We continue to strive to offer the best possible customer service and value. We have set performance standards in every aspect of our business to enable our staff to meet and exceed your needs.
bmi adhere to a series of standards known as the Airline Passenger Service Commitment (APSC). We want to ensure that you are aware of the standards we have set and what you can expect from us.
Our service commitments are ...
To offer you the lowest available fare
We will offer you the lowest applicable fare for your journey. For bookings made online, we will offer you the lowest available fare for the date, flight and cabin type you request. For bookings made through our telephone reservations, fares will include an offline booking supplement. We will ensure that you are advised of the terms and conditions applicable to the fare chosen including applicable taxes.
To honour the agreed fare after payment
Once your ticket has been purchased the price is guaranteed. There will be no subsequent increase levied by the Airline except in the event of the introduction of additional taxes, fees or charges by external parties.
To notify you of known delays, cancellations and diversions
We will notify you as soon as we can about any delays known to us so that you are in a position to notify others or make informed decisions regarding alternative plans.
To assist you during a delay
Except in the case of mass disruption, we will provide assistance to you during long flight delays. Our Refreshment Policy commences after two hours, with an escalation according to the expected length of delay. We may decline refreshments if to do so would potentially cause a further delay.
In the case of flight cancellation, we will rebook you as soon as possible. If the cancellation was within the Airline’s control, we will provide overnight accommodation if necessary, transport to and from the hotel together with appropriate meals.
To return your baggage to you as quickly as we can
We know that you will want to leave the airport as soon after arrival as possible and therefore, we have set individual targets, for each airport, to have baggage delivered into the Reclaim Hall. If your baggage is delayed, we will immediately raise a report and make every effort to locate and retrieve your baggage as soon as possible using our computerised tracing system. We will endeavour to locate and return your baggage to you within 48 hours.
We will deliver your baggage to your preferred address, free of charge* within six hours of its arrival (same day) or first thing the following morning. We will reimburse essential purchases up to £50 for any customers without baggage overnight, subject to circumstances or, where appropriate, provide you with an overnight amenity kit.
*Except on occasions when a connecting journey involved separate tickets, and baggage should not have been through checked. If you have separate tickets you must make your own arrangements to collect the baggage when it arrives, either personally or through direct payment to a delivery company.
Should your baggage sustain damage whilst in our care, any repair will be at our cost or in the event of irreparable damage, we will either replace the item or reimburse the cost of a new purchase.
To allow you to cancel your booking free of charge within 24 hours*
If you change your mind after making a reservation with us, we will cancel the booking without penalty, giving you a full refund of any monies paid, provided you notify us within 24 hours of the booking being made (*this policy excludes Economy Saver fares on shorthaul routes).
To provide you with a prompt refund
We have set deadlines for refunding your money. Tickets purchased direct and paid for by credit card, will be refunded within seven business days. Those paid for by cash or cheque will be refunded within 20 days. On unused tickets, taxes, fees and charges collected with the fare and shown on the ticket will be refundable even if the ticket shows a non refundable fare. Refunds will be subject to any applicable cancellation fees and a reasonable administration fee.
To offer assistance to those with special needs
We recognise however, that some of our customers may need some extra help from us during their journey. We will do our best to ensure our staff understand your needs and meet our promise to provide you with a sensitive, dignified and reliable service.
Please help us by discussing your requirements in advance so that we can meet your needs. Click here for details on our voluntary code of practice for customers with special needs. The safety of unaccompanied children entrusted to our care will be our paramount concern during their time with us.
To minimise long on-aircraft delays
We understand the frustration of delays once you are onboard the aircraft but sometimes circumstances require us to stay ready for approval to depart. We will not keep you on board unnecessarily and will provide refreshments whenever practical without jeopardising the departure.
For a known prolonged delay, customers will be disembarked. When a prolonged stay is necessary on the aircraft we will do all practical to make your wait as comfortable as possible.
To speed up the check-in process
Our strategy is to reduce the pressure and inconvenience through technology and at larger airports, by providing additional ground staff to manage any queue build-up.
We will, whenever possible, provide a full range of check-in options to speed up your journey. Please help us by reporting in good time for your flight.
To reduce the instances of involuntary denied boarding
Like most airlines, we overbook selected services when a trend history of passengers failing to show can be identified. On these occasions, we will seek volunteers who have the flexibility to travel on a later flight before any customer is involuntarily denied boarding.
Our Volunteer for Offload scheme is under constant review so that we can avoid inconveniencing those who have a paramount need to travel. We fully adhere to EC Regulation 261/2004 covering denied boarding.
To give you accurate information when making your booking
When you make your reservation with us, we will inform you of flight times, terminals used, en-route stops and conditions regarding the fare you have purchased. You will also find full details of your baggage allowance and liability limits for delayed or damaged baggage on our website.
If we change your flight timings significantly or substitute an alternative carrier for your flight, you can cancel without penalty and obtain a full refund from us.
On request, we will also provide you with additional information regarding our services such as seat pitch, charges for excess baggage, frequent flyer programme and our Conditions of Carriage.
To fully inform you about codeshare flights
When a flight is sold to you under a codeshare or marketing arrangement by us, we will always inform you of the actual operator of the flight. On occasions, the services offered may be different to that provided by us as not all airlines will be signatory to the APSC. However, as the marketing carrier, your contract for travel remains with us should you have any further issues.
To respond to your feedback
Things do go wrong from time to time despite our best efforts. Our Customer Relations team are there to do their best to resolve any problems you encountered with your journey.