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BMI/UNITED AIRLINES travel charges problem...Advice please.
twinklie
Posts: 5,176 Forumite
We have just got back from a very enjoyable 2 week stay in the states over xmas and new year (went back to where I used to live out there when I was a ski bum with my hubby).
Anyway, we bought our tickets in March (2nd, 2008) and paid up front. When we checked in at the airport we are asked to pay £15 for ski carriage which was ok, although there wasn't an option for this when I booked the flights online.
We flew from Manchester to Chicargo without any problems. Then from Chicargo to Denver again, without a hitch. However, on the return journey we were told at check in that we were over weight on our luggage allowance. This seemed strange as we hadn't packed anything extra (we were mean and didn't even buy anyone any presents).
Anyway, we were told we paid $150 per bag or we didn't fly. There was a sign however saying that these charges only applied if you bought your ticket after June 13th. Clearly we bought ours in March and I just happened to have proof of that with me. So they reduced the charge to $50 per bag. This made it $150 total.
However, again when we asked why we were not charged on the way in when we flew with United we got no response. We physically had to collect our bags and recheck them when we landed at Chicargo on the way in, so it should have been mentioned.
Anyhoo, we paid the money because we didn't want to miss the flight. Although by this point we were also very annoyed and stressed as people at the check in desk had been fobbing us off for a while, some had been very abrupt and 3 had just walked off and then kept ignoring us!!!
We got all the way back to Manchester without a hitch until baggage claim. They had not put our ski bag on the flight back to Manchester, so it was stuck somewhere in Chicargo. Apparently all the oversize stuff was missed off the flight back to Manchester and everyone with a ski/snowboard bag was in the same boat.
We were given a tracker number and told it would be coming the next day (TODAY), as of yet still no bag. We rang Manchester airport and they said the courier should be contacting us to arrange delivery....so such luck yet. We spoke to a woman at Manchester airport who suggested that we should never have paid a charge to United as all our costs were covered and paid up front when we bought our plane tickets.
But being treated like that, paying extra that we feel we shouldn't have paid and THEN not getting our bags on top is incredibly frustrating.
Was just wondering if anyone had any help or advice they could offer us with regard to how best to complain.
The whole thing was booked through BMI, but the domestic flights in US were with United Airlines.
Anyway, we bought our tickets in March (2nd, 2008) and paid up front. When we checked in at the airport we are asked to pay £15 for ski carriage which was ok, although there wasn't an option for this when I booked the flights online.
We flew from Manchester to Chicargo without any problems. Then from Chicargo to Denver again, without a hitch. However, on the return journey we were told at check in that we were over weight on our luggage allowance. This seemed strange as we hadn't packed anything extra (we were mean and didn't even buy anyone any presents).
Anyway, we were told we paid $150 per bag or we didn't fly. There was a sign however saying that these charges only applied if you bought your ticket after June 13th. Clearly we bought ours in March and I just happened to have proof of that with me. So they reduced the charge to $50 per bag. This made it $150 total.
However, again when we asked why we were not charged on the way in when we flew with United we got no response. We physically had to collect our bags and recheck them when we landed at Chicargo on the way in, so it should have been mentioned.
Anyhoo, we paid the money because we didn't want to miss the flight. Although by this point we were also very annoyed and stressed as people at the check in desk had been fobbing us off for a while, some had been very abrupt and 3 had just walked off and then kept ignoring us!!!
We got all the way back to Manchester without a hitch until baggage claim. They had not put our ski bag on the flight back to Manchester, so it was stuck somewhere in Chicargo. Apparently all the oversize stuff was missed off the flight back to Manchester and everyone with a ski/snowboard bag was in the same boat.
We were given a tracker number and told it would be coming the next day (TODAY), as of yet still no bag. We rang Manchester airport and they said the courier should be contacting us to arrange delivery....so such luck yet. We spoke to a woman at Manchester airport who suggested that we should never have paid a charge to United as all our costs were covered and paid up front when we bought our plane tickets.
But being treated like that, paying extra that we feel we shouldn't have paid and THEN not getting our bags on top is incredibly frustrating.
Was just wondering if anyone had any help or advice they could offer us with regard to how best to complain.
The whole thing was booked through BMI, but the domestic flights in US were with United Airlines.
Reduction in daily mortgage interest since October 23 (new mortgage) - £2.36 July 25
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 37
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 37
0
Comments
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Bumping up for help.Reduction in daily mortgage interest since October 23 (new mortgage) - £2.36 July 25
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 370 -
Did you pay the charges on a credit card? If so, tell your credit card company that you have been 'misled'. If possible you may have to get it in writing from BMI (email should do) that all charges were paid upfront and that you shouldn't have paid any excess.
Also do you have a receipt from them telling you how much the "excess luggage" weighed? Try to check this with BMI's luggage allowance.0 -
Out of interest how many bags did you have with you on the return and what weight were they? It may have been that you had an agent with poor knowledge of United's own rules, who decided they were right and stuck with it. (Has happened to me once on United out of Los Angeles and it took a supervisor and some stonewalling from me before hand to get it sorted)
First of all, have a double check of the United airlines baggage policy at http://www.unitedairlines.co.uk/core/english/SI/baggage/checked.html#international
- Were you within these guidelines with your baggage? If so, then you should take it further.
As stated, if you paid the charges at the airport then you may want to consider disputing them with your credit card company. You will need to try to recover your costs back from United Airlines as they are the ones who issued the charges. You can contact United via customervoice@united.com or if you prefer via the UK offices listed on this page: http://www.unitedairlines.co.uk/local/english/customerservice/index.html
If there has clearly been an incorrect charge made, then they should sort it out and refund you. You will need to send your receipts to them as proof of payment though.
Hopefully you get this resolved if you were charged incorrectly. Good luck and with a bit of luck your missing baggage will be back with you soon.0 -
Thanks for the advice guys. We had 3 bags, 2 suitcases and a ski bag. The suitcases were 55lb and 56lb each, and we paid for the ski bag (extra) up front for the return journey at Man airport according to the BMI agent.
We were not pulled for these weights when we flew into the US so found it a hell of a shock when leaving. We were told rather abruptly and rudely that rules had changed since we bought our tickets etc.
Looking through my stuff, they didn't give us a receipt about the weight of the bags. Hmmm.... the charges aren't showing on the online credit card bill yet either.
Is it worth contacting BMI to get their official stance on it before contacting United?Reduction in daily mortgage interest since October 23 (new mortgage) - £2.36 July 25
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 370 -
ou will be charged for checked baggage only if you are a Mileage Plus® general member or are not a Mileage Plus member, and you are traveling within the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and/or Canada on one of the following types of tickets:
a paid Economy ticket not purchased in conjunction with any international fares;
Well ours was purchased inconjunction with international fares. It's absolutely as clear as mud from their website and open to interpretation if you ask me.Reduction in daily mortgage interest since October 23 (new mortgage) - £2.36 July 25
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 370 -
Looks like your problem was with the weight. Both bags were overweight by 5 or 6lbs vs the international economy limits. bmi in Manchester tend to be more tolerant of things like this, but the American airlines can be strict on it.
The change in baggage policy that they mentioned was to do with the number of cases, not the weight. The weight limit of 23kg / 50lb max has been there for quite a while and is the same as most carriers including bmi who were happy for you to not pay out of Manchester.
I hate to say it, but United are in the right on this one. bmi did you a favour on the way out and didn't flag up the overweight bags. On the way back, United correctly charged you for both bags that were overweight. A lb or 2 you might get away with, but not 5 or 6 unfortunately. You can see details of the charges at http://www.united.com/page/article/1,,52831,00.html
I would chalk it up to experience and always check the baggage limits before you travel to be sure. I can't see much of a way around this though.0 -
BMI said that there weight limit was 32kg/70lb.
The thing is though, we had to recheck the bags in with United when we got to Chicargo to fly to Denver and they never said anything. We physically collected the bags and took them to be checked in again the same as we did in Manchester. And the annoying thing is that we even took a note of the weight of the bags to make sure we stuck to the same weight for the way back! Grrr...
The lost bag eventually turned up today though which is one good thing.Reduction in daily mortgage interest since October 23 (new mortgage) - £2.36 July 25
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 370 -
BMI said that there weight limit was 32kg/70lb.
Glad you got the other bag back today at least.
Unfortunately, bmi's own weight limit is actually 23kg for flights to the USA:
http://www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-gb/flight-and-airport-info/pre-travel/baggage-advice/baggage-advice.aspx
32kg is the weight of the heaviest single piece of baggage they will normally accept without it being considered 'oversize'.
Unless any of those travelling had a bmi Silver or Gold card, or a Star Alliance airline gold card, you won't have had any extra baggage allowance.
I have to say though, it is harsh and the late bag adds insult to injury.0 -
Cheers. The people at check in clearly need telling then because we were clearly misinformed. Bloody airlines!!Reduction in daily mortgage interest since October 23 (new mortgage) - £2.36 July 25
% of house owned/% of mortgage paid off. July 25 - 38.82%/31.66%
MFiT-T7 #21
MFW 2025 #2
MF Date: Oct 37 Feb 370 -
Cheers. The people at check in clearly need telling then because we were clearly misinformed. Bloody airlines!!
The problem was that they were trying to be helpful, but it isn't much help when it hits you in the pocket on the way home.
You could always raise your problem about the misinformation with bmi's customer relations. I'm not sure if you'll be able to persuade them to give you some money back, but if you have the time it may be worth a go. You can submit your feedback online via http://www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-gb/contact-us/customer-relations.aspx
I have used it before and had a satisfactory response after an issue last summer.0
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