contracts expire !

As for catchment area population I dont have any figures, therefore arguing is pointless, but is Wales not South of LPL ! What I am trying to say is that there are not many folk living in the big blue wobbly thing to the immediate West and North West of LPL - hence restricting the catchment size.

It is a shame that BMI's excellent services have been pulled: I have used the transatlantic service three times over the last two years and always had a good experience.

BTW, North Wales is west of Liverpool and the population was 670,800 in 2003.

Ahhhh....I dont care where Wales is....that is not my point !

The Sea takes up 1/4 of LPLs georaphical catchment area.

It can be far too hard on here to make a simple point.

And sheep a quarter of MAN's:}

ooooohhhh the cheek of it ! And after mentioning North Wales....now I know this is a wind up :}:ok:

Ok its LPL's sea verses MAN's hills and sheep, while on the subject of Easyjets operations out of MAN, I used their Malta service earlier this year, and I tell you what, the T3 check-in area is not big enough, get 5 or 6 early morning EZY departures and there will be mayhem.

Mouser, totally agree, but T3 now and T3 "Loco Hub of the future" might be quite different though ?

It's a long-established top 20 European airport with a huge catchment area, and the availability of lucrative slots there for the taking hasn't been this good for years. Come and get 'em! Lock them away.

Well we have BMI Baby, all it needs it Lufty (or whoever) to expand it and make it full service, cos am sure MAN would get a couple of rows up front filled paying biz class fares?
I would much prefer to see a committed full service airlines come onboard rather than more chavtastic airlines aka EZY,FR,LS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May I remind you of some positive aspects of services from MAN that the likes of LPL and LBA could never support?

Saudi Arabian to Jed/RUH
Libyan Arab to TIP
Qatar to DOH
Emirates to DXB
Etihad to AUH
Turkish to IST
Singapore to SIN
Air Blue to ISB
PIA to ISB/LHE/KHI/JFK (yes I know they operate to LBA!)
Cyprus Airways to LCA/PFO
Thomsonfly to TLV/RAK/SID
Olympic to ATH
Icelandair to KEF
Air Transat to YYZ
US Airways to PHL
Continental to EWR
Delta to ATL/JFK
Virgin to MCO/BGI/UVF
American to ORD
Lufthansa to MUC/FRA/DUS/HAM
Finnair to HEL
SAS to CPH/ARN/OSL
Swiss to BSL/ZRH
flyBE to FRA/DUS/CDG/HAJ/LRH/BRU/RNS/MXP
...to name but a few.

The common denominator here is that they are all, except two, foreign airlines.

MAplc's task over the next year or so of the recession is to hold on to these routes and carriers, even if that means we are down to once a week on some of them. Reducing landing fees might be an option?

MAN has an amazing portfolio of routes, so please be a bit more positive everyone!

I'm exasperated
 

Quality post Vuelo.

If I might add, it is becoming tiresome on here to read the continued vented venom against BA, and the quite ignorant opinion that MAN is becomming nothing more than a bucket and spade airport.

Others on here lament the loss of carriers and place the blame on airlines and MAN management then, unbelievably, one conceded they had not flown out of MAN themselves for years ! If you want routes to stay, GET ON A BLOODY AIRCRAFT AND SUPPORT YOUR AIRPORT, YOU MUPPETS !

I'd like to remind the people who sneer at charter carriers that at times when scheduled carriers have come and gone with fickle abandon, the likes of Thomson, First Choice, Thomas Cook etc and their predecessors have always remained loyal and totally dedicated to MAN, through 9/11, recession, winters of discontent, Falklands war and the latest economic downturn etc, no matter how far back in time you go. Whilst others closed down routes, they remained, through thick and thin.

To deride MAN for its bucket and spade origins is naive and does those carriers who have stood by MAN a huge disservice.