BMIbaby: Cork to Manchester

The carrier: BMIbaby

Upside
Nice blend of beach and city destinations to and from UK airports.

Downside
Continental hub would increase relevance for people living outside of the UK. Frequent flight cancellations. Follow-up service (if any) generally not helpful.

About
UK-based BMIbaby has bases in Birmingham, Cardiff, East Midlands, and Manchester, and also flies in and out of Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey, and Newquay in the UK and Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Cork, Faro, Ibiza, Geneva, Knock, Lisbon, Malaga, Marseille, Murcia, Nice, Palma, Paris, Perpignan, Prague, and Rome.

In short, BMIbaby manages a balance of top city destinations and beach resort destinations, a nice antidote to the UK's Mediterranean-focused airlines. Despite flying to so many different sorts of destinations, BMIbaby is off the radar screen of the top-tier low-cost carriers, largely because it is essentially a UK-based airline.

Baggage
* Carry-on: One standard piece of hand luggage; that cannot exceed 10 kg.
* Checked: Up to 5 bags with a total weight not exceeding 20 kg. Each bag, up to the 20 kg limit, is charged at the rate of €9.58 per bag. Over 20 kg, it’s €10 per additional kg.

Seating
You can only select your seat online during check-in which is only available if you aren't checking luggage.
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Departure: Cork, Ireland (ORK)

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Arrival: Manchester, United Kingdom - Manchester Intl (MAN)

Manchester Airport, previously known as Ringway Airport, is the largest UK airport outside London.

Location: Manchester Airport is located 17 km (10 miles) southwest of Manchester.

Transport:

- Rail: The Skylink moving walkway system connects The Station, which is Manchester Airport's rail, bus and coach interchange. Trains serving Manchester Airport run to and from various destinations in the Midlands and Northern England. For more information on schedules and fares consult the National Rail Website.

- Bus: Many local and express buses serve the Manchester airport. For information on local routes consult the travel information Website. The National Express Website has more information on buses from Manchester Airport to various destinations all over the UK.

- Taxi: Taxis are available outside the arrivals halls of each terminal.

Service: Information desks can be found in all terminals as well as Internet stations and ATMs. Banking services are available as well as currency exchange, and Wi-Fi Internet access. All terminals have numerous shops, restaurants, and cafes. Other airport amenities include baby changing facilities, a children's play area, medical center, and prayer rooms.

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