ThatT1Feeling

Actually I think this is true. My non-flex tickets to / from MAN are often only £15 before taxes each way. For this I get lounge access, a blocked seat and the meal deal, plus, of course, the flight. It's bound to be uneconomic for them. I think the only reason BMI wants me is so that BA doesn't get me. I don't know however whether removal of the meal deal is the answer as I normally only have a cup of tea (which I would get for free on BA even with their withdrawal of catering outside of breakfast). They could double the base fare before taxes and still not be as expensive as BA so I would continue to travel with them in this case.

Agree with this as well. I have UK-based BA Gold and it is very difficult if not impossible to get this on the cheap. The reason I don't travel domestic on BA is because it is so unlikely to make a difference to my level of status on BA. The only way I do this is through my longhaul travel.

Internaut

That's a worry. At MAN, they already sometimes get shirty with me if I bring along a full size cabin bag (inside the dimensions published in that PDF by a centimetre here and there) plus a small laptop case, at least until I show them my gold card.

ajamieson

Indeed. I've enjoyed never having to worry about cabin baggage.

I'm flying EasyJet for the first time in ages next month and realise how lucky I have been on bmi; lower limits, charges for everything and no flexibility.

FlyingOnceMore

We'll just have to wait and see, won't we.....

Air Sh......

Have been away and am just reading this thread to catch up on all the changes.
I dont want to upset anyone but it seems to me that at last there is a clear direction and consistency.
Domestic and Ireland (for as long as it lasts if EI join *A) all economy (but with virtual business)
International routes - business and economy (they'll be losing the premium economy product very soon).

So no more some domestic have business, some international dont etc etc.

Apart from the losing the meal deal, which is a bummer, the rest seems to me to be fairly well thought out. Former business passengers on domestic+Dublin dont lose much (a bit of seat width) and maybe lower fares due to the lower APD.
However, those company travel policy (economy only) victims, paying full Y, (often including myself and many more like me) now get it all! So for me BA or BD - no contest - BD all the way now.

Even better, on the forgotten routes like MAN and ABZ we can now get seated up front, double miles and free food - massive improvement.

I know it horses for courses with this and many dont like it but Mr H seems to have it nailed. BD will now attract more people like me (often paying full Y) the trade off being alienating some of the meal deal chaps paying less than full Y and often very little. I hope they've got their numbers right!

DELLAS

Unless they have been working in the background with regards IT etc..

I will wait for the official statement but if its realised then its a great boost for me . I still do quite a bit of EI European flying so all adds towards status in future. Fingers crossed.

rajsbasi

I think whats annoying more than anything else is the dilution of our benefits. I dont think we so bothered about a meal deal but it was a perk. Why not allow us seats at the front as a matter of status? Its practically what happened on the one class domestic routes. and whats going on with the seat block? As a bmi gold for nearly six years now I am beginning to think whats the point, the iGuvs are now all but useless, we wont get to use em on the VIE route as that will be op on behalf of OS. I may go back to Continentals Onepass/ UAs MP, at least with them there is the prospect of unlimited upgrades to first in the US domestic market, and E plus/ SWUs etc. See where I am going with this BMI....looks like Im taking the train to Manchester next week.

Avenarius

I confess that I am in the process of building up status on Aeroplan before my BD Gold runs out. Admittedly I now fly more on AC than BD, so it makes sense anyway to do that, but until the last few weeks I had nonetheless planned to requalify with DC (I'm at 22k with another 7 months to go and enough travel to reach 38k by March). Now I just don't see the point, I'm afraid.

I can quite see the arguments for BD's doing what they're doing, but they just seem to make all their decisions in such a cackhanded and arbitrary manner, with so little communication (the email which said that "Complimentary refreshments for Diamond Club Gold, Silver and Blue Plus members will unfortunately no longer be offered" spoke volumes), that I really don't see the point any more. A pity, as I am actually flying more this year on BD than I have in years, but nowadays that's only because Cityjet's prices to Scotland are so fanciful.

Strawb

I have a morning flight next month. Will the cabin crew give me free hot water if I ask nicely? I'll bring my own teabag (and paper cup) onboard. I am way too tight to pay £1.80 for a cuppa. When I travel in Standard Class on Eurostar I always ask for a free cup of hot water from the buffet car and make my own tea.

RAPC

Are you originally from Yorkshire by any chance? Either way, I think Oxon Flyer will very much approve of your methods!

GoldCircle

Oxon Flyer, are tea bags good for a second use? Just asking...

mickeypops

I guess everyone's views on this depends upon how it affects them personally. As a weeky GLA-LHR-GLA commuter, normally in sub Y class economy, this will mean that I'll lose the free meal deal. Not the biggest tragedy in the world by any means, but it's still taking away something I enjoyed.

I'm more interested to find out if changes to the seat allocation procedures means that I'm shoved further down the plane than before and into a B or E seat.....

DanLondon

Im just a bit annoyed as my partner got Blue + a few months ago and was charged 4000 miles for the honour, and now its gone. Surely the 4000 status miles should be given back?

spanishflea

I haven't read through the entire thread, but did any other Blue Plus members get a complimentary upgrade to Silver?

I got a relatively customised email, recognising that I'd flown in Business Class on the BHD route and giving me a comp upgrade for the inconvenience of the cabin being withdrawn.

I was at about 12000 status miles for the year...

luitje

Has there been any announcement on what tier qualification is going to be like after Blue+ is gone? Will it become 19K/57K miles to qualify for Silver/Gold and 16K/38K to requalify or will qualification requirement go down to 16K/54K?