V-Flyer

Press release here confirming that BMI have finally admited defeat on the BOM route. They have advertised it as a indefinite suspension of service??

Looks like the bad luck they have with the A330 parked up at MAN is the final straw. Picture here of the very sick main gear on the troublesome A330 for anyone interested. Scroll down for 2 pictures half way down the thread.

Big question is - When will the extra UK-India slots come available and will VS be trying to get their hands on them. Bangalore was fancied by VS not long ago, is this the opportunity they are waiting for???

Thanks for the posting. That's a nasty mechanical problem to have.

Well if, BD are serious about Long Haul, they had better start strengthening their long haul fleet.

They need to move quickly toward hitting the point where they can justify having a spare aircraft in the fleet - one which can be rapidly swapped in to cover MX and unfortunate incidents like this.

Otherwise, they remain seriously exposed to being crippled by MX and AOG situations.

I find it amazing they are making a similar mistake with the Moscow flights - they are only outfitting one A320 (G-MIDO, I hear) in the revised "medium haul" config. If 'DO' goes tech, a "vanilla" A320 would have to be subbed in, else a wet-lease, or the flight canxed. I'm guessing that's why they don't seem to be working 'DO' too hard, it seems to be planned on just the LHR-DME-LHR trip, and that's it.

I hope that BMI look at some other medium-hauls like IST and ATH, where the product seems to fall down a gap between European short-haul and proper long-haul.

ATH might actually make sense, as there's only BA and OA working the route since Hellas Jet closed down, and Aegean Airlines (A3) are already co-operating closely with LH providing Greek domestic feeder traffic into ATH. Given LH has a stake in BD, this probably opens the door for A3 to feed BD at ATH, so they totally aren't dependant on ATH O&D pax.

Cheers,
Mike

Lets hope BMI manage to hold on to DME - at least till i've flown it anyway!

VS have made no secret of their desire to fly to more Indian destinations, its a growing market and i was surprised that VS were not given more slots when they were originally being dished out. I'd definitely expect to see Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore in the near future.

Thanks,
Sarah

More great PR for Airbus then.... They are so living on borrowed time it's not even funny anymore.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by HighFlyer
Lets hope BMI manage to hold on to DME - at least till i've flown it anyway!
Thanks,
Sarah

NO!!!! I want the route for VS! Utterly Amazing city.
Interesting to see how this affects BD in the future when negotiating foor further long-haul rights with the CAA though!

Where is DME?[:I]

VS.

Originally posted by VS045
Where is DME?[:I]

VS.

Domodedovo (Moscow)

Regards

Oh, thanks!:D[:I] What percentage of airlines flying to Moscow fly to Domodedovo rather than Sheremetyevo now?(sp?)

VS.

Hi,

I was due to fly BMI to BOM and they phoned me a week ago. Given that the service had been cancelled since the beginning of Oct, I thought that was a bit lame.

They offered all these airlines (eg Jet) that fly to BOM from LON (I think they were all LHW) but I had booked a PE seat. So then they agreed it was BA or VS. [y]

I was going to pick VS, as flights to the US in Y (Eco) were nice (both on routes to the East coast and West which I flew last year). However VS fly an old A343 to BOM [:0]

Anyway, I tried signing up to this forum to find out a bit more about the old PE on those A434s and I could not sign up (the confirmation email only just came through today).

So I chose BA WTP as BA are generally quite consistant in my experience - I was even on a 767 in NCW (new club world) and was suprised that I preferred that to a 777, as the cabin was cosy.

I got the broucher about the new PE, but there was NO way that the A343 was getting that by Dec (at least according to other threads here). So I was a bit weiry of chancing an old aircraft, when I have never flown BA in Y or PE.

Now I know that there entertainment is noway as good, but then I flown old Virgin flights where they had old systems too. Still I am a bit miffed that the VS seat is wider - BA have a thing for narrow seats (and I may be lanky but I ain't fat)

Will let you know how it turns out...

Now I know that there entertainment is noway as good, but then I flown old Virgin flights where they had old systems too. Still I am a bit miffed that the VS seat is wider - BA have a thing for narrow seats (and I may be lanky but I ain't fat)

Old VS IFE ios still better than BA in my opinion. HOwever, if you get one of the trial 767s then it should have AVOD.

Anyway, back on topic, I still saw a billboard in T3 advertising "BomBMI" after this announcement.

VS.

Originally posted by mike-smashing
I find it amazing they are making a similar mistake with the Moscow flights - they are only outfitting one A320 (G-MIDO, I hear) in the revised "medium haul" config. If 'DO' goes tech, a "vanilla" A320 would have to be subbed in, else a wet-lease, or the flight canxed. I'm guessing that's why they don't seem to be working 'DO' too hard, it seems to be planned on just the LHR-DME-LHR trip, and that's it.

Now the route has actually started flying, it looks like G-MIDO, the aircraft for the DME route, also does a trip to Paris in the evening (BD183/184), once it's back from Moscow.

Cheers,
Mike

Am I surprised....no!

Surely its about time that Sir Mike admited that his board dont have a clue about running an airline and sell up to VS. I have mentioned it before but an airline that was pretty much world leading in the late 90's is now nothing more than a joke.

A question for people with more knowledge on alliances- can an alliance kick an airline out. I know that LH and SK wouldnt like it to happen but could we see a situation where by BD are kicked out of *a.

agreed

Back then their Y food on short-haul was great, now you get nothing. BMI are the short-haul of choice where I work, so I have to find excuses to fly other airlines where possible.

If BMI think they complete against BA the way VS to, they are wrong. VS push BA by often offering a better product - that can no longer be said for BMI

Surely its about time that Sir Mike admited that his board dont have a clue about running an airline and sell up to VS. I have mentioned it before but an airline that was pretty much world leading in the late 90's is now nothing more than a joke.

I'm not actually all that sure that VS would do particularly well at short-haul either. Their main selling points are IFE/UCS/CH - there isn't much else anymore;)

Other than possibly the CH (but would you really want to spend a couple of hours in it just for a hop to Paris?), none of those are so applicable for short flights.

VS.

Originally posted by VS045

Surely its about time that Sir Mike admited that his board dont have a clue about running an airline and sell up to VS. I have mentioned it before but an airline that was pretty much world leading in the late 90's is now nothing more than a joke.

I'm not actually all that sure that VS would do particularly well at short-haul either. Their main selling points are IFE/UCS/CH - there isn't much else anymore;)

Other than possibly the CH (but would you really want to spend a couple of hours in it just for a hop to Paris?), none of those are so applicable for short flights.

VS.

hehe Im not saying UCS on short haul- remember VS has had experience at this sort of service with LHR/LGW-ATH flights which were cut post 9/11. It will give VS a number of good options-

- Euro connections which could be timed to fit in with the VS long haul timetable.
- Many many more LHR slots
- A much greater presence in the regions of the UK and given BA's decision this week it would certainly work well.

Originally posted by HighFlyer
Lets hope BMI manage to hold on to DME - at least till i've flown it anyway!

Sarah, you will be blown away by the shops downtown in Moscow. LVMH heaven:D

Iain

quote:
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Originally posted by VS045


quote:
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Surely its about time that Sir Mike admited that his board dont have a clue about running an airline and sell up to VS. I have mentioned it before but an airline that was pretty much world leading in the late 90's is now nothing more than a joke.
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I'm not actually all that sure that VS would do particularly well at short-haul either. Their main selling points are IFE/UCS/CH - there isn't much else anymore

Other than possibly the CH (but would you really want to spend a couple of hours in it just for a hop to Paris?), none of those are so applicable for short flights.

VS.

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hehe Im not saying UCS on short haul- remember VS has had experience at this sort of service with LHR/LGW-ATH flights which were cut post 9/11. It will give VS a number of good options-

- Euro connections which could be timed to fit in with the VS long haul timetable.
- Many many more LHR slots
- A much greater presence in the regions of the UK and given BA's decision this week it would certainly work well.

I'm just saying that I don't think that VS would do stunningly well in its place. Although, having said that, I'm not sure they could do a worse job;)

VS.

VS could stop the short haul flights, but keep the LHR slots which are expensive. Fill them with other long haul flghts

Why do BA keep flying short haul from LHR? To keep competition from getting slots that they would transfer to long haul!

Originally posted by icstm
VS could stop the short haul flights, but keep the LHR slots which are expensive. Fill them with other long haul flghts

Why do BA keep flying short haul from LHR? To keep competition from getting slots that they would transfer to long haul!

Erm I wouldnt have said that. I would imagine that it is due to all the business people who fly on international services and connect from the regions.

Originally posted by icstm
Why do BA keep flying short haul from LHR? To keep competition from getting slots that they would transfer to long haul!

Have to agree with willd - I have a feeling the REASON they keep flying short-haul from LHR is that there's damn good money in it!

But I do love a good "conspiracy theory" every now and then... [ii]