My nightmare 4-hour BA f light to Athens that lasted 33 hours!
A COMPANY director has told of his ‘nightmare’ experience with British Airways after what should have been a straightforward fourhour flight to Greece turned into a 33-hour ordeal.
Geoffrey Lye, 67, was due to fly from Heathrow to Athens with his partner last week, but found themselves shunted on to four planes over two days.
It eventually took them as long to travel by air as it would have done to drive across Europe to the Greek capital.
The first flight to Athens, scheduled for 1.15pm last Tuesday, was cancelled because of a faulty warning light in the cockpit. After boarding a second flight, which was due to take off at 5pm, it was then cancelled when it was realised that the cabin crew would exceed their maximum number of working hours.
Telling the passengers that they had to get off again, the pilot reportedly said it was the ‘most embarrassing PA announcement I have had to make’.
The passengers were held on the plane for an hour because of ‘ security issues’, before being given vouchers for a hotel and told to return the next day.
But the following day, shortly after take-off at 1.40pm, an engine on the third flight caught fire.
Mr Lye, from Oxford, told The Evening Standard: ‘We just took off and there was a bang. It was the engine next to me.
‘There was this huge noise and a judder, and then there were about six more bangs. It was one bang after another.
‘I’m an atheist but even I was praying. Our hearts were racing. Passengers behind me said they could see flames kicking out from the engine. The plane got to about 6,000ft and levelled out and then, all of a sudden, just silence as they shut down the engine.
‘The captain came on and said, “Everything is under control and we have had to shut the engine down but, I’m sorry, we are going back to Heathrow.” ’
Mr Lye said that he and his fellow passengers were ‘ just delighted to be alive’.
The fourth plane finally left London on 7.40pm last Wednesday, arriving in Athens in the early hours of Thursday, local time – two days after he had initially been scheduled to depart.
Mr Lye has now vowed never to use BA again, despite describing himself as previously their ‘most loyal customer’.
The pensioner, who is a nonexecutive director of several companies, said: ‘It makes me embarrassed to be British. We had Americans on board, including a honeymoon couple... they just couldn’t believe it, they were shocked. There was no communication and it was unbelievable they could get so much wrong. I have been flying BA for nearly 40 years. I have been their most loyal passenger, but if I can avoid it now, I will.’
A spokesman for BA said: ‘We fully appreciate how frustrating this experience has been, and have apologised to our customers for the long delay.
‘We provided refreshments and hotel accommodation during this time.’