I may need some help when I get back to complete the claim wording etc. How much do I claim for hardship? weve spent 2 days ringing, emailing, searching etc just to make sure that we get home.

I have the piece of paper that I printed out pre journey and I also used ScreenGrab last night in case the website "magically" changes. So I have their website proof on file too. AC

We had this with us but to no avail. No BMI reps or desk there and the ANA woman tried to do her best but eventually said we would have to contact BMI.

The name was Anabela on the printed confirmation and it is Anabela on their website in my account information.

Being a low cost airline in a major airport there is no representative. The carrier person who checked us in tried the number (queue message) and couldnt keep holding because otherwise we would hold the whole plane up. she contacted her superiors and then gave us the BMI number.

I have now managed to find a much cheaper flight from Faro for £335 total for all 4 of us and my mother in England was able to pay this amount (alternative from Lisbon was £1200+bags etc and with the same carrier we have the problem with) I do however now have to borrow the train fare to Faro and then bus from Faro station to the Airport. The stage I therefore now at is the claim I need to make once I get back. What evidence do I need? Do I need to send it all with the claim? So far I will be claiming for the extra flight costs £353 3½ days loss of earnings for me £175 2½ days loss of earnings for my wife £50 4 days extra parking at Birmingham £35 1 Taxi back from Lisbon airport I shouldnt have needed. £12 2 tickets for the train from Lisbon to Faro £40 2 tickets for the bus from Faro Station to Faro Airport £5 2 phone calls to BMIs useless and exorbatant phone line £60 3 phone calls to the British Embassy £10 Total here is £740. I will keep all tickets and receipts that I can but of course we dont have 1 for the taxi fare and we will have to wait for copies of our Father in Laws itemised bill to prove the phone charges. Should I charge for hardship or anything else? AC

It is with a low cost airline. The ticket is an e-ticket and the names on the email confirmation and even when I check the account on their site are all correct. You only enter the names once for the return flights and we had no problem at Birmingham flying out. Apparently the low cost airlines arent integrated into the system and send a manifest to the carrier who then puts the details into the system which the airport check against. therefore the mistake mustve been by ANA the portuguese carrier. I therefore assum that because this is the system that this airline uses that my contract is still with BMI and it is their responsibility to claim against the carrier. The problem with paying and then claiming is that we paid a couple of months in advance at a total of £454 for the whole return journey. A single ticket at this late date is almost that each!!!! We dont have £1300 available and we know noone who can lend us this amount. The Embassy were quite clear that they cannot pay!!! Andy

BMI still sticking to their story. They cannot give me a flight for free. I must pay (with money I dont have) and then claim it back. Are they allowed to ignore a legal obligation they have?

I have just rung the travel insurance and they say we are not covered in this even however they say that with the problem not being of our fault wether it is BMI/ANA or TAP that is at fault our contract is with BMI and they therefore have a legal obligation to take us to the UK. My insurance has now transferred me to BMIs number and therefore we are only paying the charge to the insurance companies landline rather than BMIs preium rate line. Heres hoping but as usual I guess it will be a waste of time. Andy

I do with my bank. Its one of those added extra things. I have sent an email to the insurer to see if we are covered. As per usual I dont hold out much hope. AC

An update. The British embassy have called us back and although very sympathetic they cannot help with our problem. As we are not in danger etc due to having relatives to stay with it is beyonf their power to instruct or pay for an airline to take us back. BMI still say "hard Luck". I have now sent emails to The Sun, Our local paper "the linconshire echo" and to AUC CAA Andy

Hello I came here due to the title of this thread really. I have posted the full problem in the applicable section of this forum but the jist is that BMI have failed as per the many stories you read an my wife and 2 children along with myself are stuck in Lisbon with no money to return to the UK. Thats my sob story. The only plus is that we came to see family so we do have somewhere to stay. Thats me looking on the brightside as per usual. Andy

To let you in on the story I booked a return flight for my wife, 2 children and myself from Birmingham to Lisbon to stay with my wifes family (she is portuguese) We flew out with no problems first time from Birmingham and first time with BMI and I was very impressed. a 2 hour delay at Birmingham but overall the flight was good and Birmingham very easy to find. yesterday the 8th we were due to return and after checking myself and the children through we came up with a problem. My wifes name on the check in computer was wrong! Not a typo, her name is Anabela yet the name on the computer was Susannah!!!! The surname was correct. After a few calls by the check in assistant to see if we could fly she said that we had to ring BMI to sort the problem out. By this time it was 25 minutes until boarding. As you know you only enter each persons name in once on a return flight internet booking therefore I have no idea how they can get the right name on the outgoing journey and not the returning journey. After 20 euros spent on my wifes debit card (the last money in her account) we had not spoken to anyone and been listening to BMIs music/busy statements. I had to make the decision to get back to the check in and get our bags back before they left on the plane. So we are back at my wifes parents house. I have rung BMI this morning on their exorbatant phone line which means her father will now have a ridiculously high priced call on a phone he can ill afford and after 48 minutes of getting nowhere we had to end the call. BMI have said that there is nothing they can do and that we will have to rebook a flight and then once back in the UK send them a claim for compensation and they will investigate. Problem with this is neither of our families are wealthy, my wife and I only decided to come on the trip after some very careful monetary planning meaning we now have empty bank accounts. Therefore we know noone to lend us the money and have non of our own to get back to the UK. How can BMI do this to their passengers. Other problems of course are that our car is in Birmingham Airport and was only paid up until last night therefore we will now get back (if we can) with no money to pay the extra days charges. We are both hourly paid workers and not salaried therefore we are now missing days work due to this which again means we have no money. I have contacted the British Embassy to see if they can help as my children and I are all british citizens. I dont have much confidence though. Is there anything else I can do? Surely an airline has a responsibility of duty to make sure that an error that occurs on their flight is corrected first and then investigated? I am at this time on the internet at one of my wifes friends house with all avenues of options closing in front of me and the spectre of us having to get jobs in Portugal to somehow get some money togethe to get back to the UK Thanks in advance Andy