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27 May 'worldwide' BA IT outage | practical assistance/advice [Clutter-free please]

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Old May 27, 2017, 8:25 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: NWIFlyer
All IT systems are back up and running and BA are operating normal flight schedules.

PLEASE ASK ALL COMPENSATION RELATED QUESTIONS IN THE DEDICATED TOPIC: The 2017 BA compensation thread: Your guide to Regulation 261/2004. The full list of cancelled and delayed flights for Sunday is to be found here, though note that it is the arrival time that matters for delays.

Successful (or otherwise) reports for claims where the information would be of use to others would, however, be very welcome in this thread.

Monday flight cancellations for LHR listed here. Services to and from LGW, LCY and STN seem to be working more or less on time.. Telephone numbers for rebooking are in this post, note also the difference between what contact centres and airport staff can do, noted here.

Updated 29/05/2017 22:50 (UK time) Link to BA updates: https://www.britishairways.com/trave...VINF4more_news

Baggage
There are a significant number of bags at Heathrow which we will be reuniting with customers via couriers as soon as we can. This will be done free of charge. Please help us to get these to you as quickly as possible by ensuring we have your latest contact details by filing a delayed bag report.



If your journey was disrupted -
Because of the scale of the disruption, most passengers should expect to make their own arrangements to mitigate the disruption as BA will not have resources to assist all passengers. BA have a duty of care under EU Regulation 261/2004 and according to this letter handed out at Gatwick the following costs would usually be claimable from BA.
  • £25 for reasonable meal/refeshment expenses (per adult per day)
  • 2 reasonable phone calls per customer

If an overnight stay is required
  • £200 for a hotel room (for 2 people)
  • £50 Transport to/from the airport (round trip)

Although BA has suggested some guideline costs for duty of care, EU Regulation 261/2004 doesn't specify any monetary cap. By documenting (take a screen capture of a hotel comparison site for example) that there were no cheaper alternatives, it is possible that claims exceeding the guideline costs suggested by BA may be met. Expenses not covered by BA may be claimable from your travel insurance subject to possible policy excesses.

Duty of care is separate from fixed sum compensation (EUR 250 to 600 depending on the flight distance) for flight delays/cancellations, which may or may not be payable under EU Regulation 261/2004 depending on whether BA can show that the flight delay was caused by 'extraordinary circumstances' and that it took 'all reasonable measures' to avoid the resulting delay. Also, airlines do not usually entertain claims for consequential losses (for example, the cost of prepaid accomodation which you can't now use), so you would need to look to your travel insurance for these costs.

EU Regulation 261/2004 does not cover delayed/damaged/lost baggage. The Montreal Convention sets an upper limit for delayed/damaged/lost baggage compensation. For more information, visit the BA.com webpage on delayed/damaged/lost baggage.

You can read the forum thread for guidance on EU Regulation 261/2004 or check back on these forums later for more advice on claiming, but first of all look after yourself during this disruption.

Claiming expenses incurred during the disruption
https://disruptionclaim.britishairways.com/

Historic update as of 18:55 on Saturday

All BA flights from LHR and LGW are cancelled for the remainder of the day (Saturday 27th May). This is due to a major systems outage of most of BA's computer systems. The original cause of the outage was a power failure from which BA has found it difficult to recover.

Because Call Centre systems are also down, and their own web pages may be affected, BA is encouraging affected customer to seek updates via BA Twitter feed and Facebook page.

Alex Cruz has indicated that those passengers who no longer wish to fly with BA on their booking for today will be "fast tracked" for refunds. However, no mechanism for this has yet been communicated (7pm Saturday). Again affected customers are asked to follow the relevant Twitter and Facebook communication channels.

There are reportedly long delays leaving the airport with some customers claiming delays of many hours.
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27 May 'worldwide' BA IT outage | practical assistance/advice [Clutter-free please]

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Old May 27, 2017, 8:03 am
  #196  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 134
Originally Posted by Tobias-UK
At present there's not much BA can do for you until it can access its IT system. You could sit it out and you might drop lucky and get out tonight, but to be honest it is not looking good for you.
We are resigned to sitting out in the garden back at home with a beer!
herbertgoon is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:04 am
  #197  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: LHR
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Originally Posted by Ldnn1
Tell people to take the train to C and stay on to get to Arrivals!
I have just done this and managed to drag a few FLounge pax along get with me. The outbound was deserted but inbound chock-a-block with idle cabin crew. Tensions spilling over a bit with HAL agents in arrivals hall over claiming back their baggage - this seems to be the sticky part in the whole asking people to leave strategy.

No idea if I will get to DUS at all this weekend - was heading to Nurburgring 24h race. At this stage I'll do well to see the chequered flag at 14.00 tomorrow.
ThreeRT is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:04 am
  #198  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
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Originally Posted by herbertgoon
We were in line for bag drop at LGW for a trip to Faro - all the checkin/bag drop staff left and then came round saying everything before 6pm cancelled. Phoned the Silver line and told nothing doing, call back in 3 hours.

Is it decent advice to just sit it out and let BA deal with us? I did look at alternative flights but all booked bar TAP at £900 each!
EU 261 will kick in and I hope that everyone is being told about EU261. It won't help now but it would offset any non insured losses or top up insurance cover. I use Amex platinum and it has helped greatly in the past

This is a BAsystem issue and they will have to pay out. It will be a very expensive day.

I note there is not a single line on their website advising people of the issue.

But I would not wait for BA. At times like this you must act yourself. If you are reasonable, pragmatic and have the funds, then re route and then claim back via your insures BA etc.
I would suggest that absence among a demoralised work force will now soar and it will be days before BA sort things out and weeks if not months, before they pay out.

I feel for the passengers caught up in this and it will be carnage at LHR for some time.

I hope it does not presage a summer of disruption but I am pleased that I have limited my flights to only BA short haul.
binman is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:06 am
  #199  
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold. IHG Diamond Elite / Ambassador
Posts: 62
Originally Posted by BA6501
Does she have her passport?
she does. Canadian citizen with leave to remain visa card.
fac383 is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:07 am
  #200  
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Originally Posted by PantsFlyer
If she 'absolutely' has to be in Frankfurt by 7pm I would book another airline, then attempt to get a refund from BA another day. 50/50 chance of a refund IMO.

Feeling gutted for the numerous families trying to get away for the holidays.
After traveling with a non-frequent flying family recently it was an eye opener how stressful flying can be if you're not used to it.
Lots of kids will be returning home in tears I'm sure
Thank you PantsFlyer. I was due to fly with her tomorrow too but due to family problems, I had to cancel my trip to the UK. So am currently in Malaysia.

Last edited by Guy Betsy; May 27, 2017 at 8:42 am
Guy Betsy is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:07 am
  #201  
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Watching BBC now. A guy says that there has been no food/drinks vouchers distributed to passengers.
florens is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:07 am
  #202  
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
 
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Originally Posted by Dubh
To me it looks like it is at A12 itself, and the queue is down and around the corner towards A1. We've just been told that there us no hope to get reunited with bags today either.
Oh dear. This must be dreadful for everyone. You will be fed down gate A12 to flight connections/arrivals and pass through the UK border there.
Tobias-UK is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:08 am
  #203  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA exec
Posts: 4,093
Reading the events evolution I am very happy that husband + daughter left LHR this morning right before the mess, with just a 30 min delay.

Good luck to all people caught in it.
Lefly is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:08 am
  #204  
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 674
Originally Posted by PantsFlyer
If she 'absolutely' has to be in Frankfurt by 7pm I would book another airline, then attempt to get a refund from BA another day. 50/50 chance of a refund IMO.

Feeling gutted for the numerous families trying to get away for the holidays.
After traveling with a non-frequent flying family recently it was an eye opener how stressful flying can be if you're not used to it.
Lots of kids will be returning home in tears I'm sure
Exactly, if you must be somewhere then your only choice is to buy another ticket. Perhaps she can consider driving to another airport nearby for cheaper flights and more options?

Example: https://goo.gl/flights/md4S
Armodeen is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:09 am
  #205  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold | Hilton Honors Platinum
Posts: 205
Unbelievable scenes in the A gates area now. Literally no updates, we've walked back from C to utter chaos! Can't even leave if we wanted to!
DrBenO is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:09 am
  #206  
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Where are all the senior management in all this chaos?

Alex Cruz?
deboyzoned is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:09 am
  #207  
 
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Originally Posted by FlyingScientist
BA 213 (LHR-BOS), scheduled to depart at 11:15 BST, actually departed at 14:26 BST, and is expected to arrive with a 2:30 hrs delay.
Where are you getting this information from?

I am keen to find out if the 11:40 BA7 got out to HND as I'm due on the BA8 tomorrow morning and currently have a 4am start (less than 5 hours away).
Howard Long is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:10 am
  #208  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
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Originally Posted by PantsFlyer

Feeling gutted for the numerous families trying to get away for the holidays.
After traveling with a non-frequent flying family recently it was an eye opener how stressful flying can be if you're not used to it.
Lots of kids will be returning home in tears I'm sure
Yes, this. I was taking my 9 year old on a special trip to Florida that was months in the planning, and she is now in tears. That said, I'm a frequent flyer and this scale of period has never happened to me either.

I feel fortunate to have been travelling from T3 that only handles a small number of BA flights. My suitcase somehow got mixed up with QF9 so I'm already on my way home whilst other passengers' MIA luggage had not come out yet.
snuffi is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:10 am
  #209  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
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Originally Posted by origin
A captain said it appears to be a cyber attack. Thats why some are suggesting the cause is such.
BBC web site

There is no evidence at this stage to suggest the system failure was caused by a cyber attack, BA told BBC business correspondent Joe Lynam.
binman is offline  
Old May 27, 2017, 8:10 am
  #210  
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
 
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Probably trying to get to the bottom of whatever it is and getting it sorted.
Tobias-UK is offline  


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