Star Alliance carrier uses its old Business Class seats to make a new Premium Economy cabin

BMI, a Star Alliance member, has just installed new lie-flat seats in the Business Class cabin of its two A330 aircraft, which fly from Manchester to Chicago, Las Vegas, Antigua, and Barbados.

Instead of junking the old Business Class seats, BMI created a new Premium Economy cabin for them. These seats perform as well as several US carriers’ Business Class seats: The recline is 50 degrees, the width 21 inches, and the pitch 49 inches. In-flight entertainment is provided on a 9-inch individual screen stowed in the arm of the seat.

More Reasons to Like BMI

It’s a way of getting Business Class for a lot less, as the table below shows. (Award requirements: 56,250 miles in Premium Economy, 67,500 in Business.) Infants under two who don’t occupy a seat travel free on all flights (as with most carriers), and children between 2 and 11 travel for approximately 75% of the adult rates.

Please note: When booking BMI flights between various US and European gateways (as shown in the samples below), though the itinerary will be listed as Premium Economy, only the portion from Chicago or Las Vegas to Manchester is actually in that class. Other segments on its domestic partners are in economy class.

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