Love is in the air

Romance is in the air with Valentine’s Day fast approaching.  Why not whisk your loved one off to one of these bmibaby destinations and try something different.

Paris

Head to the capital of love for Valentines Day and make a quirky romantic gesture for your loved one.  Every Valentine’s Day, Paris’ 170 announcement boards, usually used for city information, are given to the general public for everything from marriage proposals to messages of infatuation.  The desired message can be submitted from the start of February, click here for more details.  

Fly to Paris with bmibaby from East Midlands Airport from just £24.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Nice

Fly to Nice and take part in Nice Carnival, which this year has a theme of ‘King of the Blue Planet’.  This winter carnival, taking place from 12 -28 February 2010, is one of the largest in the world, comprising 20 floats telling the story of the Blue Planet.  These giant, colourful parades take place day and night, with entertainment provided by over 1,000 musicians and dancers from across the world.  For more information, click here.

Fly to Nice with bmibaby from East Midlands Airport from just £37.99 one way including taxes and charges.  bmibaby also fly from Birmingham to Nice, fares start from £24.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Venice

From 6 – 16 February 2010 the city is taken over by the Venice Carnival.  For two weeks there will be a series of processions, masquerades, music and festivities.  It is tradition to attend the carnival wearing a mask, and at night there are endless balls to attend. The theme for the 2010 Carnival is ‘Sensation’, inviting visitors to discover the city through sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.  For more information click here.

Fly to Venice with bmibaby from East Midlands Airport from just £32.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Flights proving popular with rugby fans in Wales

Rugby fans in Wales are taking advantage of bmibaby's unique flights from Cardiff Airport to Dublin for the RBS 6 Nations match: Wales v Ireland in March 2010.   The airline will offer five special flights to and from Dublin between 12 -14 March 2010, so rugby fans can watch Wales take on Ireland.  The flights are already over 70 per cent full with just under two months until the match.  This route has previously not been served by bmibaby and is a new addition to the current flying programme operating especially for the RBS 6 Nations match. 

Extra flights for RBS 6 Nations match: Wales v Ireland 13 March 2010

Cardiff to Dublin

Dublin to Cardiff

In 2009 bmibaby helped rugby fans travel from Cardiff to Edinburgh for the RBS 6 Nations tournament by adding extra services from the airport.  These flights proved hugely popular with fans, meaning a quick route to Murrayfields, rather than braving a seven hour drive on the M6. 

Crawford Rix, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are delighted to be able to meet the extra demand for flights from rugby fans wishing to support Cardiff as they take on Ireland in the RBS 6 Nations Tournament.  We have three flights departing for Dublin prior to the match and we expect these to fill up fast.  For any fans who have not yet booked their seats there is still time as we currently have seats available.”

bmibaby and Belfast Visitors and Convention Bureau have teamed up with Europe a la Carte to offer one lucky person the chance to win a weekend break in Belfast for two people. 

The prize includes return flights from East Midlands, Birmingham, Manchester or Cardiff Airport, accommodation for two nights at Malmaison Belfast, a guided taxi tour of the city and dinner at the award winning no27 Talbot Street restaurant.

How to enter:

1. Click through to @karenbryan Twitter page.

2. Decide on the location of the background photo on Karen’s Twitter page. It’s a European capital city. Follow @karenbryan on Twitter for some more clues during the week. To follow Karen you need to click on the ‘Follow’ button just under the small photo of Karen at the top left of her Twitter page.

3. To submit your answer, click here and go to Karen's blog post.

Use the ‘Leave a reply’ section to provide the name of the location in the Twitter background photo and your answer to this question: “What most appeals to you about visiting Belfast?”

Only one entry per person allowed.  Full details and terms and conditions can be found here.

Good luck!

New bmibaby route starts just in time for Valentines Day

Low cost airline bmibaby will celebrate the start of its new service from East Midlands Airport to Venice on Friday 12 February 2010.

The inaugural flight on Friday has sold out, and the flights departing over the weekend are already at an average of 92 per cent capacity.  bmibaby is the only airline operating direct flights to the heart of Venice from the East Midlands, a route previously operated by easyjet, and flights will start just in time for Valentines Day.

The airline expects to carry over 44,000 passengers on the service which will operate until 30 October 2010 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from East Midlands Airport.  Fares start from just £24.99 one way including taxes and charges.

Crawford Rix, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“Our new service to Venice is proving extremely popular with people from the East Midlands and from further afield – so much so that the first flight has sold out!

“We are the only airline flying directly from the East Midlands to Venice Marco Polo Airport, which means your holiday can start as soon as you arrive, especially if you take a short ride on a water taxi into the heart of the city centre.”

bmibaby launches a new unaccompanied minor travel scheme

bmibaby has launched a new unaccompanied minor scheme that permits children aged seven to fifteen years inclusive to travel unaccompanied on the airline’s flights.  The new service will be available from all airports served by bmibaby.  The airline is currently the only low cost carrier to offer this service from East Midlands Airport.

Crawford Rix, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are pleased to announce the launch of our new ‘Club Solo 7215’ scheme which will allow unaccompanied children aged from seven to fifteen years to travel on the bmibaby network.  This will be welcome news for families, especially for those who have children in residential schools abroad, or who need to visit family and we are confident that it will prove very successful.”

Reservations can be made through the bmibaby call centre and once a booking has been made the parents or legal guardian can simply take the child to the airport and check in.  The child will then be escorted through security by a member of staff and taken on to the aircraft.  The crew will ensure the child is looked after during the flight so parents can be rest assured that their child will travel in complete safety. Upon arrival at the destination the child will be escorted through security and baggage reclaim to be met by a pre-registered adult. 

The countdown to Easter has begun and with low fares from bmibaby and great activities taking place in Europe, there has never been a better excuse to get away!

Prague

It seems in Prague there is a market for every occasion and if you visit between 20 March and 11 April 2010, you won’t be disappointed by the Easter markets.  With over 100 stalls selling everything from food and drink to wooden toys and Czech crystal, there is something for everyone.  Don’t miss the traditional hand painted Easter eggs which can be personalised to make the perfect gift.  For more information visit: http://tiny.cc/MlOHr

bmibaby fly from East Midlands, Manchester and Birmingham Airport to Prague and fares start from £24.99 one way including taxes.

Belfast

For a wild day out, take the whole family to Belfast and head to The Zoo.  From 2-6 April 2010 The Zoo hosts an Easter Extravaganza, with activities including face painting, egg rolling and welcoming The Zoo’s latest animal, giant Anteaters and Capybara’s.  For more information visit: http://tiny.cc/CA4I9 

bmibaby fly from East Midlands, Manchester and Birmingham Airport to Belfast International and fares start from £9.99 one way including taxes.

Jersey

Whilst in Jersey why not visit Fort Regent and see pop sensation Peter Andre take to the stage.  On 7 April 2010 the platinum selling artist will be holding a concert at Fort Regent.  This is a gig that will impress fans both old and new.  For more information visit http://tiny.cc/CA4I9 

bmibaby fly from East Midlands, Manchester and Cardiff Airport to Jersey and fares start from £24.99 one way including taxes.

Amsterdam

For film buffs, take a trip to Amsterdam this Easter and visit the Film Museum Biennale.  Various events will take place in various locations across the city from 7-11 April 2010.   This is a great opportunity to view the classic works of great film makers, as well as get a sneak preview of the film industry’s hottest rising stars.  For more information visit http://tiny.cc/PftSc

bmibaby fly from East Midlands, Manchester and Birmingham Airport to Amsterdam and fares start from £24.99 one way including taxes.

Barcelona

If you missed Valentine’s Day, then there is still a chance to spoil your loved one, as the Spanish celebrate their very own romantic day on 23 April 2010.  Sant Jordi (St George) is patron saint of the region and is strongly associated with the notion of chivalry.  Many locals take a day off work and love is most definitely in the air with restaurants organising special events.  Traditionally women receive a rose and men receive a book on this day for lovers.  For more information visit:  http://tiny.cc/TEi2L

bmibaby fly from East Midlands and Birmingham Airport to Barcelona and fares start from £34.99 one way including taxes.

Newquay

If speed racing floats your boat, then visit Newquay from 23-25 April 2010, and watch the Blue Chip Zapcat Powerboat Grand Prix Championship.   Over 40 teams take part is this high speed event along the coast of Fistral Beach.  Viewing is free and a range of food, drink and entertainment will be available for spectators.  For real aficionados there will be the chance to meet the teams and view the powerboats up close.  For more information visit:  www.zapcat-racing.com

bmibaby fly from East Midlands and Manchester Airport to Newquay and fares start from £18.99 one way including taxes.

It’s time for free flight follow Friday! (or #FFFF)

As anyone on the network will know, ‘Follow Friday’ has become something of a Twitter tradition.   Every week hundreds of thousands of tweeple nominate others that they think are worthy of being followed by inserting the hash tag #FF into a post.
 
For the next month, we’d like to make Follow Friday both more interesting and more rewarding.   We’ll be giving away flights to Twitter users that add two more Fs into the FF hash tag, turning ‘Follow Friday’ into ‘Free Flight Follow Friday’!
 
Want to take part?  It’s quite simple, as the principles of Follow Friday remain the same. 
 
You still call out Twitter friends that you think deserve more followers.  
 
However by adding the #FFFF hash tag into your post, you also nominate them to win one of three pairs of flights that we’ll be giving away every week from now until 26 March.
 
And that’s pretty much it, other than a few terms we need to make you aware of.  
 
1 - Unfortunately it’s open to UK residents only, and applies to flights from our UK destinations
  
2 -  It’s also your responsibility to make your way to the relevant airport (We fly from is here: Birmingham, East Midlands, Cardiff and Manchester). 
 
3 – We’ll only count Free Flight Follow Friday nominations made on any Friday from 26 Feb – 26 March, GMT.
 
4 – We’ll announce the winners on Twitter the next Friday morning.  You’ll have until 30 June to take your flight and we’ll let you know all the details of how to book.
 
5 - Finally, it’s one entry per user please.   And to make sure you nominate Twitter friends that are really deserving, we’ll only count up to the first three names on your FFFF post
 
So what are you waiting for? Start nominating to give your friends a chance to win!
 
For full terms and conditions please email bmibaby@therabbitagency.com
 

Free Flight Follow Friday!

Last week we kicked off the first ever Free Flight Follow Friday, where just by adding two letters to your existing Follow Friday nominations (turning the Twitter hash tag #FF into #FFFF), you could win free flights for your friends.

This week we're doing the same, with the difference being that anyone you enter by using #FFFF gets entered to win flights to Malaga in Southern Spain.

The rules are the same, you can nominate if you're abroad but sadly only people in the UK can win. We'll also only count three nominations per user so if you nominate more, we'll take three from the list at random. We will then announce the winners the following Thursday.

Follow Friday is a Twitter tradition that has been going for the best part of two years, where you suggest people on Twitter worthy of being followed. bmibaby flies to sunny Malaga from East Midlands Airport, Cardiff and Birmingham.

A full list of rules are available by email from bmibaby@therabbitagency.com

Good luck and get nominating!

Last week's winners:

Clare Cassidy (@clairecass) nominated by Matt Warrilow (@mwarrilow)

Sally Rushton (@sallyrushton) nominated by Lisa Ferneyhough (@diggerlisa)

Ben Mason (@sparcd) nominated by 'Elle Fie' (@ellefie)

Free Flight Follow Friday

airline celebrates eight years of low cost flying from the regions

Low cost airline, bmibaby, is celebrating eight years of flying on 20 March 2010.   bmibaby has lots to celebrate, including carrying over 25 million passengers since launch, expanding the route network from 18 to 31 routes and the airline’s massive impact on local tourism and on economic growth in the regions. 

bmibaby was born in 2002 from East Midlands Airport and started with just eight routes.  The airline now operates up to 612 flights a week in peak season to 31 European destinations. 

Crawford Rix, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are proud to celebrate our eighth birthday as a company - it is a great achievement for everyone involved in bmibaby.  Over the years bmibaby has gone from strength to strength and we have seen our route network expand and double, plus we have carried over 25 million passengers since launch.

“We have recently gone on sale with phase one of our winter flying programme, which saw the expansion of bmibaby into Germany from three of our UK bases.  This year we also launched six new routes from East Midlands Airport to destinations such as Sardinia and Barcelona.

“We remain committed to providing our passengers with low cost fares to a great range of European destinations, from Malta to Majorca and from Glasgow to Geneva.  We offer our passengers low fares with a high quality service, and an excellent record for on time performance.  Plus we have many additional passenger benefits including allocated seating, free online check in and the opportunity to join bmi Diamond Club, the UK’s most generous frequent flyer programme.”

bmibaby now flies from four UK bases: East Midlands, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff Airport.  The shortest flight the airline operates is from Bournemouth to Jersey and the longest is from East Midlands Airport to Malta.

bmibaby now employs around 552 people and has had a huge impact on the local economy around its bases, from creating local jobs to driving inbound tourism by working in partnership with local tourist boards to promote UK destinations.  

Send your friends to Mallorca with Free Flight Follow Friday (#FFFF)

bmibaby launches phase one of winter 2010-2011 flying programme

New German routes added from East Midlands, Cardiff and Birmingham Airport

bmibaby has launched phase one of its winter flying programme for 2010-2011.  Nine key domestic and city routes will go on sale, and the low cost airline will also launch new routes to Germany from three of its UK bases.  Phase two of the winter programme will go on sale within the next few weeks.  Winter flights will be available for travel from 31 October 2010 until 26 March 2011. 

bmibaby will operate new services from East Midlands Airport to Cologne and Munich, from Cardiff Airport to Munich and from Birmingham Airport to Cologne.   With frequent flights and low fares, these routes will be popular with both business and leisure travellers.  bmibaby will be the only low cost airline to operate these destinations from each airport.  The airline expects to carry over 120,000 passengers on the new services.

The following routes will also go on sale as phase one of the winter flying programme:

East Midlands Airport to:  Amsterdam, Belfast International, Edinburgh, Geneva, Glasgow, Jersey and Paris.

Birmingham Airport to: Amsterdam, Belfast International, Geneva and Ireland West Knock.

Cardiff Airport to: Belfast International, Edinburgh, Geneva and Jersey.

Manchester Airport to: Amsterdam, Belfast, Jersey, Geneva, Ireland West Knock, and Palma.

Julian Carr, commercial director, bmibaby, said:

“We are pleased to go on sale with phase one of our winter 2010/2011 flying programme today.  This allows customers to book flights for travel up until 26 March 2011. 

“Our new routes from the regions to Munich and Cologne will be perfect for leisure and business travellers, and we will be starting the service from East Midlands Airport to Munich in time for the famous German beer festival - Oktoberfest.   We will be the only low cost carrier to operate these routes, thereby opening up another country from the regions at great low prices. 

“We will be adding more flights and routes to our winter flying programme over the coming weeks.”

It’s the final free flight follow Friday!

Want to send your friends away on holiday?  Then you’ve got just one more week to do so with our Free Flight Follow Friday Twitter promotion.    Free Flight Follow Friday is just like Follow Friday, with two important differences:

1 - You still call out Twitter friends that you think are noteworthy in some way, except you put two fs into the usual #FF hashtag to make #FFFF

2 - And by doing so, you enter those friends to win one of three pairs of return flights.   For this final week winners have a choice of two Portuguese destinations - Faro and Lisbon

The promotion runs on Friday (GMT) 26 March, except if you are going to one of the Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cardiff or Newquay Twestivals, all of which bmibaby is sponsoring.  Attendees of one of those five Twestivals will be able to start nominating on Thursday evening at the event!

Only UK residents can win, though non UK residents can nominate.  And we’ll only count three of your nominations at random, so there is no incentive to send out a list of all your followers, instead we encourage you to choose Twitter friends you think are really deserving

Congratulations to last week winners!

“Avi” (@niteglow) nominated by Lucy Sofiano (@lucysofiano)

Sarah Newton (@sarahnewton) nominated by Emily La Grange (@emilylagrange)

‘Elika’ (@elika) nominated by Susan Pinna (@downatheel)

(full competition rules from bmibaby@therabbitagency.com)

bmibaby celebrates the start of its new service to Jersey

bmibaby is today celebrating the start of its new service from Bournemouth to Jersey. The inaugural flight will depart at 13.30 today and bmibaby expects to carry over 24,000 passengers on the new route over the summer months. Flights will operate on Monday, Friday and Saturday.

bmibaby is currently the only low cost carrier to offer flights between Bournemouth and Jersey, and fares start from £9.99 one way including all taxes. The new route means a quick and direct route to Jersey, with a flight time of 45 minutes, compared to a four hour trip on the ferry.

Julian Carr, commercial director, bmibaby, said:

“We are pleased to start our new service from Bournemouth to Jersey. The island is a great destination, with something for everyone, from the family friendly Durrell Wildlife Park to great events such as Peter Andre and Russell Watson in concert, Jersey Live music festival and The Battle of Flowers – an amazing spectacle.

“Jersey is the perfect place for a weekend break, or a longer break. We are sure the new service will prove hugely popular with the people of Bournemouth and the region who want a quick, direct and low cost flight.”

bmibaby launch new student bursary for Jersey residents

To celebrate the launch of bmibaby's new service from Jersey to Bournemouth, commencing today (29 March 2010), the airline has announced a new student bursary for Jersey residents travelling to the UK to go to university. The bursary is being launched in partnership with Careers Jersey. 

The airline will create four student bursaries, one for each UK destination that bmibaby flies to from Jersey airport:

• Bournemouth Airport
• East Midlands Airport
• Manchester Airport
• Cardiff Airport

The four bmibaby student bursaries will comprise of:  Three return flights from Jersey to one of the above destinations. The flights can be used at the start and end of the academic year, and also give the students a chance to return home during term time if necessary.  The flights will be available each year for the duration of the student's degree course.  In addition the four lucky students will each be allowed to take up to an additional 20 kilos in baggage, taking their total baggage allowance to 38 kilos at no extra charge. 

The bmibaby student bursary will be great news for students at university in the following regions:

• Bournemouth: The south coast and London
• East Midlands: The gateway to Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire
• Manchester: For access to the North West of England
• Cardiff: The gateway to Wales and cities such as Bristol

Applicants must be Jersey residents and currently at university or due to start university this year. To apply for the bmibaby student bursary the applicant simply has to send an email to ideasbaby@bmibaby.com and provide their full contact details.  In the subject field of the email applicants must state their desired bmibaby destination: Bournemouth, Cardiff, East Midlands or Manchester. Four winners will then be picked at random.  The closing date for applications is 28 May 2010.  Terms and conditions apply.

Julian Carr, commercial director, bmibaby, said: 

"To celebrate the start of our new flights from Jersey to Bournemouth we are delighted to announce a new student bursary for Jersey residents.   

"The bmibaby student bursary, launched in partnership with Careers Jersey, will benefit four lucky island residents who are returning to university this year or starting a new degree course in September.  

“Over 420 Jersey residents will start a degree course in the UK this September and there are currently over 1320 Jersey residents currently at university.  We want to make their trip even easier and the three flights a year and a baggage allowance of up to 38 kilos will certainly help.”

Andy Gibbs, Careers Jersey, said:     

"For Jersey students undertaking degree study in the UK the strip of water that separates the Island from the mainland represents not only a physical but also a financial barrier. The need to transport belongings at the beginning and end of each term can cause particular difficulty. The announcement of this bursary will give four students a huge boost in overcoming this barrier and is a very welcome move by bmibaby.”

Low cost airline, bmibaby, is launching a sensational Easter sale.  From today, bmibaby is selling outbound flights from Manchester for just 1p, including all taxes – the best sale it’s ever had! 

If you can fly from Manchester Airport today (30 March 2010) or tomorrow (31 March 2010) you can get away to a number of exciting European destinations for just 1p including all taxes to: Newquay, Palma, Prague, Toulouse, Belfast or Amsterdam.

Start Easter early and jet away with bmibaby for an extended bank holiday weekend.  For more information and to book your flights for 1p visit www.bmibaby.com

This offer is for a limited time only and is on a first come first served basis – book now to avoid disappointment!

Available 1p flights departing today 30 March 2010:

Amsterdam - departs 15.30, arrives 17.55

Belfast International - departs 17.00, arrives 18.00

Prague - departs 19.20, arrives 22.35

Available 1p flights departing tomorrow 31 March 2010:

Belfast - departs 06.55, arrives 07.55

Newquay - departs 12.30, arrives 13.40

Palma - departs 09.55, arrives 13.35

Toulouse - departs 06.55, arrives 10.05

Amsterdam - departs 15.45, arrives 18.10

Belfast - departs 17.00, arrives 18.00

passengers head for sun and ski destinations to escape bad weather

Low cost airline, bmibaby, is looking forward to a bumper Easter from East Midlands Airport, as passengers look to escape the heavy rain that has been forecast for this weekend.

bmibaby expects to carry over 12,000 passengers this weekend to and from East Midlands Airport, as people look to make the most of the remaining ski season or escape the rain and enjoy some spring sunshine.  The most popular destinations for travel this weekend from the airport are Paris, Geneva and Palma.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are looking forward to a busy Easter weekend from East Midlands Airport, as people make the most of the four day break and jet away.

“Geneva is the top destination for bmibaby this weekend as people head to the slopes to enjoy the late ski season.  Palma is also proving popular as people fly to Majorca to enjoy the sunshine and with temperatures reaching twenty degrees it will certainly be warmer than here!

“Paris is also a big hit from East Midlands Airport this weekend with people looking for a city break or families taking advantage of Paris - Charles de Gaulle Airport’s proximity to Euro Disney.”

Could you be a bmibaby Roving Reporter?

Low cost airline bmibaby is searching for people across Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and the East Midlands who are passionate about travel and would relish a ‘roving reporter’ style role for the airline during 2010.

Whether you are a footloose and fancy free individual looking for exciting adventures, a young family who love city breaks or a couple making the most of your retirement, if you’re passionate about travel then bmibaby wants to hear from you. 

The airline is looking for intrepid explorers who would be happy to be sent to exciting new places to report back and inspire other potential holidaymakers.

bmibaby will select lucky individuals from Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and the East Midlands to join the airline’s panel of Roving Reporters for 2010, tasked with clocking up the air miles and exploring the many European destinations that bmibaby fly to. 

The Roving Reporters will create the perfect travel itinerary of what to see and do, and where to eat and drink for others thinking of visiting the destination.

To be considered for a position as a bmibaby Roving Reporter, simply email us at ideasbaby@bmibaby.com and in no more than 150 words tell us what inspires you to travel and why you should be a bmibaby Roving Reporter.  The best entries will join the panel and commence their travels in 2010.

Passengers travelling on WW5911 and WW5912 between East Midlands Airport and Venice, on Friday 9 April 2010, please be aware there is a ground handling strike for 24 hours in Venice Marco Polo Airport.  This will cause significant disruption to these services.  Passengers are being advised to check in as normal.

bmibaby’s top May events in Europe

With not one, but two bank holidays in May, there has never been a better time to get away.  Why not check out some of these great events taking place in Europe in May. 

Belfast

From 29 April – 3 May 2010 the streets of Belfast come alive with performances in the 7^th annual Festival of Fools.  Over 80 shows will take place throughout the city in this free, family friendly festival.  For more information visit http://www.foolsfestival.com/

bmibaby flies from East Midlands, Manchester, and Birmingham to Belfast International.  Fares start from just £9.99 one way including all taxes.

Jersey

The Jersey Boat Show, taking place between 1 – 3 May 2010, is a major event for the island.  The event attracts thousands of visitors every year and this event is great entertainment for the whole family.  For more information visit http://www.jerseyboatshow.com/

bmibaby flies from East Midlands, Manchester and Cardiff to Jersey.  Fares start from just £9.99 one way including all taxes.

Newquay

From 28 – 31 May 2010 Newquay is taken over by VW and classic car enthusiasts who head to the coast for the Run to the Sun Festival.  You don’t have to own a VW to get involved in this festival either so why hop on a flight, avoid the M5 and enjoy the DJs and live entertainment.  For more information visit http://www.runtothesun.co.uk/

bmibaby flies from East Midlands and Manchester to Newquay.  Fares start from just £9.99 one way including all taxes.

Amsterdam

For art lovers take a trip to Amsterdam between 26-30 May 2010 for Art Amsterdam.  This annual modern art fair brings together works from more than 120 galleries mainly from Western Europe and the United States and is a great opportunity to admire the work of up and coming artists.  For more information visit www.artamsterdam.nl/home_uk.htm

bmibaby flies from East Midlands and Birmingham to Amsterdam.  Fares start from just £19.99 one way including all taxes.

Prague

Visit Prague between 14 -30 May 2010 to witness the largest gastronomic event in the Czech Republic, the Czech Beer Festival.  Held at the PVA Letnany Exhibition Centre, the event has seating for up to 10,000 visitors on long benches.  Waiters are dressed in traditional Czech folk costumes and there is live entertainment and food.  For more information visit www.ceskypivnifestival.cz/en/index.shtml

bmibaby flies from East Midlands and Manchester to Prague.  Fares start from just £24.99 one way including all taxes.

bmibaby appoints Julian Carr as new managing director

Julian Carr has been appointed managing director of low cost airline bmibaby, succeeding Crawford Rix.

Julian joined bmibaby in May 2008 as commercial director for the airline, responsible for revenue management, network planning, marketing, PR, customer relations and e-commerce. Prior to this Julian spent two years working for IATA in Montreal, Canada where he was responsible for marketing and business development opportunities within the airline sector.

His initial entry into the airline industry was with Jet2.com, where he was involved in the business planning and launch of the airline. After a term as business development manager for Jet2.com, he moved to MyTravelLite as head of marketing and development, taking over as managing director of the airline after a short period.

Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, chief executive officer, British Midland Limited (bmi), said:

“We are delighted to appoint Julian Carr as bmibaby’s new managing director, he is the right person to lead the airline into the next stage of bmibaby’s development. Julian has extensive aviation experience, proven strategic capabilities, and has demonstrated his leadership in a number of high profile management roles. He is also passionate about the business.”

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“bmibaby is extremely well placed to build on its strengths, and I am looking forward to driving this business forward.  I want to continually improve the customer’s experience and make bmibaby the airline of choice for the destinations that we serve.  We have an outstanding team at bmibaby and I am delighted to be leading them.”

Prior to entering the airline industry Julian had ten years of management experience within the entertainment industry, working with both Virgin and Blockbuster.

Julian holds an MSc in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University, and is also a qualified private pilot.

Volcanic eruption in Iceland 

Updated at 17:00hrs Friday 23 April 2010

Additional seats have become available as passengers may have found alternative ways of travelling to their desired destination.  A flight may show as being full on our website, and people may have previously been advised of this, yet as people re arrange their travel arrangements this may not be the case.

To find out if you are able to return home sooner with bmibaby, on an earlier departure date, please go to the airport and you will be waitlisted for the relevant flight. 

Please note passengers with confirmed seats will have priority on the flights.

Travel Update

We are currently intending to operate a full flying programme from this point forward. 

Passengers are advised to check in for their flights as normal.

If there are any changes to the flying programme this website will be updated.

To rebook a flight following a cancellation:

Any passengers who were booked to travel on one of the cancelled flights can transfer to the next available flight free of charge within 21 days of the original flight date, subject to availability. 

Our reservations centre is open from 0800 until 2200, please call: 0844 2450055. 

If you are calling from outside the UK please call +44 8458 101100. 

Due to the exceptionally high volume of calls our phone lines are operating at maximum capacity so your patience is appreciated at this time. 

To apply for a refund following a cancellation:

If you do not wish to transfer to an alternative flight and would like to apply for a refund please write to: 

bmibaby customer relations

PO Box 737

Castle Donington

Derby

DE74 2XP

Alternatively, this can be arranged by calling our reservations centre on 0844 2450055.  If you are calling from outside the UK please call +44 8458 101100.

Passengers who have requested a refund on their flights via post or phone will automatically be refunded within 30 days. Unfortunately we are unable to respond to individual letters at this busy time. We advise passengers to check their bank statements on a regular basis. On behalf of bmibaby thank you for your patience at this very busy time and we would like to sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Low cost airline, bmibaby, is pleased to announce it intends to operate 100 per cent of its flights on Friday 23 April 2010 from its four UK bases – East Midlands, Manchester, Cardiff and Birmingham Airport.  bmibaby will operate 84 flights today to 22 European destinations. 

Just hours after the ban on flying within UK airspace was lifted on Wednesday (21 April 2010), bmibaby operated 20 additional flights to Spain and Portugal to help repatriate stranded passengers, as well as operating a number of scheduled services to Scotland and Amsterdam. 

The airline intends to operate its full schedule over the weekend.

Safety is, and continues to be bmibaby’s number one priority and the planned schedule may be subject to change.  Customers are advised to check http://www.bmibaby.com/ before departing for the airport.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are delighted to be flying again, and the bmibaby team have worked hard to ensure we are able to operate a full flying programme today. 

“We would like to thank all our customers for their loyalty and patience through these extraordinary circumstances.”

bmibaby continue to provide frequent communication to customers by regularly updating the website and bmibaby Twitter feed (@bmibaby_com), extending call centre opening hours, increasing call centre staff numbers and the airline also opened an additional temporary call centre. 

Any passengers who were booked to travel on one of the cancelled flights can transfer to the next available flight free of charge within 21 days of the original flight date, subject to availability. 

The bmibaby reservations centre is open from 0800 until 2200, customers should call: 0844 2450055 or +44 8458 101100 from outside the UK. 

Customers that do not wish to transfer to an alternative flight and would like to apply for a refund should write to: bmibaby customer relations, PO Box 737, Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2XP.  Alternatively, a refund can be obtained by calling the bmibaby reservations centre on 0844 2450055. 

bmibaby most punctual low cost airline in 2009

Low cost airline, bmibaby, is celebrating after being named the most punctual low cost airline in 2009.

The figures, released from the website www.flightontime.info, show that bmibaby was the most punctual low cost carrier for the period of January to December 2009, with 83.4 per cent of flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure time.

‘Flight on time’ uses data provided by the Civil Aviation Authority to monitor the on time performance of low cost airlines.

During the period of January to December 2009 the average on time performance result for low cost carriers showed that 76.7 per cent of flights departed within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure time, showing that bmibaby exceeded the average. 

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“This is a fantastic achievement for bmibaby and I would like to thank the team who have worked hard to ensure that we are on time for our passengers.

“We are dedicated to providing our passengers with a punctual service and this accolade proves our commitment to this.”

New bmibaby recruits get their wings

Thirty-seven new cabin crew to start at East Midlands Airport

Low cost airline, bmibaby, is looking forward to welcoming 37 new starters to its team of cabin crew at East Midlands Airport.  The new recruits have successfully completed a four week training programme and will be flying from East Midlands Airport in the coming weeks.

The cabin crew have come from all over the UK to relocate to the East Midlands to work for bmibaby, with one trainee travelling from Italy. 

The new recruits were put through a stringent training programme and had to sit exams in a wide variety of subjects including: safety and emergency procedures, standard operating procedures, fire fighting, first aid, sales training, passenger management and security.  All the trainees passed the course with flying colours.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We would like to offer our congratulations to the new recruits who will shortly start flying with us from East Midlands Airport.  They have all worked very hard to pass this course and I have no doubt they will all prove to be a great asset to the company.

“There are currently over 100 cabin crew working at East Midlands Airport, so these new recruits will be a welcome addition to the bmibaby team.”

Anyone interested in becoming cabin crew for bmibaby should check www.bmibaby.com for details of any vacancies. 

bmibaby searches for businesses and entertainers to represent Prague on flights

bmibaby has today launched a new form of in-flight entertainment - live shows from performers and businesses that showcase the best of a destination, with a different city being chosen each month.   Starting with Prague in June, bmibaby's 'enterplanement' programme will feature a representative from the Czech Capital showcasing his or her act onboard selected flights to Prague.

The representative can either be a local business, an entertainer or an artist. The only requirement is that the chosen 'act' needs to show what they do live onboard and there has to be a clear link back to the local destination.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We fly to a range of popular European destinations and wanted to look at ways in which we could bring those places to life. Rather than using conventional methods, we thought we could do something more interactive and actually have representatives of the destinations on a few flights!

“The ‘enterplanement’ representative might be a comedian, a film maker, a local artist, or a business that produces something innovative or unusual and you won't find it anywhere else.  Prague will be our first destination for enterplanement, with more cities to follow over the coming months.  

“Ultimately we want our customers to enjoy the experience, and we hope that it gives them ideas and suggestions about what to do and see in a destination that they might not read in the standard tourist brochure or guide book.”

Any businesses or entertainers who want to take part in the Prague enterplanement experience have until 5 June 2010 to apply. Please send an email to bmibaby@therabbitagency.com with details of what you do, what you would like to showcase, and your availability in June.

The chosen participant will take part in the enterplanent experience from/to Manchester, Birmingham or East Midlands to Prague. bmibaby will also produce a short film about each enterplanement winner to be shown online.

To celebrate the launch of our new route from East Midlands Airport to Newquay we are giving away a return pair of flights to sunny Cornwall!

To be in with a chance of winning log onto Twitter and tell us which Cornish tourist attraction Tiny was visiting last week. Keep your eyes peeled as we’ll be posting a clue from his trip on our Twitter feed @bmibaby_com today and tomorrow.

To enter simply @reply us with your answer.

The lucky winner will be announced on our Twitter feed this Friday, good luck!

Terms and Conditions: 
1 – The winner will receive two return flights to Newquay and will be asked to choose from either Manchester or East Midlands Airport as their departure airport.

2 - It is the winner’s responsibility to make their way to East Midlands or Manchester Airport.
 
3 – Responses will only be counted that are made on Wednesday June 2nd - Thursday June 3rd, GMT.
 
4 – We’ll announce the winners on Twitter on Friday June 4th. 

5 – Flights must be taken by 31 July 2010 and are subject to availability.
 
So keep your eyes peeled for Tiny’s postcard!

For full terms and conditions please email bmibaby@therabbitagency.com

bmibaby supports top travel blogger on tour of Nottingham and Jersey

Low cost airline, bmibaby, is proud to have supported a top travel bloggers tour of Nottingham and Jersey.

The founder of the Europe a la Carte Blog (www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog), Karen Bryan, travelled with bmibaby from Edinburgh to EastMidlandsAirport to visit the city of Nottingham.  Karen then travelled onwards to Jersey from EastMidlandsAirport.  A full review of her trip can be found on her blog, and her reviews provide a great insight into these destinations.  Karen also tweeted about her trip on Twitter and asked for tips and recommendation of things to do in Nottingham and Jersey.  A selection of her blog posts are highlighted below:

Thinking of taking a trip to Nottingham?  Check out Karen’s tips:-

http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/05/08/nottingham-attractions-city-of-caves-galleries-of-justice/
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/05/08/robin-hood-nottingham-robin-hood-movie/

Heading to Jersey?  For Karen’s recommendations, visit here:-

http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/05/11/channel-islands-jersey-attractions-things-to-do-with-kids-jersey/
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/05/11/st-helier-restaurants-review-waterfront-brasserie-radisson-blu-jersey/
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/05/10/jersey-attractions-jersey-war-tunnels-occupation-tapestry-gallery-jersey-museum/
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/05/09/review-radisson-blu-waterfront-jersey/
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/05/09/photo-tour-of-marilyn-monroe-exhibition-at-jersey-museum/
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/05/13/st-aubins-restaurants-review-sails-brasserie-the-boat-house/
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/05/12/channe-islands-walks-walking-in-jersey/

Karen’s tour was kindly supported by Experience Nottinghamshire and Jersey Tourism.

For more information visit www.bmibaby.com and www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog

bmibaby launch phase one of summer 2011 flying programme

More routes and additional flights to be released soon

New German routes to be operated for summer

Low cost airline, bmibaby, has launched phase one of its summer 2011 flying programme from East Midlands, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff Airport.

The airline has gone on sale with 22 of its top sunshine and city break destinations, with additional frequencies and destinations to be released soon.  Customers will now be able to book next summers’ flights from 29 March – 29 October 2011.  Following the announcement of new routes to Germany, the airline will continue to operate flights from East Midlands Airport to Cologne and Munich and from Cardiff to Munich for summer 2011.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are pleased to launch phase one of our 2011 summer flying programme. This is great news for those who want to plan ahead and book early to get the best deal such as families and those with second homes.

“We will continue to operate our new services to Cologne and Munich for the summer 2011 flying programme.

“We continue to offer our customers a fantastic choice of destinations at low fares from their local airport.”

Summer 2011 phase one launch:

Birmingham: Alicante, Faro, Geneva, Malaga, Murcia, Nice, Palma

Cardiff: Alicante, Faro, Geneva, Malaga, Mahon, Munich, Murcia, Palma

East Midlands: Alghero, Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Cologne, Dubrovnik, Faro, Geneva, Malaga, Malta, Mahon, Munich, Nice, Palma, Prague, Venice

Manchester: Bordeaux, Geneva, Lisbon, Lourdes, Perpignan, Prague, Toulouse

bmibaby appoints first Roving Reporters

Low cost airline, bmibaby, has appointed its first ever Roving Reporters.  After a nationwide search, looking for individuals who are passionate about travel, bmibaby selected its first four from more than 250 entries. 

With the desire to be intrepid explorers, Phillip Fairclough, Janine Lavery, Tracey Highgate and Paul Barthram will join the airline’s panel of Roving Reporters for 2010, and will be tasked with clocking up the air miles and exploring the many European destinations that bmibaby fly to. 

They will now be sent by bmibaby to an exciting destination in Europe to report back and inspire other potential holidaymakers, creating the perfect travel itinerary for others thinking of visiting the destination.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“The Roving Reporters search was an incredible success with in excess of 250 entries received from enthusiastic travellers. 

“We selected the four to join our panel of Roving Reporters for 2010 as they clearly demonstrated their passion for travel and we are confident that they will be an inspiration to others to travel with bmibaby.”

bmibaby announce lucky winners of Jersey student bursary award

Low cost airline, bmibaby, has today announced the lucky winners of the bmibaby student bursary award, launched in partnership with Careers Jersey.

The award gives three Jersey island residents three return flights a year for the duration of their university degree course.  The flights to East Midlands, Manchester or Cardiff, can be used at the start and end of the academic year, and will also give the students a chance to return home during term time if necessary.  In addition the three lucky students will each be allowed to take up to an additional 20 kilos in baggage, taking their total baggage allowance to 38 kilos at no extra charge.

The lucky winners are:

Jacob Le Breton from Trinity, travelling to East Midlands Airport.  He is studying Wildlife Conservation at Nottingham Trent University.

Nathalie Gallichan from St. Mary, travelling to Manchester Airport.  She is studying Dentistry at Leeds University. 

Charlotte Bayliss from St John, travelling to Cardiff Airport.  She will be studying Physiotherapy at The University of Cardiff. 

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We received an overwhelming response for our student bursary award, with over 200 students applying. 

"The bursary launched in partnership with Careers Jersey, will make the students’ journeys to university even easier, with three return flights per academic year and up to 38 kg of baggage allowance.

"We remain committed to flying from Jersey, and we look forward to welcoming the winning students onboard very soon.”

Andrew Gibb, Head of Careers & Learning Support, Careers Jersey, said:

“This has been a very welcome initiative. The difficulty of getting belongings to and from the UK is a very real one for local students and for the three winners this bursary will be a great help during their time at University.  We are very grateful to bmibaby for their involvement and hope to see this continue in future years.”

bmibaby still the most punctual low cost airline in the UK

Low cost airline, bmibaby, is celebrating after topping the punctuality charts for low cost carriers registered in the UK.

The figures, released from the website www.flightontime.info, show that bmibaby was the most punctual UK registered low cost carrier for the period of January – March 2010, with 77.8 per cent of flights departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure time.

‘Flight on time’ uses data provided by the Civil Aviation Authority to monitor the on time performance of low cost airlines.

During the period of January to March 2010 the average on time performance result for low cost carriers showed that 69.6 per cent of flights departed within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure time, showing that bmibaby exceeded this average. 

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“This is a great achievement for bmibaby.  We are committed to offering our customers a punctual service and our team work hard to ensure this happens. We will continue to provide a high standard punctual service, at great low fares.”

bmibaby takes a comedian to the skies

Low cost airline bmibaby will take laughter to 30,000 feet, by inviting a local comedian to provide some onboard entertainment in the run up to the Edinburgh Comedy Festival.

Anthony King, from Great Glen in Leicester will take his comedy act to the skies on 4 August 2010 on a bmibaby flight from East Midlands Airport to Edinburgh.

Anthony is a familiar face on the Leicester comedy scene, contributing to the Leicester Comedy Festival and performing for Highlight Comedy Club.

The Edinburgh Comedy Festival takes place from 4-30 August 2010 and attracts over 360 acts every year.  bmibaby flies from East Midlands Airport to Edinburgh up to 18 times a week and fares start from just £9.99 one way including all taxes.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“At bmibaby we aim to put the fun back into flying and we thought an onboard comedian would put a smile on the faces of our customers.  The Edinburgh Comedy Festival starts on 4 August and this will give our customers a little taste of what will be on offer in Edinburgh this month.”

Anthony King, comedian, said:

“I was approached by Highlight Comedy to see if I wanted to perform my act onboard a bmibaby flight to Edinburgh and I thought what a fantastic idea.  It will give me the opportunity to showcase my act in a way it has never been seen before!  Not many comedians can say that they have performed at 30,000 feet!”

bmibaby has today (13 August 2010) introduced a special rescue fare for any disrupted Sun4U customers. 

Any passenger who was due to travel home with Sun4U can book a bmibaby flight back to the UK for £50 one way plus taxes and charges (€62 one way plus taxes and charges). 

To book a rescue fare back to the UK, passengers should take their Sun4U booking reference to a bmibaby ticket desk.  They will then be re booked on to the next available bmibaby flight.

Please note the rescue fare only applies to Sun4U customers who have a valid booking reference.  Fares are subject to availability.

The Prague State Opera to perform onboard bmibaby flight

bmibaby offer passengers a taste of Prague ahead of their arrival at the Czech capital

Low cost airline bmibaby will today (13 August 2010) will be offering passengers on route a flight from Manchester to Prague a very different kind of in-flight entertainment.

As part of bmibaby’s ‘enterplanement’ season the Prague State Opera will be joining passengers on board the flight to give a performance by their most acclaimed soprano, offering a unique opportunity to experience traditional Prague entertainment at 30,000 feet!

Vera Likerova is a soprano opera singer who will be showcasing her talents to bmibaby passengers during a ten minute performance of traditional operatic melodies. Vera Likerova performs as a regular guest of the Prague State Opera.

This innovative form of in-flight entertainment, or ‘Enterplanement’ aims to give local acts the chance to showcase the culture and tradition of their country as well as raising awareness of artists and businesses.

Starting the enterplanement season on the flight to Prague, bmibaby will be showcasing the best acts from its European destinations over the coming months, with Venice taking place next.

The footage will be posted on the bmibaby Twitter and Facebook fan pages early next week for those not lucky enough to be onboard the flight.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We fly to 30 popular European destinations and wanted to look at ways in which we could bring those places to life and inspire people to visit them.

“As well as putting the fun back into flying, we thought we could do something more interactive and actually have representatives of the destinations on a few flights!

“Ultimately we want our customers to enjoy the experience, and we hope that it gives them ideas and suggestions about what to do and see in a destination that they might not read in the standard tourist brochure or guide book.”

Industrial action by the French public services has been planned, taking place from 1700 (GMT) 27th October until 0500 (GMT) 29th September 2010.  French authorities have insisted that we only operated one flight into CDG therefore we have cancelled WW5251/28th Oct and WW5252/ 28thOct.

bmibaby would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused, please call reservations to amend bookings.

Reservations - 0844 2450055

Win the chance to become bmibaby's next family travel reporter!

bmibaby and Mumsnet are on the lookout for a new reporter to enjoy a fun packed weekend in Jersey for a family of three. 

The lucky family will win a fantastic jam-packed adventure in Jersey, from Friday 24th until Sunday 26th September 2010.  As part of this fantastic prize, the winner can look forward to a two night stay in The Merton Hotel, one of the best family hotels on the island.

The winner will be active online – and will been keen to tweet about the fun they’re having whilst on the trip, including a couple of twitpic’s with the family to share their holiday! The winner will also need to keep track of their actions packed time on the island and write a blog piece about the experience.

To enter simply email bmibaby@therabbitagency.com and tell us in 200 words why you should be the next bmibaby reporter and send us a picture of your last family holiday!

Dear bmibaby customer,

Following last nights broadcast of BBC Watchdog I wanted to take the opportunity to respond. In the program it was alleged that bmibaby has undersized baggage gauges, and that passengers carrying correct sized luggage (of dimensions 55cm x 40cm x 20cm) would not be able to fit them into our gauges, and are therefore being charged unnecessarily for putting them in the hold. The implication of the program is that this is a deliberate ploy of bmibaby to get extra money out of customers.

I must firstly categorically state that these allegations are simply not true. So let me start by giving you the facts, and then I’ll try and outline our perspective on the whole matter and what we are going to do next.

There are no baggage gauges being used by bmibaby that are smaller than the published dimensions of 55x40x20cm. None anywhere. So any customer bringing a bag of maximum dimensions of 55x40x20cm would be able to fit the bag in our gauges. The gauges are designed in a way which removes sharp edges by having a slight curve at the ‘top’ (and the ‘top’ will vary depending on whether the gauge is of horizontal design or vertical design). The one nuance that has emerged from this investigation is that a hard box of exactly these dimensions may not fit some gauges because the curve prevents the corner from fitting within the gauge. And that is a fair point. However this has never been an issue until now, as the vast majority of passengers do not carry hard edged square boxes of these exact dimensions, but instead carry normal cabin baggage. The reason the ‘box’ fitted into one gauge on Watchdog and not another, was because the gauge where it fitted was of a design that is attached to a sign, and hence does not need curved edges. I can state though quite accurately that both gauges had the same dimensions – the only variance was the curved ‘top’ on the gauge at the gate which prevented this hard edged box fitting in.

Why do we need to restrict cabin baggage in the first place?

There is only a limited amount of space onboard, and we (as do all airlines) need to ensure that the allocation of this luggage space is fairly divided among passengers. The length restriction of 55cm is in place specifically to ensure that bags can be placed length-ways into the overhead locker, thus allowing 3 bags of such size into each locker. If the length is any longer than this then it would need to be placed in side-ways which reduces the locker space available significantly.

I should also put this into perspective – the amount of passengers who get advised that their bag is too large at the gate is absolutely minimal.  The reason we make a charge for those bags that are too big is purely a means of ensuring there is a disincentive to bringing too large a bag. Our staff are not financially incentivised to collect money for gate baggage, they are simply asked to enforce a policy which means that the limited baggage space onboard is fairly distributed amongst all passengers.

So what are we doing now?

Since I took over as MD on the 1^st April, I have been very much driving the service focus of our business. Myself and my management team all now go ‘back to the floor’ on a routine basis and work alongside our staff at the airports and onboard. I am absolutely of the belief (as are my team) that we need to be first in class when it comes to low cost carrier customer service. At the 2010 Conde Nast Readers Traveller Awards, bmibaby scored highest for convenience of booking and service/staff in the category ‘Favourite Low Cost Airline’. This makes me very proud as I firmly believe in offering a good service, and this is recognition to our team of the great job they do. And this is something we need to continue to build on.

Having worked at the airport first hand I have seen how we manage our baggage processes, and we were already looking at redesigning our gauges. The Watchdog broadcast has made sure these new gauges will not feature a curved design! We have new gauges on order and will be sending them out around our airport network soon. While I don’t intend to change our size policy, the gauges will be redesigned to ensure that if any passenger has been over zealous in packing their case then it should still fit. Hopefully!

I know some comments have been made about not receiving replies to letters sent to us. Please be assured that all letters are responded to, however due to the Ash Cloud crisis earlier this year our volume of correspondence and customer service administration quadrupled overnight. We recruited extra staff to help facilitate replying to these, but like every airline had a long turnaround time due to the massive volume of correspondence. This is finally settling down, and letters are being replied to quicker.

So we’re not perfect I admit, but we are working hard to improve our business all the time. There are numerous other initiatives ongoing to enhance our offering, but I won’t bore you with all the details at this stage!

So the BBC Watchdog program has been a disappointment as I know that our new management team has been working very hard over the last few months to ensure we deliver a high standard of service. We get a lot of positive feedback, and many happy customers. So to see some unhappy ones, and hear such feedback saddens us as a management team, and only spurs us on to ensure we address any issues positively and continue to take this airline forward as one customers can trust and enjoy flying with.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope to see you onboard or at the airport in the future.

Many thanks,

Julian

Glasgow and Edinburgh Airport

Customers should give themselves extra travelling time to Glasgow & Edinburgh Airports due to the roads closures for the Papal visit 16^th September 2010’ and ‘Check the Transport Scotland website for further information with regards to road closures at - www.transportscotland.gov.uk  

Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport is urging people not to travel to the Airport site to see The Pope on Sunday 19^th September, when he departs back to Italy after the four day Papal visit, as there will be no public viewing point.

John Morris, the Airport’s Head of Industry and Government Affairs, said, “To avoid disappointment, we strongly advise people wishing to see The Pope not to come to the Airport as the departure event will take place in a restricted zone, away from all public areas.  

“Due to the impact this visit may have on local roads, we also encourage anyone travelling from Birmingham Airport in the afternoon of Sunday 19^th September to leave more time for their journey and to expect to see a more visible Police presence on site.”

It was confirmed last week that The Pope will travel along a stretch of the Hagley Road in the Popemobile, for those who want to see His Holiness and do not have a ticket for the mass at Cofton Park.

The events of the day, including the Airport departure, will also be televised on BBC2.

bmibaby celebrate first German route to Munich

Low cost airline bmibaby is celebrating its inaugural flight to Germany from East Midlands Airport.  The new service to Munich launches today (17 September 2010) and is already over 80 per cent full. 

The new route has been launched to coincide with the opening of the legendary Oktoberfest in Munich, the world famous beer festival which celebrates its 200th anniversary this year.

Upon arrival at Munich airport customers on board the first flight will be greeted by a Bavarian band and be given traditional gingerbread hearts.

This is the first of two new bmibaby services to Germany from East Midlands Airport.  Flights to Cologne start on 31 October 2010.  

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said: 

“Our new service to Munich is already proving popular especially for those heading to Germany for Oktoberfest this weekend. 

“We expect to carry over 27,000 passengers on this route over the winter period.  In addition, at the end of October we will start our second service to Germany, with new flights to Cologne. 

“We are the only low cost carrier flying from East Midlands Airport to Munich and Cologne, thereby offering even more new destinations to our customers from the Midlands region.” 

Flights to Munich will operate on Sunday, Monday and Friday.  Fares start from £24.99 one way including taxes. 

Spanish national strike action

bmibaby has been notified of a Spanish national strike, taking place on Wednesday 29th September 2010.

As a result of this industrial action which is outside of our control, we regrettably have to cancel the following flights tomorrow, Wednesday 29^th September 2010:

WW1031 BIRMINGHAM-MALAGA

WW1032 MALAGA-BIRMINGHAM

WW1757 BIRMINGHAM- MURCIA

WW1758 MURCIA -BIRMINGHAM

WW5965 EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT-ALICANTE 

WW5966 ALICANTE-EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT

WW2201 CARDIFF-MALAGA 

WW2202 MALAGA-CARDIFF

WW5327 EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT-MALAGA 

WW5328 MALAGA-EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT

WW2641 CARDIFF-ALICANTE

WW2642 ALICANTE-CARDIFF

To rebook following a flight cancellation:

Passengers wishing to rebook onto the next available flight, free of charge, are advised to contact bmibaby within the next 7 days on 0844 2450055.  Passengers calling from outside the UK should dial 0044 8458 101100. 

Passengers are able to rebook within 21 days of their original departure date.  The return departure date can also be moved to within 21 days of the original departure date. 

Please note bmibaby will have extra seats available on scheduled services.

To claim a refund following a flight cancellation:

Passengers that do not wish to travel and require a refund, should contact customer services: http://www.bmibaby.com/bmibaby/about_us/contact_us.aspx  

Further updates:

The Spanish national strike may also potentially cause delays and cancellations to bmibaby flights to and from Portugal.

Passengers are advised to visit our website for further updates: http://www.bmibaby.com/

We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by this national strike in Spain which is outside of bmibaby’s control.

bmibaby pilots climb mountains for BBC Children in Need

bmibaby is pledging its support to The BBC Children in Need 2010 appeal for the seventh consecutive year, and to kick start the fundraising, three of the airlines pilots have been mountain climbing in aid of the charity.

bmibaby Captains Phil Jowett and Colin Harrison and First Officer Kim Lenssens, flew with bmibaby to Geneva, where they planned to scale almost 5,000 metres up Mont Blanc – the highest peak in Europe.  The plucky trio were diverted by a severe weather warning and on safety grounds made the decision to undertake two separate 4,000 metre climbs in Switzerland instead.  The pilots are hoping to raise over £5,000 for BBC Children in Need. 

In 2009 bmibaby raised over £37,000 for the charity.  This was raised by collecting onboard bmibaby flights, fundraising events at Manchester, East Midlands, Birmingham and Cardiff Airport and allowing customers to donate on http://www.bmibaby.com/ when booking flights.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are very proud to support BBC Children in Need for the seventh consecutive year and I can’t think of a better way to kick start our fundraising campaign, than by sending three of our pilots on a mountain climbing adventure!

“The whole team at bmibaby really gets behind The BBC Children in Need Appeal and it is great to see our pilots being so adventurous with their fundraising efforts.

“Last year we raised over £37,000 for the charity, so it would be great to top that this year.”

bmibaby will also be supporting BBC Children in Need by collecting onboard every flight from 20 September until 30 November 2010.   For the second year the airline will give customers the option to donate £1 when they make a booking at http://www.bmibaby.com/ .

There will also be fundraising activities in each of the bases – Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands and Cardiff. 

For more information visit http://www.bmibaby.com/ or to donate visit http://www.justgiving.com/bmibabyMontBlanc

The next BBC Children in Need Appeal will take place on 19 November 2010. To make a donation, call 0345 733 22 33, or visit www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey.  To order a Fundraising Pack, call 0345 607 33 33.

bmibaby has been notified of ongoing French industrial action.

The industrial action may cause delays to bmibaby flights to France and to destinations that over fly France, including Spain and Portugal.

bmibaby would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience that this may cause and would advise passengers to check in as normal.

Following the success of the first Free Flight Follow Friday campaign,we are pleased to announce the next round of this popular competition is to launch this Friday, 29th October.

Everyone on Twitter knows Follow Friday, marked with the hash tag #FF, where you call out other tweeple you think are worthy of being followed. Well, from this week and for every Friday until 19th November we’re turning Follow Friday into Free Flight Follow Friday!

The principle of Follow Friday remains the same, you still call out Twitter friends, but by adding two F’s into the hash tag to make #FFFF, you also nominate them to win one of three pairs of flights to a bmibaby destination – this week it’s Munich!

Terms and conditions apply. 

For terms and conditions email - bmibaby@therabbitagency.com

We’ll announce the winners on Twitter prior to the next #FFFF. It’s up to you to make your way to the relevant UK airport and up to you what you do when you get to the destination.

bmibaby launch second German route from East Midlands Airport

Flights to Cologne start on 31 October 2010

Low cost airline bmibaby is celebrating the start of its second route from East Midlands Airport to Germany.  bmibaby will commence flying to Cologne on Sunday 31 October 2010, following the successful launch of flights to Munich in September. 

bmibaby will operate flights up to five times a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday and flights start from just £24.99 one way including taxes.

With frequent flights and low fares, the new route will be popular with both business and leisure travellers.  bmibaby will be the only low cost airline to operate flights from East Midlands Airport to Cologne.  The airline expects to carry over 30,000 passengers on the new service over the winter period.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are pleased to commence our second route from East Midlands Airport to Germany.  We launched flights to Munich in September and the route is already proving popular, with Cologne looking to follow suit.

“Cologne is not only a business hub, but also a great leisure destination, perfect for a weekend break.  With one of the world’s most famous cathedrals, an array of bars and restaurant and festive Christmas markets, it is the perfect destination for a city break.

bmibaby celebrates start of new route from Cardiff

bmibaby is celebrating the start of its new service from Cardiff Airport to Munich, which commences on 31 October 2010.  bmibaby will be the only low cost carrier to operate this route from Cardiff Airport.

The low cost carrier will operate up to three flights a week between Cardiff and Munich, Germany’s third largest city.

With a timely launch ahead of the famous Christmas markets in Munich, bmibaby expects to carry over 10,000.passengers on the new route over the winter period.  The airline’s low fares to Munich will make this a popular route with both business and leisure travellers. 

Currently celebrating eight years of flying from Cardiff Airport, Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said: “We are delighted to have added Munich to our network of routes from Cardiff Airport.  Munich is a cosmopolitan city and as Germany is not currently served from the region, Munich is perfect for leisure and business travellers.  This new route will allow the region to develop strong business links with Germany and will provide much needed connectivity from the region to Germany as well as important inward investment.

“It really is an exciting time for the airline in Cardiff as the launch of Munich coincides with our eighth birthday.  We are proud to continue to offer people of the region exciting European destinations to visit.”

bmibaby has today announced more new routes as part of its summer 2011 flying programme.  The airline will operate services from East Midlands Airport to Verona and Ibiza, from Cardiff to Ibiza and also from Manchester to Palma. 

The new flights will commence on 28 May 2011.  bmibaby is the only low cost airline to operate from East Midlands Airport to Verona, and from Cardiff to Ibiza. 

bmibaby will also start flying from Manchester to Palma for summer 2011.  This was previously just a winter route for the airline.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said: “We are pleased to announce three new routes on the bmibaby network from East Midlands and Cardiff Airport.  It is great news for the regions that we are expanding our route network.  We will also commence flying from Manchester to Palma for the summer period. 

“The routes all commence on 28 May 2011 and they are sure to prove very popular.  Verona is a beautiful city and is the gateway to northern Italy and the stunning Lake Garda.  As well as the ultimate party island, Ibiza is great for families, with miles of golden beaches and breath-taking architecture in the old town.” 

“bmibaby will now operate a network of 59 routes from East Midlands, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff Airport.  We are committed to offering our customers low fares to a great range of destinations from their local airport.” 

For more information about bmibaby or to book a flight, please visit http://www.bmibaby.com/

On Wednesday 3 November 2010 Network Development Manager, Simon Moore, will be taking part in a live Twitter interview at 3pm on @bmibaby_com.  This will be the third live Q&A session, in a series which sees key bmibaby staff take over the Twitter feed!.
 
Simon will be taking to the @bmibaby_com Twitter feed for an hour to answer questions about his role as Network Development Manager. He plays a crucial role within the bmibaby team as he is responsible for the full bmibaby flying programme, including the analysis of new routes, and optimisation of the existing programme.
 
This is your chance to ask our in-house expert about the current bmibaby destinations, any future route plans and let us know where you would like bmibaby to fly to in 2011.

Simply log on to Twitter between 3pm and 4pm on 3 November and use the hashtag #askbmibaby.
 
Following the announcement of new routes to Ibiza and Verona this week, bmibaby now fly to 32 destinations across the British Isles and Europe.

We hope you enjoyed nominating your friends to win flights to Munich last week. If you missed it - here's another chance! Who's ready for FFFF round 2? This Friday, one of your lucky friends could win flights to Prague!

Everyone on Twitter knows Follow Friday, marked with the hash tag #FF, where you call out other tweeple you think are worthy of being followed. Well, from this week and for every Friday until 19th November we’re turning Follow Friday into Free Flight Follow Friday!

The principle of Follow Friday remains the same, you still call out Twitter friends, but by adding two F’s into the hash tag to make #FFFF, you also nominate them to win one of three pairs of flights to a bmibaby destination – this week it’s Prague!

Terms and conditions apply. 

For terms and conditions email - bmibaby@therabbitagency.com

We’ll announce the winners on Twitter prior to the next #FFFF. It’s up to you to make your way to the relevant UK airport and up to you what you do when you get to the destination.

Although anyone can nominate, only people in the UK can win.

Also, to make people choose friends who are really deserving, we’re only counting three nominations per user (if you nominate more we’ll select them randomly).   Good luck, and get nominating!

We hope you enjoyed nominating your friends to win flights to Prague last week. If you missed it - here's another chance! Now it is time for #FFFF round 3! This Friday, one of your lucky friends could win flights to Belfast!

Everyone on Twitter knows Follow Friday, marked with the hash tag #FF, where you call out other tweeple you think are worthy of being followed. Well, from this week and for every Friday until 19th November we’re turning Follow Friday into Free Flight Follow Friday!

The principle of Follow Friday remains the same, you still call out Twitter friends, but by adding two F’s into the hash tag to make #FFFF, you also nominate them to win one of three pairs of flights to a bmibaby destination – this week it’s Belfast!

Terms and conditions apply. 

For terms and conditions email - bmibaby@therabbitagency.com

We’ll announce the winners on Twitter prior to the next #FFFF. It’s up to you to make your way to the relevant UK airport and up to you what you do when you get to the destination.

Although anyone can nominate, only people in the UK can win.

Due to maintenance work currently being carried out to the runway at Alicante Airport, bmibaby flights to the UK may require a fuel stop en-route depending upon the runway in use. This work is expected to be completed by the New Year.

bmibaby would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

We hope you enjoyed nominating your friends to win flights to Belfast last week. If you missed it - here's another chance! This Friday, one of your lucky friends could win flights to Jersey!

Everyone on Twitter knows Follow Friday, marked with the hash tag #FF, where you call out other tweeple you think are worthy of being followed. Well this week we’re turning Follow Friday into Free Flight Follow Friday!

The principle of Follow Friday remains the same, you still call out Twitter friends, but by adding two F’s into the hash tag to make #FFFF, you also nominate them to win one of three pairs of flights to a bmibaby destination – this week it’s Jersey!

Terms and conditions apply. 

For terms and conditions email - bmibaby@therabbitagency.com

We’ll announce the winners on Twitter prior to the next #FFFF. It’s up to you to make your way to the relevant UK airport and up to you what you do when you get to the destination.

Although anyone can nominate, only people in the UK can win.

Also, to make people choose friends who are really deserving, we’re only counting three nominations per user (if you nominate more we’ll select them randomly). Good luck, and get nominating!

Birmingham airport is fully open.  We are operating all flights. 

We hope you enjoyed nominating your friends to win flights to Jersey last week. If you missed it - here's another chance! Now it is time for #FFFF round 5! This Friday, one of your lucky friends could win flights to Malta!

Everyone on Twitter knows Follow Friday, marked with the hash tag #FF, where you call out other tweeple you think are worthy of being followed. Well, we’ve been turning Follow Friday into Free Flight Follow Friday!

The principle of Follow Friday remains the same, you still call out Twitter friends, but by adding two F’s into the hash tag to make #FFFF, you also nominate them to win one of three pairs of flights to a bmibaby destination – this week it’s Malta!  This is the final week of #FFFF – so don’t miss out on the chance to nominate your mates to win flights to Malta!

Terms and conditions apply. 

For terms and conditions email - bmibaby@therabbitagency.com
 
We’ll announce the winners on Twitter the beginning of the following week. It’s up to you to make your way to the relevant UK airport and up to you what you do when you get to the destination.

Although anyone can nominate, only people in the UK can win.

bmibaby launch new services from Belfast City Airport

bmi group focuses its offering on a wider range of services to London Heathrow and key UK regions

Low cost airline bmibaby has announced it will commence flying from George Best Belfast City Airport to Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and East Midlands Airport from 1 January 2011.

bmibaby will move its operation from Belfast International Airport to Belfast City Airport, in a move to offer more convenient services to passengers wishing to travel into Belfast.

The new bmibaby services will add to bmi’s current flights between Belfast City Airport and London Heathrow, meaning that the bmi group will become one of the largest operators from Belfast City Airport.

bmibaby will operate up to 48 flights a week from Belfast to its regional airports, with fares starting from just £9.99 one way including taxes.

With up to 9 daily departures to the UK, the low cost airline will offer a convenient morning and evening schedule suitable to both the business and leisure traveller.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are excited to announce that from 1 January 2011 we will commence operations from Belfast City Airport to Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and East Midlands Airport.

“This move will enable our customers to have a frequent and comfortable jet service from Belfast City Airport to key cities within the UK.

“bmibaby will offer great low fares and frequent flights, meaning the new services will work well for both business and leisure travellers looking to fly to regional airports in the UK.”

Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, Chief Executive Officer, bmi, said:

“bmi British Midland International has a long and proud connection with Northern Ireland, serving the city of Belfast for over 26 years.

“It makes obvious business sense to have the bmi group airlines serving the same Belfast airport. The group’s physical presence at the airport is also increased and customers now have an excellent range of bmi group UK destinations available from Belfast City Airport – the best choice for business and leisure travellers alike.

“The bmi group will now offer up to 89 flights a week to Heathrow and the UK regions.”

Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive of Belfast City Airport said:

“Everyone at Belfast City Airport extends a warm welcome to bmibaby. We’re delighted that bmibaby recognise the continuing investment in the airport’s infrastructure, aimed at improving the passenger experience, which we believe makes Belfast City Airport world class.

“This is great news not only for the 1,500 people employed here but the wider community who rely on the airport’s continuing success.”

bmibaby is launching a new campaign, called ‘Travel Gems’ which is sure to appeal to those with a passion for travel.

Travel Gems will be taking over the @bmibaby_com twitter feed from Monday 29 November 2010.  Each week we will be tapping into your travel tales from bmibaby destinations, such as Verona, Ibiza and Cologne, as we seek to uncover the most inspiring stories.

Is there a restaurant that tickled your taste buds, giving you a true taste of local cuisine?  Or, perhaps you visited a backstreet bar where you sampled the finest wine or local liquor, having an unforgettable night?  Did you discover a hidden gem that simply must been seen?  What about an excursion that took you off the beaten track?

With so much to see and do, we want to know your travel gems and top tips.

Focusing on one bmibaby destination each week, we’re touching down in Munich on 29 November 2010 for seven days.

All you need to do is reply to @bmibaby_com and use the hashtag #travelgems to tweet your inspiring travel tales.

The campaign will run for two months, at the end of which, we will be creating a travel-savvy, superb online collection of the best and most inspiring travel tales from bmibaby destinations. 

Due to heavy snow in the U.K. and Northern Europe, bmibaby would like to advise passengers flights may be subject to delays and possible cancellations.

Any passengers subject to cancellations can transfer to the next available flight or apply for a refund for the unused part(s) of their flight(s).  To do so, please contact the bmibaby call centre on:

08442450055

0044 8458101100 (if calling from outside the U.K.)

We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.  

Due to heavy snow in the U.K., bmibaby would like to advise passengers flights may be subject to delays and possible cancellations.

bmibaby plan to operate the majority of services on 6th  December 2010, however this is dependant on weather conditions which are constantly being monitored. 

Please continue to check the internet and we will update as soon as information made available on airfield closures and possible delays

Edinburgh Airport snow closed until 1900hrs at present

Glasgow Airport snow closed until 1400hrs at present

Belfast Airport snow closed until 1900hrs at present

Following cancellations today 6th

WW5191/2 East Midlands-Edinburgh-East Midlands

WW2003/4 Cardiff-Edinburgh-Cardiff

WW5193/4 East Midlands-Edinburgh-East Midlands

Due Belfast snow closure

WW5605/6 East Midlands-Belfast-East Midlands cancelled

WW1091/2 Birmingham-Knock-Birmingham

WW3901/2 Manchester-Knock-Manchester both cancelled due equipment failure at Knock and reduced visibility reducing aircraft ability to land

Any passengers subject to cancellations can transfer to the next available flight or apply for a refund for the unused part(s) of their flight(s).  To do so, please contact the bmibaby call centre on:

08442450055

0044 8458101100 (if calling from outside the U.K.)

We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.  

Enterplanement - back to make you a star!

Plus win year’s worth of flights!

bmibaby has partnered with RedDragon FM to give you the chance to win a money can’t buy prize: a year’s worth of flights and the chance to perform onboard a bmibaby flight.  One lucky runner up will win 3 pairs of flights.

Our latest round of enterplanement has a bit of a twist - we are looking to showcase Cardiff’s talent onboard a bmibaby flight and in order to find the perfect candidate, we will be holding auditions, a la Britain's Got Talent. The person behind the winning audition piece will receive a weekend away in the destination of the flight where the performance is made as well as a years worth of flights to anywhere on the bmibaby network! A lucky runner up will also get 3 pairs of  flights.

To be in with a chance of winning, let us know how you would like to entertain our passengers. You can do this by sending us a video, a sound clip or a written explanation of your talent and skill to bmibaby@therabbitagency.com

We will then pick ten lucky finalists who will be invited to audition live in Cardiff in front of bmibaby.

Enterplanement is a new form of in-flight entertainment allowing performers the opportunity to showcase their talents whilst offering passengers a taste of their destination ahead of their arrival. The purpose of enterplanement is to inspire passengers to try something different while on holiday, something that cannot be found in their guidebook. It also gives the performers the perfect opportunity to show case their talents and promote themselves.

bmibaby has already ran two successful enterplanement flights, the first flight was to Prague and the second to Venice. On the flight to Prague acclaimed soprano Vera Likerova from the Prague State Opera come onboard the aircraft to perform traditional operatic melodies. You can read about Vera's performance and watch footage from the flight here: http://bit.ly/bkIked. 

The second enterplanement flight to Venice was of equal success This time there was a short theatre performance by the Teatro San Gallo in the departure lounge, for passengers to enjoy while awaiting their flight and in the air there was a spot of Vivaldi performed by violinist Matteo Mesini from the Collegium Ducale. You can read about the Venice enterplanement flight here: http://bit.ly/at58bU.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said: 

“We fly to a range of popular European destinations and wanted to look at ways in which we could bring those places to life. Rather than using conventional methods, we thought we could do something more interactive and actually have representatives of the destinations on a few flights!

“Ultimately we want our customers to enjoy the experience, and we hope that it gives them ideas and suggestions about what to do and see in a destination that they might not read in the standard tourist brochure or guide book.”

Terms and conditions

Please send all entries to Bridey or Zoë at bmibaby@therabbitagency.com. Entries can be either a written description, a video or sound clip.

This competition is open for entry from 9 am on Thursday 2nd December. All entries must be received by 12 pm on Thursday 16th December.

Entrants must be able to attend final audition rounds, through own means of transport, on  Saturday 18th December in Cardiff.  Please note costs will not be covered.

All entrants must live in the U.K. and have a valid passport.

For full T&Cs, please request via email to bmibaby@therabbitagency.com.

We look forward to receiving your entry!

Spanish ATC Strike Update:

20:00hrs

The Spanish air space is now open and we intend to operate all flights tomorrow, 5th December 2010, but advise all customers to continue to monitor our website for updates, www.bmibaby.com

If your flight has been cancelled you can re-book on the next available flight free of charge subject to availability, by calling our reservations centre on: 0844 2450055.

If you are calling from outside the UK, please call +44 8458101100.

Alternatively, if you would like a refund please write to: PO Box 737, Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2XP.

Alternatively you can call our reservations centre on:  0844 2450055. If you are calling from outside the UK, please call +44 8458101100.

The reservations centre is open between 08:00 - 21:00.

We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused as a result of the unplanned industrial action. 

London, baby!

bmibaby announce new route from Belfast City Airport

Flights to London Stansted Airport commence on 28 March 2011

Low cost airline bmibaby has today (16 December 2010) announced a new route from George Best Belfast City Airport to London Stansted Airport.  The new service will commence on 28 March 2011 and bmibaby will be the only airline to operate this route.

Flights to London Stansted will operate three times a day from Monday to Friday, with one service on Sunday.  Fares start from just £23.99 one way including taxes.

bmibaby recently announced it would commence flying from Belfast City Airport to Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands and Cardiff Airport on 1 January 2011. 

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“Our new frequent service from Belfast City to Stansted will provide convenient links to London from the heart of Belfast.

“We currently offer a range of domestic routes from Belfast to key UK regions and this new London route will complement these services providing our customers with even more choice.

“With up to 16 services a week with convenient flight times, this route will be ideal for both business and leisure customers wishing to travel to London.”

Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, chief executive officer, British Midland International (bmi), said:

“The new bmibaby route to Stansted Airport will complement bmi’s service to Heathrow.  Our customers will now have the choice of a full service carrier to Heathrow, or a low cost offering to Stansted Airport.

“The bmi group will now offer up to 105 flights a week from Belfast City to London and the UK regions.”

Katy Best, Business Development Director at George Best Belfast City Airport commented on the announcement:

“Belfast City Airport to Stansted has been one of the most popular routes served in the last few years, and bmibaby’s announcement is an early Christmas present for the NI traveller.

“2011 looks set to be an exciting year for the airport with the arrival of bmibaby and its five new routes.”

Due to heavy snow in the U.K., bmibaby would like to advise passengers flights may be subject to delays and possible cancellations.

bmibaby currently plan to operate all services on 23rd December 2010, however this is dependant on weather conditions which are constantly being monitored. 

Please continue to check www.bmibaby.com and we will update this as soon as information is made available on airfield closures and possible delays.

Any passengers subject to cancellations can transfer to the next available flight or apply for a refund for the unused part(s) of their flight(s).  To do so, please contact the bmibaby call centre on:

08442450055

0044 8458101100 (if calling from outside the U.K.)

We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.