Why no E tickets??
 

I have bought quite a few tickets over the last while via www.flybmi.com.

Why don't thy issue e-tickets? Would be a lot more convenient for us and cheaper for them.

Stephen

I don't know why (I'm guessing their marketing people have had enough to do in launching bmibaby and the new one way fare structure), though I would expect them to launch this soon, as well as self check-in machines. They already have the technology (when they changed over to LH's reservations system last year they gained the ability to handle e-tickets).

In fact, it seems possible to book LH codeshare flights (operated on BD aircraft) over the LH website, and receive an e-ticket. I have never actually done this though as LH is usually slightly more expensive than BD on these flights.

Good points all round. Yes, E-ticketing WILL be coming to BD in the near future but there is no timescale yet; the project was put back while the new (separate) res system for Baby was installed.

Incidentally (and off-topic, sorry...) I am also told the check-in for the new Baby flights at EDI will be at the exact opposite end of the check-in hall from the BD mainline flights. Not a big deal, and the two systems are separate anyway, but it doesn't exactly help the staff in terms of flexibility. They can't exactly jump from one queue to another to speed things up if they are so far apart.

Alastair

To update my own information...

E-ticketing is coming within the next few weeks.

I was in the domestic lounge at LHR on Tuesday and the place had been turned into a photo studio with uniformed staff having their picture taken in various poses around the lounge for a new E-ticketing brochure to be released shortly. It was a good giggle (and one way of passing a 1 hour ATC restriction...). Apparently the brochure will be printed and circulated shortly.

E-ticketing is already being tested on GLA-MAN bookings, with any problems supposedly ironed out before the system goes live. At the moment there are no plans for E-ticketing machines, just for paperless check-in. The new system will work for *A bookings, which will come as a relief to those who cannot at the moment select UA E-tickets because of the BD codeshare.

Alastair

Thanks for the information and (as ever) informative comments, Alistair.

I'm currently being buried in the paper tickets I bought through the website in the current seat sale - two envelopes arrived this morning, two in the second post, and I'm expecting another one tomorrow...

House, my pleasure. Those multiple tickets-by-mail envelopes are a pest. I have no idea why they can't make better use of booking profiles for regular customers to avoid the deluge of leaflets for car parking, hotels and insurance that come with every single ticket.

Alastair

Their web site has no route map, they took weeks to get the timetable link to point to anything and they ignore email. I'd have to suggest "understaffed and incompetent" as a possible answer.