#756899 by mdvipond
05 Oct 2010, 10:29
Plans for our forthcoming Cape Town trip were going awfully well, until this morning when those nice folk at BMI brought our return flight from LHR-MAN forward by 2 hours, making it impossible to make our connection.

I'm long enough in the tooth to know that these things happen, and will be on the blower to them shortly, but just wondered where one stands on refunds/cancellations/re-bookings? I'm happy enough with the MAN-LHR flight down, but there isn't a real alternative to the return flight, other than going one-way with BA. Purchased the flights in the sales, so will be on the lowest possible fare, I imagine.
#756900 by Neil
05 Oct 2010, 10:41
I assume you booked them separately to your VS flights?

If so, then your options are quite limited and your options are either to move to another flight or cancel, which sounds like a loss in fare would follow.

I guess this is one of the risks of booking internal flights separately to international ones.

Neil
#756907 by mdvipond
05 Oct 2010, 10:59
Yes, booked them separately; the flight times weren't available back when we sorted the VS flight, which is kind of ironic.

To move to the next later flight would mean killing 6 hours in LHR, which would be a waste of time, really. Have to see if I can get anything back if I cancel. Bloody rip off if not...
#756909 by eejp1007
05 Oct 2010, 11:02
That is stupid, they have an 08:30 then an 08:55 and nothing until 15:05.

This happened to me in Jan. We had booked an inconveniently timed flight as it was the cheapest. When Swiss then changed our flight to an even worse one, we were then able to move it to the flight that we had originally wanted (but was loads more expensive) free of charge in a higher booking class.
They said this was their policy, as soon as they mess with your flight, you can then mess with it yourself as long as you stay in the same cabin.
#756912 by mitchja
05 Oct 2010, 11:13
BMI should offer you a full refund as they have made the change, not you.

BMI MAN-LHR return schedules are a complete pain now, hence the reason why the rest of my domestic flights this year are on BA, they are also now often cheaper than BMI now too.
#756919 by mdvipond
05 Oct 2010, 11:31
mitchja wrote:BMI should offer you a full refund as they have made the change, not you.

BMI MAN-LHR return schedules are a complete pain now, hence the reason why the rest of my domestic flights this year are on BA, they are also now often cheaper than BMI now too.

Full refund? Music to my ears if that's the case James. At least then I could re-book with BA and hope they'll be good enough not go on strike again.
#756920 by RedVee
05 Oct 2010, 11:42
I agree with James, connecting BMI to LHR from MAN is a complete pain AND the luggage allowance is a scrawny 20 kg if you need to book seperately to your VS booking.

And if I'm gong to fly BA into Heathrow chances are I'm going to fly BA out of it too. Connecting through T5 now is just so much easier than flying into T1 and out of T3, or into T5 and out of T3.

For my last non BA trip I drove to LHR and stayed overnight on Bath Road with a hotel/parking deal - overall much cheaper, no hanging about and no worries about luggage weight either.

And I'll be driving again on New years eve for my Dubai flight too.

Regards
R3dV
#756921 by northernhenry
05 Oct 2010, 12:08
RedVee wrote:I agree with James, connecting BMI to LHR from MAN is a complete pain AND the luggagallowance is a scrawny 20 kg if you need to book seperately to your VS booking.

And if I'm gong to fly BA into Heathrow chances are I'm going to fly BA out of it too. Connecting through T5 now is just so much easier than flying into T1 and out of T3, or into T5 and out of T3.

For my last non BA trip I drove to LHR and stayed overnight on Bath Road with a hotel/parking deal - overall much cheaper, no hanging about and no worries about luggage weight either.

And I'll be driving again on New years eve for my Dubai flight too.

Regards
R3dV
#756923 by northernhenry
05 Oct 2010, 12:19
mdvipond wrote:Yes, booked them separately; the flight times weren't available back when we sorted the VS flight, which is kind of ironic.

To move to the next later flight would mean killing 6 hours in LHR, which would be a waste of time, really. Have to see if I can get anything back if I cancel. Bloody rip off if not...


BMI, becoming a real headache for man.Hence we had to over night at LHR on our return from nrt. In theory you should get refund, however problem still remains, also you will be at the mercy of domestic bag allowances if you book separately, especially with BA. Do wish flybe started doing LHR!!
Have you thought about the train. We seriously consider this next time, as by time you hang about/ chk-in etc, you could already be sat eating a soggy blt winging your way north..
Nh
#756927 by Darren Wheeler
05 Oct 2010, 12:28
9.1.2 of T&C's

Before we accept your booking, we will notify you of the scheduled flight time in effect as of that time, and it will be shown on your Ticket. It is possible we may need to change the scheduled flight time subsequent to issuance of your Ticket. If you provide us with contact information, we will endeavour to notify you of any such changes. If, after you purchase your Ticket, we make a significant change to the scheduled flight time, which is not acceptable to you, and we are unable to book you on an alternate flight which is acceptable to you, you will be entitled to a refund in accordance with Article 10.2.


10.2
0.2 INVOLUNTARY REFUNDS

10.2.1 If we cancel a flight, fail to operate a flight reasonably according to schedule, fail to stop at your destination or Stopover, or cause you to miss a connecting flight on which you hold a reservation, the amount of the refund shall be:

10.2.1.1 if no portion of the Ticket has been used, an amount equal to the fare paid;

10.2.1.2 if a portion of the Ticket has been used, the refund will be not less than the difference between the fare paid and the applicable fare for travel between the points for which the Ticket has been used.
#756934 by mdvipond
05 Oct 2010, 12:52
What do you do when you can't be arsed to sift through 'Terms & Conditions' for yourself? Well, get Mr Wheeler to do it for you, that's what! Thank you Darren, you're a star.

Now, train or BA, that's the question...
#756962 by DragonLady
05 Oct 2010, 20:08
mdvipond wrote:Now, train or BA, that's the question...



.......or a one way CDC? If memory serves me right your're on Gs (the trip being something do with an old codger's significant birthday :D ) so why not cash in some miles (or raid Tizer's stash) and get a one way CDC back ?? Ok, you'll have to pay the cost after the first 75 miles but it might be less stressful (and possibly not much more expensive) than any BA flight you might now have to book?
A leisurely shower and breakfast in Revivals and your car waiting for you all when you're done :) .
DL
#757014 by mdvipond
06 Oct 2010, 10:55
Old codger?!? Dear lady, if it weren't for my trademark gentlemanly demeanour I'd be straight round yours to put a bat up your nightdress...

Can't really waste miles on CDC when the lure of further flights beckons. And it's a good 3.5/4 hours from LHR to our particular corner of God's Own County. I know - ultimately - it takes as long by plane or train, but it's nice to have the journey broken up a bit, especially with a 5 year old in tow.
#757015 by HWVlover
06 Oct 2010, 11:20
mdvipond wrote:Old codger?!? Dear lady, if it weren't for my trademark gentlemanly demeanour I'd be straight round yours to put a bat up your nightdress...


Not again!!!! Mark, what has a bat ever done to you? I feel that a call to the RSPCA is now absolutely essential. ): ): ):
#757023 by mdvipond
06 Oct 2010, 12:27
HWVlover wrote:
mdvipond wrote:Old codger?!? Dear lady, if it weren't for my trademark gentlemanly demeanour I'd be straight round yours to put a bat up your nightdress...


Not again!!!! Mark, what has a bat ever done to you? I feel that a call to the RSPCA is now absolutely essential. ): ): ):

I fear your concerns are foundless. Why would the RSPCA be bothered about a cricket bat...?
#757672 by mdvipond
14 Oct 2010, 15:27
Through sheer disorganisation, I've not got around to cancelling/re-booking these flights yet. However, in the past 24 hours I've received two more emails from the good folk at BMI with further schedule changes. That's three changes in 10 days!

The latest has actually brought our LHR-MAN flight back to a more reasonable time - only 15 minutes from what it originally was, believe it or not - but I don't feel I can trust them to stick to this for the next 2 months, which is a shame. So it looks like it's BA, the risk of strikes, and another 90 quid out of pocket...
#757724 by Mandy Hall
15 Oct 2010, 09:57
So it looks like it's BA, the risk of strikes, and another 90 quid out of pocket...


From the latest rumblings on the PPRUNE forum it looks like the strike threat maybe over fairly soon. I'm not CC or employed by BA but have been lurking there and it appears that UNITE are negotiating with BA over the heads of BASSA. But then again - this dispute has had so many twists and turns over the last year or so...

At least you have the choice of two airlines going into LHR up here in the NE we have two airports and only one serves LHR and that's NCL and BA. So its take the flight times they offer or drive / train it ...
#757725 by mdvipond
15 Oct 2010, 10:04
Thanks, Mandy, that's good to know. I'm kind of working on the spurious theory that a BA flight cancelled due to (hopefully unlikely) strike action is slightly better than a BMI flight missed due to random schedule changes.

I just wish there was still an airline - any airline! - doing LHR from Leeds. Then we wouldn't have to traipse our sorry arses over the wrong side of the Pennines every time we wanted to go away.
#757747 by northernhenry
15 Oct 2010, 14:37
mdvipond wrote:I just wish there was still an airline - any airline! - doing LHR from Leeds. Then we wouldn't have to traipse our sorry arses over the wrong side of the Pennines every time we wanted to go away.


Time me thinks to instigate the B&ES/ Yorkshire Airlines concept me thinks.. :w
#757756 by Mandy Hall
15 Oct 2010, 16:59
I just wish there was still an airline - any airline! - doing LHR from Leeds. Then we wouldn't have to traipse our sorry arses over the wrong side of the Pennines every time we wanted to go away.


That would drive me mad - I know the Leeds - MCR route very well (native of South Manchester transplanted to Durham). One of the problems we had when thinking about whether or not to fly to Orlando next year was which was going to be the least worst journey home after a night flight with two ADHD boys - driving from MCR to home along the M62 / A1 route or waiting around Gatwick to catch the Jet 2 home...
#757776 by Bill S
15 Oct 2010, 19:22
Mandy Hall wrote:
I just wish there was still an airline - any airline! - doing LHR from Leeds. Then we wouldn't have to traipse our sorry arses over the wrong side of the Pennines every time we wanted to go away.


That would drive me mad - I know the Leeds - MCR route very well (native of South Manchester transplanted to Durham). One of the problems we had when thinking about whether or not to fly to Orlando next year was which was going to be the least worst journey home after a night flight with two ADHD boys - driving from MCR to home along the M62 / A1 route or waiting around Gatwick to catch the Jet 2 home...


Given the MCR traffic in the morning and that M62/A1 route having so many accident delays we find it far easier to use the longer but usually quicker and far quieter M6/A69 route to the NE.
#757924 by mitchja
18 Oct 2010, 12:02
Having just flown on BA domestic for the first time in about 2 years from MAN>LHR, I was very impressed with them (I also lost my LHR T5 virginity too) y)

The whole return journey was so much more efficient and smoother than BMI has ever been.

OK I don't get lounge access with BA but they are definitely getting my domestic business from now on (especially now you earn more miles + TP's on discounted BA flights).

Also, funny how my last 6 BMI flights have all been less than half full. Both these BA flights where full.

Don't bother paying BA the £10 each way to reserve your seats as I managed to grab the front row both ways using OLCI (BA iPhone app).

BA now also offer paper free boarding passes too, which seem to scan better than the BMI ones (they actually scan the barcode on your iPhone screen).
#757927 by mdvipond
18 Oct 2010, 12:17
Encouraging stuff, James, thanks. Out of curiosity - as we're a party of three - can you have more than one boarding pass on your iPhone? More worryingly, I wonder what would happen if your battery ran out just as you got to security...
#757995 by MarkedMan
18 Oct 2010, 20:47
mdvipond wrote:Encouraging stuff, James, thanks. Out of curiosity - as we're a party of three - can you have more than one boarding pass on your iPhone? More worryingly, I wonder what would happen if your battery ran out just as you got to security...


Not sure how BA do it, but with UA I pull each barcode/BP into a different Safari screen, and can then flip back and forth between them easily. Usually load them onto multiple devices too - couple of iPods, etc etc, just in case. If all fails, it's a walk of shame back to the check-in machines to print a BP. In US airports you usually have a Customer Service Centre post security where you can re-print passes, too, but I don't think this is available in the UK as a rule.
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