hoofie2002

In the Middle East they used to play a recording of a prayer from the Quran over the PA before takeoff - just what you need to hear...

moneypenny20

They still do on Royal Brunei. I thought it was quite nice (being a total atheist). If you're a worrier about being blown out of the air, you've got to be safer on a Muslim flight.

spilko

lol If that were true then flights from East Midlands or Doncaster would be astronomical. Its nothing to do with supply and demand. Manchester Airport just charges the highest fees/taxes of any airport in the UK. Has done for a long time.

Maybe its because its a far superior city to London???

Grayling

I usually fly from Manchester and the prices are usually pretty much the same as Heathrow.

It could be that the cheaper seats are sold out for that day.

Try somewhere like Airline network....also make sure that the cheaper flights quoted are actually available as it is not always the case.

G

Toe Dipper

Surely it is all down to controlling migration.

If the prices are higher then only the more affluent or respectable inhabitants can afford to get out, leaving the scallies and rougher peeps behind.

The question is, is this a government initiative, or the rest of the country trying to control the exodus

TD

MartinLuther

Dream on.

It's because the airline has to buy a new set of wheels every time they park their plane at Manchester

suzyambrose

I think your getting Manchester confused with Liverpool

MartinLuther

Isn't Manchester a suburb of Liverpool?

suzyambrose

Nah Frank Gallagher would never live in scouse land

shears

From our experience with Royal Brunei - DON'T DO IT!

We used them from Brisbane to Ireland last year, I have to say that journey still gives me nightmares!

We were quite early booking in for our flight, among the first passengers, family of 4; for the first time I didn't look at our seat numbers until we were boarding and found they had us dotted around in different seats. Our 2 children (12 and 9) were about 6 or 8 rows in front of me, with my husband about another 3 rows back. I asked the air hostess what could they do - she said she was busy and would come back to me. At this stage I was freaking out, no way flying long haul where I wouldn't be able to sit with or even see my children, and they were sharing a row of seats with complete strangers.

But other people on the flight had been split up too - there were a few small groups of friends also dotted around in different seats so between us we managed to swap things around so I got to be in the same row as my children, but my husband was still (all 6'5" of him!) stuck in the middle of the centre row about 10 seats back or something. Air hostess never came back to check if we were sorted.

When I spoke to the ground staff in Brunei (a dump btw) to see what they could do for us they were so unhelpful, our children's meals hadn't been booked although requested at booking, so they ate barely anything for the flight.

THEN the return journey (RANT TIME). Bit of background - the radar system in Ireland suffered a severe fault the day before we were due to fly back. Our brother in law was flying back the day it happened, with Singapore Airlines, he wouldn't have made his London connection. No problem - phoned the Singapore Airlines office in Dublin, they rearranged his flight for the following day, no dramas. When it came to our travel time, the flights were a few minutes later, but only about 10 minutes or so, leaving Dublin to fly us to Heathrow. However, at check in at Dublin Airport, the girl on the check in desk told us we'd be lucky to make our connection, as we needed to get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 or 4, a good 20 minute walk. Because it wasn't a "through" ticket we had to collect our luggage from the Dublin flight and then leg it through Heathrow to check in for the Brunei flight. My daughter and I left my husband and son to collect the bags and literally pounded as quick as possible along the endless corridors/tunnels, arriving red faced and breathless to find the check in had just closed for the flight. Raced to the Brunei desk to be dealt with by the rudest person I've ever met. Asked could they please phone the gate to see if we could still make the flight, roll of eyes from himself, finally phoned them said no we can't and walked off into the back office. Husband had arrived up to the desk at that stage where I was nearly in tears. We spoke to someone else, she said there's nothing they can do, she got Brunei on the phone for us where I pleaded with them (we still had about an HOUR before the flight was due to leave, I mean literally missed check in by about 5 minutes) they said their next available flight was about 6 weeks later.

I know it was the travel agent's fault for not giving us enough time for catching the connecting flight, or not informing us of the drawbacks of not having a "through" booking, but Brunei were at all times the most unhelpful airline I've ever had the misery of travelling with.

We eventually got back to Brisbane, after a full day at Heathrow making phone calls, an overnight stay at a hotel, an afternoon flight to Hong Kong and a 10 hour wait there, a flight to Cairns, another 6 hour wait, and a flight to Brisbane.

Phew - thank you - I feel like I've got all the poison out of my system - reminds me I must sue that useless travel agents for the stress they've caused me. All joking aside, I still can't think of that journey without feeling stressed about it.

IvanM

I am not suprised fares are expensive up there. Turn your back and the airlines will find the planes nicked or on bricks.

MartinLuther

That joke sounds familiar

suzyambrose

We can fly from Heathrow with Singapore for about 400 pounds less than we can with Emirates from Manchester. I thought maybe we could drive down to London the day before and stay in a Premiere Inn for the night and then be ready for the flight the next, BUT I'd forgot about the journey home - there's no way my husband will want to drive for 3 hours when we get off the plane, even if we had a sleep I remember from last time we felt like we'd just got off a boat for about 2 days! It's alot of money but I don't know if it's worth the hassle with 2 kids


Forgot to add; the cheapest return flight I could find from Manchester to London was over 300 pounds that was with BA, BMI Baby was over 500! talk about extortionate!

robclaridge

Its simple really and pretty obvious why the flights are more expensive from Manchester. The aircraft have to pay extra taxes cause maybe like the rest of us the Australians hate the thought of mancunians as well.

Jaycee1

Have you been on these sites? I found that Emirates and some Ethiad flights were only £5 dearer from Manchester depending on dates. You have to check the actual flight hours though - you change planes and this adds hours sometimes up to 37+ hours to arrive in Melbourne as this is my destination.
Have a look although you probably have looked everywhere!!
http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/Australia/
http://www.opodo.co.uk/opodo/flights/flights
www.travelsupermarket.co.uk
www.leestravel.com these are good for last minute flights too
Good luck,
J x