Thank you BMI Baby!

[Disorderly]

I did wonder what effect the takeover of BMI by the Luftwaffe (I believe they are called Lufthansa nowadays) might have - now I know!

In September we booked four seats for June with BMI Baby (our usual favourite airline from Manchester) for our annual fornight to PP, with our villa hire booked for the same dates. On Friday we received an e-mail from BMI Baby telling us that our flights had been cancelled. Not to worry though! Instead of travelling on the Saturday we booked, they were pleased to tell us that we could go the day before, on the Friday, for the same cost. Most generous this, given that the Friday flights are still half the price we paid! We could even take the "sleeping on the beach" option!

Needless to say I rang the BMI Baby "Customer Service" line (cue much music and "our lines are very busy") and eventually spoke to a most charming young lady who informed me that it was no problem at all to cancel the flights and that a full refund that would be processed to my credit card in the next seven days, less the credit card charge of £7-00 per person - £28-00!

So, I am delighted to have supported the German airline industry with an interest free loan for four months which has only cost me £28-00 for the privilege!

Ah well, Easy Jet have bailed us out with similar cost flights from Liverpool, but there's a lesson learnt. Bye bye BMI Baby - thanks for the memories!

 

[jiggggy]

Thats amazing! did you not try to get back the £28 booking fee? it is their fault after all. I know i would have tried.

 

[carl1955]

BMI Baby

Hi Disorderly.

I know what you mean!, check out a thread I previously started.

http://tinyurl.com/7drolc

Regards

Carl.

 

[its cd]

BMI Baby

This is worrying - I have 3 lots of flights booked with BMI baby this year

None on a Saturday though

Has anyone else received similar notification ?

 

[Disorderly]

Carl, I remember your post now and at the time keeping "fingers crossed"! Sorry yoyu too had a bad experience.

Yes Jigggy, you can count on me launching into BMI Babay to get the 28 quid back but first I'm going to make sure I get the flight cost refund. If I know these sort of organisations, if I start complaining beforehand this will drag on and on and I'm not going to lend them my money for a moment longer than necessary.

Let's not forget, by the way, that for the pr1vilege of phoning "Customer Services" ( I believe that term to be an "oxymoron") to sort this out a ten pence a minute charge will also have been raised.

Know what.....I'm in the wrong business!

 

[JennyP]

It's worth a look at saynoto0845.com to see if you can find a "real" phone number.

 

[romanb]

We arrived at Stanstead to discover that our Easyjet flight to Palma had been cancelled. The alternatives offered were an evening flight from Gatwick or a refund. We took the taxi to Gatwick £132 as we were told by the agent. The flight we travelled on was half the price of the flight we had booked but we apparantly Easyjet fulfilled its obligations by transferring us to another flight. So no refund for taxi, no refund for flight difference, no refund for left luggage ( we were at Gatwick for 10 hours) and no compensation for days holiday missed. Although we would not wish to travel on a flight should it have a fault it is how the airlines deal with situations that count. After trying unsuccesfully by writing three times, and attempting to telephone (premium rates) I returned to Stanstead to speak with the customer service desk I was told they could not tell me how to contact by e-mail or telephone as they do not work for easyjet even thought they are wearing easyjet outfits and working on easyjet desk thay are only agents and cannot help! Eventually after about 6 letters and several phone calls I did receive taxi refund but that was all. It seems that airlines are all a law unto themselves