Manchester: British Airways/British Airways Cityflyer Discussions

[rutamkrd]

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...

For them to go away and stay away !

 

[Jerry]

These Cityflyer flights from MAN are for BA a good way to test the water for a return while having aircraft and crew that they pay for being used instead of sitting on the ground, though it will be interesting to see what happens if the aircraft goes tech and if BA was going to return to the regions then MAN would be the logical first step in that being the biggest airport outside of the M25 belt.
If BA do make a concerted effort in the next couple of years to launch routes out of airports like MAN then it will be interesting to see if they can compete with the like of Easyjet and Ryanair and whether they do the long haul routes as well. Guess time will tell.

 

[rutamkrd]

and crew that they pay for being u

These Cityflyer flights from MAN are for BA a good way to test the water for a return

These are commercial operations by Cityflyer and nothing to do with testing any waters by mainline imho.

BA have more than enough data and intelligence to assess the NW market place.

A few summer quasi charters by a subsidiary doesn't add much to that knowledge base.

Remember Cityflyers offices are right here in this city !

BTW don't take my comment above as negative - any additional services are actually welcome as far as i am concerned.

 

[Jerry]

BA have more than enough data and intelligence to assess the NW market place.

A few summer quasi charters by a subsidiary doesn't add much to that knowledge base.

Yes but surely until they actually fly the routes then they won't know for sure whether people will want to actually use a BA product instead of EZY or FR or MON or Jet2. And from what i've read don't BA Cityflyer scatter there aircraft to different airports while LCY is closed? In the end it's only one aircraft from a subsidiary but it is a BA liveried aircraft and it may well be that it may not be mainline testing the waters but Cityflyer itself as they may be looking for ways to expand? Hopefully it will lead to more aircraft in the future.

 

[ethanegcc]

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.

Very eloquently put Dobbo. When I said, 'I can imagine the situation being different had BHX got the services', I was enveloped by a raft of responses which I am not sure have subsided yet!

 

[Seasider]

I have read with interest this thread and the "opposing" viewpoints of why Cityflyer are operating these flights. Obviously from their point of view, it is better for the aircraft to operate revenue flights at weekends than parked up. They went to Stansted last summer, ie London is the biggest market and followed this year with Manchester, the next biggest market. As they also operate similarly from Glasgow/Edinburgh, none of these flights compete with BA mainline so they are not going to get any "hassle" from them. I believe that this just a "revenue" exercise and in no way a "testing of the water" for BA mainline.

I could be wrong but only time will tell.

 

[ethanegcc]

They are still operating (and expanding) their STN operation this summer. I do not think it is testing the water; they don't need to.

 

[Land23R]

Well, if it were any indication of future developments, BHX and BRS are in the same boat now with their 4 new routes.

A quote from the C.O.O. at BHX included:
"we are confident this is the beginning of a long-term growth plan with the airline."

Time will tell of course.

 

[Dobbo]

I'll put this here.

http://www.headforpoints.com/2017/02/12/british-airways-manchester-new-york-jfk/

T1 seems a bit odd. Inevitable they'll end up in the new T2 but things are moving forwards on this front.

 

[ethanegcc]

Very interesting. Did read earlier. Something is definitely going on, however, even if the rumours aren't completely treu.

 

[EGCC_MAN]

The most interesting gem from all that is the contributor's comment underneath stating that MAG no longer intend to demolish T1 as part of the long-term development plan for MAN. Instead, refurbishment is on the cards. Hmmm ... I'm not sure that is great news if confirmed. Can anybody shed more light on this?

 

[Dobbo]

The most interesting gem from all that is the contributor's comment underneath stating that MAG no longer intend to demolish T1 as part of the long-term development plan for MAG. Instead, refurbishment is on the cards. Hmmm ... I'm not sure that is great news if confirmed. Can anybody shed more light on this?

Interesting - can we stick this on the Infrastructure thread?

 

[EGCC_MAN]

Fine by me!

 

[David_itl]

Seems to have been a very slight alteration in their programme as BA are quoting end dates of 8th October for all routes which in reality is from 5th October. This is in place of the week before

 

[Scottie Dog]

So as this gets moved to the Infrastructure thread at the same time, this was the comment posted on the other linked forum.

T1 isn’t being demolished in the upgrade. It’s being refurbished and connected to T2 and T3 to create a super terminal. Part of C pier won’t be in use (stands 22-28ish).

The old tower block in T1 is being demolished at some point though.

Whether any of this is correct or not is another question, but it makes for interesting reading.


Reply

 

[ethanegcc]

BA are changing all the flight numbers so that they fit in the BA7____ range.

 

[Aceshigh]

Yes it was funny how the MEN trumpeted a BA return to Manchester .....

They forgot Birmingham Edinburgh Belfast Bristol etc...

 

[rutamkrd]

Yes it was funny how the MEN trumpeted a BA return to Manchester .....

They forgot Birmingham Edinburgh Belfast Bristol etc...

What benefit would the MEN score from reporting about those out of region events.
The "Good news" story is BA (or rather a LOCAL based but non operating subsidiary) are going to fly a few services from the airport just two stations down the line from the office !

A quote from the C.O.O. at BHX included:
"we are confident this is the beginning of a long-term growth plan with the airline."

The COO of BHX is something of an optimist champions and hypes every little event.

 

[ethanegcc]

British Airways are introducing Club Europe (Business) on all flights between Manchester and London from April.
Fully bookable.

Thoughts?

 

[Dobbo]

More fuel to the fire from Forbes:

"British Airways, which concentrates - for the moment - on short haul routes and has new flights to Alicante, Malaga, Ibiza and Palma, the Greek island of Mykonos, Nice in the South of France and a weekly service to London City Airport this year, also has its own lounge"

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahtu...h-long-haul-flights-and-lounges/#409f0dc13563