Fly bmi

[Moo2009]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

Bring on Logan air

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

Looks like the BMI service to EDI is down to one a day operated by the LBA based machine

For this week only the Edinburgh route is once daily operated by the LBA based aircraft due to aircraft shortage. It returns back to operating twice daily again next week operated by a Edinburgh based aircraft.
Hence also the reason as to why they have upgraded the double daily Glasgow flights this week to Embrear 145's as well so to carry the extra pax.

 

[Aviador]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

Looks like the BMI service to EDI is down to one a day operated by the LBA based machine

For this week only the Edinburgh route is once daily operated by the LBA based aircraft due to aircraft shortage. It returns back to operating twice daily again next week operated by a Edinburgh based aircraft.

Thank goodness for that Lbaspotter! Moo2009 had me worried.

 

[White Heather]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

Yes, but BMi claim to be the most punctual airline! Yet they cancel so many flights! Punctuality stats should be affected by cancellations, but that can't be happening with Bmi as their record of cancellations is appalling.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

White Heather - I can only weep and greave at what they have become. They were once such a wonderful airline that I targeted whenever possible. But now, I cannot begin to descibe my dismay at what a poor level of service they provide. Considering they were owned by Lufthansa, I am staggered that they did not become a model of efficiency.

 

[Seasider]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

I think the problems started when they set up BMI Baby and they had to have 2 business models. If they had stuck to the one, either one, then they would be a better airline today.

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

bmi regional revised summer 2012 LBA schedule. That's if things don't change.

Based
BD1611 LBA-BRU = ETD 06:30 / BD1612 BRU-LBA = ETA 10:15 / 12345-- = ERJ135
BD1615 LBA-BRU = ETD 16:35 / BD1616 BRU-LBA = ETA 20:00 / 12345-7 = ERJ135

Non-Based
BD1404 EDI-LBA = ETA 08:00 / BD1403 LBA-EDI = ETD 08:30 / 12345-- = ERJ145
BD1292 GLA-LBA = ETA 08:00 / BD1291 LBA-EDI = ETD 08:30 / 12345-- = ERJ135
BD1298 GLA-LBA = ETA 18:45 / BD1297 LBA-EDI = ETD 19:15 / 12345-- = ERJ135
BD1410 EDI-LBA = ETA 18:50 / BD1409 LBA-EDI = ETD 19:20 / 12345-- = ERJ145

 

[wawkrk]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

You hit the nail on the head Seasider.
Baby was created through bandwagon strategy, BA did the same but were strong enough to live through it. BMI lost all sense of direction after creating baby from previously having a great quality product.The management then became like children in the fog as they say in Eastern Europe.

 

[Bigman]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

I wonder what everyone's thoughts are on the current BMI situation. I can see us losing all 3 services out of any sale/takeover of BMI Regional, so where would this leave the BRU/EDI/GLA services??

I do wonder if FlyBe could take on the Brussels on behalf of Brussels Airlines. They have just had 2 DH8's painted in Brussels Airlines colours for use on Brussels services.

I could see Eastern doing an EDI-LBA with a Jetstream to cater for the business bods, maybe FlyBe could take on GLA-LBA using Loganair.

 

[User0001]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

I wonder what everyone's thoughts are on the current BMI situation. I can see us losing all 3 services out of any sale/takeover of BMI Regional, so where would this leave the BRU/EDI/GLA services??

It really depends who ends up buying the regional arm.

Its supposed to be a Scottish investment arm, but, there has been talk recently that they cannot afford to pay up for Regional. If this company does buy regional, then I would expect EDI/GLA to stay, but BRU go. They are aiming to make regional a 'Scottish' airline, so, EDI/GLA-LBA fits, but LBA-BRU doesn't really.
Or, they could take the option to cut a lot of domestic, keep just a London Heathrow route (as 14 slots are being given to any operator who wants to run MAN/EDI/ABZ-LHR), and run purely Scotland-Europe.

Then there is option 2.
If regional is not sold, BA get given it at a bargain price as a bmi deal, and if that were to happen, all 3 routes at LBA will be cut as not only would BA not want a presence at LBA (I know as an internal employee they have no interest in LBA), but, they would eventually dissolve regional, most likely giving the crew an option to be absorbed into BA/Citiflier, and the Emb jets will be returned to lessors/sold on, as they do not fit into any BA model (LCY the only option, but even there they have no interest in expanding citiflier to the size that a regional merger would make it).

So, either way, this could be dicey times for bmi routes. There is going to be a lot of re-shuffling as it is when the deal is done, Lufthansa op by bmi got to go back to Lufthansa operated, and the same for SN, Austrian and swiss. (can you imagine booking a flight and seeing: Lufthansa (operated by bmi) (operated by BA). Not going to happen)

Id say Eastern are best placed to add to Scottish capacity, and maybe if SN takes on another couple of Dash 8's from Flybe, LBA could retain the BRU link (it may not be straight away however).
It may take time, as there is a lot to do and other cities will be higher up in the priority list, but, hopefully all will come good for LBA in the end.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

I agree with you user001 when you point out that the the GLA/EDI routes may well have different considerations to the BRU route.

Regional also operates from Newcastle and Bristol to Brussels on behalf of Brussels Airlines and passenger numbers on these routes increased significantly when the ARJs were relaced by the ERJ145s - roughly the same number of seats each day but greater flexibility with more rotations.

The LH Group might consider that a Flybe Q400 would be a step backwards (not because it's a turbo-prop) as it would be back to a near 80-seat aircraft which worked less well than the 50-seater on more daily rotations - certainly in terms of passenger numbers anyway.

BRU is not a massive market from anywhere and the medium-sized regional airports like LBA, NCL and BRS are probably always in a 'having to continually to show their worth' situation with the Brussels route.

 

[User0001]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

Regional also operates from Newcastle and Bristol to Brussels on behalf of Brussels Airlines and passenger numbers on these routes increased significantly when the ARJs were relaced by the ERJ145s - roughly the same number of seats each day but greater flexibility with more rotations.

The LH Group might consider that a Flybe Q400 would be a step backwards (not because it's a turbo-prop) as it would be back to a near 80-seat aircraft which worked less well than the 50-seater on more daily rotations - certainly in terms of passenger numbers anyway

This is what I mean when I say there is a lot of shuffling to do.

There is the MAN-FRA/MUC to take back, needing A320's. BHX-FRA needs another A320, then there are the routes at LHR which need taking back (cannot remember them now, but CGN strikes me as one operated by bmi).

Then there are the smaller routes. EMA-FRA is regional, but also helps tap into the FRA connections at Lufthansa. Does that stay or go?
NCL/BRS-BRU, and to a degree, LBA-BRU as no doubt this also feeds into SN. SN already stretched to the point of leasing 3 dash 8's (2 off flybe, 1 off Austrian), so, would either be dropped or would require yet more aircraft.
The main way I can see a sustainable solution is:

MAN transferred to SN mainline A319's (already being seen on some rotations). This frees up 1 RJ1000 and 1 dash 8.
This RJ1000 takes over the dash 8 rotations at BHX, releasing another dash 8.

Then 1 dash 8 goes BRS-BRU-LBA-BRU-BRS-BRU-LBA-BRU-BRS (BRS nightstop at each end)
The other could go NCL-BRU-NCL-BRU-LBA-BRU-NCL-BRU-NCL (NCL nightstop at each end)

That way, demand is met in the right quadrants, all services maintained and no extra aircraft needed except an A319 (which 1 sits spare throughout the system)

Just my thoughts anyway

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

The above model would not work for LBA. The early rotation is not early enough. The service has already been stripped to its bare bones - ie business only. What you are proposing is that LBA has 3 flights to Brussels between approx 10am and 5pm. With 3 rotations, the midday service would be the lowest yielding. To have all 3 in a broadly midday pattern would kill the route off entirely. The ONLY way that a BRU service will work from LBA now is to have good timings, which it currently does. If another airline were to come in and decide that a third rotation would be of benefit, then all the better. But it absolutely cannot lose the current timings. Or it will be bye bye Brussels.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

That pattern would mean that BRS-BRU would reduce to two daily rotations from three and the first inbound from BRU would arrive late morning/lunchtime and the last outbound to BRU would depart early/mid afternoon.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

Which is exactly my point. The nature of the routes mean that early and late flights are a must. There was a time when BRU offered decent connections, but not so much anymore. What we shouldn't do is try and fit everything in somehow as it will not work in the long run.

IMO if Regional were to disappear, all the regional routes would be better off reverting to Belgian based aircraft as they would be able to be used from Brussels on other routes more befitting to midday operations whilst still operating the peak business routes. As it stands, in the LBA case at least, the a/c sits idle for much of the day. Hardly a good return on a £10m piece of hardware.

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

How daft dose this sound.

By the end off today bmi (British Midland) should be owned/taken over by the IAG (International Airlines Group) if all goes to plan. So that in theory could either mean the demises of bmi regional, The Scottish routes to Edinburgh and Glasgow along with the Brussels service very shortly. Or in another way it could end up been British Airways in disguise returning to Leeds/Bradford Airport for a while.

 

[Bigman]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

Or, to be more positive (yes this is me talking), BA transfer the existing LHR-MAN slots to LBA, DTV and NQY instead. They can still use A319's on these routes and would probably fill them in the process. Note to BA - 'Regions' in my book doesn't just mean Manchester or Scotland!!).

 

[SNOWMAN]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

i think regional will be sold to granit and the glas and edin will be pulled,brussels thats a hard one to call,will they base at lba for just that,i dont think so.

sm1

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

There is a rumour going around that Bridgepoint Capital have been in discussion recently with both bmi and BA. So what the out come off all this will be is still unknown. Hopefully it will be good news at the end off all this.

 

[User0001]

Re: British Midland International (BMI)

Or, to be more positive (yes this is me talking), BA transfer the existing LHR-MAN slots to LBA, DTV and NQY instead. They can still use A319's on these routes and would probably fill them in the process. Note to BA - 'Regions' in my book doesn't just mean Manchester or Scotland!!).

There are plans afoot, as BA have always worked under the previso that they will get Regional.

I can tell you, that BA has no intentions at this stage to serve LHR-LBA. It is more likely that an 'extra flight' will be added to MAN (in terms of extra flight, obviously MAN-LHR overall will decrease in flights, but BA metal will increase, if that makes sense)

The slots freed from routes such as MAN where slots are doubled up will eventually go on new long haul routes.

The plan at the present moment in time is to run bmi/regional 'as it is', and then divest the company in the following ways:

-Regional sold on to an interested party
-immediate slots- Any overlapping flights will go on long haul (so, if bmi have a flight to MAN at 0900, then BA at 0910, then one of the slots will be transferred to a long haul route)
-Eventually, any duplicate routes will be streamlined. (for example, MAN, BA 9 daily, BD 5 daily... 4 slots transferred to Long Haul flying, and maybe one of the slots used to bolster the MAN-LHR schedule, as after all, there will eventually be a shortfall in overall MAN-LHR capacity, and BA finding there is strong demand ex-MAN, thus increasing S12 from 8 to 9 daily for example)
-Once duplicate routes are sorted, the freed up bmi aircraft will be re-fitted and either used to replace LHR aircraft so LHR aircraft head to LGW as B737 replacements, or bmi aircraft will directly replace B737's at LGW.

Obviously, I cannot go into too much more at the moment, but, hopefully that helps clear things up a little.