How reliable are bmi

timmyg99

I am considering booking a flight to kuala lumpor from Dublin with transfer in heathrow. I am just wondering how reliable Bmi are as the layover in london is only 90 mins which is okay even with the endless security and terminal change.
Cheers

BuffyBot

How long is a piece of string, basically?

Generally they're ok, but if you have to change terminals at Heathrow, 90 minutes isn't leaving a lot of time. bmi flights from Dublin land quite a distance from the main part of Terminal 1. Factor in this, plus a potential delay in touching down at Heathrow on any given day, you're time soon begins to slip away. By the time you get to another terminal it could be possible that the flight has closed.

On a good day, you might make it no problem - but when connecting like that, it's probably best to try and minimise the risk by giving yourself as much time as is possible.

Fratton Fred

BMI are as reliable as Aer Lingus. usually going to Heathrow it isn't so much the airline, it is the airport.

I would allow longer than 90 minutes tbh.

BuffyBot

BuffyBot wrote: »

By the time you get to another terminal it could be possible that the flight has closed.

On a good day, you might make it no problem - but when connecting like that, it's probably best to try and minimise the risk by giving yourself as much time as is possible.

I'd agree on allowing lots of time when choosing the flights.
If they are all on the same pnr though then presumably the traveller will have got all boarding passes either online or in Dublin and will have checked baggage straight through to Kl.
Mind you if there are delays,the baggage will also be delayed.

Thats the other problem with leaving less time between connecting flights.
You might make the connection but your baggage might not.

ros244

A word of caution with using BMI. On the day everything is usually fine with them, but they are very unreliable in my experience actually keeping the flight schedule unaltered. Don't be surprised to get an email along the lines of you flight details have been altered, new flight time is XXXX, please click here to confirm you have read this email. Nothing to ask is it acceptable time change, etc. I've had changes from 30 mins to 2 days, and its always phrased as if their being nice to inform you. I have 7 examples of this to date. You do get a refund if needed once change is greater than about 4 hours or so.

Gran Hermano

I've found BMI as reliable, if not more so, than other operators on the Dublin to Heathrow route. 90 minutes is the bare minimum I'd leave for a transfer and I'd look for 2 hours normally especially if the flight is after noon as any delays from the morning flights will have roll on effects later in the day.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

ros244 wrote: »

A word of caution with using BMI. On the day everything is usually fine with them, but they are very unreliable in my experience actually keeping the flight schedule unaltered. Don't be surprised to get an email along the lines of you flight details have been altered, new flight time is XXXX, please click here to confirm you have read this email. Nothing to ask is it acceptable time change, etc. I've had changes from 30 mins to 2 days, and its always phrased as if their being nice to inform you. I have 7 examples of this to date. You do get a refund if needed once change is greater than about 4 hours or so.

+1

I've booked with them to Heathrow through ebookers a couple of months back (flight's not til June) and we've already had 3 or 4 changes in the flight schedule.

Fratton Fred

BMI have just reduced the number of flights from Dublin to Heathrow. I think it is now 6 rather than 7 per day hence the changes to the schedule. This takes effect from April 1st and has only recently been annouced which is why you will be getting schedule changes.

I have flown from Dublin to London with BMI about 30 times (As opposed to about 10 times with EI and maybe 5 or 6 with FR) in the last 12 months and dodgy radar and snow aside they have always been spot on with regards their service.

In fact, the last snow at Dublin they put an extra plane on the route to catch up with the earlier delays, so that Friday evening whilst Aer Lingus passengers were getting home 2 hours late, BMI passengers were on time.

timmyg68

cheers everyone points duly noted

ros244

The flights where I have been rescheduled are all different destinations including Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, and Cork so these flight changes are not just down to 1 plane a day being removed from Heathrow. They keep changing all their routes constantly. I had one individual flight Cork to Birmingham rescheduled 3 times before it eventually got cancelled altogether.

The lesson I learned is book them last minute if you really want to fly with them, especially if attempting to use them as a connecting flight!

Personally I intend to avoid them in future at all costs for any connecting flights.

Hopefully others will have better experiences.

Fratton Fred

ros244 wrote: »

The flights where I have been rescheduled are all different destinations including Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, and Cork so these flight changes are not just down to 1 plane a day being removed from Heathrow. They keep changing all their routes constantly. I had one individual flight Cork to Birmingham rescheduled 3 times before it eventually got cancelled altogether.

The lesson I learned is book them last minute if you really want to fly with them, especially if attempting to use them as a connecting flight!

Personally I intend to avoid them in future at all costs for any connecting flights.

Hopefully others will have better experiences.

BMI are moving a lot of flights around, they have also just introduced new timetables and changed/cut a lot of routes

I don't know if BMI are better or worse than anyone else, but the whole industry is in a state of flux at the moment as they all try and reduce costs and cut back on unprofitable routes.

As I say, I fly with them every week between Dubln and Heathrow and they have never let me down (touch wood).

Benedict XVI

timmyg99 wrote: »

I am considering booking a flight to kuala lumpor from Dublin with transfer in heathrow. I am just wondering how reliable Bmi are as the layover in london is only 90 mins which is okay even with the endless security and terminal change.
Cheers

As others have said your problem may not be the airliner but the airport

What terminal is your onward flight from ?

I don't know about Terminals 2, 3 or 4 but 90 mins is the absolute minimum I would give between T1 and T5

Fratton Fred

Benedict XVI wrote: »

As others have said your problem may not be the airliner but the airport

What terminal is your onward flight from ?

I don't know about Terminals 2, 3 or 4 but 90 mins is the absolute minimum I would give between T1 and T5

Terminals 1,2 and 3 are close together, once you come out of T1 arrivals you have about a 20 minute walk to either 2 or 3.

T4 is slightly quicker than 5, but I would allow the same amount of time.

Trampas

Once told about transferring in LHR.

If you have to run for your plane don't expect your bags to run.

I once missed a connection flight in LGW over that radar.

Ended up costing me 10 hours delay and a transfer to LHR.