Rubbish service from BA returns as usual
Jun 13, 2019, 12:53 pm
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: UK despite the weather
Programs: BAEC at last back to Gold, Flying Blue, Red with the Bearded One, Accor, Finnair Plus Blue
Posts: 266
I got lucky, still two seats available on the flight but had they done this to me last week then I would have been stuck. So yes I got home, do I am not threatening lawsuits 😁 but just raising the point as very annoying way to treat a customer.
Jun 13, 2019, 12:55 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: UK despite the weather
Programs: BAEC at last back to Gold, Flying Blue, Red with the Bearded One, Accor, Finnair Plus Blue
Posts: 266
Jun 13, 2019, 12:56 pm
#20
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,612
Well, you would have got EUR300 compensation last week, and a night in a hotel. I think I'd have been happy with that!
Jun 13, 2019, 1:02 pm
#21
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: GLA
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 311
Jun 13, 2019, 1:15 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum Ambassador
Posts: 26
At least op got home without any issues. Same thing happened to me back in April, offloaded at the gate for Dublin. The gate agent couldn’t give any reason, but was back on the same flight with same seat right before gate closing after some complain. However, checked in luggage didn’t make it, showed up in the hotel reception with later flight. Sent online complain, and got 7k Avios as an apology.
Jun 13, 2019, 1:16 pm
#23
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,803
Very strange then, I am running out of ideas here. DYKWIA's suggestion is the only one I can think of that more or less fits, the other would be if someone had the same passport number as you (i.e. entered a wrong number in their API). And of course BA's IT has its own fan base here. Personally I can understand that mistakes happen, and this was fixed without too much impact given the very short flight, but somewhere down the line I would be looking to get a full explanation.
Jun 13, 2019, 2:48 pm
#24
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: JAX
Programs: Ex-BA/AA/CP/LY staff, BA Executive Club Blue, IHG Diamond, Marriott Silver, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 3,586
I might guess at a typo; OP was offloaded in error, and it wasn't realised until the gate? Presume it happened after entering the lounge, as wouldn't the entry scan there have flagged as ineligible if already offloaded by then?
Jun 13, 2019, 4:18 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
But things randomly go wrong on all airlines, and they can go wrong for BA Golds as much as for anyone else. If you travel, stuff will happen.
I'm tickled by the idea that being BA Gold shows loyalty to BA. Perhaps it does for some, but that's far from universal. Many Golds have pretty much no say in whether or not they earn it (other than the choice to be a frequent flyer scheme member at all, rather than opting out of the whole notion). Amongst the FT fraternity, I'd bet that being Gold is often more a consequence of loyalty to Tier Points than of loyalty to BA.
Jun 13, 2019, 4:31 pm
#27
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,248
I have sympathy for the OP. I'd be a bit miffed too. I know it was written as a rant and the only thing I'll object to is the use of 'as usual' at the end of the thread title. I think it's fair to say that this was anything like 'usual'. Glad it was resolved without too much inconvenience.
Jun 14, 2019, 12:37 am
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: UK despite the weather
Programs: BAEC at last back to Gold, Flying Blue, Red with the Bearded One, Accor, Finnair Plus Blue
Posts: 266
Gate agent told me I was actually offloaded and therefore no longer on the flight. The fact I was then put in a different seat was that was all that was left when the put me back on.
Before anyone asks I was in the queue before boarding started so was not late to the gate.
Before anyone asks I was in the queue before boarding started so was not late to the gate.
Jun 14, 2019, 12:56 am
#30
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: LHR, LGW
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,427
It sounds like one of life’s little unfortunate events that can and does in any mammoth corporate. That doesn’t means it’s right or acceptable but even the smallest of businesses can muck up. It’s not necessary a reflection of the general service levels.