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Airline horror stories

GreenNeedle

Member
Joined
19 Jul 2007
Messages
2,750
Location
Lincoln UK
Have you had problems with flight? You guesse it. Im still stuck in Lisbon.

Last year easyjet left our bags in Luton and we had to live in what we were wearing for a day until we got the bags.

Therefore this year I tried BMI baby and was dead impressed with how well it went on the outbound journey, Birmingham airport was easy to find. car park was close. bus every 5 minutes. 2 hour delay which I dont really mind. Flight was cool and altogether pretty stress free.

Get to Lisbon for the return and they have put my wifes name wrong on the system (Susannah instead of Anabela is not exactly a typo) and therefore they refused her at the check in. After 20 minutes of listening to BMIs recorded music and busy statements (using the last £15 on the wifes debit card) I made the decision to get the bags back before they went on the plane (was only 5 minutes left before check in closed) and therefore we are stuck in Lisbon.

48 minutes of listening to BMI tell us "there is nothing we can do at this point. You will have to rebook another flight and then claim once you return", whilst I told her we couldnt afford another flight left me seething.

Its not just the cost of the flight though. Our car is at Birmingham Airport and we now cant afford the extra days parking. We cant even afford the petrol back now. I will lose "X" amount of days pay from work as will the wife. I even had some fish arriving this morning which through some speedy emailing and typing my father has signed for and acclimitised.

Meanwhile I wait for British Embassy to ring me back, probably to tell me they cant do anything while we ponder the moths work we may have to do in Portugal to pay for the airfare home. Both of our families dont have enough money to lend for the flights etc. The only plus point is that we were not in hotels because we wouldnt have been able to afford to pay for more nights, there is something to be said about staying with relatives in this case :)

Do you have horror storys (and are there any lawyers on here that fancy a bash at BMI for me?)

AC
 
Susannah instead of Anabela is not exactly a typo

:wideyed: :?:

how the hell can you get that wrong? :rolleyes: Our flight a few week back didnt go smoothly (although not as serious as your situation)


We got in the taxi, 40minutes in to the journey my dad noticed we were going to East midlands (instead of Manchester) even though he had it wrote down next to him. We get to the airport in time and checked in, (the man also sen the bags off down the run without attaching any labels :? ) so he ran across all the check in desks to catch them - quite funny watching him but then you reelaised it was our cases!), quick 5 mintue drink etc and off to catch the plane. We couldnt find it, there were 2 flights (both going to faro, both Jet2) we got to the gate and no one was there (which were strange as we were 5mins early for the boarding time) so we went to this man stood at a computer. Told him the situation and he rang someone only to give us an answer of "you have missed the flight". Of course we were now worried for what were going to do, then he realised he had given the incorrect details and directed us to the flight. Turns out we went to the wrong gate (we went to 22 instead of 22b :rolleyes: ) but still the stupid mans fault for worrying us. Got on the plane everything ok, except it needed a compressor to start the engine, (i would prefer them to keep it quiet :lol: ) we then waited 40 minutes for our bags.

After that everything else was fine.

Good luck in getting back.
 
Damn that is one spelling mistake!!! don't you have a confirmation email or something with the right names on it???
I flew a couple of times on budget airlines and always had problems too, with baggage, delays, etc...

I now only fly BA or TAP to Portugal and specially with TAP never had any problems and always an excelent service, and if booked early you can get very reasonable prices too.

Hope you get back alright, good luck
 
We had the flight confirmation email which had Anabela as the passenger name, contact name and payment card name. However this name did not match the name on the airport computer therefore we were directed to the phonebooth.

Not going successfully. BMI refuse to let us have a free flight. "you will have to rebook and the send in a claim at which point we will investigate". British Embassy can only help people if they are in danger which as we are staying with relatives we are not.

I have now sent emails to the AUC/CAA, The Sun and the Lincolnshire Echo. maybe hoping the Sun will pay and do one of those sob stories how the Sun rescued a british family after a shameful act of ignorance by a british firm.

AC
 
When I saw the title I was wondering where you'd stuck some airline (as in air tubing) that you shouldn't have!!!! :wideyed: :wideyed: :wideyed: :lol:

Sorry you're having problems with them. I can't believe how airlines are allowed to trade. Buying a ticket doesn't guarantee you a seat on an airplane and they can sell each seat more than once. A mate and I were discussing what would happen if gig venues or sports stadia did the same! Can you imagine turning up to watch a band only to be told that you can't go in as the other guy who has your seat has already turned up so you'll have to come to the next gig....

Also when you pay for a ticket and pay your various taxes, if you then cancel your tickets some airlines (I will let you guess which ones...) keep your tax payment and say that it is part of a handling charge. So basically they're keeping tax you paid to go to HMIR for themselves!!!

As to the unsefulness of the British Embassies now well don't get me started on that...

I hope you get back soon and they reimburse you fully for the emotional distress and extra costs you are now incurring. Good luck.
 
Weve given up on BMI now. I found some cheap cheap flights from ThomsonFly to fill up a charter flight from Faro so we are getting the train down there tomorrow night for an early morning flight. The total for the tickets was £350 which was basically what BMI were currently asking for 1 ticket from Lisbon.

Long way to go but I used to prefer when we flew East Mids to Faro and then got the train to and from Lisbon. Things seemed to go right in those days. Bloody Lisbon airports to blame yet again for the cock up but with our contract being with BMI they are responsible for deciding on using a manifest process rather than paying the extra to be integrated into the computer systems.

So when I get back I shall be getting the claim ready for:
1 extra flight, train to faro, bus from station to airport, taxi wasted from lisbon last night, loss of earnings for me and wife, wasted phone calls to BMIs exorbitant "we are not here to help you" helpline. And maybe some hardship as well. Will be a claim for about £1k.

Then if they play hardball I have all the tickets, receipts etc and the law on my side.

The makor plus as I may have said before is the 6 black corys arrived this morning and apparently they are loving the tank. I will see for sure on Thursday.

Happy Days. Top tips dont use Lisbon airport or luton airport. Both far too busy and very disorganised (Luton is Havoc to get through). Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester and East Midlands are smaller and seem much more relaxed and much more organised.

If you use budget airlines dont use Easyjet or BMI. Easyjet leave bags behind and both give you options of extras (speedy boarding etc) which are never applied from a foreign airport as they are not part of the integrated computer system at the airports.

From now on I shall be going back to the trusty East Midlands or Coventry to Faro journey via ThomsonFly as I have never had a problem with these airports or with Thomson (6 flights on this route from East Midlands and 2 from Coventry.) Then I shall get the trains from Faro to Lisbon and back. Arseache of lost time it may seem but its less lost time than if you go the quick route. lol

Alternatively dont marry a girl from Lisbon. Marry one from the Algarve.

AC
 
SuperColey1 said:
Alternatively dont marry a girl from Lisbon. Marry one from the Algarve.
For me too late for that! lolol personally never had any problems in Lisbon except for overweight baggage, had problems with Ryanair once at Porto, nearly beat up the guy at the check in and almost refused the flight back to the UK lol
If you can to Portugal always fly TAP first and then BA second ;) and forget the rest!
 
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