BMI » User reviews

tabitaw flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a Embraer 135 (25/08/2010 20:00)

Within the last four years I've often travelled with BMI on the Copenhagen-Glasgow route. At no point have they disappointed me. Their service is impeccable, their staff is friendly and their baggage never gets lost on the way.

That's already enough for them to be a great choice for me to fly with, but the fact that they're usually way ahead of the schedule and rarely land after the estimated time really is rather great. On my last flight I checked in my suitcase and brought my hand luggage trolley as well as my laptop briefcase to the gate. My trolley was white-tagged and put away with the big suitcases so I wouldn't have to worry about it fitting in the overhead lockers while I carried my laptop case onto the flight. The flight attendants were friendly and helpful as always, and so was the captain.

After the plane took off (exactly on time) and we were in the air, the attendants offered everyone croissants (this is what you get on morning flights, at other time they'll offer sandwiches or similar) along with their preferred drink and tea/coffee. On most flights they also offer snacks such as crisps or mini pretzels.

As we approached our destination, the captain did a little follow-up on the trip and made sure everyone knew what time-zone we were in and what the weather was like. The landing was great, and as it often is with Bmi, ten minutes early. This meant we could go in, get our luggage and be in Arrivals by the time of the scheduled landing.

Bmi is by far my favourite airline and although it's not especially cheap you really get your money's worth. I would recommend them to anyone.

anonymous flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A319-100 (2-Class) (20/08/2010 14:05)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS I checked in on-line for this flight via the Bmi website and printed out my boarding pass. As we are both Silver Card holders with Bmi, we were able to use the Premium Check-In at London Heathrow Terminal 1. Although we initially went to the Premium Bag Drop, these desks were unattended so we went back round to the normal check-in and our bags were quickly processed with the attendant marking our bags with priority tags. We then proceeded to Security via the channel by the Bmi Economy Check-In. There was no queue and just had to remove the lap top from my hand luggage. We were airside within 10 minutes of arriving at the airport which I was very impressed with on this Friday afternoon.

THE LOUNGE We then made our way to the Bmi International Lounge. It was about half-full and offered soup at the Aga and a wide selection of sandwiches and salads. I like the individual seats in the lounge and the views across the northern runway, as well as the self-service bar.

BOARDING No announcements are made in the lounge but there are plenty of screens to keep you updated. At 17.15 the screen advised to go to Gate 5. As this was the first time I had used this former BA Lounge, I was unsure as to the route to Gate 5 as it seemed a rather torturous route from Security to find the International Lounge in the first place. I need not have worried as there was a staircase that descended directly into Gate 5 that I remembered from when I used to fly domestically with BA. When we arrived into Gate 5, the Berlin flight was due to depart from Gate 5C, whilst there was also a Lufthansa flight due to depart for Frankfurt from Gate 5A.

When Boarding commenced, they initially called persons requiring extra time such as those with children, Business Class and Star Alliance Gold Card holder. As we both only had Bmi Silver Cards we continued to wait. They then called passengers in Rows 15 to 23 which caused some problems as many of the passengers appeared to be non-English speaking. There were also some people who tried to board who were ticketed to go to Frankfurt!

THE SEAT Once on board everyone took their seats quickly. Bmi used the Airbus 319 on this route, and had just 3 Flight Attendants. As the first 3 rows were blocked off for Business Class, I was surprised at this until I realised that there was just one Business Class passenger. Business Class on this A319 was configured as 2-2 with the middle seat blocked out. Economy is configured 3-3. In terms of the best seat, Row 9 is the Emergency Exit row but these seats were not available when I tried to check-in online. I would therefore recommend to be seated as far forward as possible.

The plane pushed back on time at 17.50 but did not actually become airborne until 18.10 which was probably really good for Heathrow on a Friday afternoon! After about 10 minutes the cabin crew started to move around the cabin, but it took a further 35 minutes before the seat belt sign was turned off which caused some confusion as some passengers really needed the toilet!

MENU One of the confusing aspects with Bmi at present is the service that is received in Economy. Everybody around me had purchased their own sandwiches and drinks only to discover that on this flight Bmi serve a sandwich (on this occasion cheese, tomato and pesto on brown bread) and a drink of choice including alcoholic drinks though not champagne. Their website is unclear and from talking with my fellow passengers the view is to err on the safe side and purchase something in advance. The Bmi in-flight magazine that was available in the Bmi International Lounge does not help either. In fact it details that on flights to Hanover in Germany, all food and beverages need to be purchased. On the subject of the in-flight magazine, this caused more confusion as the version available on the plane was the Lufthansa version with no sign of the Bmi Voyager magazine.

The flight was pretty uneventful, with just one very brisk run down the aisle with a trolley that they said contained duty free items. The attendants are clearly not bonused too highly, if at all, as they made no effort to try to sell anything.

ARRIVAL The flight arrived on schedule, though we were delayed disembarking as the aircraft parked at a remote stand and we had to take a bus to Passport Control. There were 4 windows open so we were processed quickly before reaching the baggage carousel. After a further 5 minutes the bags appeared.

VERDICT A punctual, professional service by Bmi. However, the airline does need to make it clearer as to the service available on board.

kevgaratt flew BMI Business (short haul), on a A321-200 (config 2) (29/06/2010 17:12)

BMI staff at check in at a hang up about excess baggage. She refused to check in our hand luggage despite the fact that our suitcase was only 12 Kg and the hand baggage came to only 7 Kg

PJordan flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A319-100 (26/06/2010 20:47)

DUB-LHR-DUB Economy Extra.

I paid for economy extra DUB-LHR and used a Diamond Club upgrade voucher for LHR-DUB. Unfortunately this can only be done by telephoning the Diamond Club call centre which was as problematic as usual. Lounge staff used to be empowered to accept the old paper vouchers: this was much more customer friendly. Surely more cost effective for the company too.

One of the benefits of economy eatra is the availability os seat selection just after purchase. I was also able to select my seat on the return leg after I had used my voucher to upgrade.

I was pleasantly surprised to note that Economy extra also entitled me to use the fast track security channel at Dublin airport. This was most welcome as Saturday morning is very busy at Dublin Airport.

BMI's Dublin lounge is quite close to the departure gate (the old "b" pier). The range of snacks is less than that on offer in LHR, but quite ok for an early morning flight.

Boarding was called on time, with the invitation for priority boarding extended to Diamond Club PAX and Economy extra ticket holders to board at one's leisure. This is most welcome when sitting in exit rows where cabin baggage must be stowed.

The Airbus A319 was immaculate, and configured in full economy, seats being 3-3. Economy extra and economy flexible pax are seated at the front of the aircraft, but do not have the extra width that the old 3-2 Business Class cabin had.

Push back was a little late but we made up the time on route. The flight deck udates were very good.

As always, cabin crew were very welcoming. Economy extra pax have a choice of hot panini for breakfast (cheese & ham or egg & mushroom) with hot drink and muffin. It's quite adequate but not in thesame league as the old business class cooked breakfast.

We landed pretty much on time at LHR with a short taxi to stand.

Returning, I was once again very much impressed with the refurbished great British Lounge at LHR. I remain amazed at how much better the lounge is! I particularly like the big jars of old fashioned sweets.....just like being a child again! All that's missing is a few copies of the "Beezer" or "Topper" (showing my age now!!).

There was plenty of fruit, biscuits, cake, cheese, crackers, savoury snacks with a full bar service. Sadly the range of newspapers and magazines in BMI lounges is less than heretofore, but this is most likely due to the need to reduce costs.

It is a longish walk from the Lounge to the departure gates: this is the principal advantage Aer Lingus has over BMI.

Again, when boarding began, Diamond Club members anf economy extra pax were invited to board at thir leisure. As I was seated in 1D, I boarded early to ensure a space for my shoulder bag in the overhead bin.

Cabin crew gave the usual warm welcome and the Airbus A319 was in excellent condition. We pushed back a few minutes late but as before made up lost time and touched down on schedule.

The catering choice was roast beef or cheese & salad sandwich. I opted for the beef which was pretty good. The beer I had to wash it down was nicely chilled.

The flight experience was excellent:: BMI's frontline staff are consistently superb. It's just a pity that the call centre staff are less so. As an alternative to business class, I have mixed feelings about the enhanced economy product. Priority boarding, advanced seat selection, fast track security are most welcome.

However the inflight experience lacks the feel good factor that the old business class used to have. That said, we are talking about a short haul flight (barely an hour) so it is entirely possible that I am in the minority in this opinion. Mind you, the range of food available to purchase in standard economy is also reduced, which I feel to be a backward step, as well as a lost revenue stream.

BMI has a lot of good points, but diluting the product any further would (in my opinion) be a mistake.

yamyam_flyer flew BMI Business, on a A320-200 (17/06/2010 18:06)

PJordan flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A320-200 (config 2) (11/05/2010 19:05)

LHR-MAN Airbus 320. Checking online was a breeze and having boarding passes in one's hand going to the airport is a boon. I had chosen seat 3D but this was changed just before boarding to 12D due to a change of aircraft. No major hassle with this, just a few extra yards to walk!

Cabin crew gave a very warm welcome as usual.

The Airbus 320 was configured 3-3. The blue leather seats were very comfortable, and the aircraft very clean.

The flight was very quiet and I (as most pax) had a row to myself. I had a beer and packet of nuts which was a little steep at £4.50. The range of onboard catering is quite small now, only premium economy pax have sandwiches now. I would have thought that offering them for sale would have generated a valuable revenue stream.

We had a slightly delayed departure due to non appearance of some pasengers, however the captainmade up for this.

I must mention the refurbished domestic lounge at Heathrow: the London Room. On entry it is very similar to the Great British Lounge (for International pax). Brown/beige and black/grey are the predominant colour schemes and with the use of natural light make it a very pleasantarea. The toilets have also been refurbished and now offer Miller Harris toiletries.

As it was mid morning there was a range of cereals, pastries, and fruits which were ample for a continental breakfast. There was agood range of crispsand snacks as well as the normal range of soft and alcoholic drinks.

One thing caught my eye: old fashioned jars of sweets (sherbert lemons, licquorice chews and chocolates), just like what sweet shops had when we were younger. What a nice touch.

New PC terminals with complimentary internet access have been installed with plenty of spaces for those who wish to use lap tops, thus catering for leisure and business travellers.

Overall the London Room is a vastly improved and a very pleasant spot to wait for a flight.

anonymous flew BMI Business (short haul), on a A321-200 (config 2) (24/04/2010 07:23)

LHR-CAI. Very good flight. Business class config is good for medium haul. entertainment system pretty antiquated- not on demand and choice of 5 channels.

On board service excellent and attentive. All drinks/food brought from galley on trays- no trolleys in the cabin. Brunch was served - fresh fruit and pastries, then chicken escalope with fresh tomato/herb sauce and lemon mousee. Plenty of drinks runs throughout the flight. Convenient flight times. WOuld definitely recommend.

Daniel95eb flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A321-200 (2-Class) (09/04/2010 09:43)

Flew heathrow to Amman, It was good.

PJordan flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A319-100 (11/03/2010 21:48)

LHR-DUB Economy Flexible

BMI very kindly upgraded me from Economy as a goodwill gesture arising from some problems I experienced whilst checking in on line. I was curious to compare the new economy flex to the defunct business class.

Whilst waiting in LHR my wife and I enjoyed the facilities at the Star Alliance lounge. We enjoyed an excellent lunch (creamy mushroom soup, chicken tikka & rice, and sandwiches). We later moved to the BMI domestic lounge which is closer to the Dublin gates. The downstairs lounge is closed for a refit so all pax are directed upstairs which was quite full. Just as we entered a flight was called thus freeing up many seats. The range of newspapers and magazines isn't quite as lavish as heretofore but this is most likely due to cost cutting, something all too familiar these days. We enjoyed cheese & crackers which was sufficient to keep us going until boarding.

Our flight being called we went to gate 84 to find most pax already boarded, this meant a short wait till push back.

The Airbus 319 was very clean: blue leather seats and red patterned carpet. A most attractive combination. Cabin crew were very welcoming and later gave a good safety demonstration. The entire cabin is configured 3-3 so economy flex differs from business in having no extra personal space. However for a short flight this is no hardship. There appeared to be a high take up of economy flex seats which will no doubt have a positive impact on the bottom line.

The service consists of a sandwich, snack and drink. No hot meal is available, even to purchase. We had egg sandwiches which were of high quality.

The flight was very smooth and we landed 10 minutes early which was very welcome. My wife commented later that the take off and landing were the smoothest she has ever experienced.

On a strictly personal level, I miss the old business class food, drink and space. However I am aware of the need to maximise revenue in today's climate. Given the high take up of economy flex seats on this flight, BMI may well have hit the bullseye. I still feel that economy pax would like to option to buy a snack more substantial than a biscuit or crisps. Also it would generate additional revenue for BMI: not everyone has lounge access and for those in a hurry buying a (particularly early morning), buying a breakfast on the plane is quicker than on the terminal.

Overall a very pleasant experience, and well done to BMI.

peoplesonrules flew BMI Business, on a A330-200 (3-Class) (01/03/2010 17:14)

The flight was generally good. The bed was quite comfortable and the 3 pre - set positions are very good. The food was fantastic, however it doesn't stand up to Virgin and BA's 'freedom menu' however it was nice. The bed was a bit narrow but that wasn't too bad. The main problem was the IFE! All major airlines have AVOD IFE in First/Business class, BMI still only has Odyssey system! The cabin crew were very good (though slightly lazy) and the noise cancelling headphones actually worked (unlike BA and United)!!! :)

sander1985 flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A319-100 (23/02/2010 14:43)

Flight from London Heathrow to Amsterdam. registration of the plane was : G-DBCF Very correct flight. More then enough legroom and good seats ( not hard). The flight departed right on time, and landed 25 minutes ahead of schedule. Crew were friendly but I missed a little snack and drink.

sander1985 flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A319-100 (22/02/2010 15:49)

I made a trip to London Heathrow for a couple off days planespotting. Our plane was scheduled to depart at 13.55 from Amsterdam ( Schiphol) We already checked in via internet. This procedure was de longest online check in I even had to do, but ik worked fine. We could pick out our preferred seats and print the Boarding passes. When we arrived at Schiphol we walked to a check-in counter to drop our bags. This was quickly done.

Boarding started at 13.30 and the plane was filled in no-time. We departed Schiphol around 14.00 via Runway 18C. The flight itself was short ( 40min). The seats on the plane G-DBCK where comfortable an not hard, as I read in some flight experiences. More then enough legroom is offered, I could fully stretch my legs. Further some snacks of drinks are NOT included in the standard economy tickets. This was confusing, the crew came by with drinks en snacks, but a lot of passengers thought it was free, but instead they had to pay for it.

After a very smooth landing at Heathrow we could leave the plane,and walk to the border for a passport control. This was fast and we just had to wait around 5 minutes for our luggage. So nothing to complain about.

For me this was a very good fligh with BMI !

PJordan flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A319-100 (11/02/2010 19:37)

DUB-LHR-DUB Economy. Online check-in was the usual breeze and being able to check in for both legs of the journey was very helpful. This was my first BMI flight since the introduction of the new flexible economy class.

I didn't take that opton but there seemed to be a good number of pax who did. The primary difference between this and business is that the seats (Airbus 319) are configured 3-3 throught the aircraft thus depriving pax of the extra personal space that went with business class.

The meal service is now only a warm panini or sandwich with snack and drink. Biggest surprise of all was the very limited range of snacks available for purchase in the main economy cabiin. The most substantial offering is a packet of nuts. I would have no difficulty in purchasing a sandwich as the only food available in lounges tends to be cakes , biscuits, crisps, nuts, crossaints, none of which are particularly filling.

Boarding was by row with the option of boarding at will for Diamond Club and economy flexible pax. It was very well organised at both airports. Both aircraft were Airbus 319 and had nice blue leather seats. Seat pitch was good and unlike some carriers, there is sufficient length in the seat belt to fit my girth with room to spare. The cabin was impeccable and crew gave all pax a warm welcome. There were no delays and the captains kept us well informed of flight times, progress, etc. Both flights landed on time and cabin crew bade us a warm farewell.

A very pleasant flight experience (albeit with a restricted level of catering) in clean well presented aircraft. Fares were excellent value too.

victor1993 flew BMI Business, on a A330-200 (15/01/2010 08:39)

PJordan flew BMI Business (short haul), on a A319-100 (2-Class) (14/01/2010 16:59)

BD120 Dub-LHR. I had checked in on line the previous day and was pleased to note that as well as being able to check-in on line 24 hours before my outward flight, I was now able to check in for my same day return, even though it was well outside the 24 hour timeframe. A small thing but it meant only one visit to the laptop and printer.

The BMI louge in Dublin is quite close to the B Pier where most of their flights depart. There is a good range of newspapers and magazines, with a small range of snacks and plenty of drinks on offer.

Boarding was by row number with an invitation to business class and gold & silver Diamond Club members to board at their leisure. A nice touch.

Just when boarding was completed(about 8.20am) the Captain emerged from the cockpit and announced that we would be delayed till 11.00am due to snow at Heathrow. During the long wait the flight & cabin crews spoke to many passengers and put many passengers' minds (worried about onward connections) at rest. Drinks were offered and the excellent BMI staff made a long delay as painless as possible.

Breakfast was offered whilst on the ground at 10.00am and was very welcome indeed. Not having to wait to be airborne was a welcome thought.

The cabin is configured 3-3 in both classes with blue leather seat facings. It was very pleasant and well cleaned.

I had selected 1A having been pre assigned 1F. I sometimes find DEF seats can be a bit tight if all three are occupied.

Overall this was an unusual flight havng to spend almost 4 hours on board for what normally takes just over one hour. However the flght and cabin crews did so much to make the situation bearable: well done all.

PJordan flew BMI Business (short haul), on a A319-100 (2-Class) (14/01/2010 16:40)

kathcake10 flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A320-200 (all economy) (01/01/2010 15:49)

I recently travelled on BMI on a short haul trip to Edinburgh. Luckily we had self-service check in which meant we didn't have to take our place in the normal queues. The line for check in was very long, and would probably have taken around 20 mins-half hour to get through. When flying with other airlines I have not seen a line as long as this one was.

The gate didn't open at the time it was supposed to and ended up opening around 10 minutes later. The queue for boarding wasn't too bad however and it was relatively quick to get on the plane. On my return again the boarding was very quick and I found no problem with this. The flight left well on time, in fact it was about 5 minutes early, which is definitely a positive. When taking my seat on the plane I found it to be very uncomfortable an quite hard, like there was some wood directly under it. There is very little leg room on cheap flights such as these which unfortunately can be a negative if you need to stretch your legs.

As we were only flying for a hour I didn't order any breakfast but the hostesses were coming around with small snacks and hot/cold drinks for passengers quite quickly.

The toilets were very small, as is expected on a airline restroom, but they were clean and didn't smell at all.

There was no entertainment offered on this flight, for example no head phones, TV programmes etc which may have made it quite boring for some people. Although the flight was too short for a film, a general short tv programme may have made the journey more interesting.

The flight back was delayed by 5 hours but I have to say this was not BMI's fault. Thanks to the snowy conditions planes were delayed for hours, and they did offer a £5 food/drink voucher to make up for this delay.

Overall for a no thrills cheap airline, BMI offered what it said on the tin! Basically it go you from A to B without giving you much back in return.

PJordan flew BMI Business (short haul), on a A321-200 (config 2) (20/12/2009 00:17)

DUB-LHR-DUB Dec 2009. When checking on line I noticed that the boarding passes were a new format and when printed, looked very slightly blurred. When I approached the security area in Dublin, the machine was unable to read the barcode. The BMI ticket desk is only a short waly away and a very helpful gentleman issues both boarding passes with apologies for the delay. I returned to the business boarding area at Dublin and was through within seconds. At busy times, this is a boon.

The BMI lounge is located midway along the shopping area and close to the B pier (from which most BMI flights depart.

Boarding was on time and while pax are caled by row numbers, Business and Diamond Club Gold vard holders may board at leisure. As I like row 1, I often board early to ensure space in the overhead cabins (all hane luggage must be stowed when In row 1. Luckily there is a wardrobe available for coats/jackets, and this frees up some space in the overhead bins as well as avoiding wrinkled jackets!

The business cabin on most UK/IRL BMI Airbus 200 series is 3-2 configuration. This often estends a couple of rows into economy cabin and these seats are often allocated to Diamond Club members; a welcme bonus when flying economy.

Sometimes BMI use former BMED aircraft on the Dublin London route. These have a 2-2 business configuration and the seats are huge with an enhanced pitch.

Business service offers a cooked breakfast with warm breads. The orange juice served is of a very high quality and when mixed with a glass of Champagne (Cattier of Charles Laffite) makes for an excellent follow up to breakfast.

Cabin crew are invariably friendly and most obliging.

Arrival at LHR entails the usual trek from T1 to arrivals which is longer than usual as the moving walkways are closed for maintenance.

Returning from LHR the security at T1 is very efficient, and within a few minutes one is free to explore the excellent range of shopping on offer. The BMI lounge is being refurbished and only the ground floor is operational. There is a good range of magazines and newspapers on offer with plenty of nibbles and drinks to choose from. It is a fair walk from the lounge to the boarding gate and this is BMI's sole disadvantage compared to Aer Lingus at LHR (their lounge is adjacent to the gates).

The service from LHR is identical to that from Dublin, save for the meal being (in this case) beef with potatoes and vegatables.

Arriving at Dublin is usually at theB pier which is a short walk to passport control and baggage collectio.

Business return fares are on the region of 450 Euro, but is is very possible to secure an economy return for well under 100euro.

All told I consider BMI to offer the bst of both worlds. A very good business product with a keenly priced economy service..

PJordan flew BMI Business (short haul), on a A321-200 (config 2) (20/12/2009 00:17)

DUB-LHR-DUB Dec 2009. When checking on line I noticed that the boarding passes were a new format and when printed, looked very slightly blurred. When I approached the security area in Dublin, the machine was unable to read the barcode. The BMI ticket desk is only a short waly away and a very helpful gentleman issues both boarding passes with apologies for the delay. I returned to the business boarding area at Dublin and was through within seconds. At busy times, this is a boon.

The BMI lounge is located midway along the shopping area and close to the B pier (from which most BMI flights depart.

Boarding was on time and while pax are caled by row numbers, Business and Diamond Club Gold vard holders may board at leisure. As I like row 1, I often board early to ensure space in the overhead cabins (all hane luggage must be stowed when In row 1. Luckily there is a wardrobe available for coats/jackets, and this frees up some space in the overhead bins as well as avoiding wrinkled jackets!

The business cabin on most UK/IRL BMI Airbus 200 series is 3-2 configuration. This often estends a couple of rows into economy cabin and these seats are often allocated to Diamond Club members; a welcme bonus when flying economy.

Sometimes BMI use former BMED aircraft on the Dublin London route. These have a 2-2 business configuration and the seats are huge with an enhanced pitch.

Business service offers a cooked breakfast with warm breads. The orange juice served is of a very high quality and when mixed with a glass of Champagne (Cattier of Charles Laffite) makes for an excellent follow up to breakfast.

Cabin crew are invariably friendly and most obliging.

Arrival at LHR entails the usual trek from T1 to arrivals which is longer than usual as the moving walkways are closed for maintenance.

Returning from LHR the security at T1 is very efficient, and within a few minutes one is free to explore the excellent range of shopping on offer. The BMI lounge is being refurbished and only the ground floor is operational. There is a good range of magazines and newspapers on offer with plenty of nibbles and drinks to choose from. It is a fair walk from the lounge to the boarding gate and this is BMI's sole disadvantage compared to Aer Lingus at LHR (their lounge is adjacent to the gates).

The service from LHR is identical to that from Dublin, save for the meal being (in this case) beef with potatoes and vegatables.

Arriving at Dublin is usually at theB pier which is a short walk to passport control and baggage collectio.

Business return fares are on the region of 450 Euro, but is is very possible to secure an economy return for well under 100euro.

All told I consider BMI to offer the bst of both worlds. A very good business product with a keenly priced economy service..

freshairways flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A321-200 (23/09/2009 13:40)

We flew to cyprus on a BMI A321 (G-MIDC) the flight was very good The seats were not very comfortable but their was plenty of legroom. service was very good also very good value. there was no inflight entertainment showing althoguh there was earphone jacks and tv screens.

anonymous flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A319-100 (01/04/2009 15:43)

A characteristically underwhelming flight from a once class-leading airline. Forty minute queue at VCE to deposit suitcase despite having checked in on-line; there being no fast baggage drop, or even a slow one. No food whatsoever available at any price on the flight; cabin crew said that a two-and-quarter hour flight sector was not long enough to serve sandwiches - and these are the people who used to serve a full cooked breakfast between LHR & GLA.

anonymous flew BMI Economy (short haul), on a A319-100 (01/04/2009 15:19)

A characteristically underwhelming flight from a once class-leading airline. Forty minute queue at VCE to deposit suitcase despite having checked in on-line; there being no fast baggage drop, or even a slow one. No food whatsoever available at any price on the flight; cabin crew said that a two-and-quarter hour flight sector was not long enough to serve sandwiches - and these are the people who used to serve a full cooked breakfast between LHR & GLA.

PJordan flew BMI Business (short haul), on a A319-100 (2-Class) (30/03/2009 20:53)

LHR - DUB March 2009

Business cabin is cinfigured 2-3 giving plenty of width. Seat pitch however is a little tight, so I would recommend row 1 as the bulkhead is far enough away not to impede leg room.

1C is possibly the best seat on the plane as the wardrobe is in front of and slightly to the left of one, thus giving massive space in front of one.

PJordan flew BMI Business (short haul) (21/03/2009 13:18)

DUB-LHR Feb 2009. The business cabin in most BMI cross channel flights is configured 2-3. I had seat 2A which meant that there was ample space beside me, even if 2C had been occupied.

The seats are finished in leather and are quite comfortable.

The morning service is very good: choice of fresh breads, good cooked breakfast and coffee which seems freshly ground: one of the best cups I have had for a long time. I asked the (very friendly) flight attendant if I could have a glass of champagne, and she was only too happy to oblige, even suggesting I had it with orange juice.

This was a very comfortable flight; seat was excellent as was the service.

PJordan flew BMI Economy (short haul) (18/03/2009 00:16)

bmi operate a two cabin service on short haul flights. Diamond Club members are automatically seated in the forwardmost rows in economy. These are often business class seats in a 2-3 configuration with A and C being the most spacious.

Occasionally on single cabin flights, the business cabin is allocated to economy. On a recent LHR-MAN flight I was delighted to note that the first few seat rows were 2-2 configuration with very wide seats (and huge pitch). This particular aircraft was an Airbus but I am unsure of the exact model.

Boarding domestic flights from BMI's London Heathrow lounge is a very short step, but Dublin flights incur a long trek thgough a succession of metal tubes.

All but the lowest Diamind Club tier levels get complementary food & drink in economy, a very nice touch.

wpcardiff flew BMI Business (short haul), on a A320-200 (09/11/2008 18:52)

I travel frequently on this aircraft and the A321 on the London - Dublin route always in business class. It has got to be the greatest insult to full fare business passengers in existence. The seats are cramped in the extreme and BMI persist in using the middle seat on one side if the aircraft thereby making an uncomfortable journey even more unpleasant should you be unlucky enough to be sitting on that side . The food in a box is only on a par with a charter airline and the whole experience is an unsatisfactory and very expensive proposition. I might add that this level of service is not related to the current econoic climate but has been the case for a number of years. I have to say the mid haul 2-2 configuration is superb but I wish BMI would take a look at some of their Star partners and see the service they manage to provide on their short haul sectors

bb99456 flew BMI Business, on a A330-200 (3-Class) (23/10/2008 18:34)

Excellent service with on board chef. Business class seats 'OK' but a little narrow to sleep on your side. Best way to travel between Manchester and the US

nickpiggott flew BMI Premium Economy, on a A330-200 (3-Class) (26/09/2008 22:13)

I found BMI's Premium Economy product (on flights ex-MAN) to be significantly better than my expectations. The seating is exceptionally comfortable (and on par with some airlines business products of 2005-2006), and the legroom is sufficiently generous. The 2-2-2 configuration on the A330-200 aircraft is spacious. The catering is in line with the economy product, but in my personal opinion, is certainly good enough. As an added bonus, they make a superb cup of tea.