Thomas Cook Airlines have recently announced an expansion of their routes between the UK and US with increased flights to Las Vegas, New York JFK and Miami, a new daily service in the summer season to Orlando and some very exciting new routes to Boston and LA. The airline are looking to extend their role as leading service providers in transatlantic routes and the Boston and LA offerings are particularly big milestones for UK travellers.
Bi-weekly flights to Los Angeles and Boston will begin in May 2016.
Starting next summer, British tourists can board a flight on either a Monday or a Friday and head straight to Boston, a destination that is high on the list for travellers wanting to see one of the more vibrant and historical cities in New England. Additionally, Boston is the home of Harvard, one of the most respected universities in the world, so a direct route from Manchester to Boston could be greatly appreciated in more academic circles. LA, meanwhile, is a city that needs little introduction to fans of the small screen or silver screen and is on the must-see list of many travellers looking to indulge in American culture and get some sun. In this case, tourists will now be able to fly out from Manchester on a Monday or Saturday. Both routes are being offered as either economy or premium flights and these new routes start during Thomas Cooks Airlines big US promotion, meaning that travellers will be able to enjoy the upgrades recently made to their long haul services.
The key to success here lies not in Boston or LA but in Manchester.
The reason why these new Boston and LA transatlantic routes are gaining so much praise and attention comes from the fact that there are being launched from Manchester. As things stand, travellers in the UK who are looking to head to these key US destinations have to do so from London so these alternatives from Manchester, an international airport that is continually growing as a convenient and well-represented departure point in Northern England, are an important development. Manchester Airport has long strived to be the top international airport outside of the capital, with a second full-length runway, the ability to cope with high passenger numbers and large catchment areas. These new routes, and the strong links to other domestic airports through feeder flights on other airlines, makes it a key, functional hub.
These two new routes from Manchester Airport, due in the summer of 2016, are part of a big push forward that means Thomas Cook Airlines will become the biggest long-haul carrier in that airport, with a six planes in operation and a seventh on the way. They will have a total of 15 long haul routes – six of which are now to the USA – and have high hopes for at least a 20% rise in passenger numbers with these announcements. The combination of these desirable new destinations and an ongoing commitment to transatlantic routes from Manchester, not London, should mean that this plan pays off.