Bmi A330-200 business class

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Published: 26/11/2008 - Filed under: Tried & Tested » Airlines » Archive » 2008 » December 2008 / January 2009 » Tried & Tested » Tried & Tested » Tried & Tested » Airlines » Bmi »

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CHECK-IN I arrived at Heathrow Terminal 1 at 0930 for flight BD777 to Jeddah, which leaves at 1130. At the time of writing, Bmi served this route with a direct flight three times a week, but from January 15 it will be downgraded to a one-stop service via Riyadh, meaning the carrier will fly six times a week to the Saudi capital (see online news October 15). The same A330-200 will be used on the route, and the Jeddah flight will take eight hours 40 minutes, with the return lasting nine hours 25 minutes. Online check-in is not available for flights to Saudi Arabia, so I used the self-service kiosk in the priority section of Bmi’s check-in zone.

THE LOUNGE Bmi’s Diamond Club lounge is to the right after security, past the duty-free area. Spread over two floors, it has coffee machines and a self-service snack bar with fruit, croissants, cereals, alcohol and soft drinks. There are two computers (wifi access is available via BT Openzone), a good range of newspapers and magazines, a shower in the men’s toilets and a departures board (my flight was also called by staff at 1055). Business and first class passengers can also use the new Star Alliance lounge (see online review, August 13).

THE SEAT Bmi serves this business route with a two-class layout on its A330-200 aircraft (economy and business). This means a total of 42 business class seats, in seven rows of 2-2-2. There are three rows in the first cabin, followed by the galley, and then a further four rows before economy. The seat is a fixed-shell, angled lie-flat product, and features a table which folds out of the armrest, shoe storage under the seat in front, a water-bottle holder, and a small drinks tray which slides out from the arm (which is precarious if you are in an aisle seat). IFE is on a loop rather than AVOD, with around a dozen movie choices, plus TV and audio channels – noise-cancelling headphones are supplied in business class.

WHERE TO SIT? The main point to note is that seats 1A, C, H and K, and the same in row 4, have no fixed IFE system. Passengers in these seats are offered a portable DVD player, which means that although you can choose when to watch films, the player will take up valuable space on your table, so avoid these seats if you want to work and eat at the same time.

THE FLIGHT The flight was around three-quarters full in business class, and we were offered drinks, newspapers and magazines, and an amenity kit, before taking off more or less on time. The first film run started shortly after the seatbelt sign was switched off, with blockbuster choices including Hancock and Indiana Jones (there was enough time to get two whole films in on this near six-hour flight), and lunch was served around two hours in. There was a choice of four starters, while main courses included pan-fried cod with rocket and potato mash, roast beef with a potato rosti, stuffed peppers, or chicken with goats cheese, and dessert choices were tiramisu, lemon tart, cheese, fruit or ice cream. There is also an “Anytime” menu with snacks including a welsh rarebit bloomer, fruit and ice cream. This was a day flight but I tried out the bed function briefly, and found it comfortable – the fixed shell serves as an effective privacy divider when the seat is in the bed position.

ARRIVAL We touched down 15 minutes ahead of schedule at 1935, and were quickly disembarked. Jeddah’s Corniche, where most of the hotels are located, is around 30 minutes’ drive from the airport.

VERDICT A comfortable business class product, albeit lacking an on-demand IFE system. Jeddah-bound passengers will mourn the loss of a direct service from January, although it will be Riyadh’s gain. At the time of writing, BA was strongly rumoured to be restarting flights to Saudi Arabia in the new year.

Fact file

CONFIGURATION 2-2-2 in business and 2-4-2 in economy.

SEAT PITCH 78-80in/198-203cm.

SEAT WIDTH 26in/66cm.

IFE SCREEN 15in/38cm.

PRICE Return midweek fares from Heathrow to Jeddah in late January (after the start of the new timetable) started from £548 for economy and £2,292 for business class.

CONTACT flybmi.com.

Mark Caswell