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On a UK visit in May, when taking a connecting flight from Glasgow to London Heathrow, we were affected by the British Airways IT meltdown. As the saga unfolded, it became apparent that our flight was unlikely to get us to Heathrow in time for our flight to Canada and we needed to get back on time for business.

It was impossible to get through to anyone at BA and we took comfort from the fact that the web postings and the CEO’s comments on TV encouraged people to do what they could. Our solution was to rent a car and drive for seven hours in a small Corsa. We managed to find a bed near Henley in spite of the hundreds waiting in Heathrow hotels.

Our BA flight did operate several hours late and landed in Heathrow after we had boarded the flight to Canada. But if we had not acted, we would never have made it. It had cost us somewhat more than our Glasgow to Heathrow tickets to make our flight to Canada and I applied for some recompense through the BA website, submitting our car rental bill. However, I recently received an email saying I was entitled to nothing. The format of the communication was very rote and there was little empathy with our predicament or any sense of responsibility for the impact of BA’s errors.

When I get a moment, I will research whether there is any option for review through a regulator, ombudsman or class action lawsuit. Having said that, I have to ask what the investors and directors of BA or IAG are doing? Talking to my contacts in the UK, it seems clear that the “world’s favourite airline” is working hard to become the “airline of last resort”. How on earth can you expect to build or sustain shareholder value when you don’t take care of your customers? I would guess there are hundreds, maybe thousands, like me who have had the brush-off and no longer trust BA.

Richard Rees, Vancouver