Although it is not officially the second city of England Manchester could certainly lay claim to being one of our most important cities. A centre for industry and commerce, a hub of sporting excellence and a lively cosmopolitan atmosphere all make for a big city experience.

How to get there
Outside of London, Manchester is the UK's biggest airport so there is certainly no shortage of flights. Manchester is served domestically by low cost and scheduled flights, and from further afield by an array of charter flights in its role as one of the major holiday airports in the UK. British Airways run a large number of flights to Manchester from London Gatwick and from London Heathrow as well as London City. These flights to Manchester account for a significant volume of the traffic between the two cities. They are however by no means the only services. British Midland (or BMI) operate a large number of cheap flights to Manchester from London Heathrow, BMI Baby operate from Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Jersey, FlyBe run cheap flights to Manchester from the south of England and the list goes on.

When to go
There's no getting away from the fact that Manchester is one of the wettest cities in England. If it's raining in the UK then there's a very good chance that some of that will be falling on Manchester. Bearing that in mind, and the fact that you don't really visit Manchester to sit on the beach it doesn't matter too much when you book your flights. Manchester is a great fun city all year round and while you may be lucky enough to catch some beautiful British summer weather in June, July and August, to be frank, don't bank on it. There's no real pattern as to when to find a cheap flight to Manchester except that as with any city you have to avoid peak times such as Fridays, Sundays and public holidays.

What to do
Manchester is famous worldwide for its sporting heritage, primarily Manchster United with Manchester City and Lancashire County Cricket playing a strong supporting role. In truth though, out of a strong industrial past has risen a city with some fantastic cultural attractions, not to mention some great shopping. Selfridges and Harvey Nics now grace the city centre and together with the shopping mecca that is the Trafford Centre Manchester can now give your credit card a run for its money. On the historical front try the Imperial War Museum North and the Museum of Science and Industry or for art take in the City Art Gallery or the Lowry. Manchester also has a vibrant music scene and has hatched several famous bands such as Oasis.

Whatever your reason for grabbing a cheap flight to Manchester let dealchecker.co.uk help out. We'll show you how to get a great deal on your Manchester flights and then why not try our hotel search for a cheap hotel in Manchester too?