Truth, lies and ex bmed crew
Airbus 215,
Your obvious loyalty to your current employer is to be applauded. Your obvious irritation with the ex BMED crews is understandable. However, a little understanding should, perhaps, be shown by someone who appears to have been in the job with bmi for some time.
Your comments that,
"Many seem to have forgotten just how close to ceasing operations bmed (sic) were and with it would have come the resulting loss of jobs etc,"
and,
"Yes things have changed but had they not have changed BMed (sic) would not be here today anyway,"
are hardly designed to make these crews feel welcome. They are also a little inaccurate.
Whatever you think, their experience of the drawn-out merger cannot have been stress-free or happy. It's natural they bemoan the loss of the 'old days' even if it becomes a bit boring. Agreed, as a bmi crew member, you can't be blamed for being a bit fed-up with the moans.
The title of your post included the words 'truth' and 'lies'. Perhaps your perception of the merger and the resultant job-losses needs a little clarification. bmi approached BA in December 2006 and made an offer for BMED. This was rejected by BA in favour of a possible sale to the Mikati group which, subsequently, fell through. In Jan/Feb 2006 bmi again approached BA and this time a deal was struck. Essentially, bmi got the route licences/airframes etc. In exchange, BA got the BMED slots. In fact, bmi bought itself some time to develop new routes and break out of its loss-making, essentially short-haul network.
There was, however, no question of redundancy for flight deck and cabin crews. Had the bmi deal fallen through, the backstop was always BA. The crews would have continued to operate until 2009 when the slots would have reverted to BA and BMED would have had to leave LHR and fend for itself. In effect, BMED would have time to develop a new strategy/investors etc - if such a thing were possible.
Facts are facts and it was, indeed, bmi who took-over BMED. That doesn't mean that bmi was necessarily the better airline, although that is the perception that bmi personnel/management seem to have. The very fact that bmi coveted the BMED routes and were prepared to go to great lengths to acquire them is, in itself, acknowledgement that bmi was not doing very well and needed to change tack. If BMED were that bad, why did bmi want it so badly? Without the acquisition of BMED, might there have been grounds for redundancies in bmi?
Your defence of bmi is admirable when you say,
"It's not a perfect company but it is one that has endured the roller coaster ride of aviation over the last 60 odd years and seen many of its competitors leave the industry."
That could also describe TWA/Pan Am/Swissair etc.
Could it be that bmi has survived through a series of happy coincidences and right-place-right-time? Its position at LHR as the holder of 11% of slots and a canny deal with Lufthansa? Open Skies has now made bmi's slots the subject of careful scrutiny by other large carriers.
Another poster has hinted at what might come:
"they (bmi) will have to downsize the LHR operation when BA gets the old BMED slots later this year and next year."
Also,
"bmi is not an airline, just a collection of slots waiting to be bought."
This may be fanciful but there just might be a grain of truth in it. And then you could find yourself in the same, unhappy position as ex-BMED crews where you didn't ask to come here........
A little understanding is what's called for. Forget the "WE bought you so you must have been bad,". Likewise some of the ex-BMED crews could be a little more discreet. In fairness, the 'merger' is only in its 4th month and these moans are to be expected. However, large numbers of ex-BMED cabin crew have already left and, if this continues, there won't be any left to moan about in another 3 months.
The truth is, as you've already pointed out, change has happened. And more is likely to happen. Let's hope you're prepared for it.