southsquare

Chaos both in the main T5 terminal and in the Flounge this morning. Misconnect (following a late transatlantic arrival) to LHR/BHD. In normal times, a simple rebooking on the next available BHD (EI or BA) would have been done without question. I stood first in the line in the main terminal and then at the customer service desk in the Flounge from around 7.25 to 11.10am, throughout which time staff refused to rebook me on EI, alleging that wasn't possible, and also refused to rebook me on the only other LHR/BHD that day (roughly 11 hours later), on the basis that it's not available for public sale. They seemed to be quite unable to distinguish involuntary and voluntary rebooking. With a (temporary) injury that (temporarily) limits my capacity, I requested assistance, which was denied. Beside me, in tears, was an elderly lady in a wheelchair who had been asked to wait "over there" by Flounge staff for someone to take her to the Glasgow aircraft, no one did so and no one checked that it had been done, she missed her domestic flight as a result, and who was rebooked around 10 hours later. Also beside me was a couple who had been asked to wait "over there" for a few minutes while something was sorted out. They checked back at the Flounge desk at hourly intervals for the 3 + hours I was there, and on each occasion was directed to "over there" with no substantive assistance offered. Nothwithstanding that there are plenty of seats available on three EI LHR/BHD flights and also on the only other BA LHR/BHD flight today, I was directed from LHR to City Airport by train to take a LCY/BHD flight- with reduced mobility - because no BA LHR staff member could be bothered to rebook or offer any other assistance.