WE HAD NO TEARS WITH THIS BABY! (bmibaby)

Member Name: hazydaze123

Product:	bmibaby
Date:	18/01/09 (183 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reliable, easy booking service, nice planes

Disadvantages: None

So you've chosen your destination. You've even chosen your accommodation. But how do you choose which airline to get you there? Basically, you have two options: you can simply play it safe with a good old reputable firm such as BA, or you can take a chance, save yourself a few pennies (which could be better spent on a few holiday cocktails), and opt for one of the low cost budget airlines which appear to be thriving nowadays.

When booking my holiday, I decided to take advantage of that modern little invention called the internet and have a look round to compare prices, rather than take my usual course of action, select the safe option and fly with a company I had used on numerous occasions. As we would be travelling with our 4 year old son, we had opted for a week's holiday in Jersey in the Channel Islands, simply because it is only a short flight, usually lasting around one and a quarter hours from Manchester Airport.

And so my search began. The first couple of airlines I searched seemed a little too pricey, namely British European and Flybe (who, I understand, now seem to be part of the same company). My next option was Easyjet, which had recently only started doing routes to the Channel Islands. Next on my list was BMI Baby - well, this was going to cost £100 less than the others - so guess which one I booked with...?

~~~A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION~~~

As many people are aware, BMI Baby is the 'offspring' of British Midland Airways. Founded nearly 70 years ago, British Midland enjoyed continuous growth over the years, but it was not until 2002 that BMI Baby was born. In just three years, BMI Baby was carrying more than 3 million passengers per year, and in August 2004, one million passengers were carried in one month alone.

~~~MY EXPERIENCE OF BMI BABY~~~

My experience with BMI Baby was extremely straight forward and hassle free, which in this day and age, is a rare occurrence!
Our flight was scheduled to leave Manchester Airport at 11.50 am. We arrived at the check-in desk with ample time to spare for a coffee and a mooch around the duty free shop. After our flight had been called, we arrived at the gate and were very quickly boarded onto the aircraft. Our flight was on an A330-200 which meant it took us only 55 minutes to get to Jersey, unlike the usual 1 ¼ hours it usually takes on a prop plane, which many airlines operate over to the Channel Islands. The aircraft itself was very clean and in good condition (no cracks in the wings etc.) The seating structure was three seats each side with two washrooms on board, which in my opinion was sufficient for the size of the aircraft. On such a short flight, there was no inflight entertainment, unless you count the moment where my husband happened to notice that one of the cabin crew was 'popping' out of her uniform. He said he couldn't help but notice. I said he shouldn't have been looking!

Throughout the flight, we were offered refreshments to purchase on board, such as tea, coffee and alcoholic drinks, together with snacks and hot toasted sandwiches. We were also offered the obligatory duty free goods to purchase.

All in all, the flight was very pleasant and uneventful (with the possible exception of the flight attendant's blouse...!) and we arrived ahead of schedule at Jersey.

The flight home was similarly hassle free, though we were delayed by an hour due to late departure of our aircraft from Manchester.

~~~EASY BOOKING PROCEDURE~~~

Booking a flight with BMI Baby could not be simpler. For any technophobes out there, you can book direct by phone, or like me, take the quicker option and book online. (Contact numbers and e-mail address at the end of this review).

On logging onto BMI's website, the first thing you see at the top of the page is an option to 'book a flight'. Firstly, you are required to select whether you require a one way flight, or a return flight, together with your departure airport and destination airport. The second column of the 'book a flight' section requests your dates of travel, both outbound and inbound. Thirdly, you need to select how many people are travelling and which of those people are adults, kids (2-13 years) or infants (1-23 months). Infants can fly free of charge as they do not require a seat. In these instances, the infant obviously sits on their parent's lap with an extended safety belt. On selecting the next page, depending on the flight availability on the dates you wish to travel, you may have a choice of flight times. If so, you simply select which flight you require, both for your outward journey and your return journey. When you click on the next page, you need to give full details of the passengers travelling, together with how many bags you wish to check in. Unlike some airlines, BMI Baby make a small charge for any checked bags.

Once all your information has been inserted, you are given the grand total of your fare, including airport taxes and insurance (if applicable).

Once you have completed the painful section - PAYMENT - BMI Baby will send you an e-mail which is basically your e-ticket. All the relevant information is included on the ticket, including your flight numbers and flight times, what you have paid for and the terms and conditions. We were required to take this e-mail with us to the airport when we checked in, as this was basically our 'ticket'.

~~~ONLINE CHECK-IN OPTION~~~

This really is a Godsend if you want to save some time. However, this service is only available if you are travelling with hand luggage - not too convenient for holidaymakers. You simply go online no earlier than 24 hours before your departure time and input your information from the comfort of your own home/office.

However, in the event that you have suitcase, which admittedly is usually the case when going on holiday, you can do an automatic check-in at the airport. You simply enter the requested details onto the screens in the airport's departure hall, where you are also required to confirm your credit card details with which you originally booked the flight. This is a very quick procedure and takes only a few minutes. Once 'checked in', you drop your luggage off at the specified 'drop-off' point and that is all there is to it. I had used this service on a separate occasion and found it very useful, but unfortunately, just prior to our holiday departure date, I received an e-mail from BMI Baby informing that this service would not be available on our travelling date. I am unable to comment on whether cancellation of the service happens often, but nonetheless, I found check-in to be fairly quick and efficient at the normal check-in desk so this did not cause us any problems.

~~~MANAGE YOUR BOOKING ONLINE~~~

Again, you can obtain easy access to all your booking information on your home computer. When you initially book your flight online, you are allocated a booking reference and, once you select the 'manage my booking' option on the BMI website, you simply need to insert your booking reference. You are then free to make any alterations to your booking, request your seating allocation, special requirements etc., and you may also cancel your booking.

~~~BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE~~~

When we travelled at the beginning of July last year, the baggage allowance was 20 kg for checked baggage and 7 kg for hand baggage. I flew with a different airline the previous year and the allowance for checked baggage was only 15 kg, and this extra 5 kg really does make a difference.

~~~AIRPORT PARKING~~~

BMI Baby will also book your airport parking for you. We arranged this independently rather than through BMI, so I cannot comment on how efficiently BMI handles this. However, on looking at BMI's information, it does appear a fairly straight forward procedure, and again, you simply select the option on their website, insert the relevant flight details and everything is arranged for you. They do cover the majority of UK airports.

~~~ARE YOU A FREQUENT FLYER?~~~

BMI Baby offers various incentives to regular flyers such as the chance to earn extra miles on flights, specialist rates, exclusive airport lounge access, complimentary in-flight food, though this is only available on Heathrow flights at present, which of course will not benefit everybody.

~~~WOULD I RECOMMEND?~~~

Most definitely. My overall experience of flying with BMI Baby was certainly a positive one, namely because of:-

*The simplicity of booking online from the comfort of home, rather than dealing with telephone advisers which, in my experience, can sometimes be more trouble than it is worth. Online booking allows you the chance to double check your details before submitting your confirmation.

*The reliability of the service. As I mentioned earlier, our flight out of Manchester left on time with no unexpected delays.

*Cleanliness of the aircraft and service of the cabin crew. As I mentioned previously, BMI use jets rather than prop planes, which usually serve the Channel Islands, so our flight time was significantly reduced by approximately half an hour. Basically, you are getting a speedier flight for less money!

All in all, I cannot fault any of the service we received from BMI Baby and would most certainly recommend them to anyone considering using a low budget airline.

~~~CONTACT DETAILS~~~

Website: http://www.flybmi.com

Contact No's::
0870 6070 555 (short haul)
0870 6070 222 (long haul)
+44 (0)1332 64 8181 (callers outside UK)
Fax No. 01709 314993

Opening Hours: Mon to Sun 7am to 9pm

Thanks for reading - and happy flying!!

(NB: I have reviewed this product on Ciao under username matthewsmum)

Summary: A good reliable airline