I’d say it’s a classic example of someone believing they are rather more important to the airline than reality.
16,000 lifetime TPs, whilst not insignificant, does not indicate loyalty. There are some on this forum who would take less than a year to accumulate that number, yet ironically they are likely to know that the request being made is unrealistic and I suspect wouldn’t even consider taking that line themselves.
Two free seats in F from NYC is not something that can be provided at zero cost, as we all know. Presumably the writer is hoping to be fed and watered whilst he’s on board? On a route such as that, F will very often be full, so he is asking BA to turn down revenue from two F seats to accommodate him. Plus, why two seats given only he was affected by the incident? Why New York when the original trip was Dubai? It smacks of opportunism at best.
The offer he has been given, of £500 (which BA would most likely happily translate to 50k Avios), would buy those F seats on a UuA from CW. He’s being throughly disingenuous in not indicating that.
Playing your case out through the media should be the last resort if a company absolutely refuses to engage with you, or does so but clearly does not act in good faith. That is not what is happening here. I hope BA holds its ground on this one.