How to take advantage of a dying airline

Bmibaby makes its last flights on September 9^th – and there are some very good deals to be had for anyone prepared to pick over the corpse.

Anyone looking for a bargain European break in September would be well advised to enter vulture mode and pick over the carcass of Bmibaby.

When BMI was sold to British Airways earlier this year, its budget offshoot was an inconvenient extra. Think of it as like buying a Saturday paper and being lumbered with the motoring section even though you clearly don’t want the motoring section.

British Airways has done what everyone expected, and had Bmibaby gently put down. Its last flights will depart in September and no-one will miss it all that much.

For Machievellian schemers, however, there are some delights to be had in tearing the last pieces of meat off Bmibaby. The last few flights are going to be difficult to sell, partly because most people think the airline has already been wiped out and partly because there won’t be a return journey. Many people are reluctant to book a flight when there’s no return leg a week later.

Therefore, Bmibaby is flogging the seats on the cheap in order to fill the planes. For example, you can fly from Birmingham to Rome on September 5^th or 9^th for £29.99. Bmibaby might not fly back, but Monarch flies the Rome to Birmingham route, and seats are currently available for from 72 euro the next week.

The same applies to other routes – especially on September 9^th. East Midlands to Dubrovnik, for example? £19.99. Birmingham to Prague? £35.99. East Mids to Venice? £19.99.

You get the picture. The issue for some routes, of course, is that there may not be another airline going back to the same airport. A pain in the backside, of course, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no flights available to another nearby airport. The likes of Skyscanner and Momondo are the best places to go hunting for alternatives. Flying into one place and out of another could save you a fair whack if you do take advantage of Bmibaby’s passing…

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