The Changing Face of BMi

[spacemaid]

Hey Guys,

I'm not sure if this has been posted here or not but here goes:

Well the cats out of the bag... The new bmi mainline strategy was announced to staff today. Main points are:

1. One class cabin on all bmi shorthaul routes with pay for food and drinks except for EDI / GLA / BHD/ BRU where separate business cabin will remain for time being with ecy going all pay food/drinks.

2. Min crew on all aircraft.

3. Review of crew terms and conditions.

3. Longhaul will be "the instrument of growth" ex LHR with one longhaul aircraft joining the fleet every year for next 3 years , all to be based at LHR.

The new business plan has cost savings of £30 million... SO basically bmi mainline is turning into a hybrid of bmi baby.... There will be a simplified 3 type fare structure... Baby for the first time will sell seats on bmi mainline.

Diamond club lounges and diamond club will stay and bmi will remain in star alliance.

The mood in LHR today was terrible, some crew were actually in tears! We will now be operating min crew with crew now required to do a " cabin Tidy" as baby crew do ,so no more cleaners! On the plus side we are getting more money but the general feeling was that if we had wanted to work for a low cost airline we would be wearing orange not Jaeger!!

Will it work? The chief exec argues that there are not enough business passengers and the ecy pax are only prepared to pay cheap fares while still receiving " full frills " as a result mainline is losing a lot of money and it simply can't go on. I think we have lost business pax because the frequencies aren't there and the mainline business product is poor compared to BA etc so instead of investing we have gone the other way....

For the future we'll be operating mostly shorthaul leisure routes ex LHR ( with exception of high frequency domestic routes) at reduced frequencies with pay for everything and longhaul with its superior product will expand ex LHR using freed up ex shorthaul slots....

All change from Aug 1st....


Found this on a.net http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/2125779/

Don't sound good in my opinion

Sam

[TE RANGI]

Is there any truth in the rumour that LH is interested in pulling out?

[JP5A]

Welcome to the real world.:O

[Gaza]

The mood in LHR today was terrible, some crew were actually in tears! We will now be operating min crew with crew now required to do a " cabin Tidy" as baby crew do ,so no more cleaners! On the plus side we are getting more money but the general feeling was that if we had wanted to work for a low cost airline we would be wearing orange not Jaeger!!

So let me get this straight: crews were unhappy about having to do a bit more work despite getting more money? :hmm: Then you say; ".........as a result mainline is losing a lot of money and it simply can't go on."

It sounds to me that bmi are putting in place a strategy that will enable them to survive and compete.

And before all the "it's the managements faults were are in this position in the first place" start, may I make a suggestion? If you can do better apply for management positions when they arise.

P.S. If we are getting all the info it would suggest that there are no redundancies in the offing. That is good. bmi crews are some of the best I have flown with.

[lexxity]

If we are getting all the info it would suggest that there are no redundancies in the offing. That is good. bmi crews are some of the best I have flown with. Not so.

This is a direct quote from the new business model

"there may be some staff reductions in areas directly affected by the changes to our product. We will be discussing this with relevant union or staff groups early next week"

Thats why the tears I would imagine.

[Gaza]

"there may be some staff reductions in areas directly affected by the changes to our product. We will be discussing this with relevant union or staff groups early next week"

That's bad news. However, lets hope there is an attractive voluntary package on offer and no one is forced out. I am almost certain there will be quite a few members of staff who have been looking to get out but have hung around hoping that something like this may come along.

[sevenforeseven]

Spacemaid when you say crews I do assume that you mean flight attendants and NOT flight crew?

[spacemaid]

i am just posting what I have found on another board, I'm nothing to do with bmi

Sam

[apaddyinuk]

Well its no different to what happened in Aer Lingus so dont worry about it! Flights will be full, Profits will but good and the staff will benefit in the long run!!!

[bmibaby.com]

Personally, I don't think this is a bad move for bmi.

By keeping our diamond club & diamond lounges, I'm sure that we won't lose as many premium passengers as we would have if we had pulled those, although I'm not completely convinced about pulling business class. Some pax from longhaul business transfer to the shorthaul product, and there are still people who will pay the full-fare economy ticket price to be able to travel in the business cabin. Business Class is always a selling point for premium passengers to fly full-fare on your airline to earn the miles, and bmi will really miss out on this market. After all, that's exactly what has happened with bmi in the Midlands, when all routes went to baby. When they did, most of the biz pax went to BA.

The economy class idea will work. We'll have a better money intake from the new bar service, and it will provide bmi with the opportunity to provide a more thorough service. Apparently the new food & drink service will be more than baby's snack/drink service, but more like "the song deli" that Delta's LCC offers in the US, with snacks/salads/light meals/healthy options/drinks/cocktails for offer. Better than a bacon sandwich & a tea any day, even if you have to shell out £5.

With regards to tidying up the cabin after each flight; it saves costs & isn't backbreaking labour. It's moving through the cabin & checking the area around each seat, which we do anyway when doing safety checks. Only extra thing is bunging an old newspaper in a binbag!

Rumours are true that LH wants to sell their shareholding. They originally bought it in the hopes of bmi being able to fly trans-atlantic & really turn themselves into a hub carrier but this really hasn't worked out.

[alterego]

Time will tell if this will work. Not sure myself. Baby is working well but mainline out of LHR is a different kettle of fish.

Those option 3 guys will show you the way.

Hope no one gets made redundant, forcibly.

[RoyHudd]

IMHO they deserve all they get from this classic piece of mis-management. Which is hardly a new thing for the company.

Butpersonally I hope they don't go under, for the sake of the many good people who work for them.

What real world are you referring to, JP5A? The real world of over-worked staff serving the interests of avaricious owners and management? (No shareholders involved with bmi)

[jamesbrownontheroad]

The new business plan has cost savings of £30 million... SO basically bmi mainline is turning into a hybrid of bmi baby.... There will be a simplified 3 type fare structure... Baby for the first time will sell seats on bmi mainline.

There's no reason this can't work, although to avoid confusion, rather than Baby selling seats on mainline, there should be a single mainline service everywhere with an expanded economy service.

Look at Air Canada - their LCC Tango began to damage AC's mainline service with its success, so the name has been retained but is now just the name of the lowest priced and most restricted ticket. The same plane carries five fare types (admittedly with two cabins): Tango, Tango Plus, Latitude, Latitude Plus, Executive.

BD could take this one step further with a single 'Y+' cabin (an inch or two more legroom than BA's Y), and shift the emphasis from the cabin to the price and flexibility of the ticket, and the access to lounges. If paying for coffee is still as issue for business class passengers, pax could produce a voucher from checkin (as BE) or their diamond club card for free drinkies and nosh.

*j*

[Maddog Red]

Sounds like the good old days of Diamond Class are back

[Global TM]

Spacemaid

'if we had wanted to work for a low cost airline we would be wearing orange not Jaeger!!"

And what makes you any different from them, perhaps your hats that go with that pathetic uniform.

Welcome to the real world darling, if you want to still have a job in a couple of years time, well BMI has to adapt to the ever-changing environment otherwise you just might find yourself working for Orange. Are you afraid of breaking one of your nails by cleaning or do you not know what cleaning is?

[HZ123]

Surely this is a positive move for an airline that for some years now has sent out mixed messages as to its aspirations. As someone said it does appear to be mimicking Lingus. For those of you interested your CEO was featured on the back page of yeaterdays 'Observer' and he seemed to have a clear route that he wished to take, to ensure jobs and a future.

[RevMan2]

OK, so they've taken Air NZ's domestic business model and tweaked it a bit to address specific route requirements.
Not sure about the onboard catering concept - doesn't make anyone happy, IME. Crew has more admin overhead, customers feel they're being ripped off.
But apart from that - more power to young Nige's elbow

[jamesbrownontheroad]

Diamond Club e-newsletter, received a few minutes ago:

As a valued member of diamond club, I wanted you to be amongst the first to hear about our new business model.

Over the last couple of days, we have announced the launch of Europe's first modular airline service, following a six-month study surveying the views of 10,000 air travellers.

From early August, this new modular approach will see us switch to a single class service with paid-for catering on board on all flights departing from Heathrow. On four core business routes - Heathrow to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast and Brussels - we will retain a separate business cabin as research showed that demand still exists for it on these routes. Our regional flights will also retain the business cabin.

We will be introducing faster e-enabled services for customers on the ground - more self check-in kiosks, along with e-enabled services giving you the ability to check-in and print boarding cards at home. Details of the launch of these products will follow over the coming months.

Most importantly, you'll be able to choose from three fare types, according to the level of service and flexibility you want with your ticket.

For the first time, true low-cost fares starting from £25 one-way will be available from Heathrow, with bmibaby's 'tiny' fares available on our flights, which will have standard low-cost terms and conditions. These new fares will be available through flybmi.com and bmibaby.com from mid June.

If you want a more flexible service bmi standard fares will be available, and where you want full flexibility and the highest levels of service, bmi premium fares will be available.

As a diamond club member you will see minor changes to the number of miles awarded on some of our lower fare types. We will communicate more specific details to you over the next few weeks.

We look forward to your continued support.

kind regards
Adeline Hampton
manager, loyalty

I'm not surprised BMI need a manager for 'loyalty' ... :-)

*j*

[Cytherea]

How ironic that one of the 4 routes that keeps the Business Class Service should be LHR-BRU - That's where all the C-Class pax are Politicians and Eurocrats paid for by us poor bl**dy taxpayers!!!
In the real world of business virtually everyone else has realised that there is no point on a short haul route paying ridiculous fares, for no better service and no benefit to the company - Long Haul is a different matter...
As has aready been said, Willie W did it at EIN and turned it round and saved the company...Lets hope that BMI do likewise

[Copenhagen]

The same can be said for Belfast - Doesnt Northern Ireland have the highest % of state paid employees in Europe? (with the probable exception of the Vatican)

[dontdoit]

Didn't Swissair do this just before they went on their arse? bmi...you are the weakest link...goodbye!

[sevenforeseven]

Spacemaid, and you say you do not work for BMI, hmmmm.

[traveller5]

Not brilliant news for those directly involved, especially if it means a significant change in conditions. Conditions for cabin and flight crews will mean max hours and min rest! BUT it's been on the cards for a while as commercial aviation really is like getting on a bus/train nowadays and airline bosses are fully aware of the market forces. This, though, is the beginning for major changes in UK shorthaul flying. On a plus side, low cost ex LHR is going to be major competition. Paying very little for a flight to Europe AND from Heathrow, why fly anyone else for the sake of "free" luke warm tea and a calorie laden muffin?

BMI may be the first, but only the naive will believe that "full service" airlines can continue make money in Europe!!

Who's next?

[HZ123]

Maximum hours minimum rest you still work considerably less hours than the ground force or for the matter many others in the EU. Surely you have to be glad that many of you have had a good run. The sooner it comes to BA as well cannot be to soon, finally remember the ground services people that were axed a few years ago I recall no sympathy from the BMI flying community then.

[concorde001]

All I can say is, BD, swallow your pride and merge with VS! These two airlines were made for each other, makes perfect sense! That way, VS gets the LHR slots it wants so badly, and BD can start US flights from LHR, albeit with VS! All we have know, is BD with an identity crisis, and VS, a brilliant airline without the tools for expansion!

[Seloco]

I'm beginning to see a huge opportunity here to establish retail outlets close to gates, selling quality packaged mealettes at a price lower than that of the airlines. These would be attractive to pax who know that, when the time comes on board, the money that they would need to pay for their coffee/croissant is in their bag out of reach in the overhead or buried deeply beneath the seat in front.

Come to think of it, why don't the airlines establish such outlets AT the gates to avoid the need for the onboard money scramble - although they would still need to clear up the mess?

Then they could also modulate the price of the meals to reflect competitive pressures, even giving them away as promotions under certain circumstances.

Come to think of it, isn't that just what BA did for its catering in its early days? Didn't last long though......what comes around, goes around!

[Maddog Red]

concorde001, to you it might make sense, why merge them both when Virgin could be just pulled into the Star Alliance, don’t forget 49% of it is owned by SIA, who are also a Star member, seems to work for the rest of the Star members or should they all merge as well, anyway for the sake of jobs and competition leave them separate.

[Young Paul]

Seloco: Most passengers who know already bring a packed lunch anyway.

And there's the story about the family on the charter flight to somewhere. They were offered meals, but the mum shook her head sheepishly, pulled out some packets of sandwiches and said, "We're self-catering." (Bless)

[CarltonBrowne the FO]

Maddog, it makes sense specifically because of the LHR slots and transatlantic rights issue. Then there is the fact that very few (none that I can think of, but I stand ready to be corrected) of the international alliances include two member airlines from the same country. The possible exception might be within the US, where the sheer size of the internal market may make this possible.
As for anyway for the sake of jobs and competition leave them separate bmi and Virgin don't have any current routes where they are in competition!

[Anti Skid On]

Didn't Swissair do this just before they went on their arse? bmi...you are the weakest link...goodbye!

As has been pointed out earlier this is exactly what Air NZ did on their domestice (where they had less competition than BMI) and it saved them rather than destrpying them.

Swissair had incredibly high running costs and a more complex route structure that led to their downfall.

On the subject of STAR - US Airways - they are part of it, does that mean America West becomes part, and also US code shared with United (and presumably linked in with BMI long haul at IAD) - if that is the case with America West AND Virgin it would be vast.

[SLF3]

I've got a really good idea. We are losing passengers to low cost airlines but our cost base is higher than theirs. So why don't we reduce our service to their level, but still charge more because our cost base is higher.........

I've got another good idea. Our cost base is higher than the low cost guys and we are losing passengers because our service is just as crappy as theirs. So why don't we justify the extra money by offering a premium service. You know, sensible seat spacing, decent food, fast check in, give them bigger carry ons by throwing the crew bags out of the cabin and having a one row luggage locker. Of course, we still need to cut our costs, but I bet the passengers would pay more for a service like that.......

I'm fast running out of airlines to fly with, and I don't think I'm alone.

[RevMan2]

What's now swimming to the surface is the service level differentiation and the concept that bmi's been "over delivering" (So sez young Nige) - buy the cheapest fare and the first human interaction with bmi you'll have is when you board the aircraft. You HAVE to book via the internet, you HAVE to use a check-in kiosk.
That's where the savings are.
And as for self-catering - I always pack a lunch,even if I'm on a firm Business ticket on longhaul. (How often do you get downgraded to Economy and end up weak with starvation by the time you get to LAX. Mind you, it's a hard call if you get a First upgrade - bacon sandwich or caviar....!)

[Halfwayback]

CarltonBrowne

quote

bmi and Virgin don't have any current routes where they are in competition!


Mumbai?

HWB

[MAVERICK 1]

I think there is more to this than meets the eye!

I dont think this is just about making sure that shorthaul bmi will survive i think this is the start of trying to get rid of 85% of it!!!

If you look at what they are doing they are going all out to make the biggest profits of their time. Bmi is an airline that has never been interested in showing big profits and probably rightly so as its a private company, yet now they are broadcasting they want to save 30 million ontop of 2.1 millon profit!

This sounds to me that they are trying to get out the shorthaul market bar a few trunk feeders and go entirely longhaul where they are making a relatively hefty profits. That 30 million sure will come in handy in starting new routes!

Maybe, and this is just specualtion it has something to do with Riyadh and getting some help form the government in promising new routes? Big gamble considering they got stung before though!

However that would also explain 2 new 330s this year and at least one new widebodied airbus a year for the next 3!

Who knows maybe bmi finally got some direction! ;)

[CrewChick]

I think the business ethos behind the changes is fantastic.

Th management team have seen specific areas of improvement in taking the company forward so that we can expand our LH routes from LHR.

I can't wait to be part of the changes, even if some of the other employees aren't too happy about it.

Something needed to change and this is a brilliant way forward.

[Flying Mech]

BMI have joined the race to the bottom of the barrel. They are rowing in behind Aer Lingus and EZY in the idea opf trying to be a FR Clone.By the time they get to the bottom of the barrel they will come to realize that thir is no money in flying Pax around for £20 as every other operator will be trying to undercut them and each other.

[MAVERICK 1]

'Flying Mech'

I think you will find bmi jumped on the loco bandwagon 2.5 years ago with their low cost airline bmi baby!

The changes to bmi that they are making are not entirely in line with lo cost in fact the only thing they have in common is pay for food and a few seats will be allocated at baby fares!

The fact is that they willl have business class lounges, normal turnarounds, proper cleaning on every other flight, layovers, business class on some routes and relatively (compared to lcc) non cramped normal pitch seating which is allocated and with the option to check in at home on line. They also have frequent traveller programmes and is a member of star alliance etc etc makes it slightly different from all other low costs and as far as ryanair they are not even close to the same league and work completely different markets! :p

I say good luck to them. I am sure with Willy Wonker taking over BA it wont be long before they start implementing similar ideas (as stated in the BA hater mail on the 12 May) and if anyone has the ability to under cut ez, fr and other low costs its them!

I must confess if that does happen it will be a sad day to see normal frills shorthaul travel dissapear! :(

[CrewChick]

Well said Maverick!!!

[ManAtTheBack]

Seems to me that bmi are trying to replicate the Debonair model with congested airports and some business class. Where are they now?

[Young Paul]

Indeed. More to the point, where were they to start with? Luton. Where were the longhaul connecting interlining passengers? Alliances? Heathrow.

[MAVERICK 1]

'ManAtTheBack'

I could be wrong on this so feel free to correct me! I dont recall debonair having any of the following?:

Longhaul, a seperate low cost company, a regional company and membership of the Star Alliance which supplies steady interline pax!

bmi does and is, and they are all very successful!

Oh and dont believe debonair was around for 67 years!

They are just coming into line with the rest of the uk and trying to make the other 1/4 of the airline profitable again i wish them luck and think people should let them get on with it!





:D

[bmibaby.com]

bmi will do well with this new business philosophy because they're going to start off with a relatively strong following of diamond club carriers that will continue to fly with the airline to earn miles. Most pax stay with one airline so they can make leisure trips or upgrade to business, and whilst I am sceptical of no more business class, I think a lot of the moves that are being made are long overdue.

It is now incredibly commonplace in the US "major" airlines for them to sell food in a product petnicknamed by crews at our Star Alliance partner United as BOB (Buy-On-Board). What United found, is that passengers would rather have is the choice to buy something of good quality & that they like, rather than being given a meal of poor quality, quantity & no choice! I have heard that we are to introduce a mixture of; cold meals, sandwiches, salads & snacks for purchase as well as soft drinks, tea/coffee & a full bar service (beer, wine & cocktails) on all flights. On breakfast flights & flights over two hours the rumour is hot food will be available too.

I think it would be better to establish the bmi brand nationwide. I like the little bmibirdies that bmi have been using in a couple of their ads. Like "tiny", they have a certain charm to them, and I think they would be excellent spokesanimals for the airline!

However, the question of should baby grow up & be merged back into mainline/regional is a tuffy!!! Like Tango at Air Canada & Ted at United, bmibaby is seen as a low-cost airline, and is as such the first port of call for many people who are looking for a cheap getaway. Perhaps, like Tango, it should just become a brand rather than an airline, a booking agent or ticket class, or perhaps the airline should be the focus of leisure routes.

Finally, bmi needs to sort the schedule out. Passengers will want a range of business & leisure destinations with at least two flights a day (one morning & one evening) and until they do this, as has been seen on the MAD route, people will go to airlines with greater market penetration. bmi could really benefit for the brand recognition baby now has in some markets (AGP/ALC/MJV) by moving into these cities ...

[ManAtTheBack]

Maverick1

Is the short haul going to feed off and to long haul and star, or be a point to point low cost?

Is Diamond Club status membership going to be achievable of valuable on short haul or will it only work if flying with other airlines?

I am a fan of bmi, and wish them well. I also use their short haul premium service but feel alienated. The overall message is confusing and I'm not sure how alienating a segment of customers is helpful.

[lexxity]

Manattheback, the shorthaul will still feed to longhaul, although the feeling amongst the ground staff is that it should be to star only. As far as we are aware points will still be earnable and I belive an e-mail will be communicated to all d/c members indue course re any changes in accurral procedures.

lexx.

[MAVERICK 1]

ManAtTheBack

That i agree with the way they have released this is confusing but i have it on good authority that bmi will continue to operate as before in regards to diamond club members and points accural. The number of points maybe changed though but that will be communicated to the d/c holders in due course.

It is in no way going to be a point to point carrier, the network is still and will carry on to be designed to fit in with feeding its own flights ie longhaul and also to fit in with incoming star flights to carry the interline pax on.

You will still get your points for flying bmi and those points will vary just as before depending on which level of ticket you buy, if you buy a baby ticket i doubt you will get any points, but if you buy a standard bmi or a premium ticket you will get your points.

The simplist way to understand this change i think is you now pay for your food and drink (except business) and business class will only exist on 4 routes. Otherwise its a single class cabin with allocated seating.

That is probably the only visable change pax will notice. oh and maybe the fact that they will all be encouraged to use the ssd's (self service devices for check in)

If you imagine a virtual aircraft baby fares will be seated down the back standard bmi fares in the middle and premium fares at the front. The lounges will remain as before for the dimond club members, business and premium tickets as i understand it.

Hope that answers your question:D

[10002level]

The face of short haul travel has changed forever over the past few years. With the number of passengers willing to pay a premium for a full service decreasing companies like BMI have to evolve in order to survive. We might not like the changes that have happened, but we also have to live in the real world and accept the inevitable.

BMI's biggest advantage is their holding of valuable slots from LHR. As the short haul services decrease over the coming years, they will be able to utilise these slots to have long haul services and no doubt provide multi-class services on these flights. Sounds like a good stratergy to me.

[Eurekadelta]

A little calculation ... how low cost will BMI have to be to compensate for the taxes at Heathrow?

:confused:

flyBMI.com : LHR-AMS-LHR: Taxes & charges: £50.40 return
easyjet.com: LGW-AMS-LGW: Taxes & charges: £10.00 return

(So 2 or more passengers travelling together, living 'next door to' Heathrow would actually be able to pay for a (cheap) minicab to Gatwick with the difference!)

:ok:

(and before anybody suggests it, I have no financial or other interest in 'promoting' the boys&girls in orange)

[Young Paul]

Well, if the whole aircraft is one class, the Air Passenger Duty tax will be reduced to the same level as easyjet, so that'll help a bit.

[MaximumPete]

A lot has been said about the business lounges on this thread but what seems to be forgotten that you can buy your way in on the internet travel sites for around £15, in my view money well spent.

Next, who want to hang around for two hours 'cos that's the latest to arrive at the airport according to the baby rules.

SO..... streamline check in, charge for the lounge and operate an all economy with decent legroom for all the punters, not just the chosen few who cough up £15 for the extra legroom seats on baby.

Just my Euro's worth!

MP

;)

[CarltonBrowne the FO]

Halfwayback... true enough, both bmi and Virgin fly LHR-Mumbai; in the recent round of licence applications, both bid for 7 flights a week. At that point, they were indeed competing for the flights available.
However, both were awarded only part of the flights on offer. I don't know if they fly on different days, or if there is an overlap; in this case I believe it would be in a merged company's interest to continue to operate all seven flights. There is even an argument that the customer would benefit, by having flights every day of the week, without having to change carrier.

[ManAtTheBack]

Maverick1

Thank you for that clarification, much better than Diamond Club's e-mail.

Its when they talk about "As a diamond club member you will see minor changes to the number of miles awarded on some of our lower fare types..." that questions arise. "Changes" usually means "cuts". I doubt that I will get business class points on an economy only route such as MAN - LHR.

I'll have to wait for further details of what flights will cost, and what I'll get, but the chances of me (and I'm sure others) moving to other carriers or forms of transport will increase, which will be a shame.

[The Real Slim Shady]

Today's FT carries a very small article on easyJet's results and their plans.

With growth projected at 22%, 17% and 18% for the next 3 years and a fleet increase to 147 aircraft from 103, is it any surprise that bmi have to make changes?

easy are adding one route per month; bmi can do nothing and die in the face of competition from the loco's or can evolve. Their own effort at a loco doesn't go far enough. It may be too little too late for them but at least they are trying.

[MAVERICK 1]

It maybe worth noting the thread from another topic about BA's plans.

Willy has annonced that he has plans to also make BA go low cost on shothaul (the Daily Mail 12 May 2005).

That will certainly put the cat amoungst the pigeons.

That makes everyone the same interms of service, it will be interesting to see what airlines will do next to attract customers!? Lets face it every major airline has their own loyal fan base!

Being a pilot these days is getting just too complicated. Does anyone know a number for a good plumbing school?

[Globaliser]

MAVERICK 1: Willy has annonced that he has plans to also make BA go low cost on shothaul (the Daily Mail 12 May 2005). How reliable is the Daily Mail on these matters? This is inconsistent with BA's move to 2-2 seating in Club Europe, for which they're trialling two different types of seat at the moment.

[max magic]

I agree with you slim shady, something had to be done, but bmi are most definately on the back foot

They will now have to rely on filling up the seats from LHR, the long haul network and service is years behind bmi's main competitors, and 1 A330 a year for the next 3 years is hardly expansion when virgin are picking up 3 or so A340's a year and new routes to Dubai and Montego Bay in 2006 on top of their India expansion.