TWO North-East families have criticised a budget airline that cancelled their holiday flight home and offered them another one four days later.

Bmibaby withdrew the flight from Malaga to Newcastle on Sunday, June 6, after mechanical problems.

The airline told passengers it would pay £50 per person towards hotel costs and refund the cost of their bmibaby flights - £90 per person - if they decided to go home with another airline.

A bmibaby spokesman told The Northern Echo that passengers would be aware of those conditions when they bought their tickets.

But Peter and Katherine Kitching, from Great Stainton, near Darlington, who spent a week in Spain with their two children, said they were angry at having to organise and pay for alternative flights home.

The couple said they were not guaranteed a place on the flight four days later.

As they needed to get back to work, they decided to buy flights to Glasgow the next day with Fly Globespan.

"By the time we got home, it had cost us over £550," said Mrs Kitching.

Neil and Heather Ferguson and their three children, from Hurworth, near Darlington, flew back to Newcastle on Tuesday, June 8, with Easyjet, which cost them more than £850.

"It was a nightmare," Mrs Ferguson said, "We had to sort out the flights ourselves and all while dealing with three young children."

The family has written to the company demanding reimbursement.

"All we want is reasonable compensation to cover our expenses," Mrs Ferguson said.

Phil Shepherd, of bmibaby, said if a flight was cancelled the company guaranteed an alternative within seven days. If this was turned down, the passenger was given a refund for the cancellation.

"This shows why we always urge customers to take out adequate travel insurance because as a budget airline we cannot always cover the costs of alternatives," he said.

Mrs Kitching said: "A flight four days later is not a real alternative."