 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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abj, eek! What route?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Heathrow - Geneva.
My 2pm outward flight is a proper Swiss operated plane. But my 8.35pm return is actually BMI (operated on behalf of Swiss)..
Not entirely sure how you find which is which before you book though - it certainly doesn't tell you during the booking process.
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Could you ask them to change you to a proper swiss flight coming back?
Website sounds very misleading. Its not just the ski carriage, you might be missing out on swiss chocolate (remember an enjoyable flight from Zurich on Easter day once!)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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snowymum, yep, thought about swapping flights - but transfers all booked, and we are also looking forward to fitting in a full day skiing on our last day, so an earlier flight would put the stoppers on that.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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abj, can you change to the late flight to London City?
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Oh, B****cks,
I'm going that route at Easter, (5 nights in Chamonix) specifically booked with them so I could take my skis
It would be cheaper to hire a pair than pay carriage 
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That's pretty rubbish. Isn't the baggage allowance part of the booking ts&cs? I'm guessing it can't be!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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holidayloverxx, Hmmm ....
The thing is, that I live in Teddington (nr Twickenham) - so Heathrow really is rather convenient for us ... so I think I'd rather stick with the current flights.
If I wasn't so close to Heathrow, that could well have been the answer though.
I think I might have to swallow the cost. I'm going to fire-off an email to their customer services, but I'm not expecting much back (the lady I spoke to at Swiss told me they can take up to 8-weeks to answer complaints!!)
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abj, the only time I complained (cancelled flight) I got an answer very quickly and 50CHF compensation - good luck
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Same for me, i'm in Kingston
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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jasongibson100, check your e-ticket It'll say who operates the flights ... only some of the Heathrow flights are run by BMI, so you might be lucky.
beanie1, the T&Cs say that skis go free only on "Swiss Operated Flights". The problem in this case is that the return flight wasn't flagged as being operated by someone else during the booking process. This only came to light when I received the E-ticket.
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holidayloverxx, that's encouraging. Do you happen remember where / to whom you sent the email? I've looked on the website, but there's only an online 'feedback' form.
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You know it makes sense.
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abj, I sent an email to customer.relations@swiss.com on 15th Dec 2008, immediate auto acknowledgement, resolved on 13th January 2009 by a named person.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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It's quite weird
Normally if airlines share the route you can book through both airlines but BMI don't list GVA flights from LHR
So it's only Swiss Air customers
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Poster: A snowHead
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This is very disturbing news. Swiss Air dissolved in 2002. I would check the validity of your tickets.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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parlor, do you think we might have a "British Air" before the year is out?!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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B**ger I've just checked my eticket for the EOSB and sure enough 3 out of 4 legs are Swiss and the last one Zurich to BHX is Helvetic (which is strange in its self as according to Helvetic's website they don't fly Zurich to Birmingham!)
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 25-02-10 11:41; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Oh well at least mine works out OK, check in with Swiss in Geneva so the skis are free even when I switch to to Helvetic in Zurich. From what Swiss said on the phone its the rules of the airline you initally check in with that apply to the whole flight, works out OK for me but abj if its a one hop and you check in with BMI I guess you are stuck with their T&Cs. Very naughty of Swiss if you ask me!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
Swiss Air dissolved in 2002
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That was Swissair.
But Swiss International Air Lines was formed shortly thereafter (and is owned by Lufthansa, as is bmi).
Thanks for the info on this guys. I am now trying to sort this out for a return LHR-GVA trip for four /five, both legs operated by BMI - may be able to do it without extra payment if I can get all the clothes into hand luggage and just check in the ski bags.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 25-02-10 12:29; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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parlor, he quite obviously means just plain Swiss (minus the Air)
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When I queried them:
"Please note that I was not aware that this was a BMI flight as this was LX351, so I am assuming same terms, or is everything different even though I expected "SWISS"?"
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We apologize this error, in fact, the BMI operated flight is really free of charge on this itinerary. So we have the good news that the ski baggage will be transportet on the outbound and the inbound flight free of charge.
We wish you nice ski holidays in Switzerland.
Sincerely yours
Anita Kapitza
SWISS E-Mail Service Center-Team Basel
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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abj, I went from Heathrow to Geneva on Swiss 4th-9th Feb, operated by BMI on behalf of etc etc, both me and my friend had skis/snowboard and no carriage charges. Unless the policy has changed very recently I would challenge them, check the booking details and it should specify something about "1 item of sports equipment no charge blah blah blah".
Sounds like BMI trying it on.
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You should be fine as long as you booked on Swiss. I had the same experience as Dr John flying Berlin-Zürich. Person at the counter in Zürich asked if I'd booked with Swiss or Lufthansa. Lufthansa would have been expensive, Swiss was free.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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In fact you should be fine, as the BMI Operated flight is in fact Swiss... You even check in at the Swiss checkin counters, not BMI!!!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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snowymum, don't panic, I did this last month with Swiss/BMI and I still got the chocolate!
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Thanks, guys. It's looking a bit more promising. Although it is odd that the customer services person I spoke to last night was so sure that a £40 charge was coming my way.
I might drop an email to the chaps as Swiss, just to try and get something in writing (in case I get a jobsworth at check-in).
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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All,
Just to confirm, I did the Swiss LHR-GVA route in January too, and was also told by customer services that my group would be charged copious amounts for ski/board carriage on the BMI operated outbound flight, when I called to book skis in. I pushed it a little, but decided there was little point arguing with customer services, as they weren't actually asking me to pay there and then.
There is a press release about these routes somewhere on the Swiss website, which does say which use a BMI plane. However the important fact here is it is NOT A CODESHARE. BMI do not operate a LHR-GVA route, and you cannot buy tickets from BMI. Swiss have just borrowed a plane from BMI (they are all part of the same group these days) to enable them to launch these flights, which were new in Jan 2010. Its only BMI codeshare flights where you are charged for ski's. It seems that their customer services people don't know that yet though.
To be on the safe side, I took print outs to LHR of the press release for the flights (which has a quote from the Swiss manager saying 'people appreciate the free ski carriage'!) and the baggage charge T's & C's saying only codeshare flights were chargeable - never needed them though. None of us were charged either way, and some had 2 or 3 boards in one bag, which strictly speaking was chargable. On the way back they even took our friends daughters sledge (purchased out there) as her ski gear allowance!
So now you can relax and enjoy your week!
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Poster: A snowHead
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f948lan, thanks so much for that - I too have a flight booked with this 'problem', so am greatly relieved by the turn this thread is taking.
Welcome to snowHeads - it is a mine of useful information, as you have proved with your very first post! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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davkt, I started to get excited about a route from ZRH to BHX but can't see it on the Helvetic site either. How does that work??
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Goodness knows! My eticket says that leg is operated by Helvetic on behalf of Swiss, the customer service lady at Swiss I spoke to on the phone said it was but as I checked in with Swiss at GVA theres were the rules for baggage for the whole flight even though I change in ZHR. But far as I can see from the Helvetic website they don't fly to anywhere in the UK let alone BHX. Swiss certainly operate BHX to ZRH though as thats my outbound flight, guess it could be another of these borrowed plane flights but then again could be anything else as well!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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f948lan, cool ... thanks for the info. It's looking like we should be okay.
Pity Swiss customer services aren't up to speed with things ... would have saved the worry.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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ooooooooohhhh - you b****r
Just checked mine and suprise surprise i'm on BMI going out
Spose i'd better do some extra printing out before hand
Anyone know therefore what terminal teh BMIS/Swiss goes from at Heathrow - T1 ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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sev112, Yes T1, and you check in at the Swiss counter.
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Good news on the LHR-GVA route.
"Anyhow, in your case, this is a special agreement that we have with the operation of BRITISH MIDLAND aircrafts for the leg London Heathrow to Geneva. We are pleased to inform you that the same conditions as SWISS is granted for these flights. Therefor each passenger can bring 1 skiequipment which will be transported free of charge."
Sincerely yours
Rita Brühwiler
SWISS E-Mail Service Center-Team Basel
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beequin, Hmmm. I've also just had a response from Swiss, but it's a bit different:
"We would like to inform you that one ski equipment, as defined under below link, is free on SWISS flights operated by SWISS. For further details concerning ski equipment (max dimensions and weight), please see link : http://www.swiss.com/web/EN/services/baggage/Pages/sporting_equipment.aspx
If the flight is operated by another airline, we recommend you to contact directly BMI for your request"
Sincerely yours
Martine Larger
SWISS E-Mail Service Center-Team Basel
I seem to be very unlucky with the customer services people I have contact with!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Well, what a surprise. The "full service" airlines are no less frustrating than the others.
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au contraire pam w, the "full service" airlines are less frustrating than the "budget" airline by an enormous amount. They have far more resources on hand to resolve the usual and inevitable problems, and are not much more expensive if you want to travel at vaguely civilised times.
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FAQ
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Ooooh so mad.
Or minus the luggage allowance. 