Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave

I am sorry to say you are correct, it isn't unusual, and is a major, perhaps the single greatest cause of BA not sending aircraft out on time. When you see everyone boarded at T-10 and yet pushback is T+10, then particularly on longhaul out at T5B and C, I would normally suspect late arriving assistance passengers. BA will wait for a bit, but at some point they have to get going. Hence the reason on your trip why the Wilson James agent kept telephoning the gate.

So unfortunately every single day BA has to rebook assistance passengers. They get looked after, if there is an overnight stay (which fortunately is rare) and can claim all food and drink expenses, but often how need assistance have a long list of issues apart from mobility, so getting distressed and upset is unfortunately a regular outcome. I've occasionally had to reassure passengers in this position, and despite my best endeavours some passengers who miss their flights are absolutely heartbroken when it happens. My usual line of "don't worry, there's another flight in x hours and you will be on it" rarely cuts through. The main cause is simply that assistance support is a low wage job, where those who work in this field often able to get slightly better paid jobs and thus leave at no notice. It's very difficult to fill vacancies for low wage jobs in West London, and the working conditions (hours, security, clearance, risk of TUPE, emergency PAYE tax codes) aren't good. There never was a time when this was well operated, but it has got a lot worse over the last few years.

EC261 compensation won't be payable. It really isn't BA's fault. I have seen ground and flight crew pushing assistance passengers around T5 in order to keep things above water. I know they are not supposed to do it, but it happens.