Ib
About a year ago you would have been spot on, but there is much change afoot in the bmi group.
Only a year ago people had written them off, baby would be bust/closed/sold and so on, none of which came to pass.
GLA being culled is not a knee jerk in the mould of NT its about a restructuring of strategy and direction.
Bmi have no long haul however WPS is on record of stating that they will go back to the USA but from LHR and to the big apple not odd ball routes, but only when Market conditions permit currently slated for spring 2012 by which time bmi will be unrecognisable from the mis match product it became, by spring it will reek of quality with a quoted £30m having been spent on interior and exterior makeover, the new LH style seats look stunning.
This sort of spend was not possible under the previous management.
bmi problem with long haul from LHR is that west bound it's all Star traffic for which the get very little and have to pick up the costs every time the tosser's in baggage at LHR get it wrong! 7 of the last 10 flights have done thro LHR resulted in lost bags, they turned up eventually and were loaded inbound.
So until they have some west bound services interlining from the regions is of little value.
BTW has Random Flyer passed his hat yet?
Never say Never!