bmi » A320-200 (config 2) » User reviews

PatJordan flew bmi Business (short haul), on a A320-200 (config 2) (07/05/2012 21:35)

DUB-NICE-DUB (Business)

Booking and check in

www.flybmi.com is an easy site to navigate and there was little difficulty in viewing the options available for Nice. Since making the booking, BMI have revamped their site and has made navigation even easier.

A feature of business class is seat selection at time of booking, and I was delighted to be able to choose our seats there and then.

On line check-in is available 24 hours prior to travel, and I used this facility to print our boarding passes.

We arrived at Dublin Terminal 1 just after 1,00pm for our 3.10pm flight and proceeded to the BMI bag drop off, which took no time at all. Our bags were checked through to NCE.

BMI economy flexible/business includes use of the fast track security lane which is useful. We were airside within minutes. This fast track access can be purchased from the Dublin Airport website as part of the airport genie package. If travelling at a busy time, the small fee is well worth it.

Lounge (Dublin)

The Diamond Club lounge is close to the main shopping area and is furnished in the usual BMI manner: bright colour sofas with plenty of natural light. This lounge hasn’t yet had a makeover similar to that carried out in the LHR lounge. Given the current ownership situation, it remains to be seen what the future holds for this lounge.

Restrooms are outside the lounge and are shared with the Dublin Airport Authority lounge.

There is a limited range of food: biscuits, sweets and packaged pastries.

The lounge is a short walk from gates 301-313 (the old B pier).

Boarding (Dublin)

Boarding is through an airbridge and rearmost rows are called first to minimize delays. Diamond Club Gold holders and economy flexible passengers are invited to board at their leisure, and there is now a dedicated lane for premium passengers.

Being in row 1 our hand baggage had to be stowed in the overhead bins, so if the flight is busy it can be worthwhile boarding early to ensure space is available close to the seats.

The Airbus 320 was immaculate and the cabin was configured in full economy mode, all seats 3-3. The first rows were reserved for economy flexible. Seats were in the newer BMI brown colour, and very attractive.

Inflight

The Captain gave a brief welcome and details of flight times, followed by a safety announcement from the cabin crew. We pushed back shortly after 3.00pm and were airborne by 3.10pm.

Catering consisted of a slice of lemon cake with a choice of soft or alcoholic drink.

We landed in Heathrow at 4.10pm and as we were transiting, stayed on board whilst most passengers deplaned to await a coach to bring us to the flight connection centre, which left us adjacent to the Star Alliance lounge. There was no departure gate showing for BD 195 to Nice, so we proceeded to the BMI International lounge which is close to the usual departure area for European flights.

In retrospect, it is almost as quick to leave the plane normally, and return through the security screening area in T1. Given that this security area is usually very efficient, and it’s proximity to the BMI lounges, I would take this option in the future if transiting through T1.

Great British Lounge

BMI European flights use what was formerly BA’s Terraces lounge. The excellent views over the apron remain, but the lounge has been extensively refurbished. A good range of food is offered with a full bar service. PCs with internet access are provided for those who need to work, and there is a good range of newspapers and magazines.

The boarding gate is close to the lounge, except on this occasion when we learned that the Nice flight would depart from Gate 32….which is adjacent to the Star Alliance lounge!! The long walk up and down the length of Terminal 1was as good as any workout, but left us with barely enough time for a coffee and sandwich from the excellent range on offer.

Boarding

Boarding is by means of an airbridge, and as before Business Class passengers were called first. The cabin crew warmly welcomed passengers and we were shown to our seats.

The Airbus 320 is a two class configuration with the first 8 rows in business class arranged 3-3 with the middle seat blanked off with a table which folds into the seatback when needed for economy use.

Inflight service consisted of an excellent braised beef with salads, warm bread and dessert, with tea/coffee afterwards. All served on china and with proper cutlery and glassware. My wife and I chose white and red wine, respectively, and regular refills were offered. The overall standard of food and drink was excellent, as was the service.

On landing in NCE, our bags were delivered in 5 minutes, and it was a very short walk to the terminal exit.

There is a frequent bus service to Nice city centre and costs a reasonable 4euro. This ticket is valid for a full day’s travel around Nice on buses and trams, and must be one of the best value airport transfers in Europe.

Return Check in and security

We arrived at NCE for our flight 1.00pm flight at 10.30am. As this was our first time flying out of NCE, we were unsure about what time to allow, and erred on the side of caution.

Terminal 1 is very compact and at that particular time was very quiet. We had already checked in online, so all that remained was to drop off our bags. This was done within a couple of minutes, our bags marked “priority”, and were checked through to Dublin.

Security was deserted and we were airside almost immediately.

Lounge NCE

BMI use the Business Lounge in Nice, and is very bright and spacious. There was a good range of savoury and sweet snacks, full bar and champagne served on request, which we enjoyed greatly.

As 1pm approached, we discovered that due to heavy fog at LHR, there were delays and as a result we would be boarding late, possibly after 2.00pm. As it happened shortly after 1.30pm, boarding was called. We assembled at the gate, and awaited a bus to drive us to the aircraft.

Cabin crew welcomed passengers, and the Airbus A320 was identical to that used on the outbound flight.

We spoke to the flight supervisor (Emmy) and asked about our connecting flight from LHR to Dublin. As there were so many flights delayed (in and out of LHR) we didn’t expect any problems, and settled in to enjoy the flight.

After an update from the Captain, the safety announcement, we finally pushed back. The runway at NCE is surrounded on both sides by water and the views from the aircraft during taxi and take off are stunning.

The meal was a delicious fish pie, served on proper crockery, and was excellent.

We had a lengthy taxi in LHR, and were on stand at approx 3.30pm. This left a tight timeframe for the onward flight to Dublin (scheduled for 4.00pm) but were confident of making it, especially as were parked beside the BMI UK departure area.

However, as we were on an international flight, we had to be bussed to flight connections, and the plane was unloaded from the rear, thus making us almost the last off. Luckily there was no delay at flight connection, and we made our way promptly to gate 8 where our flight was scheduled to depart.

However it was almost 4.00pm by now, and I decided to ask at the BMI lounge about the actual departure time. Amazingly, this was one of the few flights to be on time, and despite an enquiry from the lounge staff, the flight had closed.

Peter, in the lounge was very helpful and arranged for us to be transferred to the next flight to Dublin. However, this was not until 8.05pm which left almost 4 hours to kill.

Lounge Heathrow

The Great British Lounge is very big with plenty of natural light. However as it was after dark, the lighting was very pleasant and relaxing.

The food consists of soup, rolls, cheese, crackers, biscuits, crisps, nuts, good quality cheesecake and gateaux. I particularly like the jars of old fashioned sweets, always brings me back to my childhood!! There is a full bar service.

Boarding

Unusually the Dublin bound flight boarded at gate 78, and quite a walk from the lounge.

Boarding was by rows, and was quite efficient. As with Dublin, there was a dedicated economy flexible/Diamond Club Silver & Gold cardholder lane.

The Cabin crew were very welcoming indeed. This Airbus 320 was configured in full economy mode, all seats 3-3. The first 3 rows were reserved for economy flexible. Seats were in the newer BMI brown colour, and very attractive. As we had chosen row 1, the bulkhead ensured that we didn’t have a seatback too close to our faces.

After a welcome announcement from the Captain, the cabin crew gave a safety demonstration.

We pushed back shortly after our scheduled time of 8.05pm, and were airborne shortly afterwards.

Catering consisted of a hot wrap which was quite tasty, and a full bar service.

Arrival at Dublin was shortly after 9.20pm and we were on stand shortly afterwards. Passport control was very swift and a short walk to the baggage hall. After a few minutes the first bags appeared on the belt. I was pleased to find that ours (with Priority tags) were amongst the first delivered.

Conclusion

A very pleasant experience indeed.The delay on the return flight was a nuisance, but weather is beyond anybody’s control, and I acknowledge the efforts of the lounge staff to rebook us on a later flight home.

What stands out most of all is the enthusiasm and professionalism of the BMI cabin crew and lounge staff at a time when they faced much uncertainty over their future.

PatJordan flew bmi Economy (short haul), on a A320-200 (config 2) (18/10/2011 19:57)

DUB-LHR-DUB (Economy flexible)

Booking and check in

www.flybmi.com is an easy site to navigate and selecting flights for my preferred dates and times was no trouble. BMI do not charge for checked in baggage which gives them an edge over their rivals on this route.

On line check-in is available 24 hours prior to travel, and I used this facility to print my boarding passes for my same day return.

I arrived at Dublin Terminal 1 just after 7.00am for my 8.40am flight and proceeded straight to security. Since Aer Lingus and transatlantic operators have migrated to Terminal 2, there is a lower number of passengers using T1 which makes it far less crowded. One of the benefits of BMI economy flexible is use of the fast track security queue. The entrance leads directly to the xray machines and I was airside within a minute: the main queue was not terribly long, but the ability to by pass it is a valuable benefit for those in a hurry.

There is a good range of shops and cafes, most of which open around 5.00am to cater for the early birds.

Lounge (Dublin)

The Diamond Club lounge is adjacent to the main shopping area and is furnished in the usual BMI manner: bright colour sofas with a section for those who wish to work.

There is a limited range of food: biscuits, sweets and packaged pastries. The coffee is good and strong (perfect for early morning!) with a good range of soft and alcoholic drinks.

The range of newspapers and magazines is particularly good.

Boarding

Boarding is through an airbridge and rearmost rows are called first to minimize delays. Diamond Club Gold holders and economy flexible passengers are invited to board at their leisure.The gate was quite close the lounge, so I didn’t have far to walk. Servisair are BMI’s handling agents and are quite efficient. Boarding was delayed by 15 minutes due to late arrival of the incoming aircraft.

As I got to the gate, I was told that due to an aircraft change, my seat had been changed (from 1D to 4D). I had selected row 1 as I prefer not to have a seatback too close to my face. However, I was pleased to find that the new aircraft was a two class configuration.

The Airbus 320 was immaculate and cabin crew warmly welcomed passengers. This particular aircraft is used for mid-haul flights, and the first 8 rows are configured 2-2 and are large business class type which partly recline but perfectly comfortable for the short flight. There is ample storage for books, etc. The seat is upholstered in brown leather, with carpets a grey pattern. The seat pitch is circa 52inches, so space was not an issue. I noticed that the division between the economy and business cabins was decorated in a black flock effect: very nice touch.

.

Inflight

The Captain gave a brief welcome and details of flight times, followed by a safety announcement from the cabin crew. We pushed back at 08.55 and were airborne quickly.

Economy Flexible passengers are offered a hot wrap (mine was scrambled egg, sausage & bacon), a muffin and drink.

We landed in Heathrow at 10.10am after some minutes in a holding pattern, but this was barely past the scheduled time so not an issue. After a short taxi we were on stand and deplaned into T1 through an airbridge.

Return Check in and security

Having my boarding pass already printed, I went directly to security at Heathrow T1 and was processed very quickly. I was airside within 5 minutes.

Lounge Heathrow

Being Diamond Club Gold, I visited the Star Alliance lounge. This is a large very comfortable facility with on site restrooms and excellent showers.

Unusually on this occasion I had an issue with a partially blocked drain resulting in the cubicle floor awash with water. I spoke to a manager (Anna) who was most helpful. Her approach was whether there was anything she could do for me? I asked if it would be possible to visit the First Class area and this was no problem whatever. Other service providers would do well to emulate this approach.

The First Class area is very much quieter than Business Class with more comfortable seating. PCs with complimentary internet access are provided along with printing and fax facilities.

The food consists of salads, sandwiches, cold meats, hot savoury snacks, rice crackers. A full bar service is available including Pannier champagne, a couple of glasses I enjoyed whilst reading the latest Lee Child thriller.

As this lounge is quite a long walk from the BMI boarding area, I went to the BMI lounge shortly before boarding. The Great British Lounge is very big with plenty of natural light.

The food is cheese, crackers, biscuits, crisps, nuts, good quality cheesecake and gateaux. I particularly like the jars of old fashioned sweets, always brings me back to my childhood!! There is a full bar service.

Boarding

Unusually the Dublin bound flight boarded at gate 8, almost beside the lounge. Heretofore it used to be gates 72-78, adjacent to the Aer Lingus departure area and quite a walk from the lounge.

Boarding was by rows, and was quite efficient.

This Airbus 320 was configured in full economy mode, all seats 3-3. The first rows were reserved for economy flexible. Seats were in the newer BMI brown colour, and very attractive. As I had chosen row 1, the bulkhead ensured that I didn’t have a seatback close to my face.

After a welcome announcement from the Captain, the cabin crew gave a safety demonstration.

We pushed back shortly after our scheduled time of 6.40pm, and were airborne shortly afterwards.

I was offered a steak and ale wrap which was quite tasty, along with Pringles and a cold lager which was most welcome.

Conclusion

A very impressive return flight. Excellent service, punctuality and pleasant lounges make BMI a very pleasant airline to travel on the Dublin-London route. The unexpected visit to the Star Alliance First Class lounge was a much appreciated and unexpected surprise and was thoroughly enjoyable

PatJordan flew bmi Economy (short haul), on a A320-200 (config 2) (16/10/2011 19:46)

DUB-LHR-DUB Economy Flexible

Booking and check in

www.flybmi.com is an easy site to navigate and selecting flights for my preferred dates and times was no trouble. BMI do not charge for checked in baggage which gives them an edge over their rivals on this route.

On line check-in is available 24 hours prior to travel, and I used this facility to print my boarding passes for my same day return.

I arrived at Dublin Terminal 1 just after 7.00am for my 8.40am flight and proceeded straight to security. Since Aer Lingus and transatlantic operators have migrated to Terminal 2, there is a lower number of passengers using T1 which makes it far less crowded. One of the benefits of BMI economy flexible is use of the fast track security queue. The entrance leads directly to the xray machines and I was airside within a minute: the main queue was not terribly long, but the ability to by pass it is a valuable benefit for those in a hurry.

There is a good range of shops and cafes, most of which open around 5.00am to cater for the early birds.

Lounge (Dublin)

The Diamond Club lounge is adjacent to the main shopping area and is furnished in the usual BMI manner: bright colour sofas with a section for those who wish to work.

There is a limited range of food: biscuits, sweets and packaged pastries. The coffee is good and strong (perfect for early morning!) with a good range of soft and alcoholic drinks.

The range of newspapers and magazines is particularly good.

Boarding

Boarding is through an airbridge and rearmost rows are called first to minimize delays. Diamond Club Gold holders and economy flexible passengers are invited to board at their leisure.The gate was quite close the lounge, so I didn’t have far to walk. Servisair are BMI’s handling agents and are quite efficient. Boarding was delayed by 15 minutes due to late arrival of the incoming aircraft.

As I got to the gate, I was told that due to an aircraft change, my seat had been changed (from 1D to 4D). I had selected row 1 as I prefer not to have a seatback too close to my face. However, I was pleased to find that the new aircraft was a two class configuration.

The Airbus 320 was immaculate and cabin crew warmly welcomed passengers. This particular aircraft is used for mid-haul flights, and the first 8 rows are configured 2-2 and are large business class type which partly recline but perfectly comfortable for the short flight. There is ample storage for books, etc. The seat is upholstered in brown leather, with carpets a grey pattern. The seat pitch is circa 52inches, so space was not an issue. I noticed that the division between the economy and business cabins was decorated in a black flock effect: very nice touch.

.

Inflight

The Captain gave a brief welcome and details of flight times, followed by a safety announcement from the cabin crew. We pushed back at 08.55 and were airborne quickly.

Economy Flexible passengers are offered a hot wrap (mine was scrambled egg, sausage & bacon), a muffin and drink.

We landed in Heathrow at 10.10am after some minutes in a holding pattern, but this was barely past the scheduled time so not an issue. After a short taxi we were on stand and deplaned into T1 through an airbridge.

Return Check in and security

Having my boarding pass already printed, I went directly to security at Heathrow T1 and was processed very quickly. I was airside within 5 minutes.

Lounge Heathrow

Being Diamond Club Gold, I visited the Star Alliance lounge. This is a large very comfortable facility with on site restrooms and excellent showers.

Unusually on this occasion I had an issue with a partially blocked drain resulting in the cubicle floor awash with water. I spoke to a manager (Anna) who was most helpful. Her approach was whether there was anything she could do for me? I asked if it would be possible to visit the First Class area and this was no problem whatever. Other service providers would do well to emulate this approach.

The First Class area is very much quieter than Business Class with more comfortable seating. PCs with complimentary internet access are provided along with printing and fax facilities.

The food consists of salads, sandwiches, cold meats, hot savoury snacks, rice crackers. A full bar service is available including Pannier champagne, a couple of glasses I enjoyed whilst reading the latest Lee Child thriller.

As this lounge is quite a long walk from the BMI boarding area, I went to the BMI lounge shortly before boarding. The Great British Lounge is very big with plenty of natural light.

The food is cheese, crackers, biscuits, crisps, nuts, good quality cheesecake and gateaux. I particularly like the jars of old fashioned sweets, always brings me back to my childhood!! There is a full bar service.

Boarding

Unusually the Dublin bound flight boarded at gate 8, almost beside the lounge. Heretofore it used to be gates 72-78, adjacent to the Aer Lingus departure area and quite a walk from the lounge.

Boarding was by rows, and was quite efficient.

This Airbus 320 was configured in full economy mode, all seats 3-3. The first rows were reserved for economy flexible. Seats were in the newer BMI brown colour, and very attractive. As I had chosen row 1, the bulkhead ensured that I didn’t have a seatback close to my face.

After a welcome announcement from the Captain, the cabin crew gave a safety demonstration.

We pushed back shortly after our scheduled time of 6.40pm, and were airborne shortly afterwards.

I was offered a steak and ale wrap which was quite tasty, along with Pringles and a cold lager which was most welcome.

Conclusion

A very impressive return flight. Excellent service, punctuality and pleasant lounges make BMI a very pleasant airline to travel on the Dublin-London route. The unexpected visit to the Star Alliance First Class lounge was a much appreciated and unexpected surprise and was thoroughly enjoyable.

PatJordan flew bmi Economy (short haul), on a A320-200 (config 2) (12/10/2011 21:02)

DUB-LHR-DUB (Economy flexible)

Booking and check in

www.flybmi.com is an easy site to navigate and selecting flights for my preferred dates and times was no trouble. BMI do not charge for checked in baggage which gives them an edge over their rival on this route.

On line check-in is available 24 hours prior to travel, and I used this facility to print my boarding passes for my same day return.

I arrived at Dublin Terminal 1 just after 6.00am for my 8.40am flight and proceeded straight to security. Since Aer Lingus and transatlantic operators have migrated to Terminal 2, there is a lower number of passengers using T1 which makes it far less crowded. One of the benefits of BMI economy flexible is use of the fast track security queue. The entrance leads directly to the xray machines and I was airside within a minute: the main queue was not terribly long, but the ability to by pass it is a valuable benefit for those in a hurry.

There is a good range of shops and cafes, most of which open around 5.00am to cater for the early birds.

Lounge (Dublin)

The Diamond Club lounge is adjacent to the main shopping area and is furnished in the usual BMI manner: bright colour sofas with a section for those who wish to work.

There is a limited range of food: biscuits, sweets and packaged pastries. The coffee is good and strong (perfect for early morning!) with a good range of soft and alcoholic drinks.

The range of newspapers and magazines is particularly good.

Boarding

Boarding is through an airbridge and rearmost rows are called first to minimize delays. Diamond Club Gold holders and economy flexible passengers are invited to board at their leisure.The gate was quite close the lounge, so I didn’t have far to walk.

The Airbus 320 was immaculate and cabin crew warmly welcomed passengers. This particular aircraft is used for mid-haul flights, and the first 8 rows are configured 2-2 and are large business class type which partly recline but perfectly comfortable for the short flight. The seat is upholstered in blue leather, with carpets a grey pattern.

.

Inflight

The Captain gave a brief welcome and details of flight times, followed by a safety announcement from the cabin crew. We pushed back at 08.40 and were airborne quickly.

Economy Flexible passengers are offered a hot wrap (mine was scrambled egg & bacon), a snack and drink. Quite tasty, but a more substantial offering would have been nice.

We landed in Heathrow at 10.10am after some minutes in a holding pattern, but this was barely past the scheduled time so not an issue. After a short taxi we were on stand and deplaned into T1 through an airbridge.

Return Check in and security

Having my boarding pass already printed, I went directly to security at Heathrow T1 and was processed very quickly. I was airside within 5 minutes.

Lounge Heathrow

Being Diamond Club Gold, I visited the Star Alliance lounge. This is a large very comfortable facility with on site restrooms and excellent showers.

The range of food here is not as generous as in the past: hot soup and rice/curry type dishes are no longer offered. There is a good choice of savoury hot snacks, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit with a full bar service.

As this lounge is quite a long walk from the BMI boarding area, I went to the BMI lounge shortly before boarding. The Great British Lounge is very big with plenty of natural light.

The food is cheese, crackers, biscuits, crisps, nuts, good quality cheesecake and gateaux. I particularly like the jars of old fashioned sweets, always brings me back to my childhood!! There is a full bar service.

Boarding

Unusually the Dublin bound flight board at gate 7. Heretofore it used to be gates 72-78, adjacent to the Aer Lingus departure area and quite a walk from the lounge. A bus was provided to take us to the aircraft. Boarding was through the rear door, but was efficient, nonetheless.

This Airbus 320 was configured in full economy mode, all seats 3-3. The first three rows were reserved for economy flexible and the middle seats had a plastic tray inserted, which increases personal space and handy for books, papers, etc. Seats were in the newer BMI brown colour, and very attractive. As I had chosen row 1, the bulkhead ensured that I didn’t have a seatback close to my face.

After a welcome announcement from the Captain, the cabin crew gave a safety demonstration.

We pushed back shortly after our scheduled time of 6.40pm, and were airborne shortly afterwards.

I was offered a chicken wrap which was quite tasty, and a cold lager was most welcome.

Conclusion

A very impressive return flight. Excellent service, punctuality and pleasant lounges make BMI a very pleasant airline to travel on the Dublin-London route.

PatJordan flew bmi Economy (short haul), on a A320-200 (config 2) (30/11/2010 23:39)

LHR-DUB. Economy. I booked this flight online, and later upgraded to economy extra using a Diamond Club Gold card voucher.

Previously this was by means of paper vouchers and done by lounge staff. Currently, four electronic vouchers are added to each Gold account and are redeemed by telephoning (no less than 7 days prior to departure) the Diamond Club Goid helpline. The India call centre can be problematic, but on this occasion I spoke to a very helpful and pleasant lady who dealt with my request promptly. She was unable to offer seat selection, but I did this on the BMI website "manage my booking" facility quite easily.

Using online check-in (for my same day return from Dublin) I had my boarding pass before leaving Dublin. Having no luggage, this avoids going to the BMI desks at LHR. I had earlier signed up to BAA's information service, and this proved very helpful.

As my outbound flight from Dublin had been delayed due to snow, I had to change my plans and found myself at LHR some hours before my 5.30pm flight. I had an enjoyable browse at the airside shops in T1 (a veritable shoppers paradise) before taking advantage of my Gold card to visit the Star Aliance Lounge.

This is a very large lounge with a several types of seating, and good shower suites. There is a full range of soft & alcoholic drinks, and an array of hot & cold snacks. There is also a hot soup and curry (or similar) dish on offer all day together with salads & sandwiches. In effect it is possible to have a full meal here, and one which is of excellent quality.

Having lunched, I read my book with a glass of red wine. This is a very pleasant lounge to while away the time waiting for one's flight. Given the delay outbound, I expected similar returning. I was delighted to receive a sms at 3.30pm from BAA informing me of an on-time departure.

I then proceeded to BMI's UK & Domestic lounge. This has been recently refurbished, and is very well appointed. The staff are very welcoming, and there is ample space, even when busy. The food consists of bicuits, cheese, crackers, nuts, crisps, fruit, and nice gateaux. I particularly like the jars of old fashioned sweets.

Shortly before 5.00pm, I received a further sms from BAA teling me that boarding would soon commence. Indeed, within a few minutes, my flight was called from the lounge. It is a 10 minute walk fro the lounge to the departure gates. Whilst walking, I heard the gate staff make calls for children/special assistance, rearmost rows, then forward rows. No mention of DC members boarding at will, however. By the time I arrived at the gate, I was amongst the last few pax to board. As I was in seat 1A, this was good timing.

The cabin crew welcomed pax warmly, and the aircraft was in pristine condition. The Airbus A320 is configured 3-3 ABC-DEF throughout. Seats are faced in blue leather with brown armrests. Unlike the old business cvabin, premium economy does not guarantee the middle seat being free. In a full cabin this can be a little uncomfortable, especially as a broadly similar fare is charged.

The captain introduced himself and crew, and outlined our course heading. The safety announcement was very good, and we pushed back just after 5.30pm.

Inflight service consists of complimentary sandwich,snack and drink. There was a choice of tuna & sweetcorn or tomato & mozzerella, neither of which appealed to me, so I asked for a couple of packs of nuts instead. I had a very nice red wine, and as I was not driving, had a refill.

We landed at 6.45pm in Dublin, and were on stand after a short taxi.

This was a very pleasant short flight: crew were excellent, lounge very pleasant and punctual flight. I have reservations about the economy extra product, however. A price similar to the old business class guarantees only seats in the front of the cabin, no extra space. The catering is not nearly as pleasant, however the fare allows seat selection at time of booking, and double DC miles. The level of service is very good in all cases.

PatJordan flew bmi Economy (short haul), on a A320-200 (config 2) (30/11/2010 23:39)

LHR-DUB. Economy. I booked this flight online, and later upgraded to economy extra using a Diamond Club Gold card voucher.

Previously this was by means of paper vouchers and done by lounge staff. Currently, four electronic vouchers are added to each Gold account and are redeemed by telephoning (no less than 7 days prior to departure) the Diamond Club Goid helpline. The India call centre can be problematic, but on this occasion I spoke to a very helpful and pleasant lady who dealt with my request promptly. She was unable to offer seat selection, but I did this on the BMI website "manage my booking" facility quite easily.

Using online check-in (for my same day return from Dublin) I had my boarding pass before leaving Dublin. Having no luggage, this avoids going to the BMI desks at LHR. I had earlier signed up to BAA's information service, and this proved very helpful.

As my outbound flight from Dublin had been delayed due to snow, I had to change my plans and found myself at LHR some hours before my 5.30pm flight. I had an enjoyable browse at the airside shops in T1 (a veritable shoppers paradise) before taking advantage of my Gold card to visit the Star Aliance Lounge.

This is a very large lounge with a several types of seating, and good shower suites. There is a full range of soft & alcoholic drinks, and an array of hot & cold snacks. There is also a hot soup and curry (or similar) dish on offer all day together with salads & sandwiches. In effect it is possible to have a full meal here, and one which is of excellent quality.

Having lunched, I read my book with a glass of red wine. This is a very pleasant lounge to while away the time waiting for one's flight. Given the delay outbound, I expected similar returning. I was delighted to receive a sms at 3.30pm from BAA informing me of an on-time departure.

I then proceeded to BMI's UK & Domestic lounge. This has been recently refurbished, and is very well appointed. The staff are very welcoming, and there is ample space, even when busy. The food consists of bicuits, cheese, crackers, nuts, crisps, fruit, and nice gateaux. I particularly like the jars of old fashioned sweets.

Shortly before 5.00pm, I received a further sms from BAA teling me that boarding would soon commence. Indeed, within a few minutes, my flight was called from the lounge. It is a 10 minute walk fro the lounge to the departure gates. Whilst walking, I heard the gate staff make calls for children/special assistance, rearmost rows, then forward rows. No mention of DC members boarding at will, however. By the time I arrived at the gate, I was amongst the last few pax to board. As I was in seat 1A, this was good timing.

The cabin crew welcomed pax warmly, and the aircraft was in pristine condition. The Airbus A320 is configured 3-3 ABC-DEF throughout. Seats are faced in blue leather with brown armrests. Unlike the old business cvabin, premium economy does not guarantee the middle seat being free. In a full cabin this can be a little uncomfortable, especially as a broadly similar fare is charged.

The captain introduced himself and crew, and outlined our course heading. The safety announcement was very good, and we pushed back just after 5.30pm.

Inflight service consists of complimentary sandwich,snack and drink. There was a choice of tuna & sweetcorn or tomato & mozzerella, neither of which appealed to me, so I asked for a couple of packs of nuts instead. I had a very nice red wine, and as I was not driving, had a refill.

We landed at 6.45pm in Dublin, and were on stand after a short taxi.

This was a very pleasant short flight: crew were excellent, lounge very pleasant and punctual flight. I have reservations about the economy extra product, however. A price similar to the old business class guarantees only seats in the front of the cabin, no extra space. The catering is not nearly as pleasant, however the fare allows seat selection at time of booking, and double DC miles. The level of service is very good in all cases.

PatJordan flew bmi Economy (short haul), on a A320-200 (config 2) (11/05/2010 19:05)

LHR-MAN Airbus 320. Checking online was a breeze and having boarding passes in one's hand going to the airport is a boon. I had chosen seat 3D but this was changed just before boarding to 12D due to a change of aircraft. No major hassle with this, just a few extra yards to walk!

Cabin crew gave a very warm welcome as usual.

The Airbus 320 was configured 3-3. The blue leather seats were very comfortable, and the aircraft very clean.

The flight was very quiet and I (as most pax) had a row to myself. I had a beer and packet of nuts which was a little steep at £4.50. The range of onboard catering is quite small now, only premium economy pax have sandwiches now. I would have thought that offering them for sale would have generated a valuable revenue stream.

We had a slightly delayed departure due to non appearance of some pasengers, however the captainmade up for this.

I must mention the refurbished domestic lounge at Heathrow: the London Room. On entry it is very similar to the Great British Lounge (for International pax). Brown/beige and black/grey are the predominant colour schemes and with the use of natural light make it a very pleasantarea. The toilets have also been refurbished and now offer Miller Harris toiletries.

As it was mid morning there was a range of cereals, pastries, and fruits which were ample for a continental breakfast. There was agood range of crispsand snacks as well as the normal range of soft and alcoholic drinks.

One thing caught my eye: old fashioned jars of sweets (sherbert lemons, licquorice chews and chocolates), just like what sweet shops had when we were younger. What a nice touch.

New PC terminals with complimentary internet access have been installed with plenty of spaces for those who wish to use lap tops, thus catering for leisure and business travellers.

Overall the London Room is a vastly improved and a very pleasant spot to wait for a flight.