Virgin & bmi inch closer...

Virgin extends bmi codeshare

bmi's middle eastern and UK domestic routes are now part of the codeshare agreement, includes Amman, Beirut, Tel Aviv and Tehran, Aberdeen, Belfast, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford and Manchester.


Good news - perhaps this means that booking VS from the regions will be a serious contender to BA...

[Nottingham Nick]

Link to the official VS press release.

Which says exactly the same things as the link Sealink has already posted. [:I][}:)]

Nick

[mitchja]

I wonder if this means you will be able to book VS flights online via LHR starting and ending at MAN now [:?]

Regards

We've just been able to do LBA to SYD via LHR over the phone.. all on same E ticket ref....
Not sure if this was possible before, as done last week, so may of been live prior to announcement

I guess they still need to update their online booking service for this....it won't let me book from New York to Manchester yet, or vice versa.

Interestingly, I hadn't noticed before, but you can book from Manchester to Sydney. It takes you on Singapore Airlines via Singapore. Some dates work, some don't, but more seem to work if you select business class. Anyway, my point, what will they do after this codeshare agreement - will they still take you on Singapore, or will they take you bmi to LHR and then on VS to Sydney, or give you the option. Sorry, got a bit off topic there!

[honey lamb]

quote:Originally posted by northernhenry
We've just been able to do LBA to SYD via LHR over the phone.. all on same E ticket ref....
Not sure if this was possible before, as done last week, so may of been live prior to announcement



I have been able to do bookings over the phone from ORK (obviously not on BD) or onwards to other destinations for several years now so that's not new at all. However on helping a friend research VS fares from DUB it was entirely possible on-line using BD for the DUB-LHR link

Dublin has been part of the agreement for much longer, for some reason.

I think it will interesting if it has an effect on fares. I remember years ago working in Scotland, desperately trying to give VS business, but the add-on to LHR was so high whereas BA either common rated UK departure points (because they could) or had a low add on fare. BD to VS was always about an extra £100 in comparison, so always a struggle to sell.

[mitchja]

I've been on a BMI flight with a VS flight number from LHR to MAN a couple of years ago, it's just that you have never been able to book them online.

Regards

Virgin on the phone said they plan to start the online rollout from the 4th Feb.

Fantastic. Then I'll be booking my flights to EDI with BMI out of LHR instead of FlyBE out of BHX. The 16 quid more on the tix are worth the 50 quid I save on total cost of getting to bloody BHX.

S.

Yes good news. A question though....

BMI domestic flights have a maximum weight allowance of 20kg total for checked bags. Virgin ranges from 46kg (Ec) to 96kg (UC). Probably half my flights (especially Christmas trips) I pack over 20kg of stuff. Do you get charged excess bag fees by BMI if you're transferring to (or from) a VS flight? I can't imagine when I check in here in the US that they'll make me pay, but I just know when I put my bag on the scales at MAN I won't be able to get away with it!

If its all on one ticket which it should be if you book in one go then Virgins transatlantic baggage allowance would apply on bmi as well.

quote:Originally posted by Daffy
If its all on one ticket which it should be if you book in one go then Virgins transatlantic baggage allowance would apply on bmi as well.


If you're connecting with international on same day-fine the VS class allowance counts
Or if you have to 'overnight' at LHR because there is no time to connect to the last domestic run back north, you end up with the BMI domestic allowance the following am..This is what we've been told by VS, but suggested take it up with BMI & see if they'll waiver, if not ££..[n]

[mitchja]

quote:Originally posted by Daffy
Virgin on the phone said they plan to start the online rollout from the 4th Feb.


Thanks for the update Daffy [y]

Regards

Press statement says Heathrow so doubt ABZ-MAN-MCO is going to be posssible. Like I said in my earlier posting I was told the Website will have them showing on the 4th Feb. Guess you can book earlier though if its not via the Website

I just booked flights with BMI and the website wouldn't recognise my FC membership number, so they're not that close just yet!

Just a thought I wonder if this means that I will be able to book a through trip from PMI to Florida? We are flying BMI to Heathrow and the VS to MIA, would be great if this could be a through ticket especially if we can have a bigger baggage allowance. We always seem to be paying excess on our return home after our annual spree in Sawgrass [;)]

[Scrooge]

BMI has applied for codeshare on 4 VS routes link

As an experiment, I just looked at flights from Glasgow to US with VS on Opodo. It offered me BD to VS, at a price that was lower than the BA - BA connection.

This is hopefully great news and finally some competition between the two flag carriers out of Scotland!

[mitchja]

BMI code-share flights are now loaded onto the VS website [y]

There's no Upper Class though. It only offers economy or PE if you start from MAN or other regional airports.

Regards

quote:Originally posted by mitchja
BMI code-share flights are now loaded onto the VS website [y]

There's no Upper Class though. It only offers economy or PE if you start from MAN or other regional airports.

Regards


Looks like Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow have Upper Class. Manchester, Leeds, Durham and Aberdeen don't. I'll send an email to Customer Services to see if further changes are likely to come so Upper Class can be brought. I'll update you in a month when I get a reply!!