That's fine Zooker,

I get your frustration, but I just didn't see why my name had to be dragged into it all, as I hadn't actually commented on the debate about staff east and such.

LAX,

Apologies, the only reason I mentioned you is that you seem to be the most prolific poster of information pertaining to new services and changes to existing ones. You obviously have access to sources of information which others on here do not.

The suggestion of a separate discussion was only a passing-thought, the idea being to prevent folk having to scroll through many posts which are unrelated to the subject they are interested in. Once the TP gets fully underway, I suspect there will be many pages of interesting observations.

ZOOKER if you actually look LAX has already set a forum for TP
Manchester Airport | Terminal 2 redevelopment - SkyscraperCity

Ian

No worries Zooker.

Some post different things as people have different fortes, mine is route news so it's what I post.

It's what can make a forum great, people have different knowledge bases so creates a great point of reference.

Warning - This article is about improvements to access to MAN by Bus, Train and Metrolink. Only read if interested!


https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/new...transport-hub/

Personally, news of an airline starting a new route is the primary reason I come to this forum.

So, if anyone would like to start a new one entitled 'MAN/EGCC/Ringway Buses and Trains Through the Ages' do feel free.

Plus-One here for Lax's input by the way. Some of the snippets he has posted have actually saved me from potential redundancy.

TURIN,

Loads of news of new airlines starting routes over the years.

SAA, QANTAS, Gulf Air, Cubana, MALEV, LOT, to name a few.

All introduced with big corporate fanfares.

Several years later......They've gone.

Just saying....

Only have to around the roads next to T2 to see what we lost. Odd you menthioned SAA, I remember getting of the school bus early just to see it's first arrival. As for QF, BA killed that.

Airlines come and go (many literally), but by and large are quickly replaced by others :-

Qantas - dropped all of Europe (except LHR) when they jumped into bed with Emirates. QF probably sell more seats from MAN today on the 3x daily EK flights than they ever did on their own metal.
SAA - busily self destructing under the weight of corruption and better competition, nowadays barely able to maintain an A330 service to LHR
Gulf Air - relegated to a bit player when its key shareholding states decided to form their own airlines. Emirates, Etihad, Qatar and Oman now rule the ME skies
Cubana - was a short lived pseudo tourist flight (or was it a tech stop ?). Long since replaced by much better and higher capacity offerings to Cuba from TCX and TUI.
MALEV and LOT - both done for in the UK by Ryanair, Jet2, Easyjet, Wizz - as were most state owned East European airlines

A glance back at a MAN timetable from just 10 years ago shows just how quickly the industry evolves. Airlines featuring then included Sky Europe, Czech Airlines, BMI, Air Berlin, Zoom, Continental, City Airlines, VLM, Hapag Lloyd Express, Air Blue, Cyprus Airways, BA metal to JFK - to name but a few. All now gone, but always replaced in one form or another.

Talking of Primera just announced YYZ from STN. So, when are we going to get an aggressive long haul lo-cost operator. Not the slow burn TCX or VIR. Selfishly speaking, my family accounts need a £275 LAX return fare as offered by Norwegian from LGW!

But that £275 far you don't get bags or food.

I wouldn't call TCX slow burn either, their network has grown amazingly in the 4-5 years they have been at it. While the Norwegian growth has been very impressive, We are yet to see if it's all sustainable.

Looking at some of the Virgin fares early next summer which include bags, meals, FF points etc - no difference to any TATL LCC, in fact cheaper than TCX on every date I checked! East and west coasts.

In Feb, with hand baggage going hungry and coming back the next day.......
Careful what you wish for mind, I think TXC and VS are coming up against the limits of the market they're in, I thought BOS and SFO with VS would have been bigger winners and they together would have played a part in AA dropping 1/3 of their operation.

Shot with both barrels.
 

It's a pity that BOS and SFO have seen the classic MAN phenomenon of going from zero to too much capacity/competition in one hit. Either one of VS and TCX left alone on these routes would be successful and grow frequency. Instead, they are flying on the same days at the same time. Perhaps somehow the market will discourage over-provision without MAN losing the destination, leaving each airline to choose their own best and dedicated portfolio. NYC, MCO, LAS, and ORD are perhaps the only US cities which can sustain multiple providers out of MAN.

Interestingly, a friend recently flew MAN-PHL-BOS and return on AA and crowed about the experience, even when I pointed out that there were direct options.

Why is everyone saying there is too much capacity on SFO and BOS?

Have I missed something - or are one of TCX/VS about to make some cuts?

VS cut back this summer's programme on both routes to end Sept, previously had been end October. For Summer 18 they are operating a shorter season than '17 on both, so suggests the market is weak or over-supplied. I think TCX have actually increased by one frequency on BOS next year (help me someone) so it may be tipping their way.

Currently even MT have cut back a little. SEA/BOS now run May-Sept (SEA I can't help but feel they are approaching it wrong but time will tell). The 3rd SFO is now a similar short season.

I've been told it may be temporarily cut back while they source the A330 they need and that the routes will then be restored back to the original plans. November should reveal all.


In other news, looks like Flybe are to announce MAN-BOD as it appears as a direct route option on their route map. Long time unserved route back into the fold hopefully.

Aren't VS experiencing issues with their fleet? The B789s are causing the A333s to be used on more LHR routes and creating a shortage of frames for MAN (hence why B744 is used on JFK and ATL in S18)?

FR3217 operated by Alitalia
 

Hi all,

Idly checking flightradar following a friend's flight and I saw that tonight's FR3217 (Bergamo - Manchester) is being operated by a plane reg EI-DSG which is an Alitalia A320.

Is this a long-term lease? Or a one-off to cover a failure?

Completely agree, and I think this report supports that view too.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/te...york-69-worth/

I'm based near Stansted. I would rather have Primera than nothing BUT if there was a choice sorry, it would be TCX or VIR on the departure boards everytime.

STN has been a graveyard for start ups with high ambition, let's hope they have deep pockets.

New Thomas Cook route to Marrakech.

MT1754 MAN 0915 RAK 1450
MT1755 RAK 1550 MAN 1735
Tues

MT1752 MAN 1415 RAK 2000
MT1753 RAK 2100 MAN 2345
Sun

Starts 4th Nov 2018.

3 carriers on MAN-RAK now (TOM/U2/MT), I wonder if this could be a little too much for this route?

Morroco seems to be really on the up from Manchester at the moment. Agadir also has 3 carriers (U2/3O/TOM) and Casablanca will increase to 4 weekly from March.

Neither

It was an FR24 error. Flight was operated by a normal FR 737

Given that the TP (too little too late) has now started, is it not a good opportunity for say Ryanair, easyJet & Jet 2 to be in their own part of the new TP? Then services and facilities for that profile of passenger can be provided better?
Likewise the pax of SQ, CX, HU, AA, LH, KLM & AF profiles are slightly different and their facilities can also be tailored (maybe without a KFC and Wetherspoon type pub with some useable seating).
I'm just having a run of using KLM & Flybe's at the moment and it is so embarrassing being in T3. At least the actual handling of Flybe is quiet good but Menzies with KLM ?:-(

We have that problem in that the land area is too small so rebuild cannot all be done at once, I agree about 5 years late but money was tight after the recession and so were ideas on how it would rebound.

Extra SAS capacity next summer:

Oslo:

New SK4609/4610 flight on Mondays and Friday's. Some A320 usage too. Makes OSL up to 9 weekly.

Copenhagen:

3rd daily Mon-Thu re-instated using a mix of either Air Nostrum CRJ1000 or SAS A320. The morning flight also increases to a full A321 usage.

Stockholm:

A 2nd daily flight is added on Sat/Sun to make 14 weekly rather than 12. B737/A320 used.

There are the usual reductions in peak summer, but, that's quite a healthy increase from SAS.

I have news for you.... BA, SQ, EK (et al) Pax also drink in wetherspoons and some are also partial to the occasional KFC. I should know, I’ve travelled quite a lot with some of these airlines.....and not just in economy either.

Conversely, there are some easyJet Pax on certain routes in particular, who wouldn’t be seen dead with their fingers diving in to a bargain bucket.

My point is that these days we can no longer really segregate passenger needs depending on the airline they are flying with. The low cost model is so prolific these days that it is now the norm when flying short haul. The low cost carriers now carry a lot of business passengers and depending on route, some very well heeled travellers too.

The segregation of airlines these days is very much done so in relation to the airlines operational needs. I.e faster turnarounds, 100% self check in etc.

There are some incredibly snobbish views on this site. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wetherspoons or KFC nor the people who use those businesses on the basis that they frequent those establishments. Interestingly, you clump American carriers in those who shouldn’t be anywhere near a fast food joint. Americans frequently bring fast food onboard with them.

The prices KFC and Burger King charge in the airport, you need a 2nd mortgage anyway so hardly 'lower class' prices for the food!

We ate in Giraffe ex-MAN in Sept and the meal there probably cost no more than what a Burger King meal would have been.

Good to see the legacy flag carriers growing alongside the locos. "In diversity we have strength". Aside from the old Eastern-Bloc carriers, who never really got a toe into MAN, the EU flag carriers who have traditionally been at MAN for decades have all survived and even grown since the embracing of locos over the last few years. Room for all at MAN, well kind of!

I can remember Tarom and Ukraine International, to name just two, operating for years at MAN. Am I right in thinking Aeroflot were here too back in the days?

We had Aeroflot and we have had Belavia for a long time now.

In other news, TUI will increase Phuket from bi-weekly to 1 weekly next winter. It looks like Krabi may be a new route as many more Krabi hotels available with the tag line 'flights available to Phuket and Krabi' when Manchester selected. Krabi is bi-weekly this winter from LGW, and a when selecting Thailand holidays from MAN, there seems to be a bi-weekly flight available on Fridays but as yet, nothing seems to be available as you get the 'all gone' message (Krabi is also not available from LGW for next winter yet either).

Not quite sure what point you are trying to make. :confused:

You could equally have said,

Loads of news of new airlines starting routes over the years.

Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, USAIR/AA, SIA, Saudia, Continental/United, Virgin to name a few.

All introduced with big corporate fanfares.

Several years later......Still here. :ok:

Another one to watch for TUI could be Kuala Lumpur.

It's possible to select Malaysia on the holiday home page, with a bi-weekly flight on Thursday highlighted as an option. However, clicking on it will give the 'all gone' screen. We know that no scheduled airline has planned that far in advance yet, so could be interesting.

Yes, of course we have seen some Eastern Bloc carriers but they never had the traction of the Western equivalents and most withered when FR/EZY/LS opened bases at MAN.

On another note, I am trying to imagine my dinner party conversation going along the lines of 'We're off to Crabby next year"!

That's interesting LAX - thank you for posting. Any timings for these?
Particularly for the CPH as it's a place I do frequent.

Sorry for later reply.

For the extra CPH fligts, it's a 2105 arrival into MAN, 2145 departure.

For the Oslo flights, again it's an afternoon/evening arrival. I've also realised that some weeks the 2nd daily is either a Monday or a Sunday, depending on the week you select.

For ARN, it's afternoon arrivals.

KL
 

TUI are indeed starting KL. how else would they fill the cruise ship they are basing there?!?

Will you be able to book flight only though? Doubt it.

TUI will operate cruise charters to Bangkok, Langkwai, Muscat, Aquba, Cochin and Dubai in Winter 2018, various dates.

Aside from the irregular flights, Bangkok and Langkwai are regular flights from Dec 18

TOM19 MAN 1630 BKK 1050+1
TOM19 BKK 1250 MAN 1825
B788 Alternate Thursday's

TOM47 MAN 1545 LGK 1135+1
TOM48 LGK 1340 MAN 1905
B788 Alternate Thursday's.

This is but a token bespoke leisure service (welcome though it is). MAN-BKK is acknowledged to be one of the stand-out un-served city pairs, someone needs to grab this route by the short and curlies soon and make a proper go of it. If the ever-promised TG service continues to be a pipe dream then it would seem to fit with Thomas Cook's growing mainstream long-haul focus, branching out to the East direct from MAN rather than via the Condor hub in Germany.