bmibaby finds yet another way to charge passengers
Friday, 17 July 2009 14:52

Just when you thought it was safe to come out . . .

bmibaby has found yet another way to charge you, this time they are taking advantage of more government snooping and spying that comes in the form of APIS, nothing to do with bees, and not something that boys do behind the bike sheds!

Advance Passenger Information System - another idea dreamed up by the control freaks at Nu Labour to keeps tabs on the innocent general public. More information hoarded away in a secret database to be scanned and searched by the faceless beaurcrats whose inflated salaries and gold-plated pensions we all have to pay.

At some unspecified time the government is going to require airlines to supply passport numbers and lots of other details of passengers to the database before and UK or international flight.

What an opportunity for the likes of bmibaby! Not to miss any chance to extract and extra few quid from the travelling public bmibaby is now emailing passengers telling them that if they don't go to the bmibaby website and add this information to their bookings then they will be charged £5 per flight for entering the data.

In their usual helpful way bmibaby have made this as awkward as possible and don't provide any feedback that the information has in fact been entered so passengers are left in limbo not knowing whether or not they got it right.

bmibaby could never be accused of making their website easy to use.


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Comments (7)Add Comment
0
Passport Info
written by Rach, 20 July, 2010
This is really interesting, I have been trying to enter my passport info for the past week after being prompted to do so by my booking confirmation e-mail. I rang BMI Baby who said the website would be up and running by today (Tues 20th) and I am due to fly at the weekend. Do we have a leg to stand on to completely refuse to pay the charges to add this information at check in?
0
Can't enter API/APIS info online
written by Paul H, 18 July, 2010
I have the same problem as Martin. Their website simply won't allow me to enter the API information. I've tried 3 different web browsers and two different computers yet click on "next step" and nothing happens.
I rang customer services at 65p per minute only to be routed to India to be told there is a website problem but it will be fixed over the weekend. That was a week ago.
I will flatly refuse to pay £5 if they ask me at the airport....
0
Bmibaby rip-off, customers have choices
written by Anthony Lloyd-Weston, 16 July, 2010
Dear Sirs,

On a recent business trip, and one of my regular journeys, flying from Jersey to Manchester with Bmibaby, I was stopped at the boarding gate by a very officious lady, wanting to measure my carry-on bag with a Bmibaby, “official” gauge. The gauge being a metal-framed affair to ensure that bags met the 55cmx40cmx20cm and 10kg airline-imposed limits. If my bag exceeded the limit and didn’t fit within the gauge, I would have to pay a further £30 on top of the £200 paid for the flight. Although I had bought the bag precisely because it meets the required limit and used it on many flights including with Bmibaby, it simply did not meet the Bmibaby imposed limits and cost me an “on-the-spot” £30 additional fee. Interestingly and rather insultingly, the flight was only 60% or so occupied with considerable free cabin luggage space.

Bmibaby would do well to remember that customers have choices in their preferred carriers and not to attempt to lower themselves to the lowest common denominator, Ryanair, in terms of attitude to their paying clients.

Having re-measured the bag that caused the problem I can only assume that the airline’s gauge is not accurate. How many other travellers have fallen foul of Bmibaby’s tough stance and been charged for cabin baggage?

Yours faithfully

Anthony Lloyd-Weston
Cheshire
0
API/APIS Details can't be entered
written by Martin Gowdridge, 08 July, 2010
I booked flights to and from Barcelona and received an e-mail confirmation. There's a section now where there's a link to their API/APIS website page to complete the passport information for each passenger. When you get to the page, try pressing the "Next Steps" button. It does not work!! There is no alternative other than to complete at check-in (with a £5 charge per person per flight) or through their call centre with a £5 charge per person per flight plus 65p per minute call charge!)

I have written to bmibaby but don't hold out much hope that they will do anything about it. If have have to pay the charge for their incompetence I will vote with my feet and find an alternative in future.
0
And another way to rip off customers is on baggage bookings
written by Alan Jack, 14 December, 2009
BMI Baby has a great web site (Not) that charges you for booking in baggage for both outward and return journey, without the option to book only one leg. If you want book only one leg you must call the customer services at £0.65 per min wait 5 min to get help only to be told because it is done over the phone the cost is £30.00 each way on line it is £12.99 plus £5.00 check in fee. Will I fly with them again. Not in a hurry. I cant stop the government stealing from me but I can choose who I fly with.
0
My emails of Complaint about the 10 pound hidden charge
written by Steve, 08 September, 2009
Flight date: 14-7-09
Departure: 15:15 Machester to Malaga

EMAIL NUMBER 1 (as yet unanswered)

Sirs,
I write to demand the immediate refund of the £10 charge I was forced to pay at Check In yesterday for not submitting my passport details to you.

Do not send me a reply telling me you clearly requested them because you did not.

Other airlines prompt for these when reserving online. You neither did this, nor made it clear you needed them, NOR did you send a specific email (as claimed) asking for this important information, only a small sub paragraph in the email marked "booking confirmation".

This charge is ridiculous. It affected half of the passengers on the flight. We are all in contact with each other and we WILL be taking this further.

Your customer services person at the desk even said "We know this is a problem and we have repeatedly mentioned it to our superiors".

Don't ask me to send you a letter. This is a ridiculous tactic designed to delay my request and to put me off complaining.

If you do not send me my £10 refund I will be taking the following action:

1) I will contact WATCHDOG, they are certain to feature this. As you well know.

2) I will boycott BMIbaby and will spread the word about your terrible actions, which are an utter disgrace

I am extremely unhappy with you. This is no way to do business.

In fact there were many indications that you are about to go out of business. If this is true, I hope you don't think that levying this £10 charge is going to help you.
Steve.

EMAIL NUMBER 2 (As Yet unanswered)
BMIBABY:
You did not respond to my complaint 1 month ago.
I have now reported the situation to Watchdog.

If you do not respond to me within 48 hours I will take my complaint (below) to the consumer's office. Then I will intiate legal action against your company.

You are a disgrace.

Steve
0
Technical Manager
written by Neville Pettifer, 24 August, 2009
I was most dissappointed to be charged £10 X 4 as a result of passport detail charges. I travelled on 30th July and received the email from BMIBaby on 11th August.



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