BMI REGIONAL-2
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Bristol
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: The Nether Region
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Indeed, it must've really worked out for them. I think what we need is BMI to offer a business class only configuration. The flight could stop off at Birmingham to pick up passengers.
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Europe
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Bristol City Centre - Manchester City Centre is 2h59m on the train, every hour on the hour. How on earth can a 50 seater jet be competitive on such a route, particularly given the time it takes to get to/from BRS from Bristol city centre and to navigate MAN?
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Bristol
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You're right virginblue but...
XC are charging more than £170 (£370 in First) return at peak time, which now extends over quite a swathe of daytime departures through Birmingham. Their WiFi is utterly useless, and there's zero mobile phone signal, meaning it's three entirely dead hours. And those Voyagers are cramped, crowded and a bit unpleasant.
So, I can see *some* limited circumstances where it might make sense to run a South-West - North-West route again, but I wouldn't make it the core of the route, and probably only if it was sensible to hub passengers through BRS (as Air SouthWest used to do coming up from PLH).
XC are charging more than £170 (£370 in First) return at peak time, which now extends over quite a swathe of daytime departures through Birmingham. Their WiFi is utterly useless, and there's zero mobile phone signal, meaning it's three entirely dead hours. And those Voyagers are cramped, crowded and a bit unpleasant.
So, I can see *some* limited circumstances where it might make sense to run a South-West - North-West route again, but I wouldn't make it the core of the route, and probably only if it was sensible to hub passengers through BRS (as Air SouthWest used to do coming up from PLH).
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SOUTH WEST
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Virginblue,
Yes i would agree but have you done the Bristol City center to Manchester City center on a train? or driven/used coach service with the delays on the motoways and both cities center congestion, as with the ASW Route it was well used by the financial and business comunity who would pay a premium rate for the convenience.
With spare a/c sitting on the ground at Bristol it could generate additional revenue (even if it were just once a day within business hours) for the airline and especially as Cornishman said if Bristol was used as a hub with Newquay or Plymouth if they reopen as rumoured, i used this route on numerous occasions and found it excellent.
I know it's contracted but BMIR do run the Bristol - Hawarden service for Bae
Yes i would agree but have you done the Bristol City center to Manchester City center on a train? or driven/used coach service with the delays on the motoways and both cities center congestion, as with the ASW Route it was well used by the financial and business comunity who would pay a premium rate for the convenience.
With spare a/c sitting on the ground at Bristol it could generate additional revenue (even if it were just once a day within business hours) for the airline and especially as Cornishman said if Bristol was used as a hub with Newquay or Plymouth if they reopen as rumoured, i used this route on numerous occasions and found it excellent.
I know it's contracted but BMIR do run the Bristol - Hawarden service for Bae
Join Date: Mar 2003
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If I remember correctly, SZ built the route on bringing in passengers from NQY and PLH and mini-hub at BRS (in addition to MAN it was LBA??). So I guess most passengers were from PLH and NQY and BRS allowed to swap passengers and add a few local passengers. Plus this was on a turboprop with different economics than a 50 seater jet.
Brunel to Concorde
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Virtute et Industria, et Sumorsaete Ealle
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Your memory is sound, virginblue.
Air Southwest did fly from PLH and NQY to BRS where, several times a day, the aircraft would be usually parked next to each other to enable transfers to/from MAN and LBA the final destinations of the aircraft.
The BRS to MAN and LBA sectors were quite popular according to CAA stats with around 30,000 (36,000 one year) travelling between BRS and both MAN and LBA in 2007 and 2008. 2009 saw a decline in passenger numbers which carried on over the next two years after which the routes were discontinued (and PLH was closed anyway).
The recession probably played some part but the change of franchise from Virgin Cross Country to Arriva Cross Country trains on the South West/Midlands/North/Scotland route at the end of 2007 also probably had an influence, especially to Manchester.
With Virgin it was usually necessary to change trains on the Bristol-Manchester route. With the introduction of hourly direct trains between Bristol and Manchester with a journey time (as you pointed out) of around three hours the train became more attractive
Bristol-Leeds also has an hourly direct train service with a journey time of a fraction over three and a half hours.
Whilst accepting that there are some who would welcome the reinstatement of an air link - some members have recently pointed out the less than perfect train service - I really have considerable doubts that there would be enough takers to make an air route viable which seems to be the view of bmi regional.
Air Southwest did fly from PLH and NQY to BRS where, several times a day, the aircraft would be usually parked next to each other to enable transfers to/from MAN and LBA the final destinations of the aircraft.
The BRS to MAN and LBA sectors were quite popular according to CAA stats with around 30,000 (36,000 one year) travelling between BRS and both MAN and LBA in 2007 and 2008. 2009 saw a decline in passenger numbers which carried on over the next two years after which the routes were discontinued (and PLH was closed anyway).
The recession probably played some part but the change of franchise from Virgin Cross Country to Arriva Cross Country trains on the South West/Midlands/North/Scotland route at the end of 2007 also probably had an influence, especially to Manchester.
With Virgin it was usually necessary to change trains on the Bristol-Manchester route. With the introduction of hourly direct trains between Bristol and Manchester with a journey time (as you pointed out) of around three hours the train became more attractive
Bristol-Leeds also has an hourly direct train service with a journey time of a fraction over three and a half hours.
Whilst accepting that there are some who would welcome the reinstatement of an air link - some members have recently pointed out the less than perfect train service - I really have considerable doubts that there would be enough takers to make an air route viable which seems to be the view of bmi regional.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: UK
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BM will begin operating BRU to BRE on behalf of SN from 14th September.
SN2596 BRE 19:00 BRU 20:10 ER4 x67
SN2597 BRU 21:00 BRE 22:10 ER4 x67
bmi regional to operate Brussels-Bremen flights - ch-aviation.com
I am guessing the flights will be operated by the aircraft coming in from TLS. If that is the case then I think either the TLS-BRE sector will need to be retimed to arrive earlier in BRE or the SN flight will need retiming to depart later as there is currently only a 15 minute turnaround time in BRE.
BM already operate 3 x daily flights to BRU from BRS and some additional flights to HAM and SXB on behalf of SN
SN2596 BRE 19:00 BRU 20:10 ER4 x67
SN2597 BRU 21:00 BRE 22:10 ER4 x67
bmi regional to operate Brussels-Bremen flights - ch-aviation.com
I am guessing the flights will be operated by the aircraft coming in from TLS. If that is the case then I think either the TLS-BRE sector will need to be retimed to arrive earlier in BRE or the SN flight will need retiming to depart later as there is currently only a 15 minute turnaround time in BRE.
BM already operate 3 x daily flights to BRU from BRS and some additional flights to HAM and SXB on behalf of SN
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Bristol
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bmi regional & loganair
As reported here (http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Article.aspx?cat=news&id=56132) bmi and loganair are now controlled by the same parent company - Airline Investments Limited. The Bonds remain investors in AIL.
Let the speculation commence.
Let the speculation commence.
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Soon to be out of the EU.
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Hmmmm random. I can't see much in the way of synergies. Feeding ABZ from the islands but to a very limited range of destinations? Getting rid of one of the brands? Or perhaps just continuing as is? Who knows.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: UK
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Just noticed that BM have a new look website. Designed by the digital marketing agency ebow.
The migration of the online checkin system however seems not to have gone to plan
http://www.bmiregional.com/press-rel...s-this-weekend
The migration of the online checkin system however seems not to have gone to plan
http://www.bmiregional.com/press-rel...s-this-weekend
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: scotland
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Looking at the reports, BMI and Loganair are going to continue to operate independently, however I can still see BMI being merged into Loganair in the next few years. BMI in the past few years seems to struggle with its business model, hopefully going forward this will be good for them.
