How about this that was sent to bmi employees!
Q&A sheet
Internal questions
1. Will there be dedicated employees assigned to the no frills operation?
Yes, at this stage only flight deck and cabin crew will be dedicated to the new airline.
2. Will this be a separate company?
Initially the company will operate within the bmi framework, but in the medium term we would expect it to be established as a separate entity.
3. If I volunteer to work for the no frills operation, will my pay, terms and conditions of employment change. Will the same union agreements apply?
In order to compete effectively in the niche market of no frills operators, we need all dedicated employees to be on terms and conditions that reflect the different nature of the business, which will reward productivity. We expect to recognise the current unions.
4. Will I be able to transfer back if I want to at a later date?
It will be possible to apply for a job at bmi british midland, subject to availability and the different terms and conditions.
5. What staff travel benefits will be available?
Current bmi staff will be able to use their standby and annual firm concessions on the no frills airline, subject to availability as always. At this stage, the friends and family scheme will not apply to the no frills routes, as the fares available will be very competitive. The no frills employees will have their own staff travel scheme for their own dedicated services.
6. Who will be running the new no frills airline - will there be a new management board?
The airline will not be operated under a separate management structure, but will be marketed as a stand alone product with its own name and brand.
7. When will we know what the airline is going to look like?
Further details will be announced next week.
External questions
8. Which destinations will the new airline operate to?
Initial destinations will include a high frequency of flights from East Midlands to Nice, Palma, Malaga, Barcelona, Alicante and Faro.
9. When will the new schedules start?
The no frills airline will start operating on 23 March 2002, the weekend before Easter.
10. When will it be possible to book tickets?
Later this month, with the date to be announced next week.
11. How can passengers book tickets?
Tickets can be booked on the website at a discount, or via reservations. Travel agents will also be able to make bookings through a dedicated internet facility.
12. How can I register for further information?
You will be able to register for further information on the no frills airline, by visiting the web site <a href="http://www.flybmi.com" target="_blank">www.flybmi.com</a>
13. What type of aircraft will be operating the new services?
Boeing 737-300 aircraft will be used to operate the no frills schedule, with a 148 seat configuration.
14. How many aircraft will be in the fleet?
Initially two aircraft will be dedicated to the no frills airline.
15. What will the seat pitch be?
The seat pitch will be up to 29-30 inches.
16. What service will be provided inflight?
The no frills airline will be operating a no frills service, with quality catering on board, available for purchase.
17. Will members of bmi’s frequent flyer programme, diamond club, be able to earn points on the new airline?
diamond club members will not be able to earn points when travelling on the new carrier, but they will be able to redeem points they have earned by travelling with bmi british midland.
18. What will the fares be?
The pricing structure will be extremely competitive with the ability to book low cost, one way or return fares - the actual fare levels will be announced next week, but internet fares will start from £25 each way including all taxes and charges.
19. Will there be a charge for tickets booked on credit cards?
As is customary with no frills airlines, tickets booked using a debit card will not incur additional charges, but credit card bookings will incur a surcharge.
20. What impact will this have on the development of bmi regional? Will other routes be transferred across to the no frills business? Where are the boundaries between bmi regional and the no frills airline?
The initial route network for the no frills airline, focuses on leisure routes to the Mediterranean. However, further route development may take place from the existing portfolio of bmi regional or by the addition of completely new destinations. This will be driven by customer demand.
21. In November, Austin Reid said that bmi was not going to become a low cost operator but should adopt some low cost principles. Why the change of mind so quickly?
bmi british midland is not becoming a no frills airline. In order to compete across all market segments in the industry, bmi is launching a separate no frills carrier, offering bargain fares for point to point travel.
22. Is this the beginning of an overall transition to no frills?
No. This is the launch of a separate no frills airline to be based at East Midlands Airport. bmi british midland’s Heathrow hub is clearly not suited to a low cost business model and as such, bmi is committed to its development of business routes within Europe and the USA, as well as being wholly committed to its membership of Star Alliance.
23. Will the new airline have a codeshare/interline strategy?
No.
24. Will this mean more jobs being created? Are any further redundancies planned?
In the first instance, resourcing will come from the existing bmi british midland workforce. However, the overall management structure of bmi british midland is continually being reviewed to ensure that our overhead costs are kept under control in these challenging trading conditions.
25. What is bmi’s strategy for its overall business? We now have shorthaul full service, shorthaul regional, shorthaul no frills and longhaul. Isn’t this a confusing proposition for the customer?
bmi british midland has launched a no frills airline to meet the customer demands of a niche market. The current business model will still be maintained where there is demand for a full service airline, which offers connecting and interline opportunities.
26. How does this impact on bmi’s Star Alliance relationship?
It doesn’t. bmi british midland is still a full member of Star Alliance.
27. Have you come to an agreement on airport charges with East Midlands Airport?
bmi has come to an agreement with East Midlands Airport, which allows us to launch this new airline.
28. Why have you applied for a licence to operate East Midlands to Prague, when you objected to Go’s application?
The reason for our objection to the application by GO is to seek clarification from the UK Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) regarding the availability of future capacity on all routes between the UK and the Czech Republic including services from East Midlands Airport to Prague. bmi has applied for its own route licence in order to ensure that the airline has the opportunity to operate this route, should the bilateral agreement be re-negotiated.
29. Isn’t this just a
pr stunt to prevent Go from competing in your own backyard?
No. bmi british midland is realising a long held ambition to launch a no frills airline in the Midlands. We believe there exists a market demand and an opportunity to commence a no frills business from East Midlands Airport. This has been facilitated by the new owners of the airport who have now demonstrated their willingness to develop it further. bmi has been a major operator and employer at East Midlands Airport for over 35 years and wants to continue its development in the region.
Hmmmm....