Manchester: British Airways/British Airways Cityflyer Discussions

[IanFarquharson]

Good news for Manchester, lets hope it is a success and the BHX one is also announced soon

 

[Dobbo]

This has been announced by BA and MAN.

One small step and all that...

https://www.businesstraveller.com/b...sh-airways-expands-summer-flights-manchester/

 

[ethanegcc]

Fully bookable on the BA website. LCY flights will become bookable on 21st February.

They are also adding FLR from STN this year, so if the MAN flights go well this year, we could be in with a shot at that too.

 

[ethanegcc]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/trips-and-breaks/british-airways-launches-seven-new-12532497

Article from the MEN - most destinations will start from £49, Malaga from £59 and Mykonos from £69.

I look forward to seeing this develop. I realise it is a bit soon to look at expansion but for 2018, if all goes well, could FAO, MAD (in addition to IB), FLR/VCE be on the radar?

 

[EGCC_MAN]

Could be a welcome opportunity for non-London residents to get some Avios redeemed as well.

 

[ethanegcc]

British Airways brand will serve from MAN in summer 2017:

• London Heathrow - up to 10fpd
• London City - 1fpw
• Ibiza - 3fpw
• Bremen - up to 10fpw?
• Billund - up to 10fpw?
• Mykonos - 1fpw
• Nice - 1fpw
• Malaga - 1fpw
• Alicante - 1fpw
• Palma - 1fpw

Joint Ventures/Codeshares for the following:

• Doha (Qatar 788) - increasing to 18fpw from November
• Chicago (AA 763) - 7fpw
• New York JFK (AA 763) - 7fpw
• Philadelphia (AA 332) - 7fpw
• Helsinki (Finnair E190/319) - 14fpw
• Amsterdam (Vueling)
• Barcelona (Vueling)
• Tenerife (Vueling)
• Rome (Vueling)
• Madrid (Iberia)
• Dublin (Aer Lingus)
• Cork (Aer Lingus)
• Alicante (Vueling)

Oneworld operated:

• Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific 359 from Jun) - 5fpw

It is quite substantial when you look at it - IAG clearly have a good relationship with MAG, given the expansion at STN so hopefully long may it continue.

 

[Jerry]

It is quite substantial when you look at it - IAG clearly have a good relationship with MAG, given the expansion at STN so hopefully long may it continue.

Looking at some of those routes then they could with some expansion form the base in the future of a mainline BA base both short haul and long haul with increased frequencies on the short haul on some of the sun routes and possibly taking over the long haul to the US from AA and adding some leisure routes in as well.

 

[Land23R]

It's certainly a boost for MAN that BA decided to start these routes from here to make use of surplus a/c at LCY.

However, like a poster on pprune, who I think probably works at MAN, I wouldn't read too much into this from a longer term perspective of BA's future plans.

Nevertheless, the increased activity from them is most welcome.

 

[ethanegcc]

Story covered on BBC North West news tonight.

 

[Dobbo]

I agree that this by itself is not an indication of BAs intentions at MAN.

However, this would be considered highly unlikely which shows where we are and is great on a standalone basis.

We obviously have reason to think more is to come, in time, but this is a start.

 

[Dobbo]

I am told these are already selling well despite only being up one day.

A second E190 will be based on Saturday and Sunday. It arrives Saturday at 1230, and departs to London City at 1320 on Sunday.

This indicates two more BA routes to be announced (plus added frequency on other routes). Rumours of Florence and Geneva 1 weekly each, but nothing confirmed yet.

 

[ethanegcc]

Great if so - I would LOVE Florence and would use the service certainly. Hope this happens.

 

[ethanegcc]

Due to be announced 21st - presumably coinciding with the booking opening for LCY flights.

 

[ethanegcc]

Confirmation on airlineroute: http://www.routesonline.com/news/29...90-weekend-base-for-manchester-leisure-links/

Now we should just hope FLR materialises - would be superb if so.

 

[David_itl]

The Independent on these new routes http://www.independent.co.uk/travel...manchester-thomas-cook-airlines-a7558431.html

 

[Scottie Dog]

What a wonderful, truthful, and realistic report on these new routes. Yes I know it's great to see BA back at Manchester but it doesn't excite me too much.

 

[Land23R]

Agreed. A good article from Simon Calder. Highlights the fact we have so many destinations and the expansion by VS and TCX, while putting the new BA routes in perspective.

 

[Dobbo]

BACF are offering nothing MAN doesn't already have - within 25.6m pax it is a drop in the ocean. BACF are also giving nothing as the aircraft would otherwise remain idle.

It is a symbolic dipping of the toe and the brand back into the MAN marketplace outside of LHR. Who knows where that might end up.

Meanwhile, TCX and VS continue to add new services and connect MAN to the world.

 

[Dobbo]

There are loads of comments flying around about the new BA flights, including assertion that 'it's not that special', 'No big deal' or 'they are only doing it due to the LCY closures'.

It's not quite as simple as that and there are good reasons to think it is a big deal.

Firstly, the LCY closure is nothing new, and BA have found ways of making it work for a long time. BA are now diversifying and Manchester was one of the first beneficiaries of this.

These aircraft could have been based anywhere and competition was rife for these flights - and not just in the UK. I understand GLA/EDI/BHX/SOU/NCE/BCN and LYS amongst others were vying for the base, but MAN was chosen, that shows BA isn't as adverse to MAN as people think. It was only the early/mid 2000's BA had a 'no to the UK regions' policy, as noted above this is in the process of being changed.

The fact that BHX supporters are now saying 'it's no big loss' is clearly revisionist - you just need to look back at comments on various forums to see that.

Yes, the destination and frequency list isn't going to set the world alight, but it's a start, and regardless what of comments on various forums (and what Simon Calder thinks) it is on good authority that this is the tip of the iceberg for BA at MAN.

 

[Coathanger16]

There are loads of comments flying around about the new BA flights, including assertion that 'it's not that special', 'No big deal' or 'they are only doing it due to the LCY closures'.

It's not quite as simple as that and there are good reasons to think it is a big deal.

Firstly, the LCY closure is nothing new, and BA have found ways of making it work for a long time. BA are now diversifying and Manchester was one of the first beneficiaries of this.

These aircraft could have been based anywhere and competition was rife for these flights - and not just in the UK. I understand GLA/EDI/BHX/SOU/NCE/BCN and LYS amongst others were vying for the base, but MAN was chosen, that shows BA isn't as adverse to MAN as people think. It was only the early/mid 2000's BA had a 'no to the UK regions' policy, as noted above this is in the process of being changed.

The fact that BHX supporters are now saying 'it's no big loss' is clearly revisionist - you just need to look back at comments on various forums to see that.

Yes, the destination and frequency list isn't going to set the world alight, but it's a start, and regardless what of comments on various forums (and what Simon Calder thinks) it is on good authority that this is the tip of the iceberg for BA at MAN.

Well said.

It seems that when BA neglects the regions people aren't happy, but when BA launches flights from the regions they're still not happy. Makes you wonder what people actually want from BA...