bmi fly to Mumbai and Riyadh.
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bmi fly to Mumbai and Riyadh.
Just announced in a company memo that in addition to 4 days a week to Mumbai starting 14th May we are going to fly to Riyadh 3 days a week. Seems a strange choice, didn't BA pull off this due to loads and security concerns?. All volunteers take one step forward please, makes Mumbai sound very attractive after all.
Last edited by Max Angle; 10th Mar 2005 at 13:30.
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Also confirmed in an announcement on their website. Presumably Icelandair don't have the seatback IFE that the existing bmi 330s have, so I guess there will be a number of brassed off passengers for the bmi crew operating MAN-IAD to pacify (it is a damp lease)! Be interesting to know if that is an interim arrangement pending an additional 330, or whether IAD will be dropped at the end of the summer. Be a shame if that is the case as the flight has been full each way on the 2 round trips I've taken on that route (both out of peak season - Nov 2002 and Apr 2004 2 weeks after Easter).
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My understanding is 2 a week to Riyadh
and that bmi are trying to get another A330 in October. How to kill a route put on a single aisle a/c ond no ife. Dont think it will stop as the freight alone keeps the route going.
What about the BGI going to 3 a week, LAS to 2 a week and combining the UVF and ANU into a 'W' route going once a week.
Also say goodbye to New Economy Premium Economy IN must be due to other airlines being unable to book it especially United.
and that bmi are trying to get another A330 in October. How to kill a route put on a single aisle a/c ond no ife. Dont think it will stop as the freight alone keeps the route going. What about the BGI going to 3 a week, LAS to 2 a week and combining the UVF and ANU into a 'W' route going once a week.
Also say goodbye to New Economy Premium Economy IN must be due to other airlines being unable to book it especially United.
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Expelair, where did you hear that bmi are trying to get another A330 for October? Company announcement said nothing about this and was curiously silent on how long the Icelandair damp lease would last for? What are the bmi CC doing about this-after all there is enough stagnation in bmi at the moment without our jobs and prospects being given away to others. Perhaps the real reason for such a temporary fix would be something big happening on the merger front soon!
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Merger
Not that old nugget again. That has been done to death. BMI are not intrested in buying VA!!!!, if it happens it happens. Why spend all that money on setting up longhaul op's out of LHR if your going to sell. Why spend all that money keeping a route going buy leasing another airline and re-traing some of your crew, that does not make much sense. (OH that sounds like bmi!!)
I believe that they still have the 4th origional option for an A330 available that was defered (Emirates took it) and that will be available around October.
Not that old nugget again. That has been done to death. BMI are not intrested in buying VA!!!!, if it happens it happens. Why spend all that money on setting up longhaul op's out of LHR if your going to sell. Why spend all that money keeping a route going buy leasing another airline and re-traing some of your crew, that does not make much sense. (OH that sounds like bmi!!)I believe that they still have the 4th origional option for an A330 available that was defered (Emirates took it) and that will be available around October.
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I read an article recently stating that B.A. may return to Riyadh depending on the results of a review. ie. profitability, security etc...
I expect bmi are trying to get their foot into the door first....
I expect bmi are trying to get their foot into the door first....
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It was prince andrew complaining after his recent trip to saudi arabia, asking why no british carrier was flying to the kingdom and advising BA to re-think about flights to Riyadh !
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This is the maddest decision I have ever heard of bmi coming up with, they are obssessed with getting routes out of LHR at the cost of an extremeley popular route out of MAN. I think this is BD showing their true colours, I predict complaints by the plane load. What a shame that the IAD should have this kind of nonsense foisted upon it. As for the flight being busy, it has been consistently busier than the ORD since about Nov. Absolute Madness, not a good move Bish.
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Popularity is no guarantee of profitability.
Unless you are aware of the returns generated by the IAD route, how do we know its 'madness'.
In the commentry on the long-haul business, SMB said recently
"The prospects for bmi long haul operations improved significantly during 2004 with the successful introduction of new services to the Caribbean from Manchester and the first long haul services licensed to bmi from Heathrow with a route to Mumbai."
That hardly suggests that MAN-IAD & ORD are huge financial successes; however popular they may be.
loco
Unless you are aware of the returns generated by the IAD route, how do we know its 'madness'.
In the commentry on the long-haul business, SMB said recently
"The prospects for bmi long haul operations improved significantly during 2004 with the successful introduction of new services to the Caribbean from Manchester and the first long haul services licensed to bmi from Heathrow with a route to Mumbai."
That hardly suggests that MAN-IAD & ORD are huge financial successes; however popular they may be.
loco
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Good point going loco, but saudi is hardly a tourist hotspot, well....you can't blame bmi for trying, I agree with lexxity, it does seem a bit desperate and the security situation is still unclear.
Just to give the crew's an insight into their forthcoming nightstop,
Armed guard escort to the hotel and once you're in the hotel you won't be able to step an inch outside of the hotel grounds.
Just to give the crew's an insight into their forthcoming nightstop,
Armed guard escort to the hotel and once you're in the hotel you won't be able to step an inch outside of the hotel grounds.
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If you look at the cargo figures and business class (revenue) figures for both routes (IAD/ORD) then you will agree more and more that it is a very strange move, I just can't see BOM filling the front like the trans-atlantics do, Riyadh possibly, but is it really worth it?
With MY reputation?
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lexx,
In a word, NO, Riyadh is NOT worth it, Saudi Arabia has become a very dangerous place for Westerners in the last few years...Sure, the people that fly the route have the money, but is it really worth it?
In a word, NO, Riyadh is NOT worth it, Saudi Arabia has become a very dangerous place for Westerners in the last few years...Sure, the people that fly the route have the money, but is it really worth it?
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Unfortunately this sounds like another example of the North of England getting second best. Most of us get fed up trekking to Heathrow and Gatwick for onward flights and when we do start to get a semblance of a service, direct, then it is very soon reduced to a second class standard.
I know many people in the North West who like to use the BMI flights to Chicago and Washington which they regard as hubs for many destinations in America. They are now likely to vote with their feet.
I know many people in the North West who like to use the BMI flights to Chicago and Washington which they regard as hubs for many destinations in America. They are now likely to vote with their feet.
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MAN - LAS
From the Virgin rumour mill.......
Apparently they're looking at operating the MAN - LAS service in the autumn as the majority of pax are supplied by Virgin Holidays anyway. That would also free up the 330 to op the IAD service again.
Apparently they're looking at operating the MAN - LAS service in the autumn as the majority of pax are supplied by Virgin Holidays anyway. That would also free up the 330 to op the IAD service again.
"The INTRODUCER"
Phoenix Sun, places that are dangerous are also very good places to fly to (unless they're so dangerous that the aeroplane or crew might get shot at of course).
More danger=very committed passengers=high yields.
Which is why you can fly to just about anywhere in the world outside of active war zones. At a price.
More danger=very committed passengers=high yields.
Which is why you can fly to just about anywhere in the world outside of active war zones. At a price.
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More danger=very committed passengers=high yields
Not true when talking about the RUH route. The economy fares are in the UK400-500 range, major reduction in business travellers. BMI are stupid for taking that route!
Mutt.
Not true when talking about the RUH route. The economy fares are in the UK400-500 range, major reduction in business travellers. BMI are stupid for taking that route!
Mutt.
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If BA pulled out of Riyadh due to security concerns, added to which was a lack of profitabilty, then one wonders why bmi should be leaping into the breach................
Have bmi undertaken a thorough and honest investigation into the security aspect? I don't mean paying lip service to the problems, I mean a real investigation.
Anyone responding to this question with "Of course, they must have." should wear the pointy dunces cap and stand in a corner.
As for the lack of profitability on the proposed routes, bmi are clearly desperate to get their foot wedged into the Heathrow longhaul door, regardless of immediate cost effectiveness or the needs of passengers at Manchester.
They know full well that their previous twenty years of continued existance is entirely down to their other foot being wedged into the Heathrow shorthaul door. They at least recognise a gift horse when they see it. Problem nowadays is that they don't have an M Thatcher or J Major Government pulling the strings for them.
Good luck to the bmi crews operating these services. They might need it!
Have bmi undertaken a thorough and honest investigation into the security aspect? I don't mean paying lip service to the problems, I mean a real investigation.
Anyone responding to this question with "Of course, they must have." should wear the pointy dunces cap and stand in a corner.
As for the lack of profitability on the proposed routes, bmi are clearly desperate to get their foot wedged into the Heathrow longhaul door, regardless of immediate cost effectiveness or the needs of passengers at Manchester.
They know full well that their previous twenty years of continued existance is entirely down to their other foot being wedged into the Heathrow shorthaul door. They at least recognise a gift horse when they see it. Problem nowadays is that they don't have an M Thatcher or J Major Government pulling the strings for them.
Good luck to the bmi crews operating these services. They might need it!