Virgin Atlantic bid for bmi

I really can’t imagine any possible future….. unless of course IAG could persuade FlyBe (part owned by BA) to take it off it’s hands.

I didn’t say I thought this was likely to happen, more that this unlikely stab in the dark was the only remotely possible way that Baby may find a new owner. Sorry if my post wasn’t clear.

I really can’t imagine any possible future for Baby as part of IAG, so I fear it may be the end if LH don’t find a buyer, unless of course IAG could persuade FlyBe (part owned by BA) to take it off it’s hands.

That will never happen. Flybe wants bmi Baby to “disappear”. Baby is of no use to Flybe whatsoever. IAG, or BA own 15% of Flybe, but they are a silent partner and have no voice in what goes on within Flybe.

I believe that if LH haven’t found a buyer for Baby by the time the sale of bmi to IAG goes through then it will be included in the sale too. The ironic thing is that the price to IAG for bmi & Baby together is lower than just bmi on it’s own. Just shows how desperate LH are to offload Baby.

I really can’t imagine any possible future for Baby as part of IAG, so I fear it may be the end if LH don’t find a buyer, unless of course IAG could persuade FlyBe (part owned by BA) to take it off it’s hands.

Actually, given the fleet commonality and type of service, I think Baby would best fit into Jet2, giving them an expanded EMA base and a new BHX base assuming of course that Jet2 would want/could afford it.

Well the purchase of bmi by IAG is just for the mainline division, so the “Regional” and their low-cost division, “Baby”, will not be sold to IAG.

The last I heard was that Lufthansa were in talks with a group of Scottish investors “previously associated with the regional business” and that discussions were “advanced”, but nothing further has been announced.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/lufthansa-group-close-to-selling-bmi-regional-364031/

Welcome to the forums!:)

Hi guys, first time posting on this site, no has mentioned BMI Regional in any postings about the sale of BMI to IAG, i just wonder if anyone knows what’s going to happen to them.

For me I hope they keep the Glasgow/Edinburgh service from East Midlands Airport. I live in Loughborough and work as a trainer for an education services company, we have a number of contracts in Scotland and being able to fly from EMA saves lots of hassle!

Its all the lads and lassess at Donington Hall and other bases I feel for, especially all those in ground trades.

Thinking about you this Christmas and hope at all works out for you.

Ohhh not forgetting the team at Astraus.

Not forgetting…..

Excel, Globespan, Air UK, Orion, Laker, Bcal, BIA, Donaldson, Dan Air, Air Europe, British Eagle, Air 2000 etc….etc……

Unfortunately, like BD, VS seems to have lost it’s place and it’s way in todays market. They were set up to only ever be a small airline flying a handfull of cherry-picked profitable routes, unfortunately SRB & co got ideas greater than that and have got their airline to a point that they really don’t have the funds or talent to move on from.
….

Which is why I think they keep deferring their A380s.
I think they order the newest shiney object for the PR value.

it would in fact have been a better option as it would have protected both carriers interests, and VS would have then be in an even better position to join the Star Alliance

Sorry I have to disagree on those two points. IMHO it would have been the end of Virgin Atlantic too.

Where would VS have found the money to turn around bmi where LH have failed? BA are going to need deeper pockets to do it than VS could ever imagine.

As for joining Star, VS have always avoided joining any alliance preferring to be an independant trailblazer standing against the industry incumbants.

Unfortunately, like BD, VS seems to have lost it’s place and it’s way in todays market. They were set up to only ever be a small airline flying a handfull of cherry-picked profitable routes, unfortunately SRB & co got ideas greater than that and have got their airline to a point that they really don’t have the funds or talent to move on from.

I hope Virgin Atlantic finds it’s greatness again but if I’m honest I’m not sure how much future they have.

There is a difference between stating an opinion and making an incorrect statement.

You stated it was IAG/WW’s fault. This is incorrect. You did not say “In my opion it is all….” . You stated it as a fact. You were incorrect. I called you on it. Your bias against WW and BA is quire clear from all your anti-WW/BA posts on this forum.

Anyway, why should IAG and BA be interested in BD as an airline? The industry does not run on sentiment.
BMI had failed, whether we like it or not (Personally, I’m gutted, another airline folds which means less options for travel)
If the airline is consigned to an “also ran” entry in the history books, then that’s what happens.
Many great airlines have gone the same way, TWA, Pan Am, Swiss, Sabena, etc.
It’s the nature of competition. You win some, you loose some. Just don’t go telling us it is all IAG’s and WW’s fault. They’re in the business of running a business, and business is the nature of business. There is no room for sentimentality.

As for BMIBaby…. good question. Ryanair is a contender. But so are easyJet and FlyBe

Quit your bias against WW and smell the coffee of reality :rolleyes:

I am not biased…its called having an opinion, and I will express mine just as much as you have/will continue to express yours! Just because my opinion does not match yours, does not make me biased in anyway!:mad:

And if you actually read my post, I acknowledged that the sale of the airline was the lesser of the two evils, however, I just do not agree with IAG/WW getting its grubby little mits on it.

WW/BA/IAG have absolutely no interest in the carrier itself, all it wants is to get its grubby little mits on the slots that they have so that they can better their own brand/self. They already hold the largest share of the slots at LHR (45%), and this move would increase this to over 50%, and this is not good for consumers!

Obviously the bid by Virgin was rejected, but it would in fact have been a better option as it would have protected both carriers interests, and VS would have then be in an even better position to join the Star Alliance, which would help to make it more competitive against BA!

Another question here though is…I wonder which LCC will look to snap up the “baby” division?

And this news could not come at a worse time for the staff at BD…IAG/WW choose to manipulatively ruin their Christmas/New Year,

How is this the fault of WW or IAG? 😡
Quit your bias against WW and smell the coffee of reality :rolleyes:

BD has been bleeding money for a long time. It’s the fault of BD and LH management. They are the ones that let the airline slip to such a level that it could be bought for just £175M

If IAG decide to close BD and absorb its fleet and some of it’s staff, that is their rightful choice to do so.
BA/WW/IAG did not force BD into this position, they are just picking up the pieces.

It was this or BD was to go bust and then there would be NO jobs for the staff at all. At least this way, some of them have a good chance of keeping their job.

Part of a statement from Keith Williams today

“It is yet to be decided how bmi would be structured within the IAG group. My objective is for bmi to be integrated within British Airways’ operations. However, to achieve this, we must deliver cost and revenue reforms to our existing shorthaul business so that we can create a profitable integrated business.”

Sounds like BA’s staff may have more turbulence ahead too.

I doubt IAG will keep BMI running, whats the point in competing with some of the BA routes, the 319/320/321 will simply be absorbed into the BA/Iberia fleet and the 332s will go back to their lessers = end of BMi

It’ll be sad to see BMI go, if it is indeed absorbed into BA 🙁

Joe

I totally agree Joe…however, I very much suspect that it will be absorbed into BA, simply because it would cause a conflict of interest for IAG to own and operate the two airlines as seperate entities, especially as they are members of two different alliances (BA = oneworld, BD = Star), and the cost of operating them seperately would also be much higher too.

By absorbing BD into BA, they [IAG] will simply change everything over to BA and will then make use of BD’s exisiting slots in order to launch some new routes and also increase capacity on other routes, thus increasing BA’s already dominant monopoly at LHR, and reducing choice for consumers.

And this news could not come at a worse time for the staff at BD…IAG/WW choose to manipulatively ruin their Christmas/New Year, as they now face the choice of either being forced to join their staunchest rival or possibly being laid off altogether…a fantastic start to 2012 for them!

I was going to say that I hoped that Virgin’s bid for them would have won, however, it appears that VS were not willing to make a better offer.

And I was also going to say that I hoped that the Competition Comission intervenes and rejects the sale, however, as an aviation analyst has just pointed out whilst being interviewed on Sky News, it will more than likely approve it because its “the lesser of the two evils”, the second evil being that LH will simply choose to shut BD down altogether, so “it might as well let the accquisition go ahead!”.

I am already evaluating my options as to where I could possibly fly to within the next three months as I need to be able to use my 20,000+ reward miles that I have so far accurred on BD, as it will also be more than likely that BD’s frequent flyer program (Diamond Club) will be merged into BA’s Executive Club…and seeing as I despise BA with a passion, I need/want to be able to use my rewards before they are transferred over to that ugly beast!

All in all, a very sad day for BD and the industry as a whole.:(

I’ve been wondering the same. BMI has a special place in my heart after taking me on for work experience in 1999. My school had recommended BA and I spoke to them as a friend of mine had been accepted there and all they said was ‘No, we dont do work experience’ and then turned their backs on me so I left. BMI was great and took me on and I had an awesome time. Great people and company.

Slight off topic, but what will happen to BMI? Will it be absorbed into BA, or kept as a separate airline? It’ll be sad to see BMI go, if it is indeed absorbed into BA 🙁

Joe

Given one of the conditions of sale:

Significant price reduction if Lufthansa does not opt to sell bmibaby before completion

See here for further details.

Then maybe VS could have baby for £1.00 as a consolation:dev2:

Sadly this will mean now mean the loss of a significant number of jobs at bmi and the disappearance (sooner or later) of the bmi brand. However, at least a significant number of people will keep their jobs which would not have been the case had the operation just been shutdown.

exmpa

Well, IAG have now got a binding agreement in place to purchase the BMI main line.

Watching out for garbage from VS about how they were not given consideration, BA and IAG are bad, etc.

I saw a post similar to this on A.net and agree with several other people who think it is more an attempt from VS to vilify IAG and appear to be the plucky company fighting the big bad BA and it’s airline group.