X Factor voiceover star announces bmibaby’s official arrival at GeorgeBest Belfast City Airport 

Low cost airline, bmibaby, is today celebrating its inaugural operations at George Best Belfast City Airport by giving its customers an ‘Xtra’ special flight experience.

bmibaby customers flying out of and into Belfast City Airport in January will be welcomed on board by one of the most ­recognisable voices in the UK – the X Factor voiceover man, Peter Dickson, who hails from Dundonald near Belfast.   Using his booming tones, Peter has recorded some on board announcements for bmibaby that will be played on flights to and from Belfast City Airport.

To mark the start of bmibaby services at Belfast City Airport, the ‘invisible star’ with the most iconic voice in show business will help the airline put the fun back into flying by making a personal appearance on board one of its flights.

Peter Dickson said: “As a Belfast man at heart it’s an absolute delight to be working with bmibaby to help celebrate their move to Belfast City Airport and to bring some New Year cheer to customers flying in and out of Northern Ireland at the same time.

“I also look forward to getting to meet some of bmibaby’s customers in person this week. You never know what new catchphrases I will be able to mastermind with their help during the course of the flight.”

bmibaby’s move to Belfast City Airport will bring more convenient services to business and leisure customers wishing to travel from the heart of Belfast to key cities within the UK. The airline currently flies from Belfast City Airport to East Midlands, Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff, and from 28^th March 2011 it will commence services to London Stansted.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We’re delighted that bmibaby has now started operations from Belfast City Airport and who better to help us celebrate with our customers than a Northern Irish man with a big TV voice, Peter Dickson.  The move is so exciting that we felt Peter could help us mark the occasion in a fun and memorable way.

“We hope that our customers will share in our excitement as they will now have the chance to benefit from a low cost offering with bmibaby to the regions and to London Stansted and a full service offering with bmi to London Heathrow. This means the bmi group will offer customers up to 105 flights a week, providing increased choice, competitive prices and convenient flight times.”

bmibaby announces new route from Manchester Airport to Montpellier

                            Flights commence on 2 July 2011

bmibaby is pleased to announce new flights to Montpellier from Manchester Airport. The route will commence on 2 July 2011 and will operate twice a week on Tuesday and Saturday for the peak summer season.

bmibaby is the only airline to operate this route from Manchester Airport and fares will start from just £40.99 one way including taxes.

Located in the south of France, Montpellier offers a cosmopolitan Mediterranean break.  With pristine beaches and a contemporary city centre, Montpellier will attract families, couples and those looking to explore a different side to the south of France. 

Julian Carr, Managing Director, bmibaby, said:

“I am very excited about our new route from Manchester to Montpellier. This route adds another great French city to our comprehensive portfolio of routes to the South of France, which already includes Toulouse, Lourdes, Perpignan and Bordeaux.

Our new service to Montpellier means bmibaby now offers an even wider range of choice to customers looking to travel to the beautiful South West of France.  

Our customers will be able to fly to Montpellier from 2 July 2011 and benefit from low fares and great service. Additional benefits include allocated seating and online check in."

Manchester Airport's Managing Director, Andrew Harrison, said: "France has always been a very popular destination for people travelling from Manchester and the addition of Montpellier by bmibaby gives our passengers even more choice.

“bmibaby already operate to a wide variety of destinations across France and we look forward to working with them to ensure that Montpellier will be another successful service."

Cyril Reboul, chairman of the Board, Montpellier Mediterranee Airport, said:

"Everyone at Montpellier Mediterranee Airport is delighted to welcome bmibaby's new service from Manchester to Montpellier.  This new service will allow the customers of our region to discover one of the most exciting cities of the UK, Manchester, which is the 4th UK destination in our network.

“This new service will facilitate the connectivity between the regions.  We hope to develop our partnership with bmibaby further in the future and we look forward to welcoming all travellers from the Manchester region from 2 July 2011."

#Funuary!

Everyday Monday to Friday for the next 2 weeks we are asking you to tell us how you make January, #funuary! In return for giving us your #funuary ideas we are giving a pair of return flights away each day baby! 

We want to help make January as fun as possible - keep your eyes peeled on our twitter page as a new destination will be revealed each day and you’ll be in with a chance of winning flights.

Winners will be decided by our panel of #funuary experts who feel most inspired by your ideas for January fun!

Multiple #funuary tweets are allowed per person. The most inspiring, smile inducing the better. Each day we’ll decide on the winner for that day and start afresh the following day so make sure you’re keeping up with your tweets.

Need inspiration? How about #funuary I’m making January fun by singing in the car on the way to work everyday. Gold, always believe in my soul…

Win a weekend in Edinburgh!

We are launching a competition with Visit Scotland which gives you the chance to win a trip to the RBS 6 Nations Wales vs. Scotland match on Saturday 12 February 2011 in Edinburgh.

To be in with a chance at winning a pair of tickets to the big match, flights to Edinburgh from Cardiff and an 2 night hotel stay in Edinburgh, all you need to do is prove your love for the game!

Join the scrum and head over to the bmibaby Facebook page (http://on.fb.me/aOvCZ1). Give our page a like and let us know why you are Wales’ biggest rugby fan and you could find yourself embracing the game in all its glory in Edinburgh in February! It’s the ultimate weekend away for any fan!

Terms and Conditions apply.

All entries to be received by 6pm on 26th January 2011.  Winners will be announced shortly after.

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

Entrants must be able to fly from Cardiff Airport to Edinburgh 11 February 2011 (AM) and return on 13 February 2011 (PM).  Flights included. Transfer costs are not included.

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

Good luck!

Cancellation of United Kingdom ID Cards for British Citizens

Please note that from 21^st January 2011, United Kingdom Identity Cards will no longer be valid legal documents for the purposes of confirming identity, age or travel in Europe.  All holders of these ID cards have been contacted and advised of this change, however carriers may still encounter some passengers attempting to travel with this form of identification.

British citizens seeking to travel to the United Kingdom from this date will require a current and valid British passport.

Live Twitter Q&A with Julian Carr

This Wednesday will be the fourth live Q&A session, in a series which sees key bmibaby staff take over the Twitter feed! This month Managing Director, Julian Carr, will be back on the Twitter feed, answering your questions as part of a live Twitter interview on January 26th at 3pm.
 
Julian will be taking to the @bmibaby_com Twitter feed for an hour to answer questions on bmibaby’s success in 2010, its future plans and budget travel.

About Julian Carr:
Julian was appointed managing director on 1st April 2010. He previously held the position of commercial director for two years, responsible for marketing, revenue management, marketing, network planning, e-commerce and customer services.

Prior to this Julian spent two years working for IATA in Montreal where he was responsible for marketing and business development opportunities within the airline sector.

His initial entry into the airline industry however 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, though soon took over as managing director of the airline.

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

International rugby star supports Tiny Life ‘Big Difference Day’

Fresh from helping Ulster qualify for the quarter finals of the Heineken Cup, rugby international Paddy Wallace has helped low cost airline bmibaby launch ‘TinyLife Big Difference Day’ (26^th January 2011) – the latest fundraising initiative to support the airline’s official charity partner in Northern Ireland, TinyLife.

The Ulster and Ireland rugby star took a break from his vigorous training schedule to unveil a bmibaby aircraft named ‘TinyLife, baby’ with the help of bmibaby cabin manager Rachel Harding and five year old Ryan Beggs from Belfast who was cared for by the charity when he was born ten weeks premature.

As part of the TinyLife Big Difference Day, bmibaby will also roll out an action packed fundraising schedule giving Northern Ireland’s only premature and vulnerable baby charity the opportunity to fundraise at George Best Belfast City Airport and onboard bmibaby low cost flights to and from Belfast City to Birmingham and East Midlands Airport.

Paddy Wallace said:

“It’s great to take time out to support TinyLife.  I have been a patron for five years now and have seen the great work the charity does both from a personal and professional perspective.  It’s fantastic that bmibaby can support the charity like this as it means more sick babies and their families can benefit from TinyLife services.”

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, added:

“Out of 25,575 babies born in Northern Ireland last year 1,800 were born prematurely.  As part of our ongoing support for the charity, we wanted to dedicate a day to fundraising in a bid to make a difference to the local families and babies they support.

“As well as welcoming TinyLife fundraisers onboard a range of flights on Big Difference day, our spokesbaby, Tiny will be at Belfast City Airport to help the charity with their collections on the ground.”

For more information on Tinylife visit http://www.tinylife.org.uk/

#Travelgems

bmibaby is re-launching its popular Twitter Travel Gems campaign, commencing on Monday 31 January 2011.

Taking over the @bmibaby_com twitter feed, Travel Gems is an inspiring campaign that allows passionate travellers tweet their travel gems.  Each week, Travel Gems focuses on a different bmibaby destination, and we’re looking for your thoughts.

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.

Having successfully secured an array of tweets for Munich and Malaga, bmibaby has chosen the following destinations for the re-launch of Travel Gems:

Week commencing 31 January 2011 – Amsterdam

Week commencing 7 February 2011 – Jersey

Week commencing 14 February 2011 – Newquay

Week commencing 21 February 2011 – Malta 

Week commencing 28 February 2011 – Venice

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

To ensure we get the best travel gems, bmibaby is offering tweeters an incentive.  At the end of each week, one tweeter will win a pair of flights to that particular destination, with expert travel bloggers on board selecting the winning tweet.

Travel Gems finishes on 4 March 2011, after which a travel-savvy online downloadable guide will be created, showcasing a collection of the best tweets.  With inspiring travel top tips from avid travellers across the world, it will be a guide not to be missed.

bmibaby arrives early at Newquay Cornwall Airport

bmibaby has announced that due to growing demand it will resume its service from Manchester Airport to Newquay Cornwall Airport earlier than planned. 

The twice weekly flights will commence 4 February 2011, eight weeks earlier than in 2010, flying on Mondays and Fridays.  During peak time bmibaby will operate up to six flights a week from Manchester Airport to Cornwall.   

The service proved popular in 2010 with people from the North West looking for a relaxing break on some of Britain’s best beaches and with passengers in the South West looking for a city break in one of the UK’s biggest cities. 

Julian Carr, managing director of bmibaby, said:

“We are pleased to be able to launch our service from Manchester to Newquay even earlier this year due to popular demand.  With short flight times, travellers can take out the hassle of driving from one end of the country to the other.”  

Andrew Harrison, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, said:

“Passengers utilising Manchester will be pleased to have access to the tourist draws of Cornwall with this route and we hope to see more and more people from the South West coming to Manchester to sample what we have on offer here as well. It’s not too long to go before we enter our summer season and I’m confident it’ll prove popular.”

bmibaby flies up to six times a week from Manchester Airport to Newquay Cornwall Airport.  Fares start from just £14.99 one way including taxes.

bmibaby confirms six extra flights for MIPIM conference in Nice

Low cost airline bmibaby has once again increased the number of flights from Birmingham Airport to Nice to accommodate the large number of delegates heading to the South of France for the MIPIM conference next month. 

Running from 8-11 March 2011, MIPIM is the world’s leading event for international property professionals.  The event brings together more than 17,000 delegates from all over the world for four days of seminars, networking and business development.

In response to demand, bmibaby has added six extra flights between Birmingham and Nice for the event.  In total the airline will operate ten flights between Birmingham and Nice over the course of the event, allowing people of the region to travel to and from MIPIM. The flights are already proving popular and the airline expects to carry around 1,400 passengers during this time.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“MIPIM continues to be the ‘must attend’ event for property professionals from across the globe.  We are delighted to be able to provide these additional services to meet the increased demand from industry leaders in the West Midlands region wishing to attend.  Last year we were seeing flights at up to 99 per cent capacity and we expect this to repeat in 2011.”

Mike Whitby, Leader of Birmingham City Council, comments:

“MIPIM is a significant annual event for property professionals across the Midlands and the additional flights offered by bmibaby for the event are very welcomed.  Demand is always high at this time and with extra bmibaby seats between Birmingham and Nice, greater choice and flexibility can be enjoyed by those travelling to MIPIM next month.”

Love at 30,000 feet

If you have any doubt on this Valentine’s Day that true love still exists, then look to low cost airline bmibaby, who played cupid to a Welsh couple.

Pilots Jonathan and Debi Peskett, who live in Rhoose Point, met and fell in love at Cardiff Airport while working for bmibaby.

Shortly after meeting a whirlwind romance soon ignited, and love blossomed, with the couple marrying within eight months of their first date.

Debi Peskett, First Officer, bmibaby said:

“I first laid eyes on Jonathan while training to become a pilot at Oxford Aviation Academy.  Although there was instant attraction, nothing happened until 4 years later when we were both in the same meeting for bmibaby and I fell head over heels all over again.  We have a lot in common, including sharing a love for flying and travel. 

“Not only did bmibaby introduce me to my husband, but it has given me the opportunity to travel the world with the man I love. Jonathan and I regularly fly together, which brings us closer as we reminisce about the early days of courtship.

“Valentine’s Day will be a real cause for celebration this year as I recently passed my command assessment, which means I can now train to become a captain for bmibaby.  I couldn’t have done without Jonathan’s advice and support – so the champagne will certainly be flowing on Monday.”

Ever wanted to name an aircraft? Well here is your chance…

We’ve launched a new competition inviting one lucky bmibaby Facebook fan the chance to name a bmibaby aircraft and be one of the first onboard the newly named aircraft!

For round one of this competition we want you to submit your greatest aircraft name ideas on the bmibaby Facebook page. The Facebook page can be found here: http://on.fb.me/i2AyaG

To keep in with the style of bmibaby, all names must end in ‘baby’. Our current fleet includes:

1. Jelly Baby
   Little Costa Baby
   Tiny Life Baby
   Groovy Baby
   Rainbow Baby
   Butterfly Baby
   
   In your entry please state which bmibaby base is closest to where you live: East Midlands Airport, Manchester Airport, Birmingham Airport, Cardiff Airport, Stansted Airport or Belfast City Airport.  Please note entries that do not include this information will not be counted.
   
   Once round one of the competition has closed at noon on Friday 4 March 2011, the best names will be selected and announced on the bmibaby Facebook page. The public will then have one week to vote on Facebook for their favourite name.
   
   The name that receives the most votes will be used on a bmibaby aircraft.  The winner will be invited to attend the unveiling of their plane and given the chance to hop onboard.  The winner will also be given a pair of flights to travel on the bmibaby network.
   
   So if you can think of a name visit the bmibaby Facebook page and leave us a post with your suggestion.
   

bmibaby adds extra service to George Best Belfast City Airport

Low cost airline, bmibaby, has today (18 February 2011) announced it will add an extra service from East Midlands Airport to Belfast City Airport.  The airline will now offer up to 18 flights a week from the region into the heart of Belfast.

bmibaby will add an extra service to its flying programme on Tuesdays, meaning the airline will operate three flights a day to Belfast during the week.  This frequent flying programme is perfectly suited to both business and leisure travellers.  The extra service will commence on 29 March 2011.

bmibaby also offer passengers at East Midlands and Belfast City Airport the opportunity to change their flight free of charge on the day, should their meeting finish earlier or later than planned, providing they are at the airport.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We want to offer our customers flexibility when they travel to Belfast with bmibaby.  We will fly from the region to the centre of Belfast up to 18 times a week.

“This additional service will mean that we will offer the most flights  to Belfast from East Midlands Airport, and we remain committed to offering people of the region exceptionally low fares and a level of great service.”

bmibaby flights from East Midlands Airport to Belfast City Airport start from just £19.99 one way including taxes.

Manchester’s top cat to tour Europe with bmibaby

Manchester Airport’s stray cat, Olly, will be taking to the skies with low cost airline bmibaby. 

Following the immense success of bmibaby’s ‘Name that Plane!’ Facebook competition, the loveable stray, who set up home at Manchester Airport three years ago, received a whopping 54 per cent of the public vote.

The name, Olly Cat, baby! was nominated by Tracy Williamson, from Wilmslow.  One of bmibaby’s 737 aircraft will now be christened Olly Cat, baby! with the feline featuring on the design. 

Beating a staggering 838 entries, Tracy will be one of the first passengers onboard the newly named aircraft, receiving a complimentary pair of return bmibaby flights.

Tracy Williamson said:

“I am delighted that Olly Cat, baby! was voted for by the public and is the winner of bmibaby’s Name that Plane! competition.  I work at Manchester Airport and often see Olly strolling around, so it seemed perfect to name an aircraft after Manchester’s most famous cat.

“The competition was an innovative idea from bmibaby, I never thought I would get the chance to name an aircraft.  While Olly may be oblivious to the fun, I’ll enjoy being one of the first onboard the aircraft named in her honour.” 

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“Not only has Olly proved to be popular with Mancunians, she’s also caught the attention of people from across the UK. 

“Olly might not be able to come onboard herself but we’ll be proud to carry her name on our aircraft, ensuring she clocks up the air miles she deserves.

“The Name that Plane! competition really captured the imagination of bmibaby Facebook fans, and we are thrilled with its success.”

Olly Cat's official spokesperson from Manchester Airport said:

"Olly is overwhelmed that she received over half of the votes and she wants to thank everyone who voted for her and her loyal fans. Olly has accomplished so much already since arriving at the airport but to have an aircraft named after her is the best accolade so far.”

bmibaby are once more proud supporters of Twestival

This year Twestival is going local and bmibaby is supporting Brum

Twestival (http://birmingham.twestival.com), alongside Birmingham Airport and Cardiff Twestival (http://cardiff.twestival.com).  Twestival takes place on Thursday 24th March.

Twestival aka Twitter Festival, aims to highlight using social media for good causes, by encouraging the local communities to meet and raise funds and awareness for local non profit organisations. All ticket sales and donations go to local charities.

Cardiff Twestival will be collecting donations for Cardiff Foodbank

(http://www.cardifffoodbank.org.uk) and Birmingham Twestival will be collecting donations for Birmingham Children’s Hospital

(http://www.bch.org.uk).

As well as sponsoring the events, bmibaby has given each Twestival three pairs of flights to give away to help raise money for their charities. bmibaby is excited to be part of such a fantastic event for the second year running.

Follow the action live here: http://twitter.com/brumtwestival and here:http://twitter.com/cftwestival 

For tickets please visit:

• Brum Twestival: http://birmingham.twestival.com

• Cardiff Twestival: http://cardiff.twestival.com

Wow us with your culinary skills & win flights!

Win flights to a fabulous bmibaby destination! bmibaby.com has joined forces with Rosemary Conley to offer you the chance to win a trip away to Venice.

bmibaby announce seven new flights from Belfast City Airport to Malaga, Alicante, Palma, Faro Ibiza, Amsterdam and Geneva

Further growth from the Midlands with additional aircraft at Birmingham and East Midlands

Plus new winter routes from East Midlands Airport to Toulouse and Chambery

Low cost airline, bmibaby, has today (13 April 2011) announced it will base two additional aircraft at Belfast City Airport and offer seven new routes from the airport.  New flights will go on sale today to Malaga, Alicante, Palma, Faro and Ibiza for summer 2012, plus a new year round flights to Amsterdam and new flights to Geneva for winter 2011.  bmibaby will be the only low cost airline to operate these routes directly from Belfast City Airport. 

bmibaby has also announced further growth from East Midlands Airport and Birmingham Airport, with one additional aircraft at each base.  The low cost airline will offer two new routes from East Midlands Airport to Toulouse and Chambery for winter 2011.  bmibaby is the only low cost airline to operate flights to Toulouse from East Midlands Airport.  Both Toulouse and Chambery are gateways to popular ski resorts including Soldeu, Arinsal, Les Trois Vallées and Val d’Isere.  More new routes for summer 2012 from Birmingham and East Midlands Airport will be announced soon.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are pleased to announce the launch of seven new routes from Belfast City Airport.  We are committed to flying from Northern Ireland and will base two of our aircraft at Belfast City Airport in order to offer a more comprehensive flying programme.

“The most recent addition to our flying programme from Belfast City was new flights to London Stansted and the new European flights will perfectly complement this.  We will be the only low cost airline to operate the new routes to Europe directly from Belfast City Airport and this will make getting away for a sunshine, ski or city break more accessible from Northern Ireland.

“We will also increase the number of aircraft based at East Midlands and Birmingham Airport to offer even more routes and frequencies from the region, thus further strengthening our position in the Midlands.  We are proud to offer people even more choice and flexibility plus great service and low fares.”

In the current economic climate it is essential for bmibaby to focus on airports where the low cost airline already has a strong market presence and where there are strong growth opportunities for the bmibaby business.  Therefore bmibaby has optimised their current flying programme and as a result of this bmibaby will cease operations from Cardiff Airport and from Manchester Airport at the end of the summer 2011 flying programme.

bmi, British Midland International will keep a significant presence at Manchester Airport and recently announced a new service to Frankfurt operated on behalf of Lufthansa, and in addition bmi launched a new service from Manchester to Basel in Switzerland.  bmi regional operate frequent services from Manchester Airport to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Lyon.

For flight time and date information, visit our bmibaby. 

bmibaby is inviting customers to take part in a live challenge which will see one of its Travel Experts carrying out real time suggestions of what to do in Belfast

Have you visited Belfast recently? Did you find a new favourite place that you would love to share with the world? Perhaps you know where to enjoy a cup of coffee in the Queen’s Quarter or how to soak up the historic atmosphere whilst walking around Belfast Castle.  bmibaby wants to hear these travel gems, as the low cost airline launches  Belfast Live!

bmibaby has enlisted the help of one of its Travel Experts to bring the sights of Belfast to the online world. On Thursday 21 April, Alan Sampson, co-creator of the popular travel blog, Travel Titbits, will be catching a cheap flight to Belfast City Airport from London Stansted Airport to spend a day as a tourist in Belfast.

bmibaby is asking fans of their Facebook page and followers of its Twitter feed to help create the itinerary for Alan’s day in Belfast, by sending in their suggestions. Alan will be publicly sharing his adventures throughout the day via Flickr, Twitter and Facebook.

Belfast Live! aims to promote the huge variety of things to do in Belfast, a great destination for a day out, that is literally on the doorstep.  bmibaby offers daily flights to Belfast City Airport, departing frequently from East Midlands, Manchester, Birmingham, London Stansted and Cardiff Airport.

bmibaby is now working alongside Gowalla and as a result they will be launching the bmibaby Grand Tour of Belfast based on Belfast Live! suggestions - look out for more details coming soon!

For more information or to book a flight visit www.bmibaby.com

bmibaby announce seven new destinations for summer 2012 to Gibraltar, Corfu, Murcia, Naples, Lisbon, Rome and Barcelona

Plus year round destinations to Cologne and Prague

Low cost airline bmibaby has today (18 May 2011) announced seven new destinations as part of its summer 2012 flying schedule.  bmibaby will go on sale with new flights from East Midlands Airport to Gibraltar, Corfu, Murcia and Naples, and from Birmingham Airport to Lisbon, Rome (Fiumicino) and Barcelona.  In addition, bmibaby will launch year round flights to Cologne from East Midlands Airport and to Prague from Birmingham Airport. Flights are available to book now at bmibaby.com

bmibaby is the only low cost airline to operate flights from East Midlands Airport to Cologne, Gibraltar and Naples and from Birmingham Airport to Barcelona, Lisbon, Prague and Rome (Fiumicino)

The low cost airline will now operate 31 routes from East Midlands Airport and 14 routes from Birmingham Airport, offering an extensive and attractive network of European business and leisure destinations.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“It is fantastic news for the Midlands that we are launching even more routes today.  By offering exciting destinations we want to inspire our customers to make the most of our low fares and experience new destinations from their local airport.

“The new routes are part of our expansion strategy for the Midlands.  We recently announced that will be basing two additional aircraft in the Midlands from the end of our summer 2011 flying programme and will now operate a total of 45 routes from the Midlands.  We are committed to further growth in this region.”

Brad Miller, managing director, East Midlands Airport said:

“Only weeks after announcing an eighth based aircraft and two new routes for winter 2011 from East Midlands Airport, bmibaby has today announced further increases to their route network from the airport, as part of their new summer 2012 schedule.

"Today’s news, together with recent expansion plans, further demonstrates that bmibaby is continually striving to grow its operation and extend its reach out of the East Midlands."

Martyn Lloyd, Birmingham Airport, air services development director, said:

“This route expansion gives passengers in the Midlands an even greater choice of destinations from Birmingham, removing the need to take long car journeys outside of the region. We’ve invested £100m in the last few years to improve the passenger journey and just last week we opened our new terminal, providing a brand new duty free store, a more pleasant security environment and larger arrivals zone. We look forward to welcoming more passengers to Birmingham and launching these new destinations next summer.”  

For more information or to book cheap flights visit bmibaby.com.  bmibaby offers free allocated seating at check in, free online check in if travelling with hand baggage only and a generous 22kg checked in baggage allowance.

Customers booking during May will also be offered a number of free benefits including free fast track security at East Midlands Airport, free kids’ bags and families can also pre book seats for free.  Visit bmibaby.com for more details. 

Volcanic ash update - 09:00 26 May 2011

All bmibaby flights are currently scheduled to operate as normal.  Please continue to monitor the website for further updates.

Transport strike in Amsterdam

update-11:15 07 June 2011

Please be advised of the following situation which may affect today's flight operations from Amsterdam.

Today, June 7, the municipal transport company of Amsterdam (GVB) holds a 24-hour strike to campaign

against the planned public tender and the government cuts of 120 million euro on public transport. From

03:00 hrs (June 7) to approximately 01:00 hrs (June 8) there are no trams, buses and subways.

Passengers travelling between Schiphol Airport and the city of Amsterdam by public transport

must travel by train. The late arrival of passengers at the check-in facilities has been reported by our

staff and thus the effects of this strike are noticeable.

Further information is available here.

Download Music Festival Travel Information

update-09:45 08 June 2011

The Download Music Festival is taking place from the 10-12th June at Donington Park. Campsites for the event will be open from Wednesday 8th June so there will be an increase in traffic on the local roads around East Midlands Airport from this time up to and including Monday 13th June.The main traffic peaks will be on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th and also in the evening of Sunday 12th once the event finishes.

United Kingdom Border Agency Industrial Action 29^th & 30^th June

The Public & Commercial Services union has called a strike beginning at 18.00hrs on Wednesday 29th June and ending at midnight on Thursday 30th June. The strike will affect border controls at some airports. bmibaby is working with the UK Border Agency to minimise disruption and ensure security.  bmibaby plan to operate a full flight schedule as normal during this period. 

Passengers arriving in the UK can assist in the border control process by:

- having travel documents, including passports, available and taken out of any wallets

- using automatic e-Passport gates (where available).

Please take this into consideration when planning your onward journey from the airport.

While the circumstances are outside of bmibaby’s control, we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and would like to reassure our customers that we are doing everything possible to minimise any disruption.

For more information visit: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

bmibaby support TinyLife

Last month The Daddy, otherwise known as Glenn Ross, Northern Ireland’s Strongest Man, pulled a bmibaby aircraft in a unique tug of war at Belfast City Airport.

The tug of war, between Glenn Ross and five TinyLife dads was to raise funds for TinyLife bmibaby’s Northern Ireland charity for premature and vulnerable children.

The Daddy who is also 5 times winner of UK’s Strongest Man impressed onlookers as he pulled the bmibaby aircraft a mighty 10 metres.

Julian Carr md of bmibaby commented: “We are delighted to have The Daddy on board to help raise awareness for TinyLife, our Northern Ireland charity. TinyLife raise much needed funds for the local families of babies who are born too soon. What better way to help raise awareness for the charity than enlisting the help of Northern Ireland International Strong Man Glenn Ross to flex his muscles against our TinyLife Dads!”

Valerie Cromie, TinyLife Regional Fundraising Manager said: “This is a fantastic way to raise awareness for TinyLife. Our TinyLife dads have already showed that they can handle pressure but they have really been put to the test today against Strong Man Glenn Ross we’re sure that they are up for the challenge!”

TinyLife is committed to ensuring all families who have experienced the birth of a baby requiring special or intensive care get all the help they need.  Approximately 2,000 babies are admitted to Northern Ireland’s neonatal units each year.  TinyLife is dedicated to reducing premature birth, illness, disability and death in babies born here.  It is a Northern Ireland based charity and all funds raised will ensure that it can continue its vital services across the province.

Anyone interested in supporting TinyLife should contact the Fundraising Team on 02890 815050 or email: info@tinylife.org.uk or visit the website www.tinylife.org.uk 

Olly joins the jet set with aircraft in her name

Manchester Airport’s stray cat, Olly, is taking to the skies thanks to low cost airline bmibaby. 

After winning a public vote, the loveable stray now has her name emblazoned on the side of the Boeing 737 jet. 

Olly was nominated by Tracy Williamson from Wilsmlow.  The Manchester Airport security worker was on hand to unveil the new aircraft name at Manchester Airport on Olly’s behalf. 

Tracy Williamson, said: “It was a great moment to see the Olly’s name unveiled on the aircraft.  I work at Manchester Airport and often see Olly strolling around, so it seemed perfect to name an aircraft after Manchester’s most famous cat.  While Olly may be oblivious to the fun I’m sure Mancunians will enjoy jetting off this summer onboard her aircraft.”

Olly Cat’s official spokesperson from Manchester Airport said: “Olly is probably the only cat in the world with her own plane named after her – she’s been on TV and in newspapers across the world, so naturally she is taking this latest accolade in her stride. Since she arrived at the airport as a stray in 2007 she has accomplished so much, but this probably tops the lot as she can now truly consider herself an international jet setter, all thanks to Tracy, bmibaby and her loyal fans that voted for her in the competition.”

Win flights with bmibaby on Instagram

This week bmibaby announced the launch of its official bmibaby Instagram feed and the low cost airline has now launched its first competition using the popular photo-sharing social network – with a pair of flights to Italy up for grabs!

Instagram allows you to add various filters to photos – making anybody look like they can take pro snaps. Everybody enjoys taking photos when they are out exploring Europe’s wonderful cities and as Instagram allows you to post to your Facebook, Twitter and Flickr accounts, it’s a great and easy way to share your holiday pictures with your friends.

bmibaby want to take sharing to the next level and help our customers find new and exciting things to do in cities by using Instagram to bring our destinations to life!

Bringing bmibaby destinations to life using Instagram

Many of bmibaby’s 39 destinations have hidden secrets that often escape the schedules of busy holiday makers. bmibaby want to help you discover these places – and who better than to help you seek out these hidden gems than locals themselves! bmibaby have partnered with local Instagram groups across Europe to help you do just that.

Each month bmibaby will be focusing on a different bmibaby destination and asking both locals and bmibaby customers to submit photo entries which they feel portray the beauty, traditions, culture, people, cuisine and landscapes of the given country or city. The airline is on the hunt for the best pictures but wants to collect your images and share them with the bmibaby community too!

bmibaby Instagram competitions with Instagramers 

bmibaby will be working closely with Instagramer groups from across Europe to help find sought after images. Instagramer groups are regional groups of Instagram users who regularly meet and collaborate to share their photos. There are 94 international Instagramer groups around the globe, many of which are in bmibaby destinations.

This month bmibaby is kicking off the competition with one of its most popular destinations: Italy! bmibaby is partnering with resident Italian Instagramers group, IgersItalia, who will be bringing you insights to their beautiful country! bmibaby currently flies to 5 destinations in Italy: Alghero (Sardinia), Naples, Rome, Venice and Verona.  If you have recently been to Italy share your photos with bmibaby for the chance to win.

How do I enter the bmibaby Instagram competition?

Getting involved is easy – to enter the competition, upload your favourite pictures, tagging them with #miaItalia and #bmibabygram - it’s as easy at that!

How will the bmibaby Instagram competition work?

Each week, for three weeks, bmibaby will pick a picture we feel stands out from the crowd. This will then be reposted from the bmibaby Instagram feed to share with all of the bmibaby followers. In the fourth week, after three finalists have been chosen, one will be picked to win a pair of flights!

And that’s not all – at the end of the month as a thank you too all entrants, bmibaby will produce a fantastic guide to Italy using everybody’s pictures.  By tagging your picture with #miaItalia, consent is given to bmibaby use your Instagram image in a crowdsourced guide to Italy. An album of Italian Inspiration will be compiled and shared with bmibaby fans across our social networks!

Be sure to follow bmibaby on Instagram to see the latest finalists. If you’ve got an iPhone you can follow bmibaby straight away. Simply download the Instagram app to your iPhone from the App store, follow ‘@bmibaby’ and get tagging!

What if I don’t use Instagram?

For those of you who are not yet Instagram crazy – fear not! The pictures will soon be synched to the bmibaby Facebook page, Twitter feed and here on our blog too!

bmibaby produces definitive ‘tiny’ travel guide

Low cost airline bmibaby has teamed up with five travel experts to produce the definitive travel guide for summer 2011, called Travel Gems.

Launched today, the innovative 12 page guide has been compiled using 70 tweets from the general public on six exciting destinations, received via a specific bmibaby twitter feed and is available to download from the bmibaby blog: http://www.blog.bmibaby.com/

By engaging with its followers on Twitter, bmibaby received hundreds of tweets from savvy travellers.  The 140 characters each revealed a ‘travel gem’ in a particular destination, from restaurant recommendations to hidden hot spots to visit and unusual places to see.

The tweets were judged by a panel of five travel experts, including Alan Sampson, Karen Bryan, Isabelle Kenis, Nellie Huang and Cara Dunston, who selected the short list of tweets for inclusion in Travel Gems.

With the aim of inspiring consumers to travel this summer, bmibaby has uploaded the guide on its website. 

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said: “As an airline we are embracing social media and find it a great way to engage with consumers.  The launch of Travel Gems on Twitter was so well received we have been able to produce a unique guide, partnering with five travel experts.

“At bmibaby, our ethos is to inspire travel and the guide does exactly that with hidden gems unveiled by savvy travellers.  It is a great alternative to a traditional guide book and we anticipate that it will prove very popular with our passengers this summer as they jet off looking forward to a fabulous holiday full of pleasant surprises.”

To download Travel Gems visit http://bit.ly/pUkXWV

Prize Draw Terms and Conditions – bmibaby Grand Tour of Europe

1. This prize promotion (the "Promotion") is open to participants who are aged 18 or over (the "Participants").

2. This Promotion is not open to the employees of the bmi Group, their immediate families or contractors or any person directly or indirectly involved in the Promotion.

3. The winner of the Promotion will receive up to a years worth of unlimited flights for the Prize winner on the bmibaby network, starting from the date when the claim for the Prize is validated (the “Prize”).

4. The Promotion runs from 1^st August 2011 until either the date that the Prize is claimed by the Prize winner or 1^st August 2012, whichever earlier.

5. In order to claim the Prize, participants must fully complete the bmibaby Grand Tour of Europe on Gowalla.com by virtually checking in to all ten named destinations stated. The Prize winner must also have flown with the Promoter at least once to any of the named destinations on the bmibaby Grand Tour to have the opportunity to win the Prize.

6. Please note, the Promoter reserves the right to seek written proof (for example, flight ticket receipts) from the Prize winner of both his or her travel to any of the visited destinations on the bmibaby Grand Tour and of travel to one of the named destinations using the Promoter’s flights, in order for the Prize to be issued to the Prize winner.

7. The Prize shall consist of a bmibaby operated flight only and for clarity shall not include flights operated by any airline other than bmibaby, codeshare flights or flights operating under an airline code other than WW.

8. All flights that constitute the Prize are subject to availability.  Availability is reduced at peak times and holidays. Bookings must be made by the Prize winner at least 14 days in advance of the required outbound travel date. 

9. The Promoter will pay for a 22Kg baggage allowance and airport check-in for each flight constituting the Prize, airport taxes and all other taxes and charges associated with the Prize, however, all transport other than the Prize (for example, travel to and from the arrival and destination airports) and travel insurance costs, are the responsibility of the Prize winner.

10. The Prize winner will be responsible for supplying valid passports and visas and, where necessary, for obtaining appropriate vaccinations and inoculations. It is strongly recommended that the Prize winner purchase adequate travel insurance.

11. The named Prize winner must travel on any flights constituting the Prize and the Prize is non-transferable, non-refundable and non-changeable.

12. The Promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

13. The Promoter reserves the right to provide an alternative prize of similar value should the specified Prize become unavailable for any reason.

14. The Prize winner is solely responsible for declaring details of any award provided under this Promotion to the relevant tax authorities and for paying any tax liability (if any) which may arise.

15. If any Prize winner cannot be traced after reasonable efforts have been made by the Promoter, that winner will forego the right to claim the Prize and the Promoter will arrange for a replacement winning entry to be selected.

16. The Promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the terms of this Promotion and without notice in the unlikely event of a major catastrophe, war, earthquake or any actual, anticipated or alleged breach of any applicable law or regulation or any similar event or if circumstances arise outside of its control.

17. By participating in this Promotion, the Prize winner grants the Promoter permission to use their name and likeness for advertising and future promotional purposes without additional compensation (except where prohibited).  The Promoter will only use personal information in connection with this purpose and for the purpose of administering the Promotion.

18. The Promoter reserves the right to change its flight schedules without prior notice.

19. The Promotion is governed by English Law and the English Courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising in connection with it.

20. Entry to the Promotion confirms you have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

21. Incomplete, illegible or fraudulent entries will be considered void.

22. Cash or credit alternatives for the Prize will not be offered.

23. For questions about this Promotion, please email bmibaby@therabbitagency.com

24. The Prize is subject to the Promoter’s applicable terms and conditions including its general conditions of carriage for passengers and baggage (available at http://www.bmibaby.com/).

25. The Promoter is bmibaby Limited, trading as bmibaby, registered number 3259921, registered office: Tiny Town, Donington Hall, Castle Donington, Derby, DE74 2SB.

bmibaby number one for flight on time performance

Low cost airline bmibaby is celebrating after results for airline punctuality for quarter one 2011 were announced yesterday on www.flightontime.info/.  bmibaby was named the most punctual low cost airline between January and March 2011.   

Between January and March 2011 87.8 per cent of bmibaby flights departed 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.

Pete Durnford, operations director, bmibaby, said:

“We are delighted with this result.  At bmibaby we pride ourselves on offering our customers a punctual, high quality service and these results prove this.

“Not only were we named the most punctual low cost airline, we were also well above the average of airlines departing within 15 minutes of the scheduled departure time. 

“We will continue to offer our customers punctual flights, a great service and cheap flight tickets.”

New arrival at East Midlands Airport for bmibaby

The bmibaby team at East Midlands Airport are travelling in green style after investing in an electric car.

The low cost airline has purchased a Nissan Leaf electric car to replace the vehicle currently used by the ground dispatch team at its hub.  The car will now play a major part in bmibaby’s operations at East Midlands Airport.  The car will be used for transporting dispatchers between aircraft, taking crew to aircraft, and for use for travel between East Midlands Airport and bmibaby’s head office at Castle Donington.   

After two months of anticipation, bmibaby took delivery of the car last week to the delight of the team.  The team were given a number of driving lessons by the Motor Transport Department. 

East Midlands Airport has supported the car as part of its carbon neutral aspirations by providing charging points.  The car is 100 percent electric and can run up to 109 miles before it needs to be charged again.  The Nissan charges overnight with a standard domestic plug.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“The bmibaby team at East Midlands Airport are pleased with the arrival of the electric car; it’s a significant investment as part of bmibaby’s ongoing commitment to our corporate social responsibility policy.   The help we have received from East Midlands Airport has meant this innovative partnership. will help benefit bmibaby and the airport.” 

Neil Robinson, Director of Sustainability, East Midlands Airport said:

“bmibaby is the first of our partners to invest in the new generation of electric vehicles and we’re delighted to be able to support their project, which is in line with our own commitment of making ground operations carbon neutral by 2012. “

bmibaby continues to bring social media adventures to customers using location based network Gowalla

bmibaby has created a ‘Grand Tour of Europe’ to inspire customers to visit historical and popular locations in ten top bmibaby destinations.

The low cost airline’s latest tour uses Gowalla to set a fun challenge, with a fantastic prize - the first person to complete the tour will be rewarded with unlimited flights on the bmibaby network for a whole year!

The tour stretches across Europe, and features:

•             Prague - Old Town Square

•             Cologne - Kolner Dom Cathedral

•             Belfast - Titanic Dock

•             Edinburgh - Edinburgh Castle

•             Paris - Eiffel Tower

•             Amsterdam - Canal Cruise

•             Knock - River Shannon

•             Jersey - Jersey War Tunnels

•             Faro - Faro Lighthouse

•             Malaga - Plaza de la Cathedral

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“The Grand Tour of Europe is a fantastic way for our customers to get the most out of their trip with bmibaby, discovering places that they would not have usually discovered and being able to share their adventures with family and friends at the same time.”

bmibaby now have Gowalla check in locations at all 39 bmibaby destination airports as well as at their five bases: Birmingham Airport, Cardiff Airport, East Midlands Airport, Manchester Airport and Belfast City Airport. 

bmibaby recently became the first European airline to integrate location based network Gowalla into its communications by creating a unique customer loyalty reward system. The initiative gives customers chance to be rewarded for their loyalty each time they fly with the airline. Each month, a customer who has checked-in with Gowalla earns a great prize courtesy of the bmibaby.

Past tours created by bmibaby on Gowalla include the ‘Grand Tour of Belfast’ and the ‘Grand tour of Newquay’ with more destinations scheduled for 2011.

bmibaby will be working with Gowalla on other upcoming projects and destination tours in 2011 - look out for more details coming soon.

Step by Step Guide to taking part!

Step one: Arrive at airport

Step two: If you don’t already have the app download Gowalla: http://gowalla.com/apps (compatible with iPhone, Andriod and blackberry phones)

Step three: Search your nearby ‘Spots’ and check in at bmibaby check in desk

Step four: Whenever you fly with bmibaby be sure to check in at the bmibaby check in desk to be in with a better chance of winning the monthly rewards!

Step five: When at your final destination use the Gowalla app to learn more about the city around you, document and update your friends and family on your adventures! Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for bmibaby Gowalla tours coming soon in Belfast and other European destinations TBC.

Step six: To take part in bmibaby’s ‘Grand tour of Europe’ visit all of the following destinations in any order! Don’t forget to check in to the bmibaby check in desks as you go!

A note on Gowalla

The Gowalla app allows users to check into locations as they travel to learn more about what is around them; from recommendations, to photo-sharing to networking with friends. Gowalla is great for keeping track of places you have visited as well as discovering the places you want to go next. You can share your experiences, check ins and pictures with friends easily – through the Gowalla app which integrates with FourSquare, Facebook Places and Tumblr too. Gowalla is about discovering the world and bmibaby want to help you do exactly that.

Terms and conditions for the Grand Tour can be found here: http://www.bmibaby.com/bmibaby/news/2011/grand_tour.aspx 

bmibaby wins Best Low Cost Airline award

bmibaby is flying high with the news that it has just scooped the award for Best Low Cost Airline in the Condé Nast Traveller 2011 Reader Awards.

Hotels, spas, airlines and specialist tour operators all gathered at the prestigious ceremony in central London to hear who had won across a series of different travel experiences and categories including accommodation and transport. 

The awards are particularly special as they are voted for by readers of the magazine who are renowned for being well informed, well travelled and discerning when it comes to their travel plans and holidays.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, ,said: 

“Being chosen as the best low cost airline by the readers of Condé Nast Traveller is truly a great accolade.  It is testimony to the continued commitment of the bmibaby team that aims to provide a fun and friendly service for all of our customers.

“Being a low cost airline, we aim to keep our fares as competitive as possible, but not at the expense of great service.  We celebrate our 10 year anniversary next year and will continue develop our product and service offering to meet the needs of our business and leisure customers.”

Travel Update 9-11th September

The British Superbike Championship is taking place from the 9-11th September at Donington Park. The Highways Agency have put traffic plans in place however it is likely that there will be an increase in traffic on the local roads around East Midlands Airport. Therefore you are advised to plan your journey in advance and leave extra time to get to the airport.

bmibaby launches new services specially for business travellers and families

First UK based low cost airline to offer three services for flyers

Midlands based low cost airline bmibaby has today (6 September 2011) become the only low cost airline in the UK to launch three new services aimed at both business and leisure customers and designed to provide flyers with a wide range of added extras, benefits and savings for one set price. 

bmibaby will now offer customers three options when booking a flight: Fly, FlyExtra or FlyPlus. 

‘Fly’ is the standard ‘no frills’ package, representing great value for those looking for a flight only.  ‘FlyExtra’ offers business travellers the flexibility to change their flights, as many times as they need to, take an extra piece of hand luggage and use airport executive lounges where available.   The ‘FlyPlus’ option is available whether travelling as a family or an individual and the benefits include 22kg of luggage allowance, seat assignment and priority boarding.

The total price of each product is less than the cost of all the individual elements included.  The new packages service the following benefits:

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are launching our new products today, designed specifically with our customers in mind.   When customers now visit bmibaby.com to book a flight, they will be given three options: Fly, FlyPlus and FamilyFly.

“All of these products have been put together after extensive research into what our customers want and taking on board feedback we receive.   The total price of each product is less than the cost of all the individual elements included, so this represents great value for our customers, as well as making the booking process much simpler.”

bmibaby launches flights from East Midlands Airport to Nice for MIPIM 

bmibaby is only airline to offer flights to the MIPIM conference from East Midlands Airport

Low cost airline bmibaby has today (20th September) launched a special service from East Midlands Airport to Nice specifically for the world famous MIPIM conference.  The flights will depart from East Midlands Airport on 6th March 2012 and will arrive back on 9th March 2012.  bmibaby is the only airline to offer flights to the MIPIM conference from East Midlands Airport. 

Customers travelling on this flight can also enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast at East Midlands Airport, before they travel. 

MIPIM runs from 6-9 March 2012 in Cannes and is the world’s premier real estate event, renowned for being a hotbed for international property trade.  In 2011 the show attracted over 18,000 participants from across the globe over the four day event. 

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said: 

“We are pleased to launch our dedicated service to Nice for the MIPIM conference.   The service will allow businesses in the region to travel from their local airport to one of the most important events in the property calendar. 

“We are the only airline to offer this service from East Midlands Airport, meaning that getting to MIPIM is now even easier for businesses in the region.” 

Brad Miller, managing director, East Midlands Airport said:

"We're absolutely delighted to be working in partnership with bmibaby to provide this dedicated service to the business community for the first time and we're confident that it will be welcomed by the many businesses in the region looking to attend next year’s MIPIM conference."

Flights are available to book now on www.bmibaby.com.  bmibaby will operate flights to Nice up to 5 times a week throughout the summer season, starting from 31 March 2012. 

Leading low cost airline bmibaby is making it cheaper and easier for holidaymakers to jet away with the launch of a new package holiday service.

bmibaby holidays offers a comprehensive range of holiday packages, including flights, accommodation and optional airport transfers, to the UK and Europe’s most popular city and beach destinations.

Customers can book their perfect break safe in the knowledge that bmibaby holidays is fully ATOL protected. There are no debit card fees to pay and holidays can be secured from as little as £100 deposit per person.

Provided in association with Co-op Holidays, bmibaby holidays gives customers the chance to build their perfect holiday package including convenient bmibaby flights from East Midlands, Birmingham and Belfast City Airport, a range of accommodation options and competitive optional airport transfers.

From cultural city breaks for two to a week on a sun drenched beach for the whole family, bmibaby holidays has something for everyone. In addition to the traditional seven and 14 night holiday durations, bmibaby also offers a range of shorter break options of four and five nights which will prove popular with those looking for a quick ‘mini’ break away.

And, with prices starting from as little as £159 for a four night break to Prague or from £189 for a four night break to Benidorm, Alicante, there’s something to suit all budgets.

Julian Carr, managing director at bmibaby, said:

“We are well known for our low cost flights and have a loyal following of regular holidaymakers who fly frequently with us. It made perfect sense for us to extend our offering and give our customers the chance to book their complete holiday package with us.”

Neil Smillie, head of direct operations at Midlands Co-operative Travel, said:

“Having bmibaby now offering complete package holidays in conjunction with Co-op Holidays is great news for their customers, who already know them for their low cost flights so, will be looking forward to seeing what exciting holiday deals they will now offer.”

Simply log on to http://holidays.bmibaby.com to explore what’s available and view the latest offers, a ‘destination of the month’ recommendation and last minute deals.

bmibaby wins award for social media

bmibaby has been recognised for best use of social media in the Travel Sector by the Digital Impact Awards, in London on Thursday 20 October.

The low cost airline has won the award for its advance in social media over the past 12 months including a solid customer service structure and successful tactics across several social platforms too.

Judges were impressed by bmibaby’s development of a cost effective digital strategy with three clear focus points: To support and nurture the development of the bmibaby community online, to inspire its customers to enhance their traveling experiences and to create dynamic tactics to support the many routes bmibaby fly.

Throughout the year bmibaby has sustained the customer service offering on Facebook and Twitter, as well as launching and maintaining a successful blog: http://blog.bmibaby.com to share regular news and updates with readers.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are really proud to win this award.  Over the last year we have worked hard to develop our social media channels.  We use them as another way to communicate with our customers, to engage with them and to inspire them to travel.  This award is great recognition of our commitments to developing our social media strategy.”

Tactics have included the world’s first Social Media Loyalty Card accumulating over 100 pieces of coverage, #FFFF (Free Flight Follow Friday) accumulating over 2,000 tweets and the worlds first crowd sourced destination guide accumulating over 1000 entrants in its first week alone.

On 31 October bmibaby celebrated its first flight from Belfast City Airport to Amsterdam. 

The scheduled flight to and from the Netherlands marks the first of seven new European routes operated by bmibaby, with Geneva beginning in December and Malaga, Faro, Alicante, Palma, Ibiza starting in 2012.

Tourism Minister, Arlene Foster was on hand to welcome passengers arriving from Amsterdam at George Best Belfast City Airport as the airport commenced its first direct European service.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“It is a really exciting milestone for bmibaby and Belfast City Airport, as we launch the inaugural European flight to Amsterdam. This demonstrates how committed we are to flying from Northern Ireland, and we are proud to offer people even more choice plus great bmibaby service and low fares with our European routes.

“Our Geneva service launches in December and also five Mediterranean routes next year, so getting away for a sunshine, ski or city break is more accessible from Northern Ireland.  If these routes prove successful we would like to look at more growth from Belfast City Airport in the near future.”

Arlene Foster, Tourism Minister for Northern Ireland, said:

“The commencement of bmibaby European services is great news for both visitors and business travellers. I believe it will help stimulate further growth between Northern Ireland and Europe, making it even easier for people to come here on business or on holiday.

“The range of flights on offer, frequency and value help to ensure we can connect with visitors. We are expecting 2012 to be a successful year for tourism, with a whole host of fantastic events lined up, including the completion the Giants Causeway Visitors’ Centre and the opening of Titanic Belfast.

“There has never been a better time to show potential tourists around the world why they should put Northern Ireland at the top of their ‘must see’ list.”

Notice to customers re: bmi & IAG

Following recent commentary in the media with respect to the proposed sale of bmi to IAG, we would like to reassure all our customers that we continue with business as usual at bmibaby.

-          We recently launched new routes for winter 2011/2012 from East Midlands Airport to Toulouse and Chambery.  For summer 2012 we are on sale with new routes from East Midlands Airport to Gibraltar, Cologne, Naples, Corfu, Murcia, and from Birmingham Airport to Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon and Prague.

-          This week bmibaby will announce two new routes for summer 2012 and we will add additional frequencies to our most popular sunshine destinations.

-          We work with many tour operators and we have just committed to flying on behalf of these tour operators for 2012.

-          We have hundreds of dedicated and loyal staff working for bmibaby across the Midlands who are fully dedicated to driving the bmibaby business forward.  We will continue to develop and support our team.

-          Customers can continue to book with us with confidence as our destinations and our schedule for winter 2011/2012 and summer 2012 remain as planned.

bmibaby announce new Mediterranean routes and increased frequencies to key sun destinations

bmibaby has today (10^th November 2011) announced it will launch two new sunshine routes for summer 2012 and increase frequencies to some of its most popular summer 2012 destinations.  

The low cost airline will offer new flights from East Midlands Airport to Catania, Sicily and from Belfast City Airport to Mahon, Menorca as part of the summer 2012 flying programme. Flights are on sale now at bmibaby.com with fares starting from £44.99 one way including all taxes.

The new route from Belfast City Airport to Mahon in Menorca will commence on 15 June 2012 and will operate up to twice a week on Monday and Friday until 24 September 2012.  Flights to Catania in Sicily will operate once a week on a Sunday from 27 May until 30 September 2012. 

In addition, bmibaby will also increase frequencies to some of its most popular summer 2012 routes.   From Belfast City Airport, flights to Palma and Faro will now operate up to 3 times a week and flights to Alicante will operate up to 4 times a week.  bmibaby will also increase the number of flights to some of its most popular destinations from East Midlands Airport to Barcelona, Murcia and Malta during the summer season. 

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“The new flights from Belfast City Airport to Mahon, Menorca, are a welcome addition to our sunshine flights to Malaga, Alicante, Palma, Faro and Ibiza for summer 2012.

"Our new route to Catania, Sicily, also perfectly complements our existing Italian destinations from East Midlands Airport, including Naples, Venice, Alghero and Verona.

“We are delighted to offer even more destinations for summer 2012 and customers can continue to enjoy our great bmibaby service and low fares.”

Recently voted Best Low Cost Airline by the discerning readers of Condé Nast Traveller Magazine, bmibaby offers customers various benefits including allocated seating, online check in and generous baggage allowance of 22kg. bmibaby has launched Fly, FlyPlus and FamilyFly, providing customers with a wide range of added extras, benefits and savings for one set price. 

bmibaby has also recently teamed up with the Midlands Co-op to offer customers holidays across all destinations with low deposits and with ATOL protection.  

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

Flying start for bmibaby at Stansted

bmibaby is celebrating a successful start at London Stansted Airport following the launch of its Belfast route earlier this year.

Carrying more than 60,000 customers in just six months, bmibaby is delighted with its initial operation from the London airport. 

After a significant investment at its latest base, bmibaby has certainly got off to a flying start.

bmibaby is the only low cost airline to operate flights from Stansted Airport to George Best Belfast City Airport, which has contributed to the route’s impressive passenger numbers.  Flying up to 11 times a week, the airline’s convenient flight times and high frequency has attracted a loyal base of both business and leisure customers.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are thrilled with the initial success we have enjoyed at Stansted Airport with our Belfast service.  After investing in the airport, our first London base, offering customers convenient flights to Belfast, we have positioned the brand well in the region.  As a result, we regularly achieve good load factors and have built up a loyal customer base.”

Recently voted Best Low Cost Airline by the discerning readers of Condé Nast Traveller Magazine, bmibaby flies from Stansted to Belfast up to 11 times a week with fares starting from just £19.99 one way including taxes.

Planned Industrial Action by Public Sector Workers on 30 November 2011 

**UPDATE - 13.30 30 November 2011.  All bmibaby flights are currently operating as scheduled.**

Planned strike action by Public Sector Workers is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 30 November from 00.01 hours to 23.59 hours. The strike will affect border controls at UK airports.

bmibaby plans to operate as normal during this period and is doing everything possible to minimise any disruption.  We recommend that any customers travelling tomorrow allow extra time for their journey to the airport and at the airport for the check in process.   

Where’s Tiny? Find him to win flights

bmibaby is taking to the streets across the Midlands this Friday to give people the chance to win flights in a race against the clock competition.

On Friday 2 December, bmibaby’s cheeky mascot Tiny will be hiding at 10 different locations across Birmingham, Nottingham, Leicester and Derby and the first person to find him at each location can claim a pair of return flights from Birmingham or East Midlands Airport to one of bmibaby’s exciting European destinations.

The competition kicks off today with the first of a series of clues to Tiny’s locations being revealed on bmibaby’s Facebook page, Twitter feed and blog. 

To be in with a chance of winning, people need to correctly decipher the clues and be the first to get to the location on Friday 2 December at 8.30am.  They will then have to take a photo of themselves with Tiny and tweet it or post it on Facebook.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby,said:
“The Midlands has always been very important to bmibaby and we wanted to brighten up these darks nights with a competition that would capture people’s imagination and give them chance to win a pair of flights to jet off somewhere exciting for a winter break.

“Difficult to miss, Tiny is bright red and will be hiding at a number of well known landmarks across the Midland’s busiest cities.  If you can correctly guess where he’s hiding and be the first to get there on Friday, we’ll give you a pair of flights to a surprise destination.”

Clues are being revealed at 10am and 2pm every day this week at facebook.com/flybmibaby, twitter.com/bmibaby_com and blog.bmibaby.com.

bmibaby flight disruptions due to high winds in Scotland

Due to heavy winds in Glasgow and Edinburgh, bmibaby would like to advise passengers that flights WW5832/5824 and WW5193/5194 are cancelled.

bmibaby weekend sale. Thousands of seats at £14.99!

bmibaby are launching a massive sale this weekend only! They are offering thousands of cheap flights guaranteed at £14.99. There are a great range of destinations included. The routes are:

Belfast to Birmingham

Belfast to East Midlands

Belfast to London

Birmingham to Ireland West Knock

East Midlands to Edinburgh

East Midlands to Glasgow

East Midlands to Jersey

East Midlands to Newquay

Plus there are great prices on the following routes: 

Belfast to Amsterdam  from £16.99 

Birmingham to Amsterdam  from £19.99 

East Midlands to Amsterdam from £19.99

East Midlands to Cologne from £19.99

East Midlands to Paris (Charles de Gaulle) from £19.99 

Book between Friday 9th December at 5pm to Monday 12th December at 9am for travel from Tuesday 27th December to October 27th 2012. Prices are for one way flights including taxes and flights on offer are available on a first come first served basis and are subject to availability. Certain bank holidays are excluded. 

bmibaby takes off to two new ski destinations

bmibaby has today (16 December 2011)  taken off to the first of two new ski destinations, from East Midlands Airport. 

The low cost airline commenced flights from East Midlands Airport to Chambery on 16 December 2011 and will start flying to Toulouse on 23 December 2011.

Taking skiers and snowboarders to the gateway of the French Alps, bmibaby will operate flights to Chambery on Monday and Friday.  After Christmas flights will operate on Saturday and Sunday.  The airline will also fly to Toulouse up to twice a week, offering convenient flights to the Pyrenees mountain range.

bmibaby expects to carry more than 15,000 customers to Chambery and Toulouse during the ski season.

Julian Carr, managing director, bmibaby, said:

“We are delighted to be operating flights to Chambery and Toulouse from East Midlands Airport. As the gateways to the best French ski resorts both in the Alps and the Pyrenees, the new routes will enhance our appeal to skiers and snowboarders.

“With convenient flight times, low fares and a great service guaranteed, we are confident the routes will prove very popular, perfectly complementing our existing ski destinations from the Midlands.”

Flights from East Midlands Airport to Chambery and Toulouse are on sale now with fares starting from just £19.99 one way including taxes.

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

bmibaby is top of the class, both on the ground and in the air

An industry-wide survey has shown low cost airline, bmibaby, has beaten every other European airline in its class for check in procedures.

And its cabin crews are among the best in the business for in flight sales, thanks to a high-flying performance by two staff in a prestigious international competition.
 
The latest Airport Service Quality results show East Midlands-based bmibaby has improved in all three check-in measures graded by the industry and has beaten every other EU airline in its benchmark group to become best in class for two of them.

bmibaby has been declared ‘best in class’ for waiting times in check-in queues as well as for its courtesy and helpfulness of check-in staff.  It has also improved the efficiency of its check-in staff.

Lee Gainsbury, ground and cabin services director, bmibaby, said:
“The results, which cover the last three months, are a great tribute to the airline and the team but also the best possible news for our customers.

“We pride ourselves in the way we look after our customers, not just offering value for money but a top quality service.  To be told by the industry we are the best in the business at this as well shows we are getting it right.”

Meanwhile bmibaby cabin crew have won silver in a major international competition for in-flight-sales.

The airline entered two of its best cabin crew sellers, East Midlands-based Jamie Steele and Birmingham-based Sandra Ellis in the industry’s keenly contested ISPY awards for the ‘In-flight Salesperson of the Year Award’.

They were up against crews from 45 international airlines and brought home one of the most highly claimed awards.  Both Jamie and Sandra underwent five full days of intense training on all aspects of in-flight retail and customer service, after which Sandra won the prestigious ‘In-flight Sales Person of the Year 2011 silver award’.

Lee Gainsbury added:
“We offer our huge congratulations to both Jamie and Sandra. The made us all very proud and are real ambassadors for bmibaby.

“We were also very proud to be chosen in the final four airlines for the airline of the year award which was judged on all that we have achieved for cabin crew sales and service over the last 18 months.”

Nottingham Forest going places with bmibaby

Nottingham Forest’s season is taking off today with the announcement of a new club sponsor. 

Forest is going places with high-flying bmibaby who is to sponsor the 1,200 seat family enclosure in the main stand, which will be re-named “The bmibaby Family Stand”.  The deal also offers one lucky family the prospect of a fabulous sunshine holiday in a prize draw at the end of the season.

At each home fixture from now until the end of the season, bmibaby will select one Forest fan at The City Ground to go forward into a prize draw to win a holiday for a family of four.

bmibaby will also feature in the club's match day programmes and will become a Big Match sponsor of one game at The City Ground before the end of the season.

Richard Jackson, head of commercial at bmibaby, said:

“It’s great to kick-off a wonderful relationship with Nottingham Forest. This is the first of many relationships we hope to build over the coming months with local businesses. We pride ourselves in the way we look after our customers and the same will go for supporters using the bmibaby Family Stand.

“We’re already going places and we know that Forest aim to climb the league table. Hopefully, with our help, the only way is up.  We are looking forward to a long and happy relationship with the club.”

Nottingham Forest Chief Executive, Mark Arthur, said:

“We are delighted to have this link up with bmibaby and hope it is the start of a long-standing relationship.

“Attracting families to The City Ground is very important to us and we hope that bmibaby’s sponsorship of the Family Stand will encourage more mums and dads to come to games with their children for a family day out.”

bmibaby strikes with the blues

bmibaby has signed a 12 month partnership with Football League Championship contenders, Birmingham City Football Club.

With a number of new routes planned for summer 2012, the partnership allows bmibaby to increase its presence in the region and raise awareness of its ever growing network of low cost flights to Europe from Birmingham.

Supporters of the St. Andrew’s Stadium side will also benefit from the deal with the chance to win flights through a series of exciting match and family day promotions across the season.

Head of commercial at bmibaby, Richard Jackson, said:

“Partnering with Birmingham City provides a great opportunity for bmibaby to reach out to football fans across the Midlands and engage directly with potential new customers.

"This is the first of many relationships we aim to build with businesses across Birmingham over coming months and I’m hopeful we can work together to take both brands to new heights.”

Chris Hughton, Manager of Birmingham City Football Club said:

“It was great to meet Richard at the launch of the club’s partnership with bmibaby, who are an extremely well known name in the airline world and of course are Midlands based like ourselves.

“The club looks forward to a very close working relationship with bmibaby and as airline partners our supporters can look forward to a whole range of exciting offers, competitions and initiatives.”