Fly BMI

[TheLocalYokel]

According to https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/company/fleet/lufthansa-and-regional-partners.html they have CR900s, E190s and E195s, not to mention Air Dolomiti's large Embraers (with whom BM also has a codeshare).

Agree that these are all substantially larger than the BM ER4s, but they are broadly the same size as KL operates to BRS. SN also have Q400s in their fleet, albeit they have retired their 4-engined regional jets. Of course, understanding how these aircraft are currently used may preclude their deployment on routes ex BRS.

Pricing of LH connections tends to be uncompetitive relative to KL and SN. Perhaps with larger aircraft operating to/from BRS they could secure a greater share of the market by pricing realistically for non-business markets.

You're quite right. I was talking about Lufthansa 'mainline'.

When LH operated to BRS in 2008-2009 they used Eurowings Bae 146-300s - 100 seaters, or thereabouts - at 3 x daily (21 x weekly) that was probably an overkill. They reduced in the first and only winter but by then the recession was at its height so it might not have been a fair period with which to judge the seat provision.

bmi regional seems to come out every year and say they are looking at securing larger aircraft, even if not for the entire fleet. I remember a couple of years ago a senior officer of the company used BRS-FRA as an example of a route that could do with larger aircraft.

The good news today is that bmi regional doesn't seem to have suffered any cancellations.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

According to https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/company/fleet/lufthansa-and-regional-partners.html they have CR900s, E190s and E195s, not to mention Air Dolomiti's large Embraers (with whom BM also has a codeshare).

Agree that these are all substantially larger than the BM ER4s, but they are broadly the same size as KL operates to BRS. SN also have Q400s in their fleet, albeit they have retired their 4-engined regional jets. Of course, understanding how these aircraft are currently used may preclude their deployment on routes ex BRS.

Pricing of LH connections tends to be uncompetitive relative to KL and SN. Perhaps with larger aircraft operating to/from BRS they could secure a greater share of the market by pricing realistically for non-business markets.

You're quite right. I was thinking about Lufthansa 'mainline'.

When LH operated to BRS in 2008-2009 they used Eurowings Bae 146-300s - 100 seaters, or thereabouts - at 3 x daily (21 x weekly) that was probably an overkill. They reduced in the first and only winter but by then the recession was at its height so it might not have been a fair period in which to judge the seat provision.

bmi regional seems to come out every year and say they are looking at securing larger aircraft, even if not for the entire fleet. I remember a couple of years ago a senior officer of the company used BRS-FRA as an example of a route that could do with larger aircraft.

The good news today is that bmi regional doesn't seem to have suffered any cancellations.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I've been away from Internet for ten or eleven days and have just scanned a few posts this evening in various threads.

One that caught my eye is that stating that Loganair is to take a couple of E145s from its sister company bmi regional to operate from GLA next summer. Does this mean that bmi regional will have even fewer available aircraft in 2019 and as a result will be cutting routes/frequencies (with BRS their busiest UK airport likely to be in the firing line one supposes), or will they at long last be at least partially re-equipping on larger aircraft, something they say they intend to do every year?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

i saw a large advert on the side of a First Bristol city double-decker today for the bmi regional Bristol-Gothenburg route.

 

[Severn]

From ch-aviation​

bmi regional rebrands as flybmi

bmi regional Embraer 135 © Tis Meyer / PlanePics.org

bmi regional has rebranded as flybmi, adjusting the name to the website domain used, the carrier has said in a statement.

The website and booking engine have also been updated and simplified. The carrier's new logo continues to reference the legacy of the bmi brand and has not been designed anew.

The new booking engine has been developed by Germanys' 2e Systems.

bmi regional itself was rebranded from British Midland Commuter in 2001. The carrier was a subsidiary of bmi british midland prior to the acquisition of the airline by British Airways in 2012. Subsequently, BA did not retain ownership of bmi regional and sold it to Sector Aviation Holdings. Nowadays, flybmi is owned by Airline Investments Limited which also controls Loganair.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time to change this threads name?

 

[tpm]

Bit surprised this got past the trademark lawyers ("flybe" vs. "flybe-mi").

At least the new booking engine works again with Firefox (web browser).

 

[Marko1]

Bmi are introducing or re introducing a Sunday Aberdeen service from September

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Bmi are introducing or re introducing a Sunday Aberdeen service from September

Let's hope they have the staff and aircraft to operate it. They really must sort themselves out. Every week, often several times a week, they cancel flights.

 

[superking]

They probably announced ABZ on a sunday as more sure of operateing this flight than the rotations in the week.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I will probably regret saying this but flybmi has had no cancelled flights at BRS for the past three days. However, part of the reason might be a reduction in frequency. Paris CDG seems to be daily through the peak summer instead of 2/3 daily and BRU is taking its 'traditional' August reduction from 3 x daily on weekdays to 2 x daily. Looking ahead into the late summer/autumn the timetables appear to 'be back to normal' then.

My reason for checking was a remark on another website to the effect that E145 G-RJXR will be the first of the type to transfer to sister company, Loganair. Given that flybmi never seems to have enough aircraft to operate their normal roster at BRS how in heaven's name will they manage if they are getting rid of some aircraft?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Jethro, whose website was the source of the comment about G-RJXR transferring to Loganair, has since posted to say he now believes his information was incorrect.

 

[superking]

I see 1 e145 in NWI to be sent back to lessor. 2 E145 to be transferred to Eastern. This is going to cause lots of problems un less BMIR have got plans.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I see 1 e145 in NWI to be sent back to lessor. 2 E145 to be transferred to Eastern. This is going to cause lots of problems un less BMIR have got plans.

There can only be two scenarios if flybmi is to continue operating:

1. A reduced programme
2. Obtain more aircraft to at least replace those leaving in order to maintain current routes and frequencies

They keep on about getting some larger aircraft, even if not for the entire fleet. Perhaps the time is approaching for that to happen.

I think the two 145s are going to Loganair, flybmi's sister company.

 

[superking]

My mistake with Eastern I shoul have said and ment Loganair. I wrote what I was looking at.

 

[Jerry]

Strike threat by FlyBMI pilots. The ballot is due to close on the 10th September.
https://buyingbusinesstravel.com/news/0429279-flybmi-faces-pilot-strike-threat

 

[Kernow Bravo]

Typical! I'm due to fly back from BRU around a week after the ballot closes - will keep an eye on this.

Ironically Flybmi currently have a 'sale' on!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

http://aviadevinsighteurope.libsyn.com/episode-11-fabrice-binet-sales-bd-director-flybmi

This link is to a ten-minute interview with Fabrice Binet, the sales and business director of flybmi. I've put it in the BRS flybmi thread as BRS has the most flybmi destinations and flights of any UK airport.

In truth the interview doesn't tell us a lot. M. Binet spoke mainly in concepts which are pretty obvious such as the need to ensure the current network is sustainable although new routes are always being assessed.

There were no hard hitting questions such as, "Why does the airline cancel so many flights?" Neither was the director asked about the way forward in terms of possible bigger aircraft.

It was almost a PR exercise for the airline but if anyone is interested in listening to the interview I've put in the link.

 

[alphagolf]

flybmi are maintaining their BM2*** flight numbers on the BRS - BRU route for Winter 18/19, having checked the Brussels Airlines booking engine the flights remain as SN44** flight numbers until the start of the Summer '19 schedule when it reverts to Brussels Airlines SN20** flight numbers while the flybmi flight numbers become BM60**.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

flybmi are maintaining their BM2*** flight numbers on the BRS - BRU route for Winter 18/19, having checked the Brussels Airlines booking engine the flights remain as SN44** flight numbers until the start of the Summer '19 schedule when it reverts to Brussels Airlines SN20** flight numbers while the flybmi flight numbers become BM60**.

So even though the flights are BM flights numbers they can still feed in seamlessly to the Brussels Airlines connecting flights at BRU?

 

[Kernow Bravo]

So even though the flights are BM flights numbers they can still feed in seamlessly to the Brussels Airlines connecting flights at BRU?

I can't confirm regarding outbound, but yesterday I returned to BRS from FLR via BRU.

Luggage was checked right through from FLR to BRS, but only the BP for the FLR-BRU sector was issued on check-in. At BRU I collected my BP for the BM flight at the departure gate, by presenting passport and baggage tag. This obviously meant exiting Schengen without a BP which I was rather nervous of, but ultimately there was no real issue, short of confusing the retail outlet staff when I said I didn't have a BP!

Of course, FLR is a seasonal destination for SN, so they may be able to offer through check-in at larger airports where they have a year-round presence. However there were at least half a dozen other passengers who appeared to be receiving their BPs at the gate, so it seemed quite a common occurrence. Certainly the gate agent had a stack of blank BPs at the ready!

Whether this could be described as 'seamless' is probably open to debate.......