BMI
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Changing times in Bmi at BHD??
An early edition of Summer Timetable 2006 includes an EMB145 rotation (BD091) during dates in September and October. NOT a good sign for most
profitable bmi route!!
An early edition of Summer Timetable 2006 includes an EMB145 rotation (BD091) during dates in September and October. NOT a good sign for most
profitable bmi route!!
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by bmibabyfc
bmi offers its pax on the shorthaul market a variation of ticket classes depending on what (THEY, YOU - THE PAX WANT), you choose and you fly - simple as that!
What I want is business class LHR to MAN.
I now choose and I now fly BA - simple as that!
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by ManAtTheBack
bmibabyfc
What I want is business class LHR to MAN.
I now choose and I now fly BA - simple as that!
What I want is business class LHR to MAN.
I now choose and I now fly BA - simple as that!
Just another seat number
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: NW UK
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by concorde001
BA don't offer business class on UK domestic flights. It's all single Y class and has been for many years now.
• Preferred seating for Frequent Flyers
• Online check in with reliable choice of seat (No choice on tiny fares)
• Self Serve Check-in with choice of seat
• Minimal airport queues (security aside)
• Free food (MAN-LHR)
• Free Drinks (MAN-LHR)
• Motivated staff
And, importantly, a business attitude. The difference between BA and bmi is like a comparison with a charter airline and scheduled airline. BA appreciate you need to move through the airport with a minimum of fuss, bmi is very much “pile ‘em high and sell ‘em cheap”. Any form of contact with bmi, pre or post flight is a battle. Miles redemptions are a joke.
Gone are the days of diamond service and staff that seemed happy in their jobs and were happy to serve, and I was very happy to fly with bmi over BA. Now it’s reversed.
Bmi should look at the launch of BA Connect to see how handle a change programme. Most importantly, other than the removal of catering and the club cabin, none of the frequent flyer benefits have been hit and I can see the loads holding up.
Meanwhile, more and more people are getting hacked off with the Ryanisation of bmi. Sure, there’s a market for them. I’m not convinced it’s out of LHR. That’s why baby is doing well in the right places and the mainline load factors keep falling. (And I’ll bet it’s the high revenue pax that are leaving, not the pax on the Tiny fares)
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by concorde001
BA don't offer business class on UK domestic flights. It's all single Y class and has been for many years now.
On bmi, one has to argue to be allowed to use human check in, even if one's ticket/status permits this.
This is why I, and I believe many others, have taken up the choice that bmibabyfc notes that bmi offer and have switched from bmi to BA. Perhaps that is why bmi's pax figures (Jan) load factors are down by 15% and load factors are hovering above 50%, whilst BAs figures are holding up.
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by SELF SERVICE C/IN
Changing times in Bmi at BHD??
An early edition of Summer Timetable 2006 includes an EMB145 rotation (BD091) during dates in September and October. NOT a good sign for most
profitable bmi route!!
An early edition of Summer Timetable 2006 includes an EMB145 rotation (BD091) during dates in September and October. NOT a good sign for most
profitable bmi route!!
As a company we are now sending everyone easy, bmibaby or Flybe - bmi is only a last resort. Not because we are cheapskates, but our staff now prefer the later flights avialable to/from BFS as it makes a business day worthwhile and bmi offers no advantage cabin wise.
EMB is certainly a big reduction over a A319 (50 vs 124). I remember flying in mostly empty BA A319's before BA pulled the plug on BFS-LHR as it was "no longer economic".....
Regards,
Shuttlebus
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Courchevel
Posts: 848
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good news! The sooner this place is wound up/bought out/sold, the sooner we can all get on with our lives in a more stable environment with a new owner or in another carrier altogether!
Fixed+Rotary (aircraft, not washing lines)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Peak District, Yorkshire, UK
Age: 56
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I read this thread with dismay, but can identify with what some of the other PAX are saying.
I've been a very regular domestic and international PAX for years now. Originally BM were the bees knees. Joining the Star Alliance was a great move. Then, for business reason I got to fly very regularly with BA MAN<->LHR due to the schedule, but always reverted to what was by now BMI when taking other routes.
Recently though my perception of BMI has dropped considerably. BA is BA is BA. You know where you stand and what you are getting. I also understood where BMIBaby fitted in the scheme of things. But now the service is unrecognisable from a couple of years ago - am I flying with a LoCo or a Premium airline? What lounge access / loyalty will this ticket grant me? Can I use my FF card for access here or not (based on the combination of this ticket or class of service?) Do I get a drink / snack included or do I pay? Is there hot food available or not?
As stated previously - this might all be fine for those looking for the £19.99 return fares at 1000hrs or 1500hrs but for business PAX we want consistency and reliability and a level of service. Some might say that it is madness to pay 'premium' rates, but when you spend more time in airports and on flights in a couple of days than most PAX spend in a year you (and your business) want to have a reliable level of decent service.
And perception *is* reality. The previous post about what is BMI? (Loco / Premium, Boeing / Airbus / Embrear, Long Haul / Short Haul / Regional, Baby / Grown up etc.) is very very telling. Regardless of a later explanation the fact is that it is now confusing to exactly what BMI is and what it wants to be. As a loyal and regular PAX I am getting very tempted to switch to BA because I know what it is, what it does, where it happens and what I get. And in simple terms that makes my life easier.
I've been a very regular domestic and international PAX for years now. Originally BM were the bees knees. Joining the Star Alliance was a great move. Then, for business reason I got to fly very regularly with BA MAN<->LHR due to the schedule, but always reverted to what was by now BMI when taking other routes.
Recently though my perception of BMI has dropped considerably. BA is BA is BA. You know where you stand and what you are getting. I also understood where BMIBaby fitted in the scheme of things. But now the service is unrecognisable from a couple of years ago - am I flying with a LoCo or a Premium airline? What lounge access / loyalty will this ticket grant me? Can I use my FF card for access here or not (based on the combination of this ticket or class of service?) Do I get a drink / snack included or do I pay? Is there hot food available or not?
As stated previously - this might all be fine for those looking for the £19.99 return fares at 1000hrs or 1500hrs but for business PAX we want consistency and reliability and a level of service. Some might say that it is madness to pay 'premium' rates, but when you spend more time in airports and on flights in a couple of days than most PAX spend in a year you (and your business) want to have a reliable level of decent service.
And perception *is* reality. The previous post about what is BMI? (Loco / Premium, Boeing / Airbus / Embrear, Long Haul / Short Haul / Regional, Baby / Grown up etc.) is very very telling. Regardless of a later explanation the fact is that it is now confusing to exactly what BMI is and what it wants to be. As a loyal and regular PAX I am getting very tempted to switch to BA because I know what it is, what it does, where it happens and what I get. And in simple terms that makes my life easier.
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai...ixcitytop.html
Count Von Altibar.. situation may not be brilliant but please bit of thought before you post... people's jobs and livelyhood you are talking about
Count Von Altibar.. situation may not be brilliant but please bit of thought before you post... people's jobs and livelyhood you are talking about
Last edited by teifiboy; 9th Mar 2006 at 11:42.
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: England.
Posts: 440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The sooner this place is wound up/bought out/sold, the sooner we can all get on with our lives in a more stable environment with a new owner or in another carrier altogether!
And don't expect seniority to protect you. In fact, the expensive employees could be first for the chop.
As for teifiboy's link, what an appalling system, when Heathrow is strangled because one inefficient operator "owns" a big slice of the rights to use it! Time to wipe the slot allocation diary clean (and I include BA's interests) and start again.
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 229
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
what an appalling system, when Heathrow is strangled because one inefficient operator "owns" a big slice of the rights to use it!
Anne
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 1,114
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here are my recent experiences of BMI for what its worth:-
- hit and miss whether the self service check in machine pulls up your reservation even when you have the correct card that you paid with! So you go queue behind 10 people for the 1 man that has a terminal at the side in the check in area at LHR. Whatever you do don't attempt to try and get to the check in desk as that is only for people that are checking in bags....which brings me to...
- fast drop of bags? It doesn't exist with BMI. Go check what BA does for a clue as to how it is done!
- don't use the new facility of printing out boarding cards and expect to hand it to security at Dublin and go through with no hassle. I found out later that I should have read the fine print buried on the flybmi website to avail myself of that fact that this is not yet available at Dublin. Question has to be asked why did the little button show up when I checked in online to print my boarding card if I can't use it! Come on this is a basic IT solution and is pure amateurism.
- the self service check in rollout has been amaterish. A few months ago on a tiny fare you could select a seat. Now you can't. The message from BMI to the punter is you are 2nd class to us and should feel lucky flying with us. Wrong wrong wrong message to send out. Come on its basic 101 marketing folks.
Now what I would do if I was in charge of BMI
- offer through checking of bags on the premise that we have a limited range of long haul options for our pax so it is surely better to at least grab some point to point traffic and help punters on their way in the hope that they use us again on our domestic routes or on the few long haul routes we offer
- give people a coffee - it only costs 10p! Charge for booze and the like if you really want to as people will be prepared to pay for it.
- why treat economy pax as 2nd class citizens by preventing anyone with a tiny fare from selecting their seat. Why not do what BA does and allow BA card holders online check in a few days before the regular punter?
- write to all of your loyalty card holders admitting you got things wrong and entice them back whilst detailing how you are going to turn things around. Make them feel that they are valued.
- hit and miss whether the self service check in machine pulls up your reservation even when you have the correct card that you paid with! So you go queue behind 10 people for the 1 man that has a terminal at the side in the check in area at LHR. Whatever you do don't attempt to try and get to the check in desk as that is only for people that are checking in bags....which brings me to...
- fast drop of bags? It doesn't exist with BMI. Go check what BA does for a clue as to how it is done!
- don't use the new facility of printing out boarding cards and expect to hand it to security at Dublin and go through with no hassle. I found out later that I should have read the fine print buried on the flybmi website to avail myself of that fact that this is not yet available at Dublin. Question has to be asked why did the little button show up when I checked in online to print my boarding card if I can't use it! Come on this is a basic IT solution and is pure amateurism.
- the self service check in rollout has been amaterish. A few months ago on a tiny fare you could select a seat. Now you can't. The message from BMI to the punter is you are 2nd class to us and should feel lucky flying with us. Wrong wrong wrong message to send out. Come on its basic 101 marketing folks.
Now what I would do if I was in charge of BMI
- offer through checking of bags on the premise that we have a limited range of long haul options for our pax so it is surely better to at least grab some point to point traffic and help punters on their way in the hope that they use us again on our domestic routes or on the few long haul routes we offer
- give people a coffee - it only costs 10p! Charge for booze and the like if you really want to as people will be prepared to pay for it.
- why treat economy pax as 2nd class citizens by preventing anyone with a tiny fare from selecting their seat. Why not do what BA does and allow BA card holders online check in a few days before the regular punter?
- write to all of your loyalty card holders admitting you got things wrong and entice them back whilst detailing how you are going to turn things around. Make them feel that they are valued.
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Interesting suggestions.
I feel that if you are to compete with a more established, larger rival in any industry, you somehow have to gain the customers confidence, and the best way of doing this is to provide a product that is a little bit different, one that stands out. Otherwise you haven't got a chance.
When British Midland started competing head to head with its more illustious rival BA in the 80s and 90s out of Heathrow, it did so using a innovative product that stood out.
Unfortunately, bmi has been forced down a path that has taken away this uniqueness and the public perception of the product has taken a real bashing if the passenger figures are to be believed. Now it seems there is no reason not to fly with BA because bmi dont offer anything special, anything different.
In order to win back the confidence of the masses, an innovative approach is going to have to be found. Is it the New Business Model in the long run?
I feel that if you are to compete with a more established, larger rival in any industry, you somehow have to gain the customers confidence, and the best way of doing this is to provide a product that is a little bit different, one that stands out. Otherwise you haven't got a chance.
When British Midland started competing head to head with its more illustious rival BA in the 80s and 90s out of Heathrow, it did so using a innovative product that stood out.
Unfortunately, bmi has been forced down a path that has taken away this uniqueness and the public perception of the product has taken a real bashing if the passenger figures are to be believed. Now it seems there is no reason not to fly with BA because bmi dont offer anything special, anything different.
In order to win back the confidence of the masses, an innovative approach is going to have to be found. Is it the New Business Model in the long run?
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: West Drayton
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well said. I speak as an ex bmi crew member of 8 years and a bmi gold card holder now which BTW will be back to a basic blue in May due to the fact that i have given up with bmi. Infact yesterday i bought a BA ticket to GLA, the 1st time i have flown with BA on a route which they share with bmi. When i joined "British Midland" in 1996 they had just started calling themselves the Airline for Europe and at that time they were with new routes coming on line every timetable change...WAW, BUD, FCO, BCN etc. Then the name change to bmi and for me the death of a once great airline. I left in August 2004 but keep in touch with many people still flying from LHR. I couldn't beleive moral could get lower but it has. What would i change if i could, well bring back a business cabin on ALL flights. I remember the curtain had to be behind row 3 for business when i was there...why? At SAS we can have the curtain behind row 1 if business is that quiet thus we don't need to upgrade as many pax when Y is full. I remember we flew LHR-PMI-LHR last June a few weeks before business was scrapped at bmi. The flight was full and the curtain was behind row 8. So that was 40 business seats all full with fare paying pax. Angie in PMI told me that most of the business pax's on our flight were regulars. If wonder if they still fly bmi?
bmi do do a lot of things right. It's by far the easiest way to get a Star Alliance gold card at just 38,000 miles compared to 50,000 with most other partners. Their business class product on longhaul is fantastic. I flew first class with Lufthansa last month to India and bmi back. bmi was far better that LH, but hell they have made some mighty cock up's over the past 18 months. So come on Nigel bring back BUSINESS on all domestic and European flights. Maybe free tea/coffee and juice in Y and pay for the rest. Otherwise you could be loosing more than just your passengers!
bmi do do a lot of things right. It's by far the easiest way to get a Star Alliance gold card at just 38,000 miles compared to 50,000 with most other partners. Their business class product on longhaul is fantastic. I flew first class with Lufthansa last month to India and bmi back. bmi was far better that LH, but hell they have made some mighty cock up's over the past 18 months. So come on Nigel bring back BUSINESS on all domestic and European flights. Maybe free tea/coffee and juice in Y and pay for the rest. Otherwise you could be loosing more than just your passengers!
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 1,114
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In order to win back the confidence of the masses, an innovative approach is going to have to be found. Is it the New Business Model in the long run?
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: derby
Posts: 113
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"Recently though my perception of BMI has dropped considerably. BA is BA is BA. You know where you stand and what you are getting. I also understood where BMIBaby fitted in the scheme of things. But now the service is unrecognisable from a couple of years ago - am I flying with a LoCo or a Premium airline? What lounge access / loyalty will this ticket grant me? Can I use my FF card for access here or not (based on the combination of this ticket or class of service?) Do I get a drink / snack included or do I pay? Is there hot food available or not?"
fao my data,
if you fly bmi on business does your secretary book it??
if so then i suggest you speak to your secretary as she is not informing you of what you are allowed with your ticket.
if you book the seat yourself then i suggest when you select the fare, you click where it says "more info about xxxxx fare" - this will tell you what you get, all of the above mentioned and MORE!! its not that hard, really it isnt.
now if you dont book online then it may well be confusing explaining everything over the phone, however, it has been proven most bookings are made online.
why people are confused is beyond me, yes bmi have changed, everyone on here is aware of that, but please dont complain when you say you dont know what you are getting because it is in black and white (actually colour) when you make your booking!
regards
bmibabyfc
fao my data,
if you fly bmi on business does your secretary book it??
if so then i suggest you speak to your secretary as she is not informing you of what you are allowed with your ticket.
if you book the seat yourself then i suggest when you select the fare, you click where it says "more info about xxxxx fare" - this will tell you what you get, all of the above mentioned and MORE!! its not that hard, really it isnt.
now if you dont book online then it may well be confusing explaining everything over the phone, however, it has been proven most bookings are made online.
why people are confused is beyond me, yes bmi have changed, everyone on here is aware of that, but please dont complain when you say you dont know what you are getting because it is in black and white (actually colour) when you make your booking!
regards
bmibabyfc
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
bmibabyfc
You have only reinforced the point of many of the posters above about why we are leaving bmi.
We shouldn't have to read multiple pages and click on extra buttons or get our secretaries to explain it all to work out what option of fare/loyalty card gets what level of service. With bmi this is the case.
With other airlines i.e.BA, you know what you get when you book, be it economy, business (club) or first.
No guessing, no working it out, just knowing.
One of the most basic management techniques is KISS
Keep It Simple Stupid
bmi have tried to be too clever and have sadly turned an excellent product into a shambles.
To quote another management mantra...
"It can take years to build a reputation, but only seconds to destroy it."
Why would I return to bmi as a "loyal customer" when my new preferred airline doesn't do anything wrong. bmi would now have to offer something special to entice many ex-passengers back from airlines that are "doing it right". And if you do change, what is the guarantee that everything will stay "new and improved". The management team have already proved once that they can take a succesful business model and chop it up.
Regards,
Shuttlebus
You have only reinforced the point of many of the posters above about why we are leaving bmi.
We shouldn't have to read multiple pages and click on extra buttons or get our secretaries to explain it all to work out what option of fare/loyalty card gets what level of service. With bmi this is the case.
With other airlines i.e.BA, you know what you get when you book, be it economy, business (club) or first.
No guessing, no working it out, just knowing.
One of the most basic management techniques is KISS
Keep It Simple Stupid
bmi have tried to be too clever and have sadly turned an excellent product into a shambles.
To quote another management mantra...
"It can take years to build a reputation, but only seconds to destroy it."
Why would I return to bmi as a "loyal customer" when my new preferred airline doesn't do anything wrong. bmi would now have to offer something special to entice many ex-passengers back from airlines that are "doing it right". And if you do change, what is the guarantee that everything will stay "new and improved". The management team have already proved once that they can take a succesful business model and chop it up.
Regards,
Shuttlebus
Last edited by Evileyes; 10th Mar 2006 at 21:53.