bmi diamond club - You know you've got a bmi addiction when ...

All this miles transfer and status matching talk is doing my head in, so how about a bit of light-hearted humour? Anyone want to play?

You know you've got a bmi addiction when ...

... you check the bmi diamond club forum more often than you check your share portfolio!

...you mentally automatically insert "higs and kisses" as the signature in any DC email recieved:D

... you think "Cheese Toastie" would be a sensible handle to have on an internet forum

...on opening it Google Chrome lists http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/bmi-diamond-club-486/, http://flybmi.com and http://www.owenrudge.net/utils/bmicalc/ as your most visited sites.

... you wonder why your dietetician is suddenly talking about an airline.

You know which of more than 400 seating configurations and IFE variations you're going to get just by the two letters painted on the nose gear, and can recite Phil Gayle's dulcet tones on the safety video

"Bum Bum de da dah ... Welcome on board this bmi Airbus A320 aircraft. Your safety is our number one priority, so please listen carefully to the following information........"

...there's a slice of paper-wrapped Victoria sponge in the fridge...

and can recite Phil Gayle's dulcet tones on the safety video

...and when you get stuck on an easyJet flight, you get unreasonably annoyed that he doesn't say important lines such as "the bag will not inflate", and "one on either side"

...and when you hear the phrase "in final preparation..." you know it's okay to go back to reading your book...

- You could probably do the safety demonstration if called upon to do so by the cabin crew.
- Your waistline (and indeed your BMI ;)) have expanded notably following the introduction of cake in FlexY and the London Room
- The outstation groundstaff know who you are (and who your mother is)
- You hope the middle seat stays unoccupied if only so you can impress your seatmate by doing the table trick on an A319
- You check the Voyager magazine routemap to spot what routes they've axed since the issue was published
- You still get a bit of a giggle out of the way Phil Gayle says 'Each jacket has a light!... and a whistle!'

.... you paint your son's bedroom in "bmi airbus blue"

.... you smile every time you see a slice of pineapple

... when you've developed a taste for Pepsi.

... when you're bidding on ebay for model aircraft...

... you are disappointed by the 'hot breakfast wrap' from your local sandwich shop

... you name your newborn daughter (or, even worse, your son) Keeley.

... when you can dial the ICC (including the 18-digit gubbins international access line/PIN prefix I need to do when calling from the the office) without even looking.

...you arrive on time (but not necessarily the time on your original booking...)

.....you automatically add "and there's no postcode as it's an Irish address" when verifying your identity to the ICC.

.....your first ever DC status card is on your fridge.....

.... you still haven't fully decided whether to take up the option for a (purchased) silver card on 3rd May, having been downgraded to blue a few days too early to get a status match.... you might just give up flying:D

... you just ordered a spare set of luggage tags (for sentimental reasons)

... you just ordered a spare set of luggage tags (for sentimental reasons)

I'd have done that if they still had the swoosh. :(

.....you automatically add "and there's no postcode as it's an Irish address" when verifying your identity to the ICC.

... And my post code is "Dublin 2"!

... when you're bidding on ebay for model aircraft...

Model aircraft my arse!

You're after this (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USED-BRITISH-MIDLAND-BMI-HAT-BADGE-NAVY-/160792980646?pt=Women_s_Accessories_UK&hash=item2570022ca6#ht_500wt_1202), aren't you?

...when you go to the sweet shop, you a certain two fingered bar brings back memories of seat 3A on an A320. ;)

... your girlfriend wonders why you're taking a particular interest in her black lacy underwear..... :D

Wingnuts, eh? ;)

... you have eaten, or indeed even heard of, a Galaxy Amicelli.

... an invisible curtain is all that separates you from the fingerless masses.

... you find yourself racking your brains for yet another holiday to go on, after you inadvertently clocked up another 100k miles since you last cleaned your account out and proclaimed it a "final" redemption...

... an invisible curtain is all that separates you from the fingerless masses

...and an antimacassar with piping!

....whenever you see a "meal deal" advertised you think of a G&T and a sandwich

The mention of the word 'modular' brings you out in cold sweat!

... you sit there twiddling your thumbs and wondering what on earth you will do to occupy yourself until breakfast when the landing position button returns your lie flat to 90 degrees upright in a single press.

- You could probably do the safety demonstration if called upon to do so by the cabin crew.
- Your waistline (and indeed your BMI ;)) have expanded notably following the introduction of cake in FlexY and the London Room
- The outstation groundstaff know who you are (and who your mother is)
- You hope the middle seat stays unoccupied if only so you can impress your seatmate by doing the table trick on an A319
- You check the Voyager magazine routemap to spot what routes they've axed since the issue was published
- You still get a bit of a giggle out of the way Phil Gayle says 'Each jacket has a light!... and a whistle!'

What is the table trick?

You know the DC script better than the ICC.

- You have a domestic booking to LHR and can't stop wondering about the chances of a last-minute mid-haul a/c substitution.

- You have the occasional strange dream about being stared at disapprovingly / accusingly by dog portraits on the wall.

When asked a question you respond "Certainly, I can help you with that.."

...you tell the gate agent your check-in sequence number, unprompted...

For a laugh if you have any friends flying bmi you tell them the best seats are in row 13

- You could probably do the safety demonstration if called upon to do so by the cabin crew.

+1

I used to be able to recite most of the KLM CityHopper one, in Dutch :(


Kevincm Ha!

"....and thank you so much for holding..."

...when after all these years, the name Nigel and the verb 'enhance' still induce bouts of uncontrollable rage

When asked a question you respond "Certainly, I can help you with that.."

LOL! ^

You know you've got a bmi addiction when ...


You feel strangely uneasy after not having the hot pannini with mushroom and cheese (or whatever fillings, but particularly the extremely stretchy cheese with mushroom) for a while.

You feel strangely uneasy after not having the hot pannini with mushroom and cheese (or whatever fillings, but particularly the extremely stretchy cheese with mushroom) for a while.But you can fly TATL on Air Canada and get it :)

But you can fly TATL on Air Canada and get it :)

It would not be (or feel) the same! :(

... when you feel sad that bmi baby is cancelling routes out of BHX even though you always travel to LHR rather than fly with bmi baby

When your bmi flight is occasionally cancelled and you would rather wait 3 hours for the next bmi rather than take up the offer of a transfer to BA leaving in 30 minutes.

... when you notice how odd and bare your bmi uniform now looks without the Star Alliance lapel badge.

When asked a question you respond "Certainly, I can help you with that.."

Now, THAT made me laugh.....& shiver...:eek:

^

When you're the only one on the plane who giggles when the cabin supervisor says:
"On behalf of bmi and the Sta... uhm... thank you for flying with us today"

(EDI-LHR flight last Thursday)

When you're the only one on the plane who giggles when the cabin supervisor says:
"On behalf of bmi and the Sta... uhm... thank you for flying with us today"

(EDI-LHR flight last Thursday)

:D - let's just hope we don't end up in the "One Star" Alliance!

...you mentally automatically insert "higs and kisses" as the signature in any DC email recieved:D

... you wonder why your dietetician is suddenly talking about an airline.

...there's a slice of paper-wrapped Victoria sponge in the fridge...

- You could probably do the safety demonstration if called upon to do so by the cabin crew.
- The outstation groundstaff know who you are (and who your mother is)
- You hope the middle seat stays unoccupied if only so you can impress your seatmate by doing the table trick on an A319
- You check the Voyager magazine routemap to spot what routes they've axed since the issue was published
- You still get a bit of a giggle out of the way Phil Gayle says 'Each jacket has a light!... and a whistle!'

- You have a domestic booking to LHR and can't stop wondering about the chances of a last-minute mid-haul a/c substitution.

- You have the occasional strange dream about being stared at disapprovingly / accusingly by dog portraits on the wall.

...you tell the gate agent your check-in sequence number, unprompted... - hehe yep, I do this every time

When you're the only one on the plane who giggles when the cabin supervisor says:
"On behalf of bmi and the Sta... uhm... thank you for flying with us today"

(EDI-LHR flight last Thursday)
^ ^ ^ :D :p Absolutely loved all of these - and very glad I read them at home rather than having to explain to work colleagues what I'm chuckling at!

You genuinely feel annoyed at the possibility that your BD flight booked for the summer may end up with BA service, flight number and possibly livery.

(I feel like that for some reason despite the fact I do most flying on BA now that BD dropped the routes I used most frequently)

When confronted with a form demanding you fill in an identification number which starts '100' you begin to fill in your Diamond Club number then realise that the university would probably prefer your exam candidate number...
(happened to me yesterday... oops)

When confronted with a form demanding you fill in an identification number which starts '100' you begin to fill in your Diamond Club number then realise that the university would probably prefer your exam candidate number...
(happened to me yesterday... oops)
All the best with the exams! :)

(And don't go quoting redemption rules instead of answering the question! ;) :D)

All the best with the exams! :)

(And don't go quoting redemption rules instead of answering the question! ;) :D)
Aww but I'd be so good at that (cries, considers poor choice of priorities in life). Thanks for the support! Hopefully they've gone well. I'll be off to BCN to start my year abroad in 3 weeks anyway which will mean the end of my flying with bmi :(.

Aww but I'd be so good at that (cries, considers poor choice of priorities in life). Thanks for the support! Hopefully they've gone well. I'll be off to BCN to start my year abroad in 3 weeks anyway which will mean the end of my flying with bmi :(.From the sounds of things there will be very little left of bmi to fly on in 3 weeks anyway! Just think of all that nice IB flying you'll get to instead with BA*S status :D

Model aircraft my arse!

You're after this (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USED-BRITISH-MIDLAND-BMI-HAT-BADGE-NAVY-/160792980646?pt=Women_s_Accessories_UK&hash=item2570022ca6#ht_500wt_1202), aren't you?

....when you bid on aforementioned item and win it. :D

....when you bid on aforementioned item and win it. :D

Why you little.....

Well done :D

....when you bid on aforementioned item and win it. :D
I hope you'll be wearing it to the farewell bmi do! :D

I hope you'll be wearing it to the farewell bmi do! :D

I might just do ;)

Who wants some of these (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bmi-Headrest-Covers-/221025508275?pt=UK_Collectables_Aeronautica_MJ&hash=item3376259bb3#ht_500wt_1202) for their car?

I'm after the new bmi cutlery myself.

Anyhoo, back to the plot.....


....when you actually go looking for Genoa cake in supermarkets when you don't have any at home from the lounge

....when you laugh at all the above points, yet have a slight (or large) wistful feeling about what could and should've been about "our" bmi.

As for the luggage tags - that'll be a "me too" on those!

Havn't read all the posts yet, but the thought of those smart aircraft interiors being replaced makes me mad.

BA, do the right thing - upgrade your fleet to the bmi standard!!

I'm after the new bmi cutlery myself.


I was soooo close to swiping a set on my last (ever?) trip on BD C.. but I chickened out.

I was soooo close to swiping a set on my last (ever?) trip on BD C.. but I chickened out.

I friend of mine took the bmi etched glass tumblers from their last couple of C flights.

I friend of mine

:D Freudian?

:D Freudian?

Don't know what you're talking about, I wasn't even there.

http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/05/16/police-break-down-a-door.jpeg

When upon finding yourself in a Designers Guild shop you spend most of the visit flicking through the wallpaper catalogue looking for the 'ex-girlfriend's underwear' design and get unreasonably annoyed when you fail to find it.

Ah, this thread is making me very nostalgic.

Whenever I hear the word 'yo', it makes me think of Man Pax...

...typing the single letter "f" into the empty URL address bar of your browser automatically suggests either flybmi.com or flyertalk.com/forum/bmi-diamond-club-486/

:D

As bmi crew I know I have a bmi addiction when I'm out shopping I forget that I am not at work and stand aside in the supermarket aisle to allow shoppers to go pass, offer help to little old people to get items down from high shelves and everyone who I happen to make eye contact with I automatically give them a big smile, which I'm sure must give out the wrong impression to some people ;-)

I forget that I am not at work and stand aside in the supermarket aisle to allow shoppers to go pass, offer help to little old people to get items down from high shelves and everyone who I happen to make eye contact with I automatically give them a big smile

You'd better watch that, you'll have trouble fitting in at BA :D

... you telephone a friend to ask a favour, and when it sounds like they might say no you HUACA.

You're booked on the BA up to EDI and you're through the ticket barrier at the Tube station and halfway to T1 departures before you remember :o

This post has really made me smile..so many memories..Keep them coming.

You'd better watch that, you'll have trouble fitting in at BA :D

^ ;)

You know you've got a bmi addiction when ......you're about to take off on your last proper bmi flight & you actually start to shed a tear...or two...:o

You spend a good 10 minutes deciding what to put in the thank you card you're going to give to the EDI lounge ladies.

...when bmi Friday was the best part of the week. ;)

...you get to LHR at 04.45. The *A lounge is open, so you pop in before heading 'home' to the DC lounge at 05.15. And you're flying LX from yon end gates at 06.00!

When you realise BMI has made a few pennies thanks to Eurovision 2012 ;)

...when you stopped working for them 6 years ago and still miss it every day. So many wonderful people going to BA or losing their jobs. It's just wrong. :-(

When...

... you know your next redemption would have started, ended, or both in the outskirts of Europe or Asia if only BMI was still around

...you've been to Khabarovsk

...your friends consider that your ideal holiday destination requires a BMI flight to get you there

...you look back (sadly) on the days that FlexY didn't use to get you anything extra beyond a flexible ticket (and more importantly, double miles!)

...you've flown LHR-MAN or MAN-EDI on a direct flight in preference to taking the train

...you regret any domestic train journey you took before discovering diamond club

...you've been to the airport in Copenhagen/Barcelona/Milan multiple times but never the city

...you don't have enough holidays from work to spend the miles you've earned

...you remember the pride of getting a meal deal at the time BA was reducing their domestic service to birdfeed

...you remember the excitement of the Great British Lounge opening, and then the disappointment when you were denied access for being on domestics

...you still record hotel stays and flights on a separate spreadsheet to reconcile with your diamond club balance (no longer a problem with the new system!)

...your holiday planning starts with a list of "where BMI really flies to" (in preference to the routes displayed on the website"

...you've created some form of tool to make your life easier booking star alliance flights

Many happy memories, just one more to add to the "BMI to do list", next Easter, with a KTM trip!

...the littlest things make you sentimental (http://twitpic.com/9qkfge)

... when you see a BMI A330 in London and think to yourself... "Oi! Give it back to Manchester..."

... you read this http://www.bpccam.co.uk/images/bmi.jpg and get really sad. (and really angry when reading "The future shape and direction of the bmi group lies in the capable hands of Lufthansa", page 109)

Thanks to the FTer who sent me the book, you know who you are. :)

And it is a darn good book too.

If you can get a copy - it's worth it ^

When your tinitus is replaced by the Call Centre hold music.

Someone posts some photos from their wedding on Facebook and the first thing you notice is that the reception venue has the 'ex-girlfriend's underwear' wallpaper.

http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/05/16/police-break-down-a-door.jpegDidn't see a caption for this picture. is this what it feels like when you know you are going to have to make a booking with the ICC ? (or, these days, call them to try to resolve whatever problem has crept in to your existing booking)

When its the middle of June and you suddenly remember bmi Regional seasonal turkey and stuffing sandwiches

...typing the single letter "f" into the empty URL address bar of your browser automatically suggests either flybmi.com or flyertalk.com/forum/bmi-diamond-club-486/

:D

plus
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/bmi-diamond-club-495/
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/bmi-diamond-club-696/
...
because diamond club is your home at flyertalk which you always visit before having a brief look at other forums (by just changing the forum number in the URL)...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/bmi-diamond-club-495/


yikes, LH? Not very popular around 'ere :D

.....when you're watching an old episode of The Krypton Factor on Challenge late one night and one of the tasks is to land a bmi 737 at "British Midlands Coalville Simulator", accompanied by footage of a BD 737 on the old diamond livery.

Challenge TV. It has it's purposes ;)

When you're the only one on the plane who giggles when the cabin supervisor says:
"On behalf of bmi and the Sta... uhm... thank you for flying with us today"

(EDI-LHR flight last Thursday)

Ah, just like the old days.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in a few minutes we will be landing at San Diego International Airport. Thank you for choosing British Caledonian...woo...let's take that again...thank you for choosing British Airways."

Evening Standard, 23rd September 2019

When International Consolidated Airlines, the owner of British Airways, sold the then bmi Regional to a group of Scottish venture capitalists back in 2012, few could have imagined the turnaround in the airline’s fortunes that would lead to today’s announcement that the expanded group had been given regulatory approval in both Brussels and the US to complete its takeover of Lufthansa Group, which includes Greece’s Aegean, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Poland’s LOT, Scandinavia’s SAS, Swiss and British-based Virgin Atlantic.

Shortly after its sale, bmi Regional launched an audacious reverse takeover bid for Aer Lingus, taking the company into public ownership and making it an acquisition target for FlyBe, at the time Europe’s largest regional airline formed from the former Jersey European Airways, and which also operates several Nordic routes through its joint ownership with Finnair of the former Finncomm. The bid failed when Finnair, who were to part finance a second venture with FlyBe, switched its attention in the final hour to the purchase of the Portuguese operator TAP. The TAP deal was conditional on Brussels insistence that the Finish Government relinquish its 55% stake in Finnair, which removed the protection that had enabled the carrier to survive significant losses as a result of the economic downturn and escalating fuel costs.

Fast forward to 2015 and it became clear that Finnair’s ambition to expand its long-haul network into South America through its TAP acquisition had proved disastrous. Losses mounted at the airline. It decided to sell its interests in its expanded Fly Nordic alliance with FlyBe, which now included blue1 acquired from SAS two years earlier, in a desperate bid to stay afloat. FlyBe couldn’t raise the cash so in stepped bmi Regional, who had meanwhile been busy acquiring some Scandinavian assets of its own with its takeover of Norwegian Air Shuttle, and had gone from strength to strength following the reintroduction of long-haul services to New York, Los Angeles and Bangkok from Birmingham, Dublin, Manchester and Oslo. The deal wasn’t enough to save Finnair-TAP however, and one year later the airline went into administration. The group was split, with IAG picking up the Finnish assets and bmi Regional acquiring even more assets of Finnair-TAP, picking up the former TAP airline fleet and an operating base in Lisbon.

By 2017, Flybe’s losses too had mounted to unsustainable levels and its share price valued the expanded business below even its 2010 floatation price. Meanwhile, bmi Regional’s entry into the South American market had resulted in them courting a close collaboration with US Airways, that saw the introduction of codeshare ticketing arrangements across the two airlines’ entire networks, as well as bmi Regional regaining admission to Star Alliance, which it had left in 2012. US Airways and bmi Regional’s trusted partnership resulted in them agreeing joint takeover terms for FlyBe. One year later, bmi Regional and US Airways merged to form British Mericana International, which has inevitably become known as bmi.

Today’s announcement sees bmi become the world’s largest airline, as it adds a vast airline network in Europe and North Africa to an impressive international long-haul network spanning the Americas and Asia. In a statement today bmi said that Britiain would continue to remain an important international hub following relocation to its new base in the Thames Estuary, but it would maintain and over time expand services for British and Irish regional passengers that had stayed loyal to the airline over many years. It also hoped to win friends throughout Europe, as it announced it would be status-matching members of Miles and More, Lufthansa’s frequent flyer programme, with equivalent status in bmi’s prestigious Diamond Club.

... when the model plane you buy is going is going to live on the computer at work rather than at home...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-brGkV437Qlk/T-h68zqzKYI/AAAAAAAAIRM/mSPulMQ440o/s640/photo.JPG

(Although the vendor said it was a 1:200 scale... and this is 1:400 scale. Grr.)

Evening Standard, 23rd September 2019
[...]
It also hoped to win friends throughout Europe, as it announced it would be status-matching members of Miles and More, Lufthansa’s frequent flyer programme, with equivalent status in bmi’s prestigious Diamond Club.

Excellent!^
Especially the part where TAP can be heaven or hell for whoever picks it up. Totally plausible.

GBM

You seriously consider spending almost £30 on a scale model of G-MIDX for old times' sake but decide against it since it doesn't have the washing line livery.

Even I draw the line at the bmifriday polo shirt though. Is Wolfgang clearing out his wardrobe? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRITISH-MIDLAND-BMI-FRIDAY-MEDIUM-BLACK-PRINTED-POLO-SHIRT-VERY-COLLECTABLE-/251242926792?pt=UK_Collectables_Aeronautica_MJ&hash=item3a7f3ed2c8

Even I draw the line at the bmifriday polo shirt though. Is Wolfgang clearing out his wardrobe? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRITISH-MIDLAND-BMI-FRIDAY-MEDIUM-BLACK-PRINTED-POLO-SHIRT-VERY-COLLECTABLE-/251242926792?pt=UK_Collectables_Aeronautica_MJ&hash=item3a7f3ed2c8
VERY COLLECTABLEI have lots of collectable items...I leave them by the street and pay the local council to collect them every week.:D

You seriously consider spending almost £30 on a scale model of G-MIDX for old times' sake but decide against it since it doesn't have the washing line livery.

Even I draw the line at the bmifriday polo shirt though. Is Wolfgang clearing out his wardrobe? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRITISH-MIDLAND-BMI-FRIDAY-MEDIUM-BLACK-PRINTED-POLO-SHIRT-VERY-COLLECTABLE-/251242926792?pt=UK_Collectables_Aeronautica_MJ&hash=item3a7f3ed2c8But it says VERY COLLECTABLE in the listing title. In CAPS. So surely it must be? Now where's me old BD Mastercard, I need to earn me some DC miles!....

;)

Ahem! It's only medium sized... just sayin' ;)

LOL :D

Quite! (http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/9646/10499937_2.jpg?v=8CE70FE16933990) ;)

When you get on G-MIDX, and comment to the purser about the new paint job. She replies that the old brown curtains to separate the classes are still there. "Some home comforts"...

You know you have a cheese toastie addiction when the two measures of bmi (diamond club number and body mass index) are the same.

You know you have a cheese toastie addiction when the two measures of bmi (diamond club number and body mass index) are the same.

:D Though using the old 0/3/6/1 progession of prefixes for Blue/Blue+/*S/*G means that on reaching Gold, you've either come to your senses or had some emergency surgery to deal with your vastly expanding toastie bulk...