Bulgaria air – General Information
Bulgaria Air has been the national airline for Bulgaria since the end of 2002, when it inherits the Balkan Airlines (existed from 1968 to 2002). Bulgaria Air was a government airline by the end of 2006, when it was privatized by Balkan Hemus Group, the owner of Hemus Air and Viaggio Air, as of September 2007 three airlines merged into one.
Bulgaria Air is a partner with KLM, Air France, LOT, Malev, Virgin Atlantic, Austrian, Alitalia, and by November 2008 the airline was a full member of IATA (International Air Transport Association).
Bulgaria Air performs regular flights to France, Germany, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, UAE, Hungary, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Italy, Russia and Israel.
Main Headquarter and Flights
The main base of Bulgaria Air is “Sofia” airport.
Bulgaria Air performs regular flights from Sofia to London (Gatwick and Heathrow), Manchester, Frankfurt, Berlin, Athens, Tel Aviv, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Malaga, Alicante, Brussels, Tirana, Larnaca, Paphos, Beirut Skopje, Bucharest, Moscow, Paris, Amsterdam and Zurich. From Sofia and Varna the company flies to Vienna. Bulgaria Air also operates domestic flights to Burgas and Varna.
Fleet
Bulgaria Air has nine Boeing 737 planes. Hemus Air has nine planes – a Boeing 737 and 8 BAE -146. Viaggio Air has two planes ATR-42-300. Charter flights are operated with Boeing 737, BAE 146 and ATR 42-300.
Frequent Flyer Program
The bonus program of Bulgaria Air allows collection and usage of bonus points for each flight with the airline, which can be exchanged for a free ticket or a rising from the economy class to the business one. The registration form can be completed during the flight online or it can be sent to the office of the airline in order to receive a membership card. The program is open to all people older than two years and it is free. Points are given for all scheduled international flights of Bulgaria Air except the charter flights and free tickets. Tickets issued under the lowest promotional rates usually also wear points. The collected points can be used within 36 months from the date of the first flight after enrollment in the program. Bulgaria Air offers the opportunity to purchase the missing bonus points.
The program offers two levels of membership:
• Silver card/Silver Standard Card – the primary level from where the gathering of points begins.
• Gold Card/Gold Privilege Card - privileged level that is acquired for raising 30,000 points within 18 months of registration in the program. Gold card owners are entitled to 10 kg extra baggage to the free rate for the given class, voucher for access to the business lounge at the airport, priority for confirmation of reservations, priority at the check-in, maps for joint programs with partners of Bulgaria Air.
