Legal

Booking terms and conditions

We ask you to read our booking terms and conditions and in particular our General conditions of carriage for passengers and baggage as you will be asked to confirm that you have read and understood these before your booking can be confirmed.

All travel remains subject to bmi’s 'General conditions of carriage for passengers and baggage' and as such prevail in the event of inconsistency with these booking terms and conditions.

Passengers are also advised to read new regulations applicable to liability rules applied by Community air carriers as required by Community legislation and the Montreal Convention. 

View air carrier liability for passengers and their baggage

Reservations and ticketing

We can accept bookings 357 days out, right up until 3 hours before travel.

A maximum of 9 passengers can be booked online in any bmi booking.  To book more than 9 passengers in one booking please contact group reservations on 1-800-788-0555  or use our online query form.  A maximum of 4 passengers can be booked online in any codeshare booking (route operated by another carrier).  To book more than 4 passengers you will need to contact the operating carrier.

Fares

bmi's online booking facility works on the logic of showing the lowest possible fares on all flights within your selected travel dates. Flight availability changes dynamically as and when seats are purchased or canceled by travelers.

For UK domestic and European travel on bmi operated flights, our lowest fares are always available to book online. Should you choose to book and pay via our telephone reservations our online price will be re-quoted to include an offline supplement of £5.00 per ticket each way.

Currency

Fares booked online are quoted in the currency of the country of departure, except the following routes, for which the fare is quoted in US Dollars (USD, $): Addis Ababa, Almaty, Amman, Ankara, Baku, Beirut and Tbilisi.

Method of payment

Payment can be made using the following debit cards (these cards do not incur a booking fee): Switch/Maestro, Visa Delta, Solo, Visa Electron; and the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard (including the bmi MasterCard), American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard, UATP/Airplus.  All bmi bookings made by credit card will be subject to an additional £4.00 charge per person, with the exception of purchases made with a bmi MasterCard or US trans-atlantic flights, which no charge is incurred.

Please note we will not give you the option of Switch/Maestro or Solo card payment for bookings made within 6 days of departure for paper ticket bookings.  For bookings on e-ticket routes we accept Switch/Maestro and Solo right up until the last booking time. Switch/Maestro or Solo cards are accepted for UK originating bookings only.

It is possible to make a booking using a third party credit card, i.e. a booking using a credit card not belonging to one of the passengers. In such cases the credit card holder's name and billing address have to be supplied during payment online and at the check-in desk before departure. Please note that third party credit card bookings will not be accepted within 48 hours of travel.

Please note that any credit card fees are non-refundable unless the booking is canceled within 24 hours (excluding economy saver fares on short haul routes) - see refunds below.

Taxes, fees, charges and surcharges

Insurance and security surcharge:  This helps us recover some of the cost of additional security and insurance measures implemented after the tragedy of September 11th. These additional measures include extra baggage searches and increased security in and around airports. The insurance and security surcharge applies to tickets issued to all passengers, including children and infants, and is included in the fare quoted to you.

Fuel surcharge:  This surcharge reflects the continuing rise in worldwide oil prices, and is included in the fare quoted to you.
In addition to the fare for your journey, you must pay any taxes, fees and charges imposed on us by Government or other authority, including the operator of an airport for which we are obliged to collect from you or pay in respect of you and your flight.  When you make your reservation we will tell you about any taxes, fees and charges not included in the fare and they will normally be shown separately on the flight confirmation document and/or receipt.  Details of these are explained:

Passenger service/facility charge:  This is a charge established and levied by the airport authorities for passenger facilities and services provided.  For example:  terminal concourses, security, toilets, etc.

UK Air Passenger Duty:  This duty is collected on all departures from UK airports.  This is imposed by the British Government.

Additional charges may include customs and immigration inspection charges, security charges (including the September 11th Security Fee) and other government-imposed taxes, fees and charges.

Government-imposed taxes, fees and charges change constantly and can be imposed or altered after the date we have confirmed your reservation and allocated a booking reference.  If any such taxes, fees or charges you paid to us at the time your reservation was confirmed and a booking reference was allocated are then abolished or reduced, you will be entitled to claim a refund from us.

If you do not use your confirmed reservation, you will be entitled to claim a refund of any Government-imposed taxes, fees and charges which you have paid, less an administrative fee of $47.00.

Ticket type and paper ticket charges

e-tickets will be issued as standard on all e-ticket routes.

For all non e-ticket routes, if a booking with bmi is made via the website more than 6 days prior to the date of departure then the ticket will be mailed to the address provided. If the booking is made within 6 days of departure the ticket will be available for collection from the bmi ticket desk at the UK airport of departure.

Paper tickets are currently only available on our Moscow, Jeddah and Riyadh routes, and all tickets for bookings originating in these destinations will be held at the departure airport for collection. 
Paper tickets can be issued on an e-ticket route but are subject to the following charges:

A £10.00 fee per ticket applies when requesting a paper ticket when a booking is made on an e-ticket route through our UK sales center or a bmi UK ticket desk.  Paper tickets for bmi operated e-ticket routes issued by travel agents in the US/UK are subject to a paper ticket fee of $50.00/£25.00.

When travel has been booked via flybmi.com on an e-ticket route and a paper ticket is requested, the fare will be re-quoted including additional fees applicable to fares purchased from a bmi ticket desk or UK sales center. 

For more information on e-ticket routes please visit e-tickets.

Changes to tickets

On domestic and European bmi operated routes where a change fee applies, you may change the date and time of your flight before departure for an administration fee. You may change the date and time of your flight for an administration fee of  $50.00/£30.00/€45 per person, per change, subject to availability of same class or, plus any upgrade fare.  This rule does not apply to transatlantic and codeshare routes.  

For economy saver fares on short haul routes you may change your flight before departure for £80/€120 per person, per sector, per change.  For other fares you may change the date and time of your flight before departure for £30/€45 per person, per sector, per change. 

If you have made a booking online and the route is applicable for online changes and you choose to make a change through our call center, the fare will be re-quoted without the online booking discount.  For more information about online changes see manage your booking.

Changes are subject to availability of same class or plus payment of any upgrade fare.  For long haul (including Moscow) or codeshare routes, this rule does not apply and you should refer to the individual fare rules during the booking process. 

Certain tickets still allow changes to the itinerary free of charge, depending on the original cost and booking class of the ticket.  Full details of the fare rules for each sector of the chosen journey can be found at each stage of the booking process, however please be sure to check the details thoroughly at the payment stage.

Unfortunately once purchased, tickets are for use by the person named on the ticket only and may not be changed.  However, under the Airline Passenger Service Commitment you are able to cancel tickets within 24 hours of making the reservation and receive a full refund of all monies paid (excludes economy saver fares on short haul routes).

Cancellations and refunds

Certain tickets allow full refunds depending on the original cost of the ticket.  A refund administration charge of  $47.00/£25.00 per person, per ticket applies to all fares and all cabins, excluding fully flexible fares.

This administration charge will be collected from any monies due to be refunded back to you from your ticket, dependent on the fare rules, including taxes, fees and charges.  If the refund amount due is less than the $47.00/£25.00 refund administration charge then no refund will be given.

Please note that any credit card fee is non-refundable unless the booking has been canceled within 24 hours (excluding economy saver fares on short haul routes). 

Full details of the fare rules for each sector of the chosen journey can be found at each stage of the booking process, however please be sure to check the details thoroughly at the payment stage of the booking process.  Alternatively, or if you are still unsure please contact our call center and one of our advisers will be happy to advise you further. 

Under the Airline Passenger Service Commitment, you are entitled to cancel your booking within 24 hours of making the reservation and receive a full refund of monies paid (excluding economy saver fares on short haul outes). Cancellations must be made via our call center (1-800-788-0555) or online via manage your booking.

Any unused ticket will only be eligible for full or partial refund (dependent on fare rules) up to three calendar months after the ticket validity end date.

Check-in

Passengers should present themselves at the appropriate check-in desks, which will normally open two hours before the scheduled time of departure for domestic and european flights and up to four hours for long haul flights. Passengers who present themselves after the latest check-in time will not be accepted for travel, and will forfeit their seats. bmi self check-in machines are the quickest way to check-in and are available at most airports to use by all passengers.  Self check-in machines where available, must be used by passengers traveling on economy saver and economy fares on bmi short haul services. Online check-in within 24 hours of departure is available on many routes.

Transfer passengers

Passengers with connecting journeys using separate tickets are not eligible for the facility of through check-in or through tagging of baggage.  This means that only customers on connecting flights with itineraries issued on a single ticket with one booking reference will qualify for the through check service subject to minimum connection times. This policy applies to all connecting flights (bmi to bmi, bmi to other carriers and codeshare flights).

Passports and visas

Passports are required for all international flights and should be valid for at least 3 months beyond the length of stay. EU and EEA nationals (EU + Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Swiss nationals are permitted to enter any EU/EEA member state on production of a valid national passport or national identity card.

A passport is not required for travel between Great Britain, Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. However, passengers traveling with bmi are required to bring either a passport or some form of acceptable photographic identification when traveling between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Please see acceptable forms of photographic ID, below. Follow the link for more information about acceptable forms of ID.

The procedures outlined above also apply to children and infants.

It is the responsibility of passengers to ensure they have the correct entry, passports and visa documentation, including travel insurance for the travel they are to undertake.

Passengers without the correct documentation will be refused carriage with the airline and will not be liable for any compensation.  bmi strongly recommend that all passengers purchase adequate travel insurance prior to commencement of their journey.

When making a booking your name must match your name as it appears on your passport.  We cannot accept you for travel unless all your documents match.

Baggage

You may carry some baggage free of charge subject to our conditions and limitations.  Please visit baggage advice.

Passengers with special needs

Except to the extent inconsistent with U.S. or applicable law or regulations, passengers with special needs who book their seats over the telephone must advise the sales agent of their requirements at the time of booking.  Passengers purchasing seats over the internet must then contact the bmi call center on  1-800-788-0555, quoting their booking confirmation reference, to give details of their requirements and for confirmation that they can be accommodated on their chosen flight(s).  You can help us ensure we meet your needs by contacting us in advance (at least 48 hours).  For other telephone numbers visit the contact us section.

Except to the extent inconsistent with U.S. or applicable law or regulations, passengers with a medical condition which may be exaggerated or aggravated by the journey process of traveling by air should obtain a medical certificate from their Doctor, stating the nature of their illness and their fitness to undertake the journey they are planning.  This must be presented to bmi prior to the departure date of their flight.

Follow the link for information on special needs including the following:

Unaccompanied children

bmi offer a service for children traveling alone. There’s a supervision fee of £35 per flight per sector. This service cannot be booked online and is only available if you book an economy fare or higher (excludes economy saver fares on short haul routes). Please visit unaccompanied minors.

Pet travel

bmi can carry certain pets on selected services if you book an economy fare or higher (excludes economy saver fares on short haul routes), and guide dogs, subject to our conditions, please visit traveling with pets.

Liability

A binding contract is not formed until bmi accepts a customer’s offer to buy a ticket.  An offer will be deemed to have been accepted by bmi once the customer is in receipt of a booking confirmation.  Prices are subject to change at any time before acceptance by bmi.  All flights and products are all offered subject to availability.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a genuine website error or inaccuracy, bmi reserves the right to withdraw an offer immediately.  bmi reserves the right to cancel all confirmed bookings that are subject to genuine website error or inaccuracy.  In the event of such cancellation bmi’s only liability shall be to refund the ticket price paid by the customer.

Privacy policy

For information please see our privacy policy.