Flight Review

bmi

www.flybmi.com

THE FLIGHT: The 90-minute flight from London Heathrow to Vienna was flown by an Airbus A319. I sat in seat 6B in Economy. This is the slightly smaller version of Airbus’ A320 jetliner with the same single aisle fuselage. I returned in Business Class on a mid-morning flight in seat 1F. Unfortunately the flight was delayed by 90 minutes due to a technical fault.

THE CHECK-IN: bmi has a central check-in area at London Heathrow's Terminal 1 which was welcoming and efficient on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

THE LOUNGE: We were given access to bmi's Great British Lounge which opened 12 months ago. There is a 'kitchen-style' buffet area complete with black Agas; a long wooden 'lunch' table; a hotel lounge area; a business area with internet access; and a large windowed area with reclining seats overlooking the runway. The effect was a great sense of space with mood lighting to suit the time of day. The Business lounge at Vienna is shared with Austrian Airlines.

THE SEAT: The Economy cabin is configured 3x3 and the dark grey seat is perfectly adequate for short-haul flights, with an approximate three-inch seat recline.

THE SERVICE: In Economy class I was served pre-wrapped sandwiches and hot and cold drinks from the trolley. The meal in Business class on the return leg was considerably more lavish.

THE ARRIVAL: Vienna Airport was busy on arrival and we parked well away from the terminal and were transported in by bus.

THE DETAILS: bmi flies twice daily between London Heathrow and Vienna. Flights are from £99 return in Economy (£581.10 in Business), including taxes. Passengers enjoy full service benefits such as free checked baggage of 20kg (30kg in Business), allocated seating, complimentary food and a full bar service throughout the day.