Hi.

I'm a frequent traveler, but don't fly on BA much, so I'm hoping that regulars on the BA board can give me some pointers.

My Mom, a very seasoned traveler, was supposed to leave Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, this afternoon (local time) for a flight to Johannesburg, where she'd catch a flight to Heathrow (leaving tonight local time), and then on to Newark Friday morning. All flights are on BA.

I got an email from her this morning that her departure was delayed, and they'd now be arriving home on Saturday. She didn't specify which flight(s), but based on the IP address from the email, it was sent from Zimbabwe after she should have departed. I got a voice mail from her about an hour ago asking me to go online to check her BA booking, and see if her flight(s) had been rebooked. Again, she didn't tell me where she was, but I'm assuming she's in Zimbabwe. I don't know why she's been delayed.

I had her record locator number, and logged on to view her ticket details on BA.com. It still shows her booked on her original flights. I called the BA US 800 number and the agent was not helpful. She wouldn't tell me whether my Mom was rebooked, nor would she tell me if my Mom had flown the Victoria Falls-J'burg leg.

They agent also said that BA's policy is that, if a passenger misses their flight, they must buy a new ticket. I asked if BA has a "flat tire" rule similar to what most US airlines have. In other words, if you get a flat tire (or encounter another delay on the way to the airport) and miss your flight, they'll automatically rebook you on the next available flight. The woman said they have no such rule. Is this true?

Based on the scant info I was able to get from BA, I do know that the BA counter at Victoria Falls is closed, which is probably why my Mom had me checking with BA. BA claims they can't talk to me about my Mom's flights because she hasn't listed me as an authorized person on her account. (But also told me that my Mom could call up, list me as an authorized person, then I could call back to get more information.) So I may call momentarily posing as my Mom. Unfortunately, I don't have the record locator her for travel companion, so even if I get access to my Mom's ticket, and am able to make changes, her travel companion may still be SOL.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd sincerely appreciate it. My Mom's been gone for 3 weeks and her first grandchild is due to be born any day now (though, officially, tomorrow), so she's probably a bit anxious to get home!

Thanks!