January 23, 2004 -- The rush of sub-$200 fares to Europe has slowed down, though we're still seeing some tremendous deals out there, such as the 1800FlyEurope.com fare we reported on earlier this week. FlyEurope only covers a few US cities, though, so were were glad when this low fare from bmi (formerly British Midland) crossed our desk.
The carrier is selling these low fares only through Monday, Jan. 26, though they're good for travel through March 31. To get these low fares, you must stay a Saturday night, but there's no day-of-the-week restriction. If you haven't flown bmi before, they're a respected British carrier, and you can earn United frequent flier miles on their flights. They've recently outfitted their planes with personal video screens so you can watch 20 video channels or play Nintendo games on your flight.
BMI flies nonstop from Chicago and Washington Dulles to Manchester, England, with connections to London and Scotland. Fares we like include:
- Chicago and DC to London or Manchester: $199
- Chicago and DC to Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen: $299
- Raleigh/Durham to London or Manchester: $299
- Greenville/Spartanburg to London or Manchester: $307
- Norfolk, VA to London or Manchester: $339
- Raleigh/Durham to Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen: $399
- Greenville/Spartanburg to Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen: $407
- Norfolk, VA to Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen: $439
- Orlando and Miami to Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen: $499
Flights from US cities other than Chicago and DC will involve a leg on US Airways or United as part of the ticket, so you'll have two plane changes if you're going anywhere other than Manchester.
Those Chicago fares are unbeatable, and the rest of the fares are excellent, especially the fares to Scotland. (Most discount fares into the UK are to London, a four-to-five-hour train journey from Scotland.) Book them before they sell out.
Want to book? Check the best competing rates with your favorite online travel agency, then call 800/788-0555 for the sale fares from bmi.
