BMIBaby Admin Charges

[ponsrow]

I unfortunately made a slipup with the name of my sister when I was booking for a flight - I used her maiden name instead of her marriage name. I immediately realised my mistake afterwards and rang the customer service line as soon as it was open. Only to be horrified that they would charge £35 (admin) + £80 (new price) = £115. After much persasion they agreed to £35 if I could fax them a copy of the marriage cert. I tried about six different fax machines but always their machine did not answer. Then they said they would do it for £100 admin fee. I wrote to the 'customer relations' dept who just said I wuld have to pay the £100.

Given that this is not a person change but a maiden name change that can be proved, can I claim that £100 admin fee is unfair?

This is bearing mind that to even to do that you have to ring a premium rate number (35p per min) to get the change done.

 

Any advice welcome

[Thailand]

Put down to experience, I'm afraid. Budget means check everything twenty times before clicking purchase, T&C's the lot. They know if you make a mistake, they'll have you...it's the game. It's not on, but it's easy money for them. We don't live in a customer service world, it's all profits and hugely inflated charges.

 

I've always thought those admin charges are challengable, but a name change isn't as easy I don't think. It would be for me if you were to fight it in court, but alas it's not so easy.

 

I'm not surprised at the fax thing, that was probably to get you off their backs, though I think you're getting confused over the admin fee... £100 would be bonkers!

 

I think that's still including a price rise of some sort. Out of curiousity, how long after you made the booking did the ticket price shoot up £80? Sometimes it's better to start a booking afresh than fall for their fees.

[ponsrow]

Thanks for the response.

The admin fee for name changes is actually £100...

"Name changes to flights can only be made via the call centre and are subject to an administration fee of £100 (€125) per passenger."

http://www.bmibaby.com/bmibaby/en/index.aspx?p=21

I rang up the next day and the price had gone up £40 on each leg.

However, I think they have changed the rules since then. They don't charge the fare difference anymore. I guess they have worked out that it is more lucrative to charge £100 per shot than to charge £35 + fare difference.

 

The reason why the price went up so quick, was it was a school holiday. These are already not cheap. I'm already paying £212 for the ticket! I was just outraged at £100 + premium rate call for a simple name change following a geniune slipup.

Edited May 16, 2009 by ponsrow

[Thailand]

Yikes.

 

Well, it's an admin fee. I'd be wanting to know how they break it down, and I reckon the only way is to take them to Court.

 

It can be a real headache and takes time and research, that's why so many people roll over and take it up the proverbial.

 

I know I would try though.

 

£100 to type in a name change? and E125 is alot more than £100, the cheeky swines.

[Thailand]

This is a verified, geographical saynoto0870 BMI Baby number if you need to try it.

 

01332 854000 (HQ Customer services switchboard)

 

I think their argument would be a 'service', but would it still be OK if it were £2K? Got to draw the line somewhere surely.

 

Just an opinion, but I would think it would be considered unfair (totally anti MSE sheep sentiment).

 

Does anybody think UTCCR would apply here?

[ponsrow]

I was thinking a small claims court case.

Do I have to pay it first, then open the case?

Should I be writing first to say that I think this is unfair and giving them a chance?

[Thailand]

If you want to take that flight, you'd need to pay it and then try to reclaim it, totally up to you.

 

You can keep at them trying, but ulimately it's up to them what they charge at this stage. They might give in a bit, but writing to give 'them a chance' isn't really right, they have your money and are holding you over a barrell. You'd have needed to have already been slapped by this digusting fee in order to warn them as such, should you choose to try and sue them.

 

Do consider another airline if cheaper than the fee. There are some very good deals out there on flights at the moment.

 

Still, I doubt you can reclaim what you have lost so far, so I'd pay it for now with a view to taking advice on how to get it back on your return.

 

Admin fee in the UK £100, or EU £110... that sucks, and evidently have chosen to retain the number in spite of the weakening pound.

[Thailand]

Btw, ponsrow, you may come up against a couple of arguments which I do not agree with...each to their own!

 

It has been stated, by MSE lords and flocks, many times that if they didn't charge high admin fees poelpe would simply hoover up promo fares and sell them on, and if the name change fee was more realsitic, people would be making alot of mulah at the cost of the TA/TO.

 

That is a problem, and I don't know how to resolve it, but charging customers who have just paid good money and using that excuse, is just pure convienience for the them. It still boils down to unfair terms to me.

 

Some airlines don't allow for name changes at all and force you to re-book, so I suppose it could be worse, but BMI Baby have a cheek charging £100-£110 when the average return flight doesn't cost that.

[ponsrow]

Thanks for the advice Thailand

[bribri]

Given that a small concession was offered if the marriage certificate was sent through, that would suggest there is a part solution to differentiate a genuine error from someone selling tickets on. The same if surname remains the same but new first name.

 

I've no doubt all solutions will be open to complications and trickery but I feel that if something seems unfair it probably is. I also think that the airlines have opened themselves up to this complaint now that so much of the booking process is online rather than hand written tickets.

 

As to the OP's complaint, I suggest just keep writing and escalating to different levels in the organisation and remind them that they suggested faxing but that did no good.

[Thailand]

What gets me is the fact that the OP rang up straight away after realising his mistake. He had just paid for the seat. The devilment is saying that the ticket has gone up £80 in a New York minute, and finally accepting a £20 admin fee on top. How gracious! not to mention the run around and phone calls.

 

I realise the online price will be cheaper than on the phone, but the point is that if there was any sense of customer service, and not just a view to exploitation, they would just charge a nominal fee for the required manual intervention - nothing to do with selling on here, though it's a problem in general, so I can't agree it's a part solution since they are just whacking £80 on in 'fare increases'.

 

I agree about the automated bit!

 

I don't understand how the T&C's charge £100-£110 to cover admin (and it must without profit) and then ever so kindly accept £20 to do it.

 

Ahhh, rats! It's profiteering and exploitation, and the airlines know fine well they are at it, same as some do by not returning APD and they all claim extraordinary circumstances in every cancellation - it's a miracle!

[Thailand]

Actually, are the airline saying this:

 

* Ok, £80 fare increase and reduced admin fee of £20, or

 

* Just give us the £100 admin fee

 

Clarity on that is recommended and recorded or on paper!

[arrmickk]

Hi. I have just this minute made a mistake myself on a booking with BMI baby. I booked a ticket for a friend to travel down to my wedding in September and put my own name in instead! Duhhh I have a baby screaming in one ear and a bed calling for me lol. Called up there sales centre straight away (65p a minute!!!) and got the same £100 to change the name. This is absolutely ludicrous!! I of course just re-booked the ticket in the correct name at a cost of £40.90! An expensive mistake to make. Perhaps 'economy' isn't such an economy after all. I certainly shan't use BMIBaby again and neither shall I be recommending them to anyone....quite the opposite in fact.

[andie_303]

I've just booked some BMI flights recently and the charge to book on a credit card £26.50!!!

 

Even to book on a debit card - £19.50

 

Oh but it's free if you have a visa electron - exactly what percentage of the poplation have one of them then eh??

[Thailand]

Hi. I have just this minute made a mistake myself on a booking with BMI baby. I booked a ticket for a friend to travel down to my wedding in September and put my own name in instead! Duhhh I have a baby screaming in one ear and a bed calling for me lol. Called up there sales centre straight away (65p a minute!!!) and got the same £100 to change the name. This is absolutely ludicrous!! I of course just re-booked the ticket in the correct name at a cost of £40.90! An expensive mistake to make. Perhaps 'economy' isn't such an economy after all. I certainly shan't use BMIBaby again and neither shall I be recommending them to anyone....quite the opposite in fact.

 

If the booking page isn't 100% correct - they've got you. You're quite right - it then becomes a false economy.

[Thailand]

I've just booked some BMI flights recently and the charge to book on a credit card £26.50!!!

 

Even to book on a debit card - £19.50

 

Oh but it's free if you have a visa electron - exactly what percentage of the poplation have one of them then eh??

 

Open up a basic Bank account and get one andie! Halifax and the Co-op do one for starters.

[nozzer2009]

Have you thought about initiating a charge back with your bank. Different from a section 75 (good less than 100.00) however still extremely useful.

 

There are a number of reasons people use charge back and you have 120 days from the day of the transaction.

 

The list of reasons is quite long...But do a search.

[oxo mum]

Hi you've all got me really worried. I booked 5 flights for myself, hubby and 3 three kids last Sep. We're flying out to Spain next week. I didn't include our middle names as the web-site asks for FIrst name and last name. THis isn't technically a name change as the name is staying the same - should I notify BMIbaby and will they charge us? It could be really expensive for all of us.

 

Has anyone any experience of this sort of thing?

THanks

[Thailand]

Hi you've all got me really worried. I booked 5 flights for myself, hubby and 3 three kids last Sep. We're flying out to Spain next week. I didn't include our middle names as the web-site asks for FIrst name and last name. THis isn't technically a name change as the name is staying the same - should I notify BMIbaby and will they charge us? It could be really expensive for all of us.

 

Has anyone any experience of this sort of thing?

THanks

 

You've nothing to worry about, they only ask for, as you say, first and last names.

 

So long as they are as your passports..... you're good to go.

[oxo mum]

THanks Thailand, that's very reassuring. THe bit that worried me is the website says in small writing you have to fill in names "exactly as appears on your passport". So if I've omitted all our middle names will they use that as an excuse to charge £100 each admin cost when we turn up at the check-in. (I forgot to mention we're also taking my mother so the thought of paying an extra £600 for all of us would ruin the holiday). Reading other people's horror story experiences of BMI Baby I'm worried that they may penalise us because the ticket names aren't an exact match.

 

Thanks again

[Thailand]

If they did that I would be gobsmacked. They must appear as on your passports as they do in the imput fields on their booking page. They don't ask for middle names, so you're fine.

 

Don't worry.

[oxo mum]

Thanks v much. You've set my mind at rest.