Rumour: bmi axes CDG
Jan 22, 2007, 1:53 am
#46
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You know... this BA strike could be the turnaround that BD needs....
BD can (and is ) milking passengers for full fares on most flights ex-LHR on the days that BA are going on strike... especially for PARIS flights!
Can you imagine if BD had cancelled their flights and BA striked? Your only choice would be er, AF?
BD can (and is ) milking passengers for full fares on most flights ex-LHR on the days that BA are going on strike... especially for PARIS flights!
Can you imagine if BD had cancelled their flights and BA striked? Your only choice would be er, AF?
Jan 22, 2007, 3:36 am
#47
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In the pre-Christmas fog, and at one of the busiest times of the year for travel, BA cancelled all its LHR-CDG/BRU flights on two days and BD ran only one or two (it only has five round-trips in any case). The trains ran full. It's fairly easy for Eurostar to add a single extra train each way which, with its 900 passengers, is more than BD can carry in a whole day on that route.
Jan 22, 2007, 5:33 am
#48
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I'd be with AF (though they'll probably be on strike as well
)
Jan 22, 2007, 5:57 am
#49
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When Nigel says "there simply aren't enough passengers to fill them" about the number of planes on the route, he really means not enough to fill the bmi ones.
In the old days, British Midland used to talk about bringing competition (and lower fares with the same service) to routes operated by the established operators. Now they're finally admitting that the "modular" airline can't compete with a full-service product. No-one is going to pay the full Y fare for a LCC experience, so they're left with the tinies. Flights from Heathrow full of people paying five quid each don't make a lot of money. Isn't the man supposed to be an accountant? Yet the whole modular thing is his idea.
Feb 26, 2007, 8:50 pm
#51
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For some who have booked through TAs, let's just say that BD has not been the most helpful to the TAs when rebooking procedures come round.
The booking returns as UN which means cancelled on the agency CRS. Depending on where the the agency is located, they must make a call to BD. Which is routed to India. The agents there are told to call back again between the hours of 1000-1800 GMT only. Why? Because they have to transfer the calls to the "Itinerary rescheduling department" which is located in England.
The agents there give the agents different instructions.
"Book on AF", "Rebook on any BA or AF flight", or "Book on AF oneway AND BA oneway".. and "Of course Diamond Club will STILL give the miles out, as it is our mistake..." Yeah right. I'd like to see Diamond Club in India getting round that one!
The reissuing of tickets is the responsibility of the agency.. otherwise passenger must present themselves to BD on the day of departure for BD to reissue tickets to various airlines. Hmmm. In Paris, AF leaves from T2F, and BA leaves from T2B. Whereas BD would have left from T1. That is IF there is anyone still left there to reissue tickets in August!
The booking returns as UN which means cancelled on the agency CRS. Depending on where the the agency is located, they must make a call to BD. Which is routed to India. The agents there are told to call back again between the hours of 1000-1800 GMT only. Why? Because they have to transfer the calls to the "Itinerary rescheduling department" which is located in England.
The agents there give the agents different instructions.
"Book on AF", "Rebook on any BA or AF flight", or "Book on AF oneway AND BA oneway".. and "Of course Diamond Club will STILL give the miles out, as it is our mistake..." Yeah right. I'd like to see Diamond Club in India getting round that one!
The reissuing of tickets is the responsibility of the agency.. otherwise passenger must present themselves to BD on the day of departure for BD to reissue tickets to various airlines. Hmmm. In Paris, AF leaves from T2F, and BA leaves from T2B. Whereas BD would have left from T1. That is IF there is anyone still left there to reissue tickets in August!
Feb 27, 2007, 3:30 am
#52
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For some who have booked through TAs, let's just say that BD has not been the most helpful to the TAs when rebooking procedures come round.
[...]
"Book on AF", "Rebook on any BA or AF flight", or "Book on AF oneway AND BA oneway".. and "Of course Diamond Club will STILL give the miles out, as it is our mistake..." Yeah right. I'd like to see Diamond Club in India getting round that one!
[...]
"Book on AF", "Rebook on any BA or AF flight", or "Book on AF oneway AND BA oneway".. and "Of course Diamond Club will STILL give the miles out, as it is our mistake..." Yeah right. I'd like to see Diamond Club in India getting round that one!
To be fair to diamond club, they are generally quite helpful in crediting miles when there are involuntary reroutes onto non-*A carriers. May take a few weeks, but it normally gets done. A lot more helpful than many other airlines, in my experience
Feb 27, 2007, 8:16 pm
#53
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Does your agent have an internet connection?! I'm not an agent, but even I can understand the step by step instructions here
To be fair to diamond club, they are generally quite helpful in crediting miles when there are involuntary reroutes onto non-*A carriers. May take a few weeks, but it normally gets done. A lot more helpful than many other airlines, in my experience
To be fair to diamond club, they are generally quite helpful in crediting miles when there are involuntary reroutes onto non-*A carriers. May take a few weeks, but it normally gets done. A lot more helpful than many other airlines, in my experience
For what it's worth.. sure, you may understand what it says above link... but if as an agent, you can't just book as per what the website says... because it does not simply make sense to agents outside the UK.
1. Sure, easy to book... but how to reissue? What fare basis? Is it even exchange? Any authorisation code required? Do we need to xref original booking? Do we leave the UN sectors in? Do we XK it out? Do we need to advise AF or BA of said ticket exchange?
(Turns out that it is easy to book, but different agents were giving different answers to the fare basis info, even exchange and authorising issues)
2. Original ticket as e-ticket. New ticket to be issued as e or paper?
(Turns out that it has to be reissued as paper - website doesn't say)
3. Client wants miles and the extra baggage allowance on BD (Film crew) - will BA give extra baggage allowance as per BD*G?
(No.)
What was frustrating for agents outside the UK was that we have to call the BD in the UK (or via the US line) only at certain hours when they are open. ie 10am - 1pm EST. Website may seem easy to follow, but overall, I bet you that every agent that booked CDG flights still had to call BD for answers.
Feb 28, 2007, 6:23 am
#54
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My understanding was that the ticket did NOT need to be reissued unless it was an e-ticket, and if it is an e-ticket, it is a reissue with same routing, fare basis, etc... as original ticket. The reservation then is amended with new itinerary and the ticket number (original ticket or re-issued) entered in the reservation, together with an SSR or OSI. This was, at any rate, my experience when I was rerouted by BD on BA following canx of the LHR-BOM service. My ticket was an e-ticket and I went to BD at LHR, who re-issued it as paper ticket with no change whasoever to the ticket, except that they then stickered the new flt # and timings on it.
Mar 3, 2007, 11:18 pm
#55
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Just found out about this....
Hi guys,
I haven't looked into the BD forum for some time.
I used to be a regular (monthly) traveller on BD for CDG-LHR connecting on to MAN.....didn't do much of this is 2006 by reason of job change.
Today I booked on AC for YQB-YYZ-LHR 14MAR/CDG-YUL-YQB 21MAR....I need to get from LHR to CDG on 16MAR and then from CDG up to MAN, back to CDG 18-20MAR...
Went on to bmi.com and couldn't get anything to/from CDG to work...........I then checked on KVS and anything to/from CDG went via LBA !
Figured something fishy was up so came over to your forum and have just found this thread......haven't read through everything yet, but I am very disappointed...I enjoyed my many flights on BD circa 2000-2006....what is a *A FFer supposed to do now when travelling ex-CDG to the UK ? Go via FRA on LH ? Geez......
May 15, 2007, 3:20 pm
#57
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May 24, 2007, 3:35 pm
#59
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Saw a bmibaby plane in CDG on 5/22, do they still have flights operating from there? Im sure they wouldnt keep the lounge open for bmibaby flights though
May 24, 2007, 3:45 pm
#60
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Yes, EMA-CDG. Doing very well, apparently - the times have changed recently, to make use of one of the slots vacated by the LBA-CDG bmi regional flight. Yes, I think the lounge has gone.