Last edit by: plunet
Because of the scale of the disruption resulting from an IT system outage, most passengers should expect to make their own arrangements to mitigate the disruption as BA will not have resources to assist all passengers.
Your travel plans are probably in tatters, you should give BA a chance to fix things for you.
Firstly do not cancel or refund or credit to a voucher your ticket if this option exists as you effectively voluntarily cancel the contract for transportation with BA by doing so and hence end any right to claim for replacement transport, duty of care, or anything else.
If BA.com is working, at least give it a go and see if Manage my Booking is giving you any sensible options. You don't have to take the option(s) presented if they do not meet your needs and you might be able to find better options yourself. However, not that by default BA will be only offering rebooking onto BA and any Joint-Ventre carriers and possible OneWorld partners. If there are no sensible options, document it (take a picture). Also try the BA app, it may work when the website doesn't, or vice versa. Take a screenshot of any errors you get when trying to log in or do anything reasonable.
Try calling the call centre. You probably won't get through in a sensible length of time, but document that you made several calls. Take a screenshot and save it.
If you have made reasonable attempts to contact BA and have not been able to do so, this now puts you in a strong position to organise your own onward travel arrangements, and to claim the difference from BA later. You need to act reasonably, choose travel arrangements that are similar where possible to what you had purchased from BA, and where possible you should document with photos or screen shots that the actions you are taking are reasonable, there are no other cheaper options. Even if you don't plan to use it for booking, use a comparison service to show current market costs for the transport you are choosing. BA should respond positively to customer service claims for the cost of onward transport where you can show that BA were unable to provide you timely assistance to rebook. You should do this bearing in mind what coverage you might have from your own travel insurance policy and whether your planned trip is salvageable or if it is entirely in vain and should be abandoned. Note that BA are not responsible for consequential costs beyond their initial contract for transport, but any insurance you may have could be.
BA have a duty of care under the UK successor to EU Regulation 261/2004 and based upon forum experience the following costs would usually be claimable from BA without any significant pushback.
£25 for reasonable meal/refreshment expenses (per adult per day)
2 reasonable phone calls per customer
If an overnight stay is required in a location a significant distance from your home address
£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 as indicated above, 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, but having additional evidence or justification for costs going over these limits would be sensible. 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 - see https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...amaged-baggage
Set your expectation for the turnaround time for any refunds, claims, etc. It could be more like weeks rather than days, consider this if cashflow is concern.
You can read the forum thread for guidance on EU Regulation 261/2004 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...61-2004-a.html or check back on these forums later for more advice on claiming, but first of all look after yourself during this disruption.
Your travel plans are probably in tatters, you should give BA a chance to fix things for you.
Firstly do not cancel or refund or credit to a voucher your ticket if this option exists as you effectively voluntarily cancel the contract for transportation with BA by doing so and hence end any right to claim for replacement transport, duty of care, or anything else.
If BA.com is working, at least give it a go and see if Manage my Booking is giving you any sensible options. You don't have to take the option(s) presented if they do not meet your needs and you might be able to find better options yourself. However, not that by default BA will be only offering rebooking onto BA and any Joint-Ventre carriers and possible OneWorld partners. If there are no sensible options, document it (take a picture). Also try the BA app, it may work when the website doesn't, or vice versa. Take a screenshot of any errors you get when trying to log in or do anything reasonable.
Try calling the call centre. You probably won't get through in a sensible length of time, but document that you made several calls. Take a screenshot and save it.
If you have made reasonable attempts to contact BA and have not been able to do so, this now puts you in a strong position to organise your own onward travel arrangements, and to claim the difference from BA later. You need to act reasonably, choose travel arrangements that are similar where possible to what you had purchased from BA, and where possible you should document with photos or screen shots that the actions you are taking are reasonable, there are no other cheaper options. Even if you don't plan to use it for booking, use a comparison service to show current market costs for the transport you are choosing. BA should respond positively to customer service claims for the cost of onward transport where you can show that BA were unable to provide you timely assistance to rebook. You should do this bearing in mind what coverage you might have from your own travel insurance policy and whether your planned trip is salvageable or if it is entirely in vain and should be abandoned. Note that BA are not responsible for consequential costs beyond their initial contract for transport, but any insurance you may have could be.
BA have a duty of care under the UK successor to EU Regulation 261/2004 and based upon forum experience the following costs would usually be claimable from BA without any significant pushback.
£25 for reasonable meal/refreshment expenses (per adult per day)
2 reasonable phone calls per customer
If an overnight stay is required in a location a significant distance from your home address
£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 as indicated above, 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, but having additional evidence or justification for costs going over these limits would be sensible. 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 - see https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...amaged-baggage
Set your expectation for the turnaround time for any refunds, claims, etc. It could be more like weeks rather than days, consider this if cashflow is concern.
You can read the forum thread for guidance on EU Regulation 261/2004 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...61-2004-a.html or check back on these forums later for more advice on claiming, but first of all look after yourself during this disruption.
"Systems Down" 22-26 Feb 2022 [General discussion]
#32
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 248
Could it get any worse for BA? Cheap IT systems, staff who have had it battered out of them to help out in a crisis, awful pay and conditions but charge a premium price of course.
I really hope BA are listening and not holding internal meetings where they are all yes people. There should be some robust conversations going on. Bring back experience, not some cabin crew member who looks about 12 and lives at home with his Mum and Dad because that is the only people they can recruit. God forbid they are the people you are relying on in the event of an emergency or when they are trying to placate frustrated passengers.
FOR GOODNESS SAKE BA - GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER NOW OR YOU WILL GO THE WAY OF WOOLWORTHS, BHS ETC.
I really hope BA are listening and not holding internal meetings where they are all yes people. There should be some robust conversations going on. Bring back experience, not some cabin crew member who looks about 12 and lives at home with his Mum and Dad because that is the only people they can recruit. God forbid they are the people you are relying on in the event of an emergency or when they are trying to placate frustrated passengers.
FOR GOODNESS SAKE BA - GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER NOW OR YOU WILL GO THE WAY OF WOOLWORTHS, BHS ETC.
#33
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 248
If the systems are down where is the back up. Having been a supplier to government depts over the years I can probably answer the question - there isnt one. Brought the systems on the cheap, didnt take any of the nice to have's like maintenance, pat themselves on the back that they 'saved' BA money but once again shown that buy cheap, buy twice.
#35
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Programs: Sir Ratechaser Seigneur de la Patience d'un Saint (Mucci), BA Silver, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 2,569
I guess yesterday's storm has knocked over a tree initially damaged by storm Eunice so a branch fell into a small stream or creek hence the water was damming up which led to the flooding of an IT centre where a IT consultant on the cheapest day rate brought in earlier by Alex C tried a hard restart and the next IT consultant who tries to recover the system had his laptop checked in for his flight to LHR on Friday so can't do anything now hence all is just bad luck and out of their control but hey as Sean Said everything will be soon better at least Champagne is back in Galleries.
Needless to say I can't get into my transactions, search flights etc etc... must be a nightmare for the poor sods on the phones today. Wonder if BA will make the BBC news headlines for a second day running... if they can't blame the weather anymore, what next? Russian cyber attack perhaps?
#36
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: South Glos, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver/OW Sapphire
Posts: 1,158
Can’t login to app or website. Utterly hopeless and shameful that BA IT is totally useless. Does anyone at HQ have the balls to accept ownership and responsibility and acknowledge it is not fit for purpose?
#37
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BER
Programs: BAEC GGL/GfL, Lufthansa SEN, Hilton Diamond, misc other stuff
Posts: 1,374
The website exposed to me in Germany (maybe others see a different version) is an older version that doesn't know anything about BER airport, but still lists TXL.
#41
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Sussex
Programs: BA; IHG; LHW; Hilton
Posts: 788
National
BA passengers at both Aberdeen and Manchester are reporting that systems are down – with staff apparently completing manual load sheets. It’s just taking ages but at least they are getting things done.
Last edited by SxMan; Feb 22, 2022 at 2:50 am Reason: Text
#42
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: UK
Programs: BA GfL & GGL, FB Platinum, MB Titanium, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,403
So it’s a BA specific IT meltdown and not anything impacting other airlines.
#43
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: London
Posts: 726
If the systems are down where is the back up. Having been a supplier to government depts over the years I can probably answer the question - there isnt one. Brought the systems on the cheap, didnt take any of the nice to have's like maintenance, pat themselves on the back that they 'saved' BA money but once again shown that buy cheap, buy twice.
Like many other parts of their operation, BA has removed layers and layers of redundancy & resilience and now has multiple facets of their operation failing.
If I was Sean Doyle I'd be sending Alex and Willie a few stern WhatsApp messages about the hole they've created!
#45
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Scotland, Spain
Programs: Skywards Gold, Amex Plat, SkyTeam Silver
Posts: 1,166
Surely somebody at BA is noticing that the cost of actually useful IT, is slowly outweighing the growing cost of EU261 payments and disruption duty of care payments?