Help with cancelled flight ..route scrapped

grable_2

I live in Germany & my 83 year old mother is visiting.
I have just received an email from bmi saying that she won't be able to take her booked return flight (Cologne-East Midlands) because they are discontinuing the route in a few days.

She only uses this route because either my brother can pick her up at E Mids or she can take a taxi home. I imagine that they are going to offer a flight from Cologne to another British airport with transport on to E Mids....a longer & inconvenient journey for someone of her age (more confusing for someone of her age to find the transfer to the bus) Seems we are left with the following options

1 She'll simply have to do it (Cologne isn't on our doorstep, so I have to book a hotel & take her up the day before....if I have to book a hotel roon for a different day,,,at short notice & when there's a trade fair on, I'll have to pay sky high prices....if I can find anything at all)

2 I could escort her on the alternative offered...but, obviously, I'd have to pay for a return flight

3 I could see if they would be prepared to offer a flight from a different airport to E Mids....probably Brussels or Paris would be the nearest....but that would entail higher travelling costs from where we live & a new, high cost hotel booking & I would also have to stay overnight on the day of the flight....could only get home in one day if I left first thing in the morning & obviously, I'd want to see her off for her return flight.

Is there any chance that they will offer increased help because of her age (could threaten bad publicity) & does anyone have any general tips, please ?

Thanks

PolishBigSpender

Is it BMI or bmibaby that you've booked with?

Caz3121

some info here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/bmi-diamond-club/991761-confirmed-end-man-gla-ema-cgn-routes.html I think you will need to find out what reaccomodation they are offerring first. They will be concentrating getting passengers from Cologne to East Midlands or you will probably be offered a refund to book something else if you want a different route

grable_2

Thanks for your replies. This is the "proper" bmi (not bmi baby). A refund wouldn't be much use because other flights would probably be more expensive, because of booking at short notice (we paid 216 pounds return, but the return leg was much cheaper than the flight out to Cologne) And also, there would be higher travelling costs in general....either from another British airport to the East Midlands or a train journey to Brussels/Paris etc to fly to East Midlands....plus hotel costs as we'd have to go to Brussels/Paris the day before & I'd have to stay the following evening.

Greetings back to Poland & to everywhere else !

PolishBigSpender

As it's BMI proper, they should accomodate you - though it may be via a coach service from Cologne to the nearest airport. My suspicion is that they might put you on a Lufthansa flight instead - or give you a connecting flight via Frankfurt.

cannyscot_2

Yes speak to them I recently thanks to help on MSE got Ryanair to reroute me the way I wanted by just asking. So just work out any good alternatives and ask them to help.

Loopy_Lobes

I have flights booked with BMI for next May from LHR to PMI and have just got an email saying they are ending from November.

It says they will send through alternative options in a few weeks but what will they be?

Boked these back in June to get a great deal and have since missed the chance to book early deals from regional airlines such as flybe.

So glad I never booked any hotel, parking or transfers yet as I doubt the 5 of us will be able to go now as the times around half term were great.

grable_2

bmi have now phoned.....they are offering alternative flights or a refund. The problem is my mother's age because they are not offering onward transport from an alternative airport to East Midlands. They can offer Cologne-Brussels.East Midlands, but she couldn't cope with the change. The best option is Düsseldorf-Birmingham....the problem is the onward transportation. We'll be seeing if my brother can pick her up....if not, would we be able to claim for the cost of her taking a taxi or some money for petrol etc..? (Doubt it, somehow)....no one has said anything about any other form of compensation


Any advice welcome

PolishBigSpender

They've done what they're obliged to do (offer you a full, unconditional refund). Beyond that, you can ask, but they're certainly not obliged to do anything else. In fact, I'd argue that by offering you a Cologne-East Midlands flight, they're not even obliged to offer a refund.