Surely BMIr know the traffic numbers on the route and must have a good idea if they can make it work or not ?

If it was making money Why would SN let it go... fir BMI it might be The best way to controle damage this way..

Brussels Airlines are ending their lease contract with bmi Regional (they did the same with Flybe earlier this year). All thin routes are to be operated by Cityjet's SJ100, which has twice the capacity of an ERJ145. The only viable option was to scrap the route and codeshare with BM, unless they wanted to operate the route at a loss using the SJ100. SN have done the same with Nuremberg, which was also an SN destination operated by BM. It is also worth noting that both NCL and EMA are already operated by BM, with SN codesharing on the flights.

Not sure where you get your info from A320.B744 but you appear to be talking out of your backside. You will no doubt notice that next summer the route is still operating under an SN flight number with a BM codeshare..wonder why that would be?

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/n...irlines-routes

bmi Regional assumes selected brussels airlines service in W17 :: Routesonline

BRS and NUE will no longer be operated on behalf of SN, but will join EMA and NCL to be operated with an SN codeshare.

Winter 17/18 season
SN2639/40 HAJ - ERJ145
SN2633/34 HAJ - ERJ145
SN3195/36 TRN - ERJ145

Contract ended?

Exactly Chidken...A320...I think you've read the two articles and made your own conclusion. In this case 2+2=5. It's a one season arrangement that suits both sides.

I sometimes use BRS-BRU for work and always feel somewhat "mugged" given the prices on the route, even though work pays (in fact last time I carried on up to LHR and flew with BA for less than a quarter of the cost), so I've always imagined that they were raking it in on that route unless I was one of the only point to point passengers/muggins.

"Operating Airline"

bmi is already the operating airline for EMA-BRU and NCL-BRU.

Currently the operating airline for BRS-BRU is SN Brussels, but they wetlease a bmi aircraft to operate it. From the 29OCT, bmi will become the operating airline for BRS-BRU.

bmi and SN already have a mutual codesharing agreement, ex-UK. That means the current BRS-BRU route has a bmi codeshare. As of 29OCT that will become an SN codeshare. It'll be the same aircraft and crew, but working for bmi, not SN.

As the "operating airline" (bmi) is not a member of Star Alliance, then Star Alliance benefits (like earning/redeeming miles, lounge access, through tagged bags, fast lane security, additional bags for status customers) will end.

Another side effect of bmi becoming operating airline for BRS-BRU, is that although the SN-BM codeshare arrangement will continue, the SN-LH codeshare arrangement will end, so unless BM re-instate that codeshare with LH directly, it will no longer be possible to book BRS-BRU as part of a LH itinerary. (The BRS-FRA/MUC flights will continue to be BM operated with LH codeshares).

For me, as a Star Alliance Frequent Flier, and a Lufthansa flyer, the change of operating airline from SN Brussels to bmi is going to be quite a negative change for BRS.

BMI Regional BHX
 

BM flights from BHX to NUE are no longer available to book from 04DEC17. Does anyone know if BM are planning to replace NUE with a new destination?.

Loadfactor wasn't that good, average of 19 PAX per flight.

BHX-NUE seemed to be targeted at the automotive industry - probably JLR and their suppliers. It seemed like one of those long shot routes that could have been super profitable even on 20pax per day. When it started to appear on bmi's 'super offers', I felt it was a sign that it wasn't working out.

As long as bmi are smart to make them low commitment routes and get out of them before they go horribly red, it's probably as a reasonable strategy to give them a go. You're certainly not going to win going up against EZY/FR in a price war for bucket-n-spade or mainstream commuter traffic.

It seems that the mysterious transfer of operating airline of BRS-BRU from SN to BM on 29OCT becomes even more mysterious. It's switching back to being SN operated, using BM aircraft, from 25MAR18.

So, what on earth gives here? It seems a tremendous upheaval to switch operating airline for the W17 timetable, only to switch it back at S18. Bear in mind, same aircraft, same crew, same timetable.

The only possible reason I can find is that it looks like (some) aircraft are working BRS-BRU-EMA-BRU-BRS - and I've worked that out because today's EMA-BRU is delayed with the knock-on that BRU-BRS is delayed.

But as someone who booked a BRS-BRU-BRS flight using the LH codeshare (which fell off when it got swapped to BM, and caused me massive headaches trying to get it reticketed - and now I can't get lounge access at BRU as a Star Gold, because the operating airline is BM), it's a tremendous disruption.

Addition to last post.

It seems the last couple of days, instead of working BRS-BRU-BRS, the BRS aircraft has been working BRS-BRU-EMA-BRU-BRS, both morning and evening. The BRU-EMA-BRU-BRS sectors have been delayed by around 2 - 2.5 hours. This seems to suggest that BM are an aircraft down, and just managing to sneak everyone in under the 3 hours time limit.

I had the misfortune to experience working for BMI Regional in their 'Business Air' days and operating on a shoestring schedule is the one thing that I remember them for.

Commercial reasons to do with the lease agreement.

I don't think not being able to put your feet up in a lounge can be classed as "tremendous disruption", more a minor inconvenience. Re-ticketing shouldn't have been a huge issue for LH to sort either.

Harry Wayfarers..a long, long time ago and many owners ago....different company and owners now...I worked for BA many years ago when they actually gave a monkeys about their staff! Unfortunately I also witnessed the start of the demise under Ayling. How things have changed.....

A tin pot outfit in ABZ is hardly a 'BA' and a while back reading on the web some same managers are still in situ up there thus the village shop mentality shall remain, that's the only airline they've ever worked for, they don't know how do do it any differently.

You'd think so, wouldn't you. But no, it was a major undertaking involving UA, SN, LH and BM. If you use BM as part of a complex intercontinental itin, it's not simple.

On the subject of lounge access, the lounge staff at BRU were fairly weary of explaining to Star Gold members why they could no longer access the lounge, despite nothing apparently changing to the flight except the flight number changing. Maybe some communication to passengers (or even BMs own call centre staff) would have helped that.

Then there's the problem of Star Alliance redemptions (or earning) suddenly disappearing. And the LH codeshare numbers falling off the route, so it couldn't be rebooked on tickets valid only for LH but not SN or BM.

I think if you feel that switching the operating airline has a trivial effect, you probably are under estimating it.

Possibly would look at BHX-LDY-BHX. This would make economic sense considering multiple positioning flights happen a month between the Mainland and Northern Ireland. Ryanair previously operated the route with great success but felt they needed to pivot the growth elsewhere. There is also plenty of local demand here in Londonderry and it is well known within the local community.