BD16 this morning
 

Anyone know what happened to the bmi A321 this morning? Instead we had a bus to gate 58 where we found a European Aviation 737-200 charter.

Needless to say, configuration was not bmi standard and C class pax got a lukewarm breakfast. No wide seat, no papers and no exit row 9 (which has lots of leg room on an A321). Staff were European Aviation not bmi, and service was rubbish.

I have asked bmi for some compensation: if I wanted to fly on 30 year old obsolete planes I would choose a different airline. Couple this with the usual LHR chaos and I think I will be switching to BA until I next need the VS tier points. Grrr...

BC

PS. And I had Keith Chegwin cackling all through the flight in the seat behind me. Double grrr...

[This message has been edited by BlackCat (edited 06-17-2003).]

OK, so I'm *definitely* not flying BD184 if it's scheduled to be a 732 all this week then...

There must be some serious tech-outs going on. Plus those 321s grounded at EDI (is it still there?) and hailstormed en route to MAN.

If it is a 732 then it could well be one of the two that European Aviation have. Both are almost 30 years old according to the registration database. And certainly the one I was on looked it -- all dirty and yellowing plastic.

BC

Care to shed more light on this?

It also looks like they are operating a 737-200 on BD58 @ 14:40 LHR-EDI and BD61 @ 16:40 EDI-LHR for the next few days.

Please tell me this is a joke. Has Donnington Hall lost the plot? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

I've posted a question over on PPRUNE to see if the bmi bus drivers can shed any light on things.

Or maybe it was GLA? Am sure I read something here about a grounded Airbus or impounded engine - I think ajamieson mentioned it, and it was confirmed on pprune? Anyway, there seem to have been tech delays all over the bmi network over the past few days...

I mentioned this here a couple of weeks back. During the walkround of an A321 at EDI the FO noticed one of the engines was stiff. Turned out the bearings were almost completely dry (ie likely to prompt an in-flight shutdown) and the a/c was grounded for some time until engineers could look at it.

I think I read on PPRuNE (sorry, too lazy to search) that a few of the buses may be going back to EMA or TLS for checks after a spate of oil leak problems on the CFM engines.

Hailstone-damaged G-MIDJ is still grounded I believe, and the A320 that got hit by a de-icing rig at BHD in January only re-entered service the other month.

G-MIDE went tech on me the other day at EDI, and I was just admiring the brand new Star Alliance livery on G-MIDL from the Diamond Club window...until that one went tech on me too http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

[This message has been edited by ajamieson (edited 06-17-2003).]

Hi AJ

I think this is the story you are loking.A321 at GLA with the dodgy engine. According to the updates it is fixed.

As an aside, what's the best way of finding out the metal being used? I would obviously rather avoid this morning's experience... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

BC

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/...ileo/frame.asp

An interesting pic from Airliners.net which shows G-MIDJ, the "hailstorm" plane, being towed past one of European's scummy 737-200s.

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/359606/M/

When I flew to Manchester in January the Embraer was replaced with a turboprop from Titan Airways. It's amazing how much more at home you feel on a proper bmi plane.

If I saw a 737-200 waiting for me I think I'd be tempted to bump myself onto the next flight.

I wonder why they don't bring back a 737 from bmibaby and let the baby customers have the European 737-200.

Nick

Gaza that's the right thread. I'd forgotten it was GLA and not EDI.

Looks like the short runway at BHD is not helping the engine problems either. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/redface.gif

On a similar note, I saw the Portugalia Embraer 145 on loand to regional at EDI the other morning. The Portugese colours had been covered up with some transfers but still looked a little odd.

Why does Midland need to borrow Embraers? I thought it had too many - hence EDI-SYY, LBA-ORK etc.

[This message has been edited by ajamieson (edited 06-17-2003).]

Thanks. It looks like from Galileo and from talking with the staff in the lounge at GLA last night, the scummy 732 is going to be used until August. I shall be availing myself of a different flight, and possibly a different carrier.

BC