With the tiny proviso that I had actually got up that morning and gone to the airport in the expectation of flying to Birmingham, this flight to Manchester was quite good.

I had checked in online the previous day (painless experience - good website) ; going through security, EI 262 (the BHX flight) was showing on the screen as leaving from B28, so I went to the B pier, whereupon I saw one of the screens there showing the flight as cancelled. Slightly panicked, went to find an EI representative (not easy), but I finally found an EI person who kindly told me that I was now on the Manchester flight - leaving from the A pier and I should make a move now.

There, EI agent changed my B/Pass and boarding was routine; aircraft clean and comfortable, cabin crew polite and welcoming. Capt explained that EI 262's captain had been taken ill the previous evening and no reserves available, so flight had to be cancelled. It was noticeable however that even with addition of BHX pax, the aircraft was only about 2/3 full, at best. Only 40 people were actually booked to BHX.

At BHX, Menzies staff - very polite and pleasant, - arranged for mini-coaches to take pax to BHX Airport - a 90 minute trip. Got to BHX in time to take connecting flight to JER, but it was really was a rather tedious experience. Hopefully, when EI's relationship with Aer Arann develops, the early Sunday morning flights will be among those which can benefit from an ATR service, the capacity of which would be more in line with demand than a 320 - especially in these days of high oil prices.