kileysmom

I'm a regular in many airports, never (unless desperate) book a connection in any airport of less than 3 hours. I know the London area including LHR really well. However, after a long flight into LHR, being tired and under pressure, would I have managed to book something under the BA cap? I honestly don't know. Add to it possibly being a not very experienced traveler for the LHR connection (doesn't have a visa sort of indicates this isn't the op's stomping ground), maybe not being able to find a quiet place to sit and look at options in a calm way, being a bit aggravated by booking possibly some months ago before this chaos started a totally legal connection...would be very easy to be flustered, not feeling very generous to BA staff and somewhat nervous about the next 24 hours. Most of us here are so far beyond the basic knowledge of many, many travelers that we no longer realize at all the things we simply know and take for granted....a bit of planning of a trip for someone who has no experience will show you many, many small details you simply don't even think someone doesn't know...I can actually say I've been shocked as I've been going through just the past weeks.

VSLover

the OP bashing is not acceptable especially given the fact that flights price out differently. how many times have you been on google flights and one connection is vastly more expensive than another? i mean the gall of some here towards the OP

jeremyBA

I find the criticism of the op for booking a perfect legal connection surprising. It is legal or it is not. If it fails the airline sorts it out ( or not in this case)

I live not so far from Heathrow. I would not consider aldershot in any way local, let alone book a hotel there. There is a lot of wise after the event comments on here which is a shame.

Greenpen

Tonight there are a lot of very ordinary hotels not particularly close to Heathrow Airport going at extraordinary prices. Holiday Inn Express Hammersmith for £599 anyone? Makes my previous stays at the Sofitel look like a bargain basement stay rather than a treat!

Many actual airport hotels sold out.

Agent69

Holiday Inn Basingstoke £5,000 for tonight (£5,016 if you want breakfast)

Mekko

It's not quite that bad actually, if you book direct on their website there's a 3% discount down to £4,850.

Silver Fox

Sending someone to the 'Shot is a cruel and unusual punishment.

Bohinjska Bistrica

I can see it at the bargain price of £4,850 or 28,000 IHG points.

You're never going to get such excellent value from your points ever again at 17.3p a point!

RichieMc

Hotel Tonight (you need the app) is useful in these situations. Currently showing DoubleTree in Ealing for around £300, and DoubleTree in Woking for a mere £141. Few things in Reading as well.

PUCCI GALORE

That is a lunatic exception. There are plenty of places for 10% of that. That said there is nothing at Heathrow and I would venture that all inventory is held for airlines. Clearly this a case of inflexible supply and voracious demand driving pricing. I call it price gouging and I think that it’s disgusting. No doubt this is an effort to claw back months of Covid closure. Wimbledon has much to answer for as well. Perfect storm

Silver Fox

Perhaps the combo of Pride march, Wimbledon, US July 4th escapes, The Open the week after, has meant that London and its surrounds are rammed.

Silver Fox

Camberley Travelodge has rooms from 73.99 for tonight.

WoodleyBeacon

Henley Regatta is also pushing up hotel prices in the Thames Valley.

lost_in_translation

Plus Adele in Hyde Park, Ed Sheeran at Wembley, Guns and Roses at Tottenham, Kings of Leon at the 02, the British GP which no doubt will have some people staying in London, Henley, this weekend is like they decided there would never be time to do any events again..

deep_south

To me, this is very simple. BA sold a ticket and entered into a contract. They sold a legal connection and were unable to get the passenger onto the connecting flight. They have a legal requirement to provide duty of care which they completely failed to provide.

I can't believe the posters on here who are in some way trying to blame the passenger for not knowing they could have got a cheaper hotel in Aldershot for example... Or for not having a backup plan.... It is entirely BA's responsibility to have sorted this out - and they (again) have failed spectacularly.

But BA will continue to fail until the regulator actually enforces them to do so, and for whatever reason they will not.