Maybe
I haven't heard the interview yet, but I understand that this was almost a slip of the tongue from RB. I personally think that it is a very good idea, provided that bmi and Virgin look quite seriously at the bmi mainline product, and the function of baby and regional.
I think that the branding of the product would have to be looked at quite carefully as well, with perhaps "Virgin-bmi" or similar being used. But please keep the stuning bmi 'swoopy-curvy' thing they have going on. It looks soooo well. It screams class IMO, and is very distinctive.
Im not sure that baby could survive the merger though, and I suspect that its routes would be either merged into mainline, or regional. Is its cost base actually that much lower than bmi? Perhaps a fleet of E-195s could take over the regional and baby flights, while VS and bmi @ LHR merge into one?
Whatever happens I dont think that VS would sell off baby, as it could feed a lot of flights at MAN. I suspect there could be a rebranding and refleeting. Now that could really give BACON a battering!
So yes although there are issues with regards to the merger, I think that done correctly it could be really successful. I think that RB could be trying to integrate all of the Virgin airlines a little better, so there could be massive network possibilities when Nigeria, Blue and America are taken into account.
Last edited by brian_dromey; 21st October 2006 at 21:48.