Trouble Free Flying (bmi British Midland in general)

Member Name: jord121290

Product:	bmi British Midland in general
Date:	15/11/05 (2225 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great check-in, modern aircraft, friendly staff

Disadvantages: Its not a budget airline, so don't expect exceedingly low prices.

I have been flying to the Channel Island of Jersey from Leeds Bradford airport for about 4 years now, visiting a close relative who moved over there for better pay and lifestyle.
The only airline I have ever flown with is British Midland, or as they are now known, BMI.

I haven't had any experience with their long haul flights, but know all there is to know about their regional services.
The flight from Leeds to Jersey takes around 1 hour, of which there is about 30-45mins of seatbelt-off time in which you can be served drinks and buy duty frees, as well as take a walk up and down the cabin.

Flights can be booked in a number of ways. You can buy tickets direct from BMI by using their website (www.flybmi.com), phoning their booking hotline or going to a ticket desk at one of the airports they serve at. Depending on how long away your flight is, you will either be sent your tickets through the post or you will be asked to collect them at the ticket desk when you arrive at the airport on the day of your flight.
BMI also offer ticket sales through many internet flight booking agents, like Expedia and eBookers. These companies do things differently to BMI when it comes to sending out tickets and its worth checking there methods of ticket sale before you book with them. Personally, I prefer booking direct with BMI, sure it may cost an extra £20 but at least you know your booking is safe and secure.
Through www.flybmi.com, you can also track the status of bookings and see all the flight details including passengers, date & time of the flight and aircraft information. Here you can also set up SMS flight alerts on your mobile which will update you on the flight status an hour before the flight, though I don't see the point in this because by that time you'll probably already be at the airport and you can see all the flight details on the information board.

BMI's membership of Star Alliance allows you to book hassle-free transfer flights with other major airlines which are also part of Star Alliance. These include airlines such as United Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Air Canada, Lufthansa and many more. You can get a lot more information on Star Alliance by visting their official website at: www.star-alliance.com

Flight prices differ greatly depending on where you are travelling to and from. BMI will always offer fair priced flights for the level of service they offer. It should be noted though that BMI is not a low-fare airline and prices are often quite a bit higher than those of airlines such as EasyJet and BMI's partner airline BMI Baby.

All types of flights are offered, from the 1 hour regional flights around the UK, to transatlatic flights to the US.
Although supposedly based at East Midlands, BMI's major operating airport is London Heathrow, where their aircraft account for a huge amount of all traffic there day after day.

You can arrive at check-in any time up to 30 minutes before before the flight, but they recommend you get there an hour before if you have any bags to check-in or require any special services (e.g Wheelchairs or guidance through the airport).
Check-in has always been hassle free in all my experiences of travelling with BMI, most of the time you can walk straight up to check-in at Leeds or Jersey without any ques and get checked-in in a matter of seconds; the longest que I have ever experienced was about 10 minutes and that was because of a delay on a flight with a lot more passengers than mine. Even then the check-in staff were very helpful and opened more desks to minimize the ques.

BMI's aircraft are all very modern. For a number of years now they have only operated Airbus and Embraer jet aircraft, after getting rid of there final Fokker jets and giving their complete fleet of Boeing aircraft to BMI Baby.
Most of their Airbus aircraft operate the longer routes whilst the Embraers cover all BMI's regional and short European operations.
Here is a full list of the current BMI fleet:
3x Airbus A330-200
8x Airbus A321-200
11x Airbus A320-200
6x Airbus A319-100
10x Embraer 145
3x Embraer 135
All of the aircraft are very clean and tidy both inside and out, and give the impression of a very professional airline.
There aircraft currently wear three different liveries. A few of the Embraer 145 aircraft still carry BMI's old gray and dark blue livery, whilst most others carry the new white, blue and red livery. There are also a few of their planes which carry Star Alliance livery, to symbolise BMI's membership of the airline alliance.

On board the Leeds - Jersey flights (of which nearly all are smooth and problem free, due to the quality and condition of the aircraft) you are served complimentary tea, coffee, water and biscuits. It may not seem a lot, but there really isn't time to give any more out on board such a short flight. You've barely finished the climb when you start the descent.
There is also a chance to purchase duty frees on board the flight which mainly includes alcohol and cigarettes but there is also a selection of confectioneries.
There is a copy of BMI's monthly magazine 'Voyager' on board each flight for every passenger and on most flights there is a complimentary newspaper which you can take away with you after the flight if you wish.

All BMI staff are very friendly, both at the airport and on-board the flight. The cabin crew are very polite, professional and helpful and make you feel very welcome on the flight as well as giving you the re-assurance that you are in very safe hands.

At the end of the flight, you disebark the aircraft within a couple of minutes of parking and are able to collect your bags within 10 minutes maximun, and you can then be on your way after a very trouble free and enjoyable flight.

In conclusion, BMI are a very professional airline that provide a service that could easily match that of major flag-carrying airlines like British Airways. The offer competitive prices on all their routes and give passengers a very enjoyable flight experience.

Summary: A great, professional and friendly airline.