bmibaby review :  29 June 2009 : by Steve Auty  (UK)

Manchester to Perpignan return. Check-in at both airports took only minutes, staff pleasant enough B737-300 clean and comfortable with plenty of legroom for a 2-hour flight. Cabin crew friendly and efficient. If you read the booking terms and conditions fully and properly before committing yourself, there should not be any nasty surprises in store.

bmibaby review :  23 June 2009 : by S Kaye  (UK)

Staff at the airport and onboard were excellent flying from Cardiff to Menorca. Came back 21 June on a plane that had not been cleaned. My seat had something stuck on it and a load of crisps were on the floor. The seat opposite had peanuts under it. When I booked on line, having hand luggage only, I chose booking in online - going out - there was no choice for return journey or for bringing hold luggage back. I printed out boarding passes just before I left on the 5 June after my flights being changed 3 times and losing one and half days holiday. I also printed out all email confirmations. At Mahon airport after queuing at No 1 checkin desk, I noticed hardly anyone was at Number 2 checkin desk. A small notice on checkin 2 said it was for people with reserved seats, this could not be seen from far away. I was told as I did not have boarding passes I had to pay 26 euros because I had opted to checkin online. My outward bound printed boarding passes had been taken from me at Cardiff airport and I only had my emailed booking confirmations. Having no facilities to a computer on holiday I could not check in online for my return journey. The staff at Mahon said I could have done this in England before I left but it clearly says on the website that checkin has to be 72 hours before flying, there was no option to checkin on the return journey. It costs 65p per minute to ring BMIBaby -that is when you can get through. I had printed out the boarding passes as instructed on the website, there was nothing else I was asked to print out or any other option. I fly often to Mahon, I do not think I will use this airline again and having heard other comments about sneak charges I think someone should do something about it.

bmibaby review :  20 June 2009 : by A Mackenzie  (UK)

Flight from Glasgow to East Midlands was cancelled. I was offered another flight two and a half hours earlier, but our flight from Barra wouldn't arrive into Glasgow on time for us to make earlier departure. I wrote for a refund and was refused, as they said is was a reschedule and time offered was within 3 hrs of original departure. I wrote again, this time to the MD at Castle Donington and received letter saying no, as it was a reschedule. Checked my documentation very carefully and saw it was a different flight number - therefore not a reschedule but a complete cancellation. Wrote again to the MD office, advised that if I didn't have a satisfactory response within ten days I would take it to the small claims court. Received a letter 5 days later saying "goodwill gesture etc" and a full refund was put on my card! Check your info very carefully.

bmibaby review :  17 June 2009 : by A Barham  (UK)

Birmingham-Prague return. Very good experience with punctual service on clean aircraft. There are various extras but careful packing keeps prices down. Charges for seat allocations are worth it as they take away the stress of boarding when trying to get seats together per Ryanair and easyJet.

bmibaby review :  15 June 2009 : by Joe Chatin  (UK)

Not yet flown with this outfit yet already wishing I hadn't booked with them. I booked a flight for my daughter and her two year old - then had to pay for seat choices there and back in order to ensure they sat together +£30. This is ridiculous mothers/fathers and their infants should be guaranteed seating together! Then a booking in at airport fee of £14.99. Then a fee £15 for paying by credit card. In total extra £60 on additions. All in all I'm left feeling that I have been mugged by a sharp operator.

bmibaby review :  13 June 2009 : by C Squires  (Spain)

Familiar tale. Flight cancelled by bmibaby, which then refused to issue a full refund. Left me feeling ripped off. Wouldn't touch them again.

bmibaby review :  10 June 2009 : by Peter Dawson  (UK)

Between our family and friends we book over 50 return trips Manchester / Palma Mallorca / Manchester every year. The BMIbaby time keeping has improved lately but watch out for the Great Luggage Rip-off. Reduced weight allowance for hold baggage (need more hold bags?) so carry-on bags increase in size and number so out come the gauges at check-in. The on-line check in passengers escape the net for a while - until the gauges appear at the gate! None of this is related to rules, regulations, etc - it's to do with increasing revenue at every turn. By thinking it through very carefully it's possible to beat them at their own game. We now manage many flights with on-line check in and hand baggage only so ironically BMIbaby actually lose out! It would be much better if they operated fairly and openly. The Ginsters sandwiches were better than the current ones and the drinks in sachets are not worth the trouble.

bmibaby review :  6 June 2009 : by Steven Kirkwood  (UK)

Had booked a flight for my family from Belfast to East Midlands back in February, for a family birthday in April. My wife had tried to talk me out of using BMI Baby due to problems she had with them before, but I got on my high horse about the only alternative - Ryanair - and smoothed over her concerns. We were walking up towards departures, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small notice asking for passengers on our flight to contact the BMI Baby booking in desk. We were informed the flight had been cancelled for 'operational reasons' and our plane at that moment was sitting in Edinburgh. We were given little to no assistance from the guy at the desk, and we were not prepared to pay another £290 for a later flight, considering we were only staying one night. Cue one annoyed mother and father,and one extremely upset son who had been looking forward to seeing his cousins for the first time in a year. We wrote off for a refund, and finally got a letter back from them today, stating we now had a credit account with them of £128.44 - minus the £15 booking fee. They claim the cancellation was now due to 'adverse weather conditions' - a blatant lie! Tried to phone the number on the letter, only to be told it was for BMI, who had nothing to do with BMI Baby - so why was it on the letter?? There is no way on earth I will be using this airline again, so the last thing we wanted was a credit note - we asked for a full refund. I have never complained about anything in my life, but this company have even managed to make me mad. I always thought it would take something to ever make me use Ryanair again, hating their whole business ethos, but BMI Baby have managed it. Surely they can't stay in business much longer. Will now have to write another letter demanding my money back, including the booking fee.

bmibaby review :  3 June 2009 : by P Monney  (UK)

The free flights offer with citi cards is nothing short of a scandal with very little on offer. The card service is dire and the charge systems for even the slightest underpayment are staggering. Needless to say it is impossible to speak with anyone, well with a modicom of intelligence anyway, in their annoying call services. bmibabyoft used good service has gone down the pan.

bmibaby review :  29 May 2009 : by K Sharpe  (UK)

I travelled bmibaby for a long weekend in Malaga. The price was very reasonable, flights were on time, comfortable clean aircraft and had seats allocated which makes a change for low cost. The food sold onboard was of a good standard and a good price.

bmibaby review :  28 May 2009 : by Ben Handbury  (UK)

EMA-JER return. I booked the flight only 3 days before travelling. Outbound a B737-500 with clean cabin. Not a full flight, approx 40% load factor. Flight back a B737-300 and pretty much full. Again, left Jersey slightly early and arrived at East Midlands just ahead of schedule. Flight attendant on the flight back was funny on the PA system! Made the flight really enjoyable!

bmibaby review :  25 May 2009 : by Lynnette Rackley  (UK)

Early April we booked a flight from Cardiff to Almeria for August for 4 people. After securing the flight we went ahead and booked accommodation. At the end of April we received an email saying that the flight had been cancelled (no explanation) and there was no offer of an alternative just a statement that the company was not responsible for any costs incurred and that a refund would be made within 28 days. When the refund was received this was minus the £20.00 charge for a debit card payment. It is bad enough that the service was withdrawn with no offer of an alternative flight but that we were being charged for a service which cannot be provided. I would not consider booking with bmibaby again and would advise all passengers considering using this company to explore all other alternatives and to use them only as a last resort.

bmibaby review :  21 May 2009 : by John Lomas  (UK)

I booked flights from East Midlands to Majorca in January for May 8th. We turned up at the airport to be told the fights had been cancelled in March. We received no notification from BmiBaby. We were told by the manager at East Midlands that he could do nothing for us but he could sell us another ticket for a later flight. I asked to speak to head office. Not possible the system does not allow it but he did give us the address to write to No telephone number, no email contact for "Customer Services" (what a joke title). We came home after having paid £23 for 30 minutes in the Long Stay Car Park. Two letters and twelve days later here we are without even an acknowledgement. This company is very close to taking money from people under false pretences. Never again!

bmibaby review :  18 May 2009 : by J Hill  (UK)

I havent even travelled yet - BMI Baby very expensive. Am travelling East Midlands to Glasgow. Its costing twice as much as flying to Munich with BA who are always excellent. Far too many rules and regulations - its obvious they just want to catch people out and force them to pay more and more. They are not a cheap airline. Even charged £10 to pay with debit card. How else can you pay to avoid this as they dont accept cheques or cash? Its also impossible to speak to anyone unless you want to pay 64p per minute and have even more money wasted.