BMI to BA

[Targarama]

German company sells part of it's business to IAG. Anyone else smell a rat? BA would never be able to buy BMI without the competition commission (or whoever) being called in.

[Puggit]

I have 180,000 points to dump!

[Eric Mc]

I wonder if they will retain their separate identity. If they don't it will be the end of an airline that can trace its roots back to the 1930s when it was set up as Derby Aviation.

[Puggit]

BA want the slots, not the airline. I guess they'll take the A319/A320/A321 planes too. Stuff the jungle jets!

[Nicholas Blair]

And price rises on cross routes (EDI-LHR)

[Puggit]

Nicholas Blair said:

And price rises on cross routes (EDI-LHR)

Don't forget they are also competing with the low cost airlines from City, Luton, Gatwick, Stansted and for me even Southampton.

[steviegunn]

Nicholas Blair said:

And price rises on cross routes (EDI-LHR)

And less service the ABN-LHR red eyes for BA and BMI are almost always full, one less service will reduce the service and of course as you say up the price. On the other hand I hope they keep the regional routes like ABN-NWI as using Diamond Club miles are a real pain compared to Executive Club miles, BA tend to have far less seat restrictions than BMI when using miles.

[Puggit]

It looks like bmi Regional is being spun out in some kind of investor buy-out.

BTW - I know bmi's route network is eclectic, but when did they start flying from Surinam to Norwich?!

[Bugeyeandy]

Good article from the FT

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6422094a-06c4-11e1-90de-...

Branson moaning yet again because he didn't get BMI cheap he doesn't want anyone else to have it.

Interesting to see if BMI still fly as a separate airline or if they get swallowed up by BA/Iberia

[Puggit]

bmi loses £38 for every customer it flies and hasn't made a profit for a long time. BA will grab the slots and planes and kill the airline.

Virgin on the other hand... The general consensus amongst frequent flyers on bmi (myself included) is that we hope Branson somehow buys the airline instead

[steviegunn]

Puggit said:

It looks like bmi Regional is being spun out in some kind of investor buy-out.

BTW - I know bmi's route network is eclectic, but when did they start flying from Surinam to Norwich?!

Doh, ABZ not ABN.

[knight]

I would much rather Virgin buys bmi than BA as I cannot see any hope of keeping my job when BA swallow us up. They only want the slots. The only hope is if they keep it different like the former BMED and continue on the dodgy middle east routes!

[Bugeyeandy]

knight said:

I would much rather Virgin buys bmi than BA as I cannot see any hope of keeping my job when BA swallow us up. They only want the slots. The only hope is if they keep it different like the former BMED and continue on the dodgy middle east routes!

From the FT article (which is only viewable if you Google BMI FT not directly with my link above)

FT said:

Willie Walsh, IAG’s chief executive, said the slots would not be used for competition with Virgin; he hopes instead to continue flying BMI’s short-haul routes and to add long-haul flights to emerging markets. “The BMI of the future will look very different to the BMI of today,” he told analysts on Friday.

[knight]

Bugeyeandy said:

knight said:

I would much rather Virgin buys bmi than BA as I cannot see any hope of keeping my job when BA swallow us up. They only want the slots. The only hope is if they keep it different like the former BMED and continue on the dodgy middle east routes!

From the FT article (which is only viewable if you Google BMI FT not directly with my link above)

FT said:

Willie Walsh, IAG’s chief executive, said the slots would not be used for competition with Virgin; he hopes instead to continue flying BMI’s short-haul routes and to add long-haul flights to emerging markets. “The BMI of the future will look very different to the BMI of today,” he told analysts on Friday.

Well fingers crossed that bmi will keep flying ( although under the BA banner more than likely )and I also would like to see the bmi aircraft keeping their current livery as I think it is one of the best

[Starfighter]

Taking Willy Walsh's comments at face value, does thatr means that they will be shutting down the international BMI routes that don't go from LHR, LGW or LCY?

[Puggit]

Takeover approved by EU authorities

Still got 180k miles to burn!

[steviegunn]

Puggit said:

Takeover approved by EU authorities

Still got 180k miles to burn!

Got 50k sitting, hopefully I can transfer them to my BA Executive Club membership and they keep the Aberdeen - Norwich route open so I can still fly free (bar the robber taxes) to by Dad's for Chrimbo.

[theaxe]

I cashed my miles in, got too many BA miles anyway so exchanged my BMI miles for 36 bottles of wine.

[shocks]

steviegunn said:

Got 50k sitting, hopefully I can transfer them to my BA Executive Club membership and they keep the Aberdeen - Norwich route open so I can still fly free (bar the robber taxes) to by Dad's for Chrimbo.

I see your 50k and the earlier 180k and raise you :

Membership year
22/08/2011 - 22/08/2012

Destinations miles
800391

[Puggit]

Worth 8 Avios points