Not sure how long you might have been using BA but these highly questionable practices (often amounting to a blatant disrespect for the law) are, sadly, far from new ; so much so, that they have almost become part of the company’s culture and even default modus operandi.

BA (together with - it must be said clearly - the aviation sector as a whole, but this is the BA forum) have been ‘reminded’ on more than one occasion by the CAA of their obligations and responsibilities. It’s not very long ago that they were even called before a Parliamentary Select Committee, where the inquiry included a number of questions surrounding ongoing difficulties experienced by customers in securing a cash refund as properly due, whilst instead being unwittingly made to ‘accept’ a credit voucher ; and the wilful removal of a straightforward & prompt refund facility, previously available on the website.

My own, fairly recent, experience involved a near-surreal conversation with one of the least knowledgeable OR most obstructive (it’s hard to know which ….. but perhaps a combination of both ?) members of the call centre teams. My flight to Tokyo was cancelled and I was requested on MMB to please “get in touch with us”.

I decided to wait a good couple of weeks to allow the dust to settle, as it were, but then needed to resolve my plans & itinerary for a trip which involves several other countries, not purely Japan.

The call went something like this :

Me : “Hi, I’m looking for some help please with regard to my flight to Tokyo, recently cancelled by yourselves. A note on my BAEC account says I should call you to discuss my options. The relevant locator is xxxxxx”

Agent : “Sorry about the cancellation. I have the flight details in front of me. Would you like me to arrange a refund ?”

Me : “Er ….. no thanks. What I’d like is to be booked onto an alternative flight, same routing & approximate date please”

Agent : “Let me see. Oh ….. there don’t seem to be any flights to Tokyo on those dates. It looks like the route has been suspended. A refund will be the only option”

Me : “Do you mean that there are no BA flights to Tokyo ? What about flights operated by other airlines, please ?”

Agent : “That’s right, no BA flights. I can’t speak for other airlines - but I wouldn’t be able to switch your booking to another airline anyway”

Me : “I understand that I’m entitled to be booked with an alternative carrier where there are suitable flights available. I have found a suitable flight operated by JAL”

Agent : “I cannot book flights with JAL. I can gladly re-book you for a BA flight”

Me : “What dates can you offer me for BA flights ?”

Agent : “There are no BA flights. The route has been suspended. So I can arrange a full refund for you”.

Me : “Please don’t do that. The JAL flight which I mentioned is actually showing for sale on ba.com and readily bookable online. Is there any reason why you cannot switch me to it please ? As a gold member, I was hoping for some more help but for any customer - whether gold or not - I feel sure you have a legal duty to get me to Tokyo by any reasonable means …… including a switch of my current BA reservation to a different carrier”

Agent : “There is no policy to do that. We have no arrangements with JAL. As I have already told you, the only option is a refund.

Me : “Okay, I will leave it there. Please do NOT arrange a refund. I will need a day or so to decide what to do next”.

Agent : “Is there anything else I can help you with ?”

Me : “Not at the moment, thanks, goodbye”


I won’t recount here in full the subsequent conversation with a different agent (and, I think, a different call centre) but suffice to say I met with similar resistance ; indicating to me that the refusal to follow (or, at best, the ignorance of) regulatory guidelines is far from isolated.

However, this time I was not so patient and told the agent politely - but very firmly - that I would have no option but to lodge a formal complaint concerning the unsatisfactory service and also to pursue legal action against her employer. I also quoted the relevant section of the EC / UK legislation ; whereupon, my original booking was magically switched to JAL, and promptly re-ticketed, with an emailed confirmation received within minutes.

Why oh why does it have to be like this ….. ?

Whatever happened to that old thing called customer service ? Is there really no training carried out as there was once was …. ??

It has often been said that BA management should feel ashamed for so often (admittedly, NOT always) putting their passengers through avoidable stress and additional needless effort where the airline’s handling of cancellations and other disruption is concerned. But of course they also say that where is no embarrassment, there is no shame.

Please, please BA …… can you try and get a grip. Please focus and bring an end to this shoddy treatment once & for all.