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Hi
I’m looking to find the best best department and email address to raise my complaint with get my issues sorted please. I’m looking to initiate my request for compensation for my additional costs and then follow up when I’m back from my holidays in 2 weeks. I did my best to minimise additional costs.
Yesterday was really stressful. Couldn’t check in all day beforehand and now realise this was due to the major IT issues BA suffered. All internal flights were cancelled by BA and I understand Europe also affected. To summarise: Had a 10.15 am flight from Edi to LHR. I happened to wake at 3am and tried again to check in for both of us – separate bookings but both bookings had the connecting flights to Miami. . Saw cancelled flight, could not contact BA at all through any channels – I had a connecting 2.15pm flight to Miami for a 2 week cruise so had to get to LHR somehow. Only flights we could get were easyJet from Gla to LGW then bus from LGW to LHR.
Thankfully, we’re in Miami now and will make the cruise but obviously I’ll be looking for BA to compensate for the extra c.£500 I had to pay to the the 2 of us to Miami for the cruise. Most likely we paid for the flights using Platinum BA or if not was my BA premium plus.
Thanks for any advice here. –
It’s absolutely inexcusable for BA to put people through this kind of stress; it’s happened to me so I absolutely understand where you’re coming from.
Enjoy your cruise, then when you get home put in a complaint to BA with details of everything you want to claim for (they have an online form for this). If they then deny your claim, take it to CEDR or MCOL. I suggest you just relax for the next couple of weeks though, then come back here if you need further advice!Just to add, this is a specific issue with BA cancelling domestic flights and not offering any advice or assistance on how you’re supposed to get to LHR or LGW for your connection. This happened on my last long haul flight with BA, fortunately we had stayed at MAN the night before so we just went over to the BA desk and asked what they were going to do about it. They put us in a taxi to LHR at a cost of £300 to them! I complained when we got back as well and we got 10k avios each for stress and missing our lounge time!
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I can’t help with the in’s and out’s of claiming your costs and compensation back. I keep meaning to brush up on my rights because I’m sure I will get caught out one day and will then be scrambling to learn about how best to proceed.
There are some very helpful people here that I’m sure will guide you through the process.
However, I would say take your time to prepare everything to maximise your return.
BA’s habitually makes it extremely difficult for customers to claim what’s legally due to them and in my books that’s just dishonest. Their lack of communication over the last week and inability to contact them over the last two years is, frankly, unacceptable. Take your time and MCOL them if necessary.
Sean Doyle hasn’t even made a statement over the sheet show that we’ve seen over the last few days.
Is there a website that details your rights and best course of action if things go wrong when flying?
@Normanna keep a record of the difficulties you had reaching BA. When you return email them your receipts for all of your additional transport costs air and ground and seek reimbursement for rerouting costs according to statute EU261 and its UK equivalent.
They richly deserve to pay you compensation as well. But as ChrisC has said they will be able to slide out of it by claiming weather. So don’t bother.
You can include in your complaint/request for reimbursement that it was only by accident that you discovered your flight had been cancelled and at no point did BA advise you of this which you find unacceptable and even more unacceptable was the impossibility of contacting them once you had fortunately found out accidentally no thanks to British Airways. This might get you 5,000 avios tossed per seat.
If you are forced to follow the processes advised on here – if BA fails to provide reimbursement within 8 weeks after a couple of extra chases by you – then personally I’d add 8% pa statutory interest pro rata till paid to your claim because this is so straightforwardly money you are owed back and there is no way BA should make you have to go as far as CEDR or MCOL to get what you had to pay out for the reroute they left you in the lurch having to pay for yourself. However we have seen worse from BA so be prepared.
If you had to travel longer than you would have to make your Miami flight then put in food and drink receipts as well if you have them.
Let us know how it goes. You have plenty of time to get your money back after you return.
Is there a website that details your rights and best course of action if things go wrong when flying?
Flyertalk. But actually I would say there is so much experience now here on Headforpoints overcoming the illegal denials of BA of rerouting and compensation, that for UK especially and maybe Europe as well, we may be better here on Headforpoints.
In the US there are Department of Transport rules that cover some of the issues with poor treatment of passengers on flights governed by them and I am sure Flyertalk is the place for these.
Travel insurance should always be taken though as a decent policy gives assurance that one way or another you will be looked after . But search amongst policies for the very few that actually have decent coverage when you have a microlook at their terms.
PS Normanna to ensure you get paid out DO NOT accept any refund from BA as that finishes their responsibility to you.
Just leave everything sitting in there while you enjoy your holiday, return and then pursue your reimbursement. Do not accept any refund not even partial.
Thanks everyone for your comments. Luckily a BA rep with Swissport at Gla managed to get a note on the system to alert BA I was heading to London otherwise the connecting flight would have been can cancelled as we’d have been a no show for the first flight. Very stressful but trying to put into perspective.
I’ll take the advice and enjoy the holiday and pursue BA when we get back.
Thanks everyone for your comments. Luckily a BA rep with Swissport at Gla managed to get a note on the system to alert BA I was heading to London otherwise the connecting flight would have been can cancelled as we’d have been a no show for the first flight. Very stressful but trying to put into perspective.
I’ll take the advice and enjoy the holiday and pursue BA when we get back.
There is a Web form on ba.com and personally I can’t see them being particularly difficult about paying considering the circumstances of the situation – even they said it was “unforgivable”
There was an EU ruling late last year that a departure more than 60 minutes earlier than scheduled counts as a cancellation and you can get €250. I’m not an expert so youll need to do some research but if this also applies in the UK and you had to leave Edinburgh more than 60 minutes early to start your trip you could give it a go.
But please enjoy your holiday first, no rush at all to make a claim
Unfortunately that ruling is not applicable in the UK ad we left the EU. Judges can consider it though, so until it’s tested we won’t know.
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