BMI and unconditional love
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BMI and unconditional love
Hear me out with this one - reading posts here for a while has planted a seed, and it took a while to draft this to make sure it didn't sound like I'm some obsessive fan of Sir Michael Bishop... it will probably make more sense if you don't work close to (ie work for) BD.
Am I alone in always forgiving BMI for their mistakes and lack or direction?
1) The business lacks clear focus - is it a business or leisure airline? And if it's both, why can't the schedules reflect that with better direct timings to key cities at peak times and then leisure routes in between?
2) The 'bmi' brand is brilliant, and I still think the most recent livery is one of the most attractive around (regardless of whether it's a summer's evening or a gloomy winter morning). But the brand isn't pushed enough, and older semi-liveries are hanging around on other aircraft looking decidedly shabby. Advertising is sporadic and ineffective : despite a very respectable trans-Atlantic service, it's severely underpromoted on both sides of the Atlantic, and the 'birds' campaign doesn't carry the weight that a major airline should (what happened to 'civil aviation' when longhaul launched?)
3) BMI-Regional cannot carry on indefinitely taking advantage of a handful of unusual money spinners (eg oil rig personnel on east coast routes). 2005 will see Eastern Airways and FlyBe nibbling away even more at both ends of the price spectrum, often with turboprops that are far more cost effective on these routes. What's more, the BMI-R brand itself is even less valued and doesn't have the independence to be a standalone competitor to T3 and BE.
4) And that bl**dy baby... not making any headway, and in some cases even preventing potential full fare BMI / BMIR traffic (see return of BMIR at EMA). No commitment, and prepared to try new bases and ditch them with equal speed. It should be sold off to the highest possible bidder and the proceeds should be invested in BMIR and mainline.
5) A route network that makes no sense. If MAN is to be a long term long haul hub, why are there not the European connections that LHR has?
... but despite all that, I can't help forgiving them. And if I had to choose when flying in Europe, I'd always go for BD over BA.
Is this an innate British thing of always favouring the fatally flawed underdog? Or is it a forgiveable weakness for an airline that has the potential to be so much more successful than it is?
Comments / therapy welcome ;-)
*j*
Am I alone in always forgiving BMI for their mistakes and lack or direction?
1) The business lacks clear focus - is it a business or leisure airline? And if it's both, why can't the schedules reflect that with better direct timings to key cities at peak times and then leisure routes in between?
2) The 'bmi' brand is brilliant, and I still think the most recent livery is one of the most attractive around (regardless of whether it's a summer's evening or a gloomy winter morning). But the brand isn't pushed enough, and older semi-liveries are hanging around on other aircraft looking decidedly shabby. Advertising is sporadic and ineffective : despite a very respectable trans-Atlantic service, it's severely underpromoted on both sides of the Atlantic, and the 'birds' campaign doesn't carry the weight that a major airline should (what happened to 'civil aviation' when longhaul launched?)
3) BMI-Regional cannot carry on indefinitely taking advantage of a handful of unusual money spinners (eg oil rig personnel on east coast routes). 2005 will see Eastern Airways and FlyBe nibbling away even more at both ends of the price spectrum, often with turboprops that are far more cost effective on these routes. What's more, the BMI-R brand itself is even less valued and doesn't have the independence to be a standalone competitor to T3 and BE.
4) And that bl**dy baby... not making any headway, and in some cases even preventing potential full fare BMI / BMIR traffic (see return of BMIR at EMA). No commitment, and prepared to try new bases and ditch them with equal speed. It should be sold off to the highest possible bidder and the proceeds should be invested in BMIR and mainline.
5) A route network that makes no sense. If MAN is to be a long term long haul hub, why are there not the European connections that LHR has?
... but despite all that, I can't help forgiving them. And if I had to choose when flying in Europe, I'd always go for BD over BA.
Is this an innate British thing of always favouring the fatally flawed underdog? Or is it a forgiveable weakness for an airline that has the potential to be so much more successful than it is?
Comments / therapy welcome ;-)
*j*
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(er... the whole point of the post is that I don't... I'm just a humble blue diamond card holder). However, I do acknowledge that opinions on BMI by those who do work for them vary depending on how close you are to the front line 
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As a past nine-year term inmate at "The Hall" (now long escaped) and current gold card holder, I have a great deal of empathy with what you're saying - why, I too do not understand!
Andy
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I'm trying to dig deeper into what makes the company tick. It's true there seems to be issues with leadership, but it's very difficult to narrow it down to any particular area.
The brand is well known, and has a very good service standard, but it does suffer from poor advertsing. Whenever I mention the company to friends and reletives, they immediately respond with "Oh, bmi Baby!" which is fine, but there doesn't seem to be the wideranging concept that there is a company out there in direct competition with British Airways.
I don't understand the problems behind the image issue either, with regard to a business/leisure airline. On a quick comparison of routes from London Heathrow/Gatwick to Alicante, bmi and BA have identical fares. The main stumbling block for airlines is the fare against level of service conundrum, but again bmi compares very favourably with BA on service in the cabin. bmi can operate commuter flights to large cities in the UK and Europe and still operate flights to holiday destinations with the same level of service. Why does this create problems?
As far as bmi Regional are concerned I'm surprised and dissappointed that it is seen as such a separate company to mainline. The history behind the company, with it's origins in Aberdeen, may well be a major stumbling block with the full integration in the group. Regional should be able to feel like it is part of the group, and is a required operation which stimulates traffic within the heathrow and longhaul operations, however this does not come across.
Also, I am baffled by the Star Alliance membership, and it's use. Why aren't the benefits of code-share fullfilled with airlines such as United? For example, with the introduction of the Washington route from Manchester, a passenger should be able to route anywhere on the United network from Washington. A quick look at the website, and you can't even connect on a shuttle from the US Capital to New York. There are mutilple examples of this, and they change again when you wish to travel from London Heathrow. Maybe I'm missing something, but it would be nice to get an explaination of why the website is so lacking.
bmi feels as though it is restrained by some thing/one/people, but I can't put my finger on what.
HS
The brand is well known, and has a very good service standard, but it does suffer from poor advertsing. Whenever I mention the company to friends and reletives, they immediately respond with "Oh, bmi Baby!" which is fine, but there doesn't seem to be the wideranging concept that there is a company out there in direct competition with British Airways.
I don't understand the problems behind the image issue either, with regard to a business/leisure airline. On a quick comparison of routes from London Heathrow/Gatwick to Alicante, bmi and BA have identical fares. The main stumbling block for airlines is the fare against level of service conundrum, but again bmi compares very favourably with BA on service in the cabin. bmi can operate commuter flights to large cities in the UK and Europe and still operate flights to holiday destinations with the same level of service. Why does this create problems?
As far as bmi Regional are concerned I'm surprised and dissappointed that it is seen as such a separate company to mainline. The history behind the company, with it's origins in Aberdeen, may well be a major stumbling block with the full integration in the group. Regional should be able to feel like it is part of the group, and is a required operation which stimulates traffic within the heathrow and longhaul operations, however this does not come across.
Also, I am baffled by the Star Alliance membership, and it's use. Why aren't the benefits of code-share fullfilled with airlines such as United? For example, with the introduction of the Washington route from Manchester, a passenger should be able to route anywhere on the United network from Washington. A quick look at the website, and you can't even connect on a shuttle from the US Capital to New York. There are mutilple examples of this, and they change again when you wish to travel from London Heathrow. Maybe I'm missing something, but it would be nice to get an explaination of why the website is so lacking.
bmi feels as though it is restrained by some thing/one/people, but I can't put my finger on what.
HS
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jamesbrown and headset,
I totally agree with what your saying. As a bmi "inamte" (as it was so crudely put earlier), we do forgive our company a lot. We see the potential, we get excited, then we get let down.
Sadly, I believe the underlying problem here is a little too much promotion from within, depending on who you know and not what you know. Sometimes it would be best to take fresh new blood from outside the company so to speak. There are so many people who are related and supervising siblings at various bmi locations, its frightening!
I totally agree with regard to baby and regional. Where is it all going to end?
Thats my rant over... but I still love the brand and what it could be.
I totally agree with what your saying. As a bmi "inamte" (as it was so crudely put earlier), we do forgive our company a lot. We see the potential, we get excited, then we get let down.
Sadly, I believe the underlying problem here is a little too much promotion from within, depending on who you know and not what you know. Sometimes it would be best to take fresh new blood from outside the company so to speak. There are so many people who are related and supervising siblings at various bmi locations, its frightening!
I totally agree with regard to baby and regional. Where is it all going to end?
Thats my rant over... but I still love the brand and what it could be.
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yes I think the diversity can be a little confusing and the internal politics a bit frustrating. But there are positives and don't knock baby.........it works.........all aprts of the group work but there does need to be more cohesion and mutual respect between each, bmi have the potential with its diversity to overtake many players - perhaps a little investment in strategy may help!
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There certainly seems to be not a little confusion in NI as to how the various parts of the group operates - mainline operate from BHD and Baby operate from BFS - this still leads to some confusion with reports of passengers occasionally turning up at BHD for a Baby flight and vice versa at BFS.
Can't help feeling it would be much simpler (and more cost effective) if both operated from the same airport!
Can't help feeling it would be much simpler (and more cost effective) if both operated from the same airport!
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The bmi brand isnt as well recognised around this neck of the woods. Friends and family and more importantly the passengers regularly have puzzled expressions when "bmi" is used and more often than not, "is that British Midland?" is asked. I agree that the shabby old livery's dont do us any justice when compared to the fresh new ones. At least the airbus fleet have old colours and bmi lettering, but the embraers should have the British Midland from them asap
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Old Colours
GLAMM,
Do you remember a few months back in Plane Talking (bmi's staff newspaper) about how embarrassing the name British Midland is nowadays and to report to Toad Hall if we see anything with British Midland still on it instead of bmi. Well you have a good point that there are still EMB-145's in full British Midland colours with the BM logo still on the tail!!! 3 years after the name change.
Do you remember a few months back in Plane Talking (bmi's staff newspaper) about how embarrassing the name British Midland is nowadays and to report to Toad Hall if we see anything with British Midland still on it instead of bmi. Well you have a good point that there are still EMB-145's in full British Midland colours with the BM logo still on the tail!!! 3 years after the name change.
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Ground services at LHR are having"emergency" recruitment apparantly to cover for the handling contracts they recieved when swissport @ LHR went under. The only one I have seen so far is Cyprus Airways. Anybody anymore??
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bmifox
A few months ago I sent off an email to the branding people - dobbed the embraers in and explained that they were too large to put in the amnesty box in the crew-room without killing myself.
Despite there supposedly being a competition for the best re-branding dob-in suggestion, I never heard a bo-peep.
Yet another example of the lip service paid to good ideas and suggestions in this company, and the lack of 2 - way communication that hampers us all.
My main gripe with the group is that we have a good product, brilliant fleet and great people, but we have no clues about marketing ourselves and mostly rely on word of mouth and repeat business.
This is a good company that could be a truly great company if those responsible for marketing et al, had the will or resources to get on with it.
Despite the usual array of gripes with the likes of crewing, the company is a great one to work for. I can think of lots of suggestions to improve that would no doubt fall on deaf ears, yet I forgive the company its shortcomings too!
LOST
A few months ago I sent off an email to the branding people - dobbed the embraers in and explained that they were too large to put in the amnesty box in the crew-room without killing myself.
Despite there supposedly being a competition for the best re-branding dob-in suggestion, I never heard a bo-peep.
Yet another example of the lip service paid to good ideas and suggestions in this company, and the lack of 2 - way communication that hampers us all.
My main gripe with the group is that we have a good product, brilliant fleet and great people, but we have no clues about marketing ourselves and mostly rely on word of mouth and repeat business.
This is a good company that could be a truly great company if those responsible for marketing et al, had the will or resources to get on with it.
Despite the usual array of gripes with the likes of crewing, the company is a great one to work for. I can think of lots of suggestions to improve that would no doubt fall on deaf ears, yet I forgive the company its shortcomings too!
LOST
Last edited by G-LOST; 25th Nov 2004 at 20:00.
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Talks of El Al handling at LHR then there is the "intention" to fly the new staff service to the call centre in Bangalore and also Mumbai. Need some staff for that. I heard 60 bodies are needed for the Cyprus contract alone.
As for the reporting to branding, did the same myself with no response.
G-Lost I also agree the company is great and all it needs is for the ears to start listening and their could be vast improvements
As for the reporting to branding, did the same myself with no response.
G-Lost I also agree the company is great and all it needs is for the ears to start listening and their could be vast improvements
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then there is the "intention" to fly the new staff service
Andy
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Funny how money can be found to spray all the 737s in bmibaby colours, including those that had only recently been resprayed in the old BM colours. ("Low Cost" eh??!!). Meanwhile the Embraers are left in the old BM colours with British Midland logos - not a mention of "bmi". And not one single A321 in "new" colours, even the one that needed a respray after the hail incident was resprayed in the old scheme! The in-flight mag seems to be the only place they've all been changed!
babybaby
babybaby
I too would like to see BMI get themselves together. I echo the sentiments of those who see the jumble of aircraft colour schemes. At Leeds sometimes, you can see BMI aircraft with up to five different paint jobs; the old diamond scheme, the part-diamond; the 'new' one, the Star Alliance and if it counts, the ATR42 borrowed from Atlantic which bears little resemblance to any of the foregoing schemes, save for a few 'bmi' letters !
I've flown on BMI a few times and they have been basically excellent. But their branding and advertising could really use a kick up the APU.
Bmifox, check your PMs.
I've flown on BMI a few times and they have been basically excellent. But their branding and advertising could really use a kick up the APU.
Bmifox, check your PMs.
G-Lost & Glamm
Did you not receive you company mug, pen and car sticker??????
I did after reporting about a 20 foot advertising hoarding at the NIC.
I still find that when asked who you work for and reply "bmi", you then have to say "bmi, britsh midland" and the reply is "oh, british midland airways".
Did you not receive you company mug, pen and car sticker??????
I did after reporting about a 20 foot advertising hoarding at the NIC.
I still find that when asked who you work for and reply "bmi", you then have to say "bmi, britsh midland" and the reply is "oh, british midland airways".
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As a gold card holder I would agree with all posts - service on bmi is excellent and much better short haul for business than BA. Marketing is non-existent for such a big airline operating from BA. Seen more as BA's competitor rather than a stand alone airline.
Still think it would be better for bmi and Virgin to merge as there is such an excellent mix of routes. Then we might have some real competition to the US carriers.
Still think it would be better for bmi and Virgin to merge as there is such an excellent mix of routes. Then we might have some real competition to the US carriers.
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as it happens keyboard flier, after sun and mon off i returned this morning to a mug, pens and car stickers with the bonus of a mouse mat and id pass holder. thanks mr snowdon