Originally Posted by
QT31415
Sorry if I’m abusing all your expertise, but I’m just about to go pick up an irate husband and hoped to have some good news to cool his jets with. He was on BA 52 Sea-Lhr connecting to BA 848 LHR -ZAG. Seattle flight was 90 min late leaving due to late arriving flight (delay ZY). Arrived in LHR just an hour late but despite being first off the plane and transiting quickly and easily to T3, he arrived at the gate less than 30 min from departure and was denied boarding. He watched the plane fly off as he was told he would be rerouted to FRA then ZAG with a final arrival 9 hours after expected.
In this scenario you also need to look at BA53, since ZY was rotational. And from the look of it, BA53 left the gate about 40 minutes late, but then spent over an hour before being allowed to take off. The code there is ZA, so ATC related delay, it does not normally take that long to be airborne. So it's multiple factors, including perhaps the unstated one as to whether your husband could have boarded the ZAG aircraft (was the airbridge still connected / still boarding?). But this is the thread for the reasons for delays, there is another thread for EC261 issues.