Originally Posted by JJ2991

Hi all - hoping for some guidance on how to proceed.

Myself and partner were travelling from LHR to Mexico City via Miami on 19th June. All one booking direct with BA; BA207 to Miami, then an AA operated flight (BA4991) from Miami to Mexico City. Return flight direct from Cancun to LGW on 4th July.

BA207 was diverted from Miami to Orlando after due to weather conditions, with the intention to refuel and depart for Miami once weather cleared up. Multiple issues then happened at Orlando including airfield closing as weather came in, a medical emergency whilst waiting on the airfield, and issues transferring passenger records to allow us to disembark in Orlando. Bottom line; we disembarked the aircraft in Orlando at 2300 local time, almost 18h after departing LHR and 45mins after we had been due to arrive at our final destination in Mexico City,. Meanwhile, our Miami to Mexico City connection was eventually cancelled but we would have missed the connection anyway due to being disembarked in Orlando.

BA staff at Orlando informed us whilst disembarking they would either book us on the first available flight to our final destination from Miami (and there would be coaches available to take us to Miami), or we could choose to abandon our journey, make our own arrangements for getting to final destination, and submit a claim for the costs incurred here. After collecting luggage and getting through security, staff at BA desk informed us they could not guarantee any rearranged flight from Miami would be the next day (20th June); the earliest theoretical flight departing Miami to MEX which we could get to MIA in time for would arrive in Mexico City at 8.05am, just shy of 12h after we had been due to arrive at our final destination.

We asked if they could instead book us onto a non-BA flight from Orlando to Mexico City but were told this was not an option, and instead advised if we wished to travel from Orlando to book our own flights, submit a claim, and we would be reimbursed; two staff members were happy for us to take their names to use in this claim. The only remaining seats available for flights the next day from Orlando were Business Class AeroMexico seats for 1pm the next day from Orlando to Mexico City, which we booked; BA put us up in a nearby hotel in Orlando airport. We returned to LGW from Cancun on original return flight booking.

What are our options given the above information? How do we ensure BA honour what their desk staff assured us and reimburse us for "abandoning" the connecting flight and making our own onward travel? Should I pursue this before requesting a refund for the missed (and subsequently cancelled) connecting flight from MIA to MEX?

Some great advice on these boards and long-time lurker out of curiosity, so thankful it's my turn to receive some wisdom!