BMI baby in major Birmingham expansion
 

BBC have said that BMI Baby will launch 20 new routes out of Birmingham

Hi All


Well good news for BHX people, but i am a little lost here ? with BMIbaby having a base 40 mins away, which is also quite large, how can they compete with each other?
At EMA quite a few pax are from BHX area? will bmibaby harm there EMA base by doing this ?
Or is the plan to move to BHX all together ?


Take care all

Mike

Mike

This is expansion they have announced. No one has made any comments to effect NEMA. Its still Baby's main base.

Obviously the men with the big picture believe both can run without detriment to each other.

Any ideas about possible cities? Would baby have a better go at places Lite have abandoned - BFS, AMS, GVA and CDG? All except CDG have no more than one airline in competition from BHX.

20 new routes would surely make them the largest carrier at BHX overnight? They must have been given a good deal on handling fees, but even so with TOM just down the road aswell, and Flybe & Lite already well established, this all sounds like saturation to me, unless they vacate NEMA, which doesn't seem to be the plan.

With no new aircraft ordered we can expect a similar loss from other bases - most probably EMA.

Considering that WW was a defensive reaction to EZY's arrival at EMA where does this leave their reason for existing?

Copenhagen

Management have been saying for months that fleet expansion is planned. Won't ordrer new A/c I doubt but will probably lease some as has been discussed on other forums.

Any WW shrinkage at EMA will be due to FR and EZY expansion. I think the biggest threat is to MyLite at BHX.

Sounds like a head-on price war looming in the midlands

Any idea of destinations or frequencies yet?

egnxema
that only works if we get the extra EZY/FR traffic-still waiting for extra Easy, unless you know something?
(might be more info about the terminal extension soon too)

Doubt Lite will be up for a price war - however their targetting the spanish routes more. Maybe they can happily co-exist?

Wizzy - I feel that baby will virtually mirror the existing MyLite schedules to Spain. Spain has been the consistant feature for both airlines.

It is rumoured in another forum that bmi mainline will be taking over certain baby routes at MAN and the routes transfered to BHX.

I guess next week all will be revealed.

bmibaby @BHX
 

:O Oh dear Mike you really have it in for bmb don't you. What is the matter are you a 'little boy' threratened. Baby is growing they have a good product and isn't it nice to hear of NEW JOB not CUTS in our business!!!!!!!!!!!

karnak

Have they ordered some new aircraft or are they just shuffling the pack? I haven't seen any announcements.

I fly for baby from another base and since all our flights are consantly chokka full, there is no surprise that the baby needs to grow and expand. To coin a phrase "to push/expand the boundaries of it's creche"
If there's room for baby in BHX the management would be stupid not to exploit it.
As far as I know the NEMA base will stay the same size as it is.
Good luck to all applicants as there'll be a big recruitment soon.

skyclamp

As far as I'm aware, the airline is going to have a massive reshuffle over the winter season, I've heard that the NEMA base will either remain with six based aircraft, or more will arrive, being relocated from other bases.

I've also heard this rumour that bmi mainline are to take over all Manchester flying. I think this makes sense, as bmi mainline continue to expand their longhaul flying and other Star Alliance members begin flights to MAN, it does create a hub opportunity at the airport - with connections & Star's "seamless travel opportunities".

According to the company's rumor mill, I've heard that the airline will be taking either more 737-300s (there are no plans to add any -500s or -400s which we've seen at baby in the past) or possibly making a new aircraft order. Although one Fokker 100 will definately be providing back up and/or providing some services out of LBA.

Not so sure about that.
You can book flights right through the winter from the baby website from MAN to any of their destinations.

If mainline take over all MAN ops, what will happen to the baby BFS route? - will this transfer to BHD and be operated by mainline alongside the LHR service from there?

If so, would seem to make sense with baby in turn replacing the MAN - BFS with BHX - BFS.

Ohh won't the next few months be interesting.

Here is my take on this, believeable or not!

It has been known for sometime that both BMI and Flybe have never been ones to step on each others toes and I think that is continuing under what some have labelled as a 'gentlemans agreement' between Mr Bishop and Mr French.

BMI know that the MANBHD route is more popular than BFS. It is BA's last route out of BHD and Flybe want it, knowing full well that it is very profitable!, however not at the expense of a head to head with Bmibaby. Could it be that the change of routes from BMIbaby to BMI mainline could result in Flybe gaining access to MAN. This would allow Flybe to push BA out of the BHD route and expand with services to the Channel Islands, Scotland, Southampton (already announced), Exeter, etc. I think so, and in order for Flybe to gain access to MAN, as it has wanted for some time, BMIbaby has, under a 'gentlemans agreement' been given access to BHX.

If this is anywhere near accurate then I think it unlikely that BMIbaby will operate any routes in competition with Flybe. Far more likely that BMIbaby will operate the lengthy routes that Flybe simply cannot reach with their 146's (ie) AGP/ALC/MJV/BCN/NCE.....maybe I smell a codeshare agreement coming on!

This may give Flybe some more time to review the 146 debate and would provide security for both firms against the likes of Easy and Ryanair.

Just a thought, or do i suffer from an overactive imagination!

That would be pretty unusual though, wouldn't it? A codeshare between 2 lo-cost airlines.

Your imagination, however over or under active, makes interesting reading! :ok:

Jobs

What you say might not be too far from the truth - seem to recall a statement Flybe issued to a local travel trade rag a few months ago stating that they were evaluating new routes from BHD to MAN, MME & either Norwich or Cambridge and said details would follow later.

However, developing the debate further, if baby decide to include BFS in their routes to be announced from BHX next week, surely this will bring them into a head to head situation with Flybe on their BHD - BHX which apparently is one of busiest sectors in their network.

The plot thickens eh!

I think you all could be getting ahead of yourselves a bit too much.

I don't have the inside knowledge but I do know that the current command upgrade positions are Man, Mme and I guess that Bhx is now in the running.

Of course we all know that the Virgin merger hasn't been mentioned this week!

Time will tell.

Mainline BMI traffic from MAN to ORK and other points in Ireland would be welcome for connections to BMs longhaul (say to CYYZ) since Baby doesn't transfer bags :)

bmibaby BHX
 

This does make very interesting reading - why are people threatened by this????? The routes will be out this week then what next have you heard about the transatlantic low frills flights originating in Germany with a UK stop ?????German wings + Baby?????

First lot of routes to go on sale tomorrow at 11.00am !

Ian

routes from bhx with bmibaby
 

Any idea what routes BMI BABY will run out of BHX?

Though with regards to BHD-MAN route did the Chief of BMI not also state they were looking into flying the route too?? I'm sure I read it somewhere.Did read about Norwich,Cambridge and MAN with FlyBE out of BHD too.If BMI Baby do fly BHX-BFS then that would be a kick in the plums for FlyBE with BHX-BHD.Will be interested to see the routes announced and this post certainly makes interesting reading!!:ok:


Regards

It's no secret Flybe want to dominate the domestic market and that is the top and bottom of it! Bishop and French are best of buddies and have always respected each others teritory. Flybe want a grip of Manchester and the agreement with regards to BHX allows them in. Flybe have no future with the long routes, their niche is high frequencies in the domestic market. They know they can push easy jet out without too much trouble, BA are just about gone and BMI are rubbing their hands together with glee. Flybe are close to securing LHR slots as part of BAA's reveiw over domestic operations and that will end any future competition in the domestic department. The baby and Easy will then battle the Med routes and that will just about conclude the battle of the LCC's.

So where are they going to fly to from LHR without standing on BMIs toes.

Did FlyBE not too long ago sell their slots for LHR?? Figure in the region of £5m.

Barbara Cassani, or whoever you are. I do not believe you. It is perfectly obvious that bmi see Manchester as being very important to their future. Second, there can be no agreemnet between air,ines to share or not share any markets without EU approval. If there is an agreement between bmi and flybe without EU approval it is blatantly illegal.

You'll find out the routes very soon.
Can't believe a few noses won't be put out when you do.

Just how many bums on seats can you sell to:confused:

Very soon indeed, only another 6 minutes!

BHX WW Destinations

ALC
AMS
BFS
EDI
GVA
NOC
AGP
PMI
PRG

All the normal.

Surely the NOC and BFS must indicate some swap of routes from Mylite?

e

MyTravelLite have already dropped BFS from start of winter, but no word on NOC, always been a good route for them. But can it support 2 operators with large(ish) aircraft?

Good to see competition back on AMS...

After all the fanfare the launch from BHX seems to be a bit of a damp squib - website states flights can be booked - not so.

Also timetables have not been loaded - surely they could have made sure everything was properly set up before release!

cant help feeling that there will be some serious money lost by some of the loco's this next 12 months. Every airport pretty much has one all offering much the same destinations , the yields have got to be getting lower by the day.

So who are the winners now?

ALC- Most charter ops on route already
AMS - KLM
BFS - FlyBe to BHD
EDI - BACX/FlyBe
GVA
NOC - VZ
AGP - Most charter ops
PMI - Most charter ops
PRG - CSA are doing twice daily already.

Oh well, time will tell....................

Can't imagine BFS & EDI will cause the folk at Flybe many sleepless nights! Baby proposing 2x weekdays against Flybe 7x weekdays on BFS and similar to EDI against 6x weekdays. Reportedly BHX - BHD and EDI are two of the best performing routes in Flybes' network and no doubt they will do whatever is necessary to maintain their strength on these routes.

Others have tried and failed to BFS (Maersk ok timings/high fares & My TravelLite mostly ok fares/rubbish timings). Also Baby will be competing against BACX to EDI. They will have their work cut out on these ones!