Currently enjoying BA's hospitality in a Brussels airport hotel after they cancelled this afternoon's 403. Describing the aftermath as a shambles really doesn't do it justice.

- Boarded the plane and pushed back at 4:30, taxied a bit then pilot announced we had a hydraulic leak so were going back to stand to get it checked
- Returned to stand where engineer looked at it and said it wasn't going to be a quick fix, so we were told the flight was cancelled and all got off
- To avoid the inevitable queue at the ticket desk most of the CE cabin got on their phones to rebook. A nice chap in the BA call centre told me the direct flights were full, but that he'd booked me BRU-GVA-LHR and I'd be back in home that night (I believe other folks got similarly rebooked or onto the next direct flight)
- Went to the Brussels Airlines desk to checkin - chap there could see my booking but needed BA to authorise it. The BA call centre guy then called me to say that he was having technical problems as I was still checked into the 403 and showing 2 checked bags (although I was hand luggage only) and to get released from the booking I'd need to talk to the ticketing desk in Brussels as he couldn't do it.
- So off the BA Ground Handling partners I plodded, aware that it was now getting tight for the GVA flight, managed to speak with someone who looked at it and said they couldn't release my BA booking as it needed to be done from London - seems they were having the same problem for the whole flight, which was politely queued up not moving anywhere at all
- At this point a bunch of the other CE passengers who had rebooked turned up with the same problem, meaning they had now missed their flights
- While hanging around I got back on the phone to BA, after being on hold for ages was told it was impossible to rebook me onto a non-BA flight, despite the fact the previous colleague had clearly done just that. After more holding finally got rebooked onto the 7:40am flight tomorrow morning and was told ground handling would arrange a hotel.
- Spoke with ground handling who said they couldn't authorise a hotel until they got the nod from London, so then I hung around for another hour until they finally did - by this point was a good three and a half hours since we'd got off the plane. When I left most of the ET passengers on the flight were still there at the terminal waiting in the static queue.

I totally understand that these things happen and the BA crew and Ground Handling people were all great. But it seemed like BA back in London were either being totally inept on the IT front, sending totally mixed messages which lead people on a unnecessary wild goose chase or wasting everyones time stood in a stationary queue for hours with virtually no information.

Hoping for an incident free trip tomorrow.

Good luck tomorrow...

make sure you get some cash for EU 261!

Poor you

Large drink and good meal at the hotel sounds in order.

will ba pay for that? = ) or only hotel and compensation

Thanks everyone - have already filed for EC 261 compensation, will also probably dink a mail to CS, but not expecting anything.

The hotel laid on a buffet of questionable quality - but it also self-serve of a reasonable red, so I can report am feeling suitably refreshed!

Suitably sozzled maybe?

Make sure you take them to court if they start iffing and butting about the EC 261 ^

Love the new signature Triple B, hope the OP manages to get home ok.

I nearly changed it to something else, about shoving it up your jumper... But I thought it may get a little lost on some non Brits.

Quite impressive for what is normally a 45 minute flight

I suppose with third party agents at outstations some control from London is necessary, but someone really does need a kick up the arse at Waterside Ivory Towers if this is really as efficient as they can make that process. The moment that plane was cancelled a button should have been pushed somewhere that enabled the contingency to be able to go ahead without any further hitches.

I bet you wished you'd taken the Eurostar ��

It does always surprise me that BA can't rustle up a spare aircraft and crew from their home base for a ~45min flight that would save them �1000s in hotels and compo

Even if there was a spare you can't get Heathrow departure slots on a whim.

Would it be too complicated for them to send an LGW (or even LCY) plane?

Slots wise, there must be some amount of contingency slots for IRROPS and other movements? They position aircraft out to LGW/ maintenance, tech aircraft position back after a night stop for repairs etc