BMI chastised over misleading special offer
BRITISH Midlands International (BMI) has been slapped on the wrist by the UK’s advertising watchdog for posting a “misleading” offer claiming 40 per cent off all flights.
Earlier this year BMI’s low cost airline bmibaby ran a promotional email and internet advertisement that read: “Up to 40 per cent off ALL flights!”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said that the offer was misleading because the reduction applied only to the value of the fare and excluded airport taxes and charges.
In a statement yesterday, the watchdog said that a consumer would assume from the headline that there was a 40 per cent discount off the total cost of flight, rather than scrolling through the terms and conditions.
Bmibaby however has said it had not misled consumers and that the terms and conditions clearly stated the details of the discount.
The ASA has banned each advert “in its current form,” and scolded the airline for “exaggerating” the offer.
Bmibaby is a subsidiary of BMI owned by Lufthansa and operates primarily from East Midlands airport and Birmingham airport.