BA under pressure to deliver due compensation

I WAS a victim of the British Airways problems over the late May Bank Holiday. I was booked on a flight from Glasgow to London Gatwick on the Saturday afternoon. It stayed on the ground. No one – least of all the BA staff – seemed to have any idea what was happening.

I waited, uncomfortably, at the airport all Saturday night but when it seemed as though I would be there a second day, I gave up at midday on Sunday and took the train instead, as I had to be at work early on the Monday.

I sent a claim (using the Which? template letter), by recorded delivery a week or so later. I have never received a

was the weekend when British Airways’ computer systems went into meltdown, affecting huge numbers across the globe. Many of its planes were grounded and staff had little or no idea what was going on. entitled to €250 (about £220) compensation. This is for a delay of over three hours within the EU on a flight of under 1,500 kms (about 850 miles). You are also entitled to a refund of the cost of your ticket as you were delayed more than five hours.

You are also due compensation for your additional costs. This would include meals, hotels (unless paid for by the airline), transport to a location from which you could complete your journey and alternative methods of travelling.

An on-demand one-way train ticket from Glasgow to London costs £136, plus the cost of getting to the station from the airport. Train travel would have been less if you had been better informed of the problems and bought your ticket the day before.

BA’s compensation people have obviously been under stress over this incident.

It now acknowledges receipt of your letter but it says that somehow your address was misread so its response went to the wrong home.

It says it will now add up all the costs that you have claimed for together with the compensation and send you a cheque for the entire amount – nearly £500.

In general, passengers have six years in which to claim for a flight delay.