Thank you, rbAA. Yes, it looks like that BA Gatwick to Tampa the next day would be an ideal option. My further questions:

1. Will our luggage be caught before it gets on the AA flight to DFW. If so, where do we retrieve it at Heathrow?

2. We are on an economy award, but our AA seats are Main Cabin Extra due to my husband's lifetime Platinum Status. What seating can we expect from BA? Just emergency row if it's available? Or what else?

3. If we are put on a bus to Gatwick, how do we get to our airport hotel, and then back to Gatwick the next day?

4. Since we would be losing Kosher meals on our AA flight, what can we expect BA to do about it? What sort of monetary compensation can we expect for food and beverage?

5. How do I file a UK261 claim, or maybe I'm jumping the gun on that one. In the meantime, do I need to keep our boarding passes, etc?

Thank you!