Manchester–Seattle direct next year

Thomas Cook Airlines has announced a new direct route from Manchester to Seattle starting on May 27th next year.

Prices start at £399 return and include free checked-in baggage (up to 23kg) as well as meals and inflight entertainment on seat-back screens.

Thomas Cook Airlines, already the largest long-haul carrier from Manchester, serves more US routes than any other airline.

Christoph Debus, chief executive of Thomas Cook Group Airlines, said: “Our German Condor operation has served Seattle for many years and the year-round service has been really popular with our passengers.

“We work closely with partner airlines, allowing us to connect customers to 90 destinations within the USA. Alaska Airlines, based in Seattle is an important partner offering our customers even more choice to the likes of British Columbia, Alberta, Alaska and Hawaii.”

Collette Roche, interim managing director at Manchester Airport, said: “To secure a direct route to Seattle is further testament to the role Manchester Airport plays in the North and UK as a whole. We now offer more than a dozen direct destinations to the USA, meaning we have grown the number of seats on sale to US destinations at a greater rate than any other UK airport this year.”

The new destination follows the recent introduction of San Francisco (SFO) and the year-round service to New York (JFK) from Manchester.