BMI Cease LBA route

Not good [V]

'We are sorry to let you know that unfortunately we are ending our Heathrow-Leeds Bradford service on 28 March 2009.

The decision to withdraw services between London and the North of England was a tough one, as we've operated these routes since 1969. However a decline in demand, higher-than-inflation cost increases at Heathrow and higher Government Air Passenger Duty (APD) charges have made operating these routes unsustainable.

If you have a booking on one of the affected services, we will, where possible, reaccommodate you on other bmi services. We will contact you in the next few weeks to discuss your options.'

If VS have any chance of hanging on to Customers based around this hub, this is not a good move..

Deeply unimpressed, and await to see how VS/BMI get us out of our current booked flight itinerary adequately..

NH

Also some add-on info:

We are also making the following changes to our summer 2009 flying:

Increasing our Heathrow-Beirut and Amman services to ten per week from 22 May 2009
Reducing our Heathrow-Addis Ababa service to three per week, now being served over Amman, instead of Damascus from 29 March 2009
Decreasing the frequency of our Heathrow-Amsterdam service to four per day and Heathrow-Dublin to six per day from 29 March 2009
Operating our Heathrow-Aberdeen service on all Embraer aircraft from 29 March 2009 and Heathrow-Brussels on all Embraer aircraft from 18 April 2009
Closing our Heathrow-Durham Tees Valley service on 28 March 2009

This has hacked us off slightly, after discovering that National Express
staff treat 1st class ticket holders like unworthy scum I was enjoying the way BMI treated us from LBA to LHR, was planning lots of city breaks this year just because of BMI.

Such a shame.

Sorry to double post just thought I would add this.



John Parkin, Chief Executive of Leeds Bradford International Airport commented, This announcement by bmi mainline is of course disappointing news. We are well aware of the importance to our region of regular air links to London and we expect to be in a position to announce new services to the capital shortly.

Sort of surprised at the LBA / MME news - I would have thought that BD were being squeezed more between LHR and DUB/GLA/EDI/BHD - I always thought that the LBA and MME routes were niche (read: nice little money maker) for them.

I've never had a problem with National Express East Coast, well, no more than when they were GNER... and I only ever travel First class by rail, long distance.

quote:Originally posted by Sealink
Sort of surprised at the LBA / MME news - I would have thought that BD were being squeezed more between LHR and DUB/GLA/EDI/BHD - I always thought that the LBA and MME routes were niche (read: nice little money maker) for them.

I've never had a problem with National Express East Coast, well, no more than when they were GNER... and I only ever travel First class by rail, long distance.


Sadly my experience with NE were the exact opposite on 4 occaisions which is why I found BMI's service in the first place. Each time with NE I witnessed other pax being talked down to and given poor service, on the last occaision it happened to me personally, filthy tables and chairs and served as if we were a bad smell. On one occaision we had to sit on the floor and were refunded 25 off our 300 journey. Whenwe tried to use the voucher for on board food and drinks they didn't know what to do with it. Stuff NE for me.

From having a route to VS via an airport within half an hour, or a trip across to MAN where I might as well fly with the competition...
nice move BMI/VS

I would imagine Flybe being the obvious replacement

quote:Originally posted by northernhenry
I would imagine Flybe being the obvious replacement


Aaaargh! Fly MayBe.

Crappy news NH. At least you're not going in the next few weeks. Either LBA will find a new operator or - at worse - you have to head over to the Wrong Side Of The Pennines.

To be fair, we've done the latter a fair few times now for connecting to LHR or LGW, and it's it not too bad. Honest. And if you choose to fly BA you can take more luggage (though you'll have to pay a little more for the privilege), which will be more than handy when heading for Hong Kong and Oz.

I checked out BA from MAN for April, it was 37, 34 of which was airport tax.[:?]

[Scrooge]

Bad news and expect to see more of it, the yields are not there, they cannot raise prices so the LHR slot goes to a route where the company can make more money.

quote:Originally posted by mdvipond
Crappy news NH. At least you're not going in the next few weeks. Either LBA will find a new operator or - at worse - you have to head over to the Wrong Side Of The Pennines.
To be fair, we've done the latter a fair few times now for connecting to LHR or LGW, and it's it not too bad. Honest. And if you choose to fly BA you can take more luggage (though you'll have to pay a little more for the privilege), which will be more than handy when heading for Hong Kong and Oz.


Even crapper news for my folks who fly to NZ with SQ next wkend.
They come back to LBA on the 1st April...'wak wak ooof'.
Not what you need for a late 60's couple heading off on a trip of a life time next wkend.. [V]
Await to see BMI offering on recompense (they've booked job lot through trailfinders & as they've already said tonight they're awaiting news on BMI's alternative arrangements..)

Our own trip although many moons away, needs resolving and luckily (maybe) we've booked these interconnects through our VS booking on codeshare, so I'd be interested to hear what would be a decent offering in recompense. (CDC for BMI MAN flights? + miles inconvenience??)
Please PM me if anyone been in this situation before (appreciate is subject to circumstances etc), as keen to know what is the 'going rate' for this.

From having a 1/2 hr drop off from a relative to traveling to MAN is going to be a hassle - involving much more time and money..

quote:Originally posted by northernhenry

Even crapper news for my folks who fly to NZ with SQ next wkend.
They come back to LBA on the 1st April...'wak wak ooof'.
Not what you need for a late 60's couple heading off on a trip of a life time next wkend.. [V]

If they're going next weekend, they'll still be able to fly out of LBA won't they? The flights don't stop until the end of March - I guess that may effect them on their return?

I'd say you (and they, if effected) should be looking for BMI to splash for a complimentary CDC to MAN, although there maybe something in their booking terms that limits their liability when it comes to cancelled routes.

quote:Originally posted by Sealink
Sort of surprised at the LBA / MME news - I would have thought that BD were being squeezed more between LHR and DUB/GLA/EDI/BHD - I always thought that the LBA and MME routes were niche (read: nice little money maker) for them.

I've never had a problem with National Express East Coast, well, no more than when they were GNER... and I only ever travel First class by rail, long distance.


I agree with you - I have had to use National Express East Coast recently when the snow meant I coulnd't fly from my Fathers house and their service in First Class was superb. I would certainly use them again. Also as BA are looking at curtailing certain domestic routes in the near future, I guess train will be the only option for many.

Hackneyguy

quote:Originally posted by hackneyguy
quote:Originally posted by Sealink
Sort of surprised at the LBA / MME news - I would have thought that BD were being squeezed more between LHR and DUB/GLA/EDI/BHD - I always thought that the LBA and MME routes were niche (read: nice little money maker) for them.

I've never had a problem with National Express East Coast, well, no more than when they were GNER... and I only ever travel First class by rail, long distance.


I agree with you - I have had to use National Express East Coast recently when the snow meant I coulnd't fly from my Fathers house and their service in First Class was superb. I would certainly use them again. Also as BA are looking at curtailing certain domestic routes in the near future, I guess train will be the only option for many.

Hackneyguy


I will also have to add my experiences of NE on the east coast mainline have always been very good and now Eugene McCoy is doing the food again[y]

Crappy news really (though not of as much impact to me since I moved further & further West) [}:)]

Of course, one route is to fly WOW to BRS, get the Flyer to Temple Meads, then train to Paddington and HEX out? Not viable? Really? [:D]

Cheers
Michael

Well, I spoke to soon.
Matt has just returned from a first class journey on National Express East Coast, and they were pretty poor.
To the extent that he was moved to write an email of complaint!

NXEC have massively pruned their 1st Class at seat service since mid-January.

Staff have been cut from the trains (down to 2 working the F carriages), restaurants have been removed from all but about 12 trains a day, and it's impossible to actually do any work in First Class now because the tables are pre-cluttered when you board with:

* Mugs
* Bottles of water
* Plastic (yes, plastic, not glass anymore) cups
* Sachets of sugar (there were those evil 'tubes' of UHT milk too, but they have been taken away due to 'customer feedback')
* Sachets of brown sauce and tomato ketchup, for that 'seaside caff' feel

Apparently, staff morale is pretty low, and the customer backlash hitting NXEC Towers in York is significant.

It's been reported in the transport press that these moves, coupled with some yield management strategy changes, have lost NXEC around 30% of their high-yielding First Class business.

As a regular East Coast passenger, I'm seeing that the trains are also noticeably dirtier and the wi-fi service onboard is either broken or unusable these days.

NXEC seem to have engaged in that 'race to the bottom' along with so many other transport operators.

Question is, how much traffic on LBA-LHR are O&D, and how many were connecting?

If it's a high proportion of O&D businessmen to Central London, then LHR is probably not the best choice of airport. LCY would be better, but then, BMI tried that with a leased ATR about 4 years ago and it didn't work.

You've also got the issue of LBA being neither especially convenient for Leeds or Bradford, for at least for short journeys within the UK. Once you include time of getting to the LBA, waiting around to depart, inevitable LHR delays, and getting from LHR to where you're really going, you may as well just get the train.

Mike

He said that the staff appeared to be very stressed on the day in question, and actually stomped through the carriage!

The defining moment was when he asked to use the lounge at Edinburgh to be told 'You haven't even padid a quarter of the proper price for lounge access' which I find appalling, for reasons too detailed to go into here, besides rudeness.

Jumping back to the original topic, an interesting level of Customer service shown by our Friends at VS.
We had interconnects booked from LBA to join UC flights to SYD. VS have advised due to this route ceasing they can get us on the Manchester Flights, however due to the price difference we'll have to pay extra!!
'Its what BMI are offering & the issues with the carrier', speak to BMI, 'your booking is with VS, you'll need to speak with them'..

Very Poor.

What a mess BD/VS!

NEVER stump up more cash for an involuntary reroute!
I'm afraid that BD are correct - despite their schedule changes being to blame, VS, as the international carrier on your ticket have to sort it.

Sounds like you need someone senior at VS to assist.

quote:Originally posted by Sealink
What a mess BD/VS!
NEVER stump up more cash for an involuntary reroute!
I'm afraid that BD are correct - despite their schedule changes being to blame, VS, as the international carrier on your ticket have to sort it.
Sounds like you need someone senior at VS to assist.


Very poor customer handling on both VS & BD's part, they have succeeded in upsetting a regular VS customer, through hiding behind each others small print.
In terms of complaint routes- I've been directed to the [email protected] address, as you can't speak to customer relations [n]
Initial email has automated back that I might get a response by 2012 (21 days!)
Any other avenue worth exploring [?]

In terms of seniority, AG/UC booking team & chks with 'supervisors' sticking firm to small print.

Overall BD have lost all our future domestic business, we will now purposely walk past BMI desks to BA or others & our perception of VS's customer support & handling of this on the back of a substantial current booking has declined substantially.

Surely overall not a great result in terms of future customer retention in this current market..

NH

FlyBE to start LBA - LGW service.

[Pete]

quote:Originally posted by Sealink
FlyBE to start LBA - LGW service.


Damn. Really? When do they start - I've just bought train tickets for June [:(]

quote:Originally posted by Pete
quote:Originally posted by Sealink
FlyBE to start LBA - LGW service.


Damn. Really? When do they start - I've just bought train tickets for June [:(]


29th June