BMI baby flight cancellations

robins66

Still no response and no refund either. Second letter in hand then back to AUC I suppose. Interesting to see that Easyjet have cancelled one of their routes to Milan from April. They are offering customers a re-route OR refund.

robins66

Still no response and no refund either. Spoke to my legal advisors through my family legal protection policy. Passed to solicitor for advice who has confirmed all actions taken so far pretty much how they would have dealy with the matter. Advised to write to Charman, direct, setting out deadline for refunding all monies due. Have agreed to proceed on our behalf if no response.
Will also contact AUC as per their advice.

robins66

Finally received a response from BMIbaby. Apologised for cancelling and advised that THEY did not feel they could offer a comparable flight therefore decided to cancel and refund instead. Have now offered to re-instate our flights from East Midlands. Pity they didn't do that when we asked them to, before we re-booked with Monarch. Tried contacting the writer using the telephone number at the bottom of the letter, however, that is for BMI NOT BMIbaby. They gave us another number which turned out to be 65p per minute. Currently running at about £20 in phone calls and a couple of pounds for recorded delivery letters. £100 excess to pay on insurance but asking them to claim ALL out of pocket expenses and possible compensation.
Forms completed for solicitors to send off tomorrow as no response from Chairman of BMIbaby.

Voyager2002

robins66 wrote: »

Finally received a response from BMIbaby. Apologised for cancelling and advised that THEY did not feel they could offer a comparable flight therefore decided to cancel and refund instead. Have now offered to re-instate our flights from East Midlands. Pity they didn't do that when we asked them to, before we re-booked with Monarch. Tried contacting the writer using the telephone number at the bottom of the letter, however, that is for BMI NOT BMIbaby. They gave us another number which turned out to be 65p per minute. Currently running at about £20 in phone calls and a couple of pounds for recorded delivery letters. £100 excess to pay on insurance but asking them to claim ALL out of pocket expenses and possible compensation.
Forms completed for solicitors to send off tomorrow as no response from Chairman of BMIbaby.

Well done for your persistence! Don't give up now.

swilliams_2

Robbins - this is exactley what has happened to me! BMI baby cancelled our flights to Palma from manchester. I have written to their customer service department by recorded delivery but haven't yet had a reponse (they received it on the 1st of April). I phone their very unhelpful and rude customer service department to suggest that they transfer our flight to depart from east midlands instead but they they claim that their policies do not allow them to transfer a flight to go from a different departure airport, even though it goes against the EU rules (which I stated to them)

Would you mind providing a bit more info on what you have done (i.e. who you have written/spoken to) so that I can pursue my claim further. I haven't rebooked my flight as they are all so expensive, I just want to be rebooked on another flight with them!

Cheers
Sarah

robins66

Contact the air users council. 020 7240 6061 (Consumer advice line Mon to Thurs 9.30am to 2.30pm). THEY told me to re-book with another carrier and claim additional costs from BMIbaby. We did and sent a letter to BMIbaby asking for the additional monies back. They responded by offering to transfer us to East Midlands. However, this was too late. We wrote to Chairman. No response.
Legal insurance have advised that they can only assist myself and my husband under policy and claim must be for more than £125. I presume they mean each as the new flights cost £107 more per person. They were told the booking was for seven people at the beginning, they wasted so much of my time.
Spoke to AUC yesterday. Told to write in with copies of bookings, emails, letters etc. and they will take up the matter on our behalf, but did say unlikely to get back cost of phone calls (approx £20 plus to date) and postage etc.
Failing that, I will issue proceedings via small claims court.

swilliams_2

update on my situation with BMi baby - I rang their booking line again today (they have no contact number for customer services) to ask why I had not had a response within 28 days to my letter sent by recorded delivery. Was again advised that they do not transfer flights to a different airport. I said I knew that was their policy but that that isn't EU law. Asked again why I haven't had a response within 28 days as previously stated by them and was now advised that it is at their discretion as to whether they will respond! I'm now taking this up with the air users council.

stoneman

I see once again Cityboy gives PBS a big fat lip. He really must be fed up by now of being used as a punchbag:rotfl:
OP good on you for sticking with it, these airlines play the system just in the hope that you will go away instead of adhering to your legal rights. It's the only way for them to make money

robins66

Solicitors decided they could only act for 2 of my party and advised to try credit card company. Don't quite understand why. they also suggested trying insurance (as did BMIbaby). Insurance said we had had a full refund so they would not be liable for any other costs incurred or lost as a result of the cancellations.
Referred back to Air Users Council. They asked that we formally put the matter in writing, which I did in April. Received a response from AUC saying they normally respond within four weeks. Just chased as no response from them either.
Legal protection insurers advised they will cover my husband and myself, which would be a last resort option. Still have the option of Small claims court too.
I will fight on and encourage anyone else in the same position to keep fighting.
I will keep you posted.:(

robins66

AUC have written to BMIbaby asking firstly why we were not automatically offered a re-route and secondly, why they refused my request to be re-routed via East Midlands. They have asked them to consider my request for a refund of the additional cost of alternative flights and referred to the EC regulations. Awaiting BMIbaby's response.