bmi regional

[TheLocalYokel]

Is it just me or is BMI under it's new ownership is proving much less popular than we'd all hoped? It has become the norm on various aviation message boards to discuss who will take on routes when BMI fail. I wish them well of course but I fear the brand has lost public confidence to such an extent they'd be better off completely re-branding to another name altogether. Thoughts?

Speaking about the airline generally and not just its BHX links, it seems to engender excellent passenger feedback if the likes of Skytrax comments are typical.

It seems to have adopted a policy of avoiding major airports in the UK where it could not compete with bigger carriers. BHX is the exception to this but has a limited programme from bmi regional.

Its strategy revealed earlier in this year was to concentrate on Aberdeen, Bristol and Norway, although it has since reduced some route coverage in Norway.

Part of its strategy was to forge links with past partners when the airline was under different ownership and has since gone some way along this path with its code share agreement with Lufthansa on its Bristol to Frankfurt and Bristol to Munich routes.

It has contracts to operate for Brussels Airlines on BRS-BRU, having recently replaced Flybe that previously held the SN contract, and also operates the Airbus corporate shuttle between Bristol, Toulouse and Hawarden with several rotations each weekday. Furthermore, bmi regional aircraft are seen regularly at weekends flying major football and rugby teams around the country on charter flights.

The current owners hold the Bmi name and are considering using that instead of bmi regional. I suppose if they rebranded to something completely different some punters would not recognise them at all although they know the bmi name.

There are five/six aircraft at BRS with Brussels Airlines, Airbus shuttle and the five destination public network.

 

[thunderchild]

BHX-GOT will end 27/3 when they close the Gothenburg base.

 

[Ray Finkle]

That's a shame as it looked to be doing well on the 135, I guess if the base is closing it's just one of those things.

Another one to add to the already lengthy 'unserved' list, I can't see who else would take it on :s_sad

 

[Brum X]

That's a shame as it looked to be doing well on the 135, I guess if the base is closing it's just one of those things.

Another one to add to the already lengthy 'unserved' list, I can't see who else would take it on :s_sad

????//

Shame about Gothenburg.

Dont SAS have some CRJs ?????????/

 

[User0001]

Another one to add to the already lengthy 'unserved' list, I can't see who else would take it on

It will be a hard gap to fill, but perhaps one for Norwegian 2-3 weekly. They serve it from LGW and with the rumours of growth, could be a prime route.

MAN has BA to Gothenburg, but, is only served due to a corporate contract as the operating costs are astronomical for a small jet route, therefore the contract gives the yield to match, otherwise it would be unnerved from here too.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Graz is now in Google flights starting 27th February. It currently shows 2x weekly on Mon and Fri.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Mon

BHX 07:30 GRZ 10:40
GRZ 11:10 BHX 12:40

Fri

BHX 11:25 GRZ 14:35
GRZ 15:05 BHX 16:35

E145 used.

 

[nwoody2001]

BHX has gone from 1x Austrian route to 3x routes in 2 days

 

[thunderchild]

I make it four....Innsbruck, Salzburg and now Vienna and Graz.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Looking at flights to Graz in March.

Lufthansa with a stop in FRA are coming up as £205, to go direct with BMIR is £1140.

 

[thunderchild]

It'll be interesting to see if Graz succeeds or not, the potential to take away business traffic from Lufthansa is there.

 

[DaveBham]

I used to fly to Graz several times a year from Stansted with Ryanair.
It's a really well located airport. We used it to get to the wine regions of Northern Slovenia (Maribor, Ptuj, etc) but it's equally well placed for Zagreb and parts of Hungary.
A very interesting town in itself, Graz is a really useful addition to BHX. I hope it's reasonably affordable, and above all ,that people use it.

 

[nwoody2001]

https://twitter.com/Hello_BHX/status/817454260384215040

 

[Ray Finkle]

In case there was any doubt both Gothenburg and Nuremberg are now on the drop down list in the timetable section of the BMIR website. The timings should be added soon.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Courtesy of Ian F.

Graz - Mon 0730-1240 & Fri 1125-1635
Gothenberg - Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu 1315-1750, Fri 0620-1055 & Sun 0800-1235
Nuremburg - Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu & Fri 1820-2215 & Sun 1305-1700

 

[Daza]

Conformation of the BHX BMI base
https://www.flybmi.com/press-release/bmi-regional-announces-new-birmingham-hub-three-new-routes/
Graz up to 4 x week I think BHX may get a Sat leisure route too.
Daza

 

[thunderchild]

I wonder how they'll do? Gothenburg has been and gone before and recently MAN lost their flight so it'll be interesting to see how it fares. Has Nuremburg ever been served from BHX before?

 

[Daza]

All the routes will operate in conjunction with JLR so I guess is they will already have a proportion of the seats guarenteed sold. BMIR did operate GOT from BHX a few years ago when their bases was gazumpted (well one route LYS) by Flybe. The GOT numbers picked up before it was pulled. Also crude numbers dont mean much when you look at BMIR fares!
Lets hope the routes work!
Daza

 

[Ray Finkle]

Great to see it formally announced and a nice increase on Graz already.

Below is the press release linked by Daza

Graz, Gothenburg and Nuremberg flights to launch this spring

16 January 2017 – bmi regional is creating a new hub at Birmingham airport, launching three exciting new European routes from the UK’s second city. The new routes to Graz, Austria, Nuremburg, Germany and Gothenburg, Sweden will start in early 2017.

The Graz flight will commence on 27 February 2017, initially with a twice weekly service on Mondays and Fridays, increasing to four times weekly in March. Fares will start from just £99 one way. The Nuremberg and Gothenburg routes will launch on 8 May 2017, with six return flights per week. Fares start from £79 one way and £89 one way respectively.

Launching a new base at Birmingham, bmi regional’s new destinations from the Midlands will offer exciting opportunities for customers looking for a new and inspiring experiences in 2017.

Graz
Austria’s second largest city, Graz lies on the River Mur and is twinned with the Midlands city of Coventry. Being culturally important, Graz was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites in 1999. Here visitors will enjoy attractions including:

• Schlossberg and the Clock Tower which can be ascended by funicular railway.
• Projekt Spielberg – Red Bull’s home of motorsports and the venue of Austria’s F1 race, MotoGP and DTM, to name but a few. Here visitors can enjoy fine dining, luxury hotels, driving experiences, golf and spa treatments 365 days a year, plus much more for those seeking adrenalin-filled experiences.
• Steirische Weinstrasse: a wine region which is also known as the Austrian Tuscany.
• Thermenregion: a spa area home to nine thermal spas, each offering their own unique take on the healing thermal waters of the area.
• Golf: Graz is home to 10 courses including six 18 hole courses, one of them a championship course.
• Graz is also a superb gateway to some of Austria’s best ski resorts, including Schladming and the Dachstein region.

Graz will be bmi regional’s first destination in Austria.

Nuremberg
The Bavarian city of Nuremberg is the second largest city in the region after Munich. Nuremberg is dominated by the imposing gothic style castle which towers over the city. There is a vast arts and culture scene in the city and a host of museums dedicated to design, painting and modern art.

Nuremberg is also famous for its links to astronomy, dating back as far as 1471, when astronomer Johannes Mueller built an observatory in the city.

The food and drink is also of great appeal to the region’s visitors, namely Bratwurst (local grilled sausage) and Lebkuchen (gingerbread). Nuremberg is also particularly busy around Christmas time when its annual market draws in excess of 1million visitors from all over the world.

Nuremberg will be bmi regional’s 7th destination in Germany.

Gothenburg
Just two hours’ flying time from Birmingham, Gothenburg is Sweden’s second city and remains a popular mini break destination thanks to its fabulous food, eclectic culture and vibrant nightlife. Gothenburg has six restaurants in the city with a Michelin Star rating. Home to stylish boutiques and fashion labels including Nudie Jeans and Monki, the city also boasts the Haga district for vintage finds and several microbreweries such as Norda Bar & Grill and Dugges.

The city enjoys many parks and open spaces, not to mention its extensive network of waterways, making it an ideal city break destination. Highlights of a visit include:

• Gothia Towers, one of Europe’s top 5 biggest hotels boasting an open air, glass bottomed swimming pool, on the 19thfloor.
• Gothenburg Botanical Gardens
• Scandinavia’s biggest amusement park, Liseberg
• Gothenburg Museum of Art

Gothenburg will be bmi regional’s 4th destination in Sweden.

Commenting on the new launches, Jochen Schnadt, Chief Commercial Officer from bmi regional, said: “We are delighted to be introducing flights from Birmingham as part of our ever expanding portfolio. bmi regional has always offered customers an array of up and coming destinations to explore and enjoy, and we anticipate all three routes to be popular. Given the many issues we are facing in different parts of Europe and the world these days, many people are looking for new experiences in more familiar regions and our new destinations have an abundance of interesting and exciting experiences to offer to customers. We’re also happy to once again be bringing the bmi regional level of quality, convenience, service and professionalism to travellers from the Midlands.”

William Pearson, Aviation Director of Birmingham Airport said: “It is great news that bmi regional will be offering flights to Nuremberg, Gothenburg and Graz this year. All three routes are currently un-served from Birmingham, so we thank bmi regional for filling these gaps and offering leisure travellers the chance to visit these vibrant city break destinations in Sweden, Austria and Germany with an airline that offers excellent service, efficiency and value.”

“The link between Austria’s second-largest city and the second-largest city in the United Kingdom offers many opportunities for tourism in both cities,” explains Gerhard Widmann, Managing Director of Graz Airport. “The scheduled flights to Birmingham are a good example of what can happen when all parties – airline, economy, tourism and airport – cooperate well and openly to achieve a shared goal!”

Dr Michael Hupe, Managing Director of Nuremberg Airport, is equally enthusiastic about the new route: “Nuremberg’s new connection to Birmingham will undoubtedly enrich our economy. We are looking forward to working with bmi regional in the future”

Charlotte Ljunggren, Airport Director at Swedavia, added: “With a new passenger record set for 2016, we are happy to start the new year by adding an additional destination from Gothenburg Landvetter Airport. The number of leisure travellers between the UK and Sweden is increasing, so we’re happy that bmi regional is adding new capacity.”

All fares include complimentary in flight drinks and snacks, 23kg of hold luggage, allocated seating and speedy 30 minute check-ins.

Flights on all-routes go on sale from Tuesday 17 January 2017.

For more information or to book a flight with bmi regional visit www.flybmi.com

 

[Jerry]

For BMI so prices seem quite cheap!