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October 2024 First Message to BA via their website:
My first flight was delayed and I was resigned to missing my connecting flight. However, they made up time and I had a chance to make the next flight.
I ran off the flight to passport control where a BA assistant said I could still make the flight but my boarding pass didn’t let me through. The only BA employee (Ágata) behind a desk there was attending a customer (whose flight was 2 hours later), though was not doing anything other than being on hold on a mobile phone.
I told her that I was going to miss my flight if she didn't help me but she completely ignored me. After around ten minutes, and thanks to a border force employee, she reluctantly attended to me. She then told me that my name had been taken off the connecting flight (Why did this happen when there was still time for me to make it to the plane before boarding closed 20 minutes before the flight?) Security was particularly quiet so had it not been for the unhelpful BA assistant (Ágata) and my premature removal from the flight, I would have made my connecting flight.
What is more, Ágata refused to help me further. She accused me of shouting (which is categorically untrue). I was anxious and upset but I think anybody would have been the same confronted with an indifferent assistant who is supposed to help customers. She then resorted to saying that she was scared of me despite the fact that none of the workers around the boarding pass control (including border control and BA employees) agreed with her. It was only thanks to her colleague (Karan) to help me out. He did try to get me on the flight and then arranged the hotel and the flight the next day. Ágata is clearly not suitable to be working in a position with the public.
I have provided one of the taxi receipts between the hotel and the airport plus a receipt for the taxi to my home in Xxxxx (I was going to be picked up by a friend the previous night).
B.A. Replies:
(October 2024)
Dear Mr Mac,
Thank you for raising a case with us. We're now directing this through to the appropriate department, and we'll do everything we can to resolve your case as quickly as possible.
If you need to add any additional information to your case in the meantime, then you can do this below. Please make sure you quote your Case Reference: 1234567..
Our Contacts & FAQs page also contains lots of information and support which you may find useful.
We'll be in touch soon.
If you need to update your case with any other general information, you can do this here.
British Airways
........................
(November 2024)
Dear Mr Mac,
Thank you for contacting us.
We wanted to let you know that we haven’t forgotten about your case. Rest assured we’ll be in touch as soon as possible. You can check the status of your case here.
If you need to update your case with any other general information, you can do this here.
British Airways
........................
(November 2024)
Dear Mr Mac,
Thanks for your patience.
Our Customer Relations team are really busy at the moment, which means it's taking longer than we'd like to get back to you with a full response. We'll be in touch as soon as possible. You can check the status of your case here.
If you need to update your case with any other general information, you can do this here.
British Airways
........................
(November 2024)
Dear Mr Mac,
An update from British Airways
We’re sorry to hear your flight from Madrid on xx October was delayed. We don’t underestimate how much this disrupted your travel plans and we understand why you needed to get in touch about this. We'd also like to thank you for your patience while we got back to you.
I’m afraid your claim for compensation has been refused because British Airways didn’t operate IB1234 on xx October. If you contact Iberia Airlines, they’ll be able to consider your claim.
Thanks again for following this up with us. Please feel free to contact us if we can help you any further and I hope we have the chance to welcome you on board again soon.
Best regards
Arpita
British Airways Customer Relations
Second email to BA (December 2024)
Dear Customer Relations,
I refer you to my first email regarding my BA1234 flight from Heathrow to Xxxxxx on xxth October. If you had read it, you would have seen that I did not ask for compensation (as you say in your response). I did ask for an explanation as to why my name had already been removed from the flight 20 minutes before boarding was due to close. Yet my flight from Heathrow to Xxxxxx the next morning was delayed by more than 30 minutes due to the pilot waiting for customers from a connecting flight (and in the end, they did not board). Please, this time provide an explanation as to why I was not given the chance to make my connecting flight yet my flight the next morning was delayed to give connecting passengers the opportunity to fly.
Had it not been for the lack of help from the BA assistant at the boarding pass control, I could have been at the boarding gate on time. In my email to you, I explained what had happened and gave you the name of the assistant (Agata) but you make no reference to this in your reply. I would like to know what happens when you receive a complaint about a member of staff. Will she be informed of my complaint? I take great exception to the way I was treated.
The second assistant, Karan, was everything his colleague Agata was not - sympathetic and helpful. After doing his best to get me on my flight, he gave me a voucher for an overnight stay in a hotel. He told me to send the taxi receipts (between the airport and the hotel) to Customer Relations for a refund. They are attached to my first email. I also attached a receipt for the taxi from Xxxxxx airport as a friend was due to give me a lift the previous night and could not pick me up the next morning. Please refund me this money promptly.
My flight from Madrid was with Iberia but I buy my tickets with BA and therefore I expect BA to handle any complaint.
If nobody at Customer Relations can answer all of my points, then please forward my emails to someone at BA who can.
Regards,
Graham Mac
Third email to B.A. (January 2025)
Dear Customer Relations,
I sent an email to you more than three weeks ago and as yet have not received a reply. Previously, in reply to my first email, I received two emails from you saying that I would get a reply shortly. I haven't received any such emails this time so I don’t know if my complaint is being dealt with. Please could you inform me when I can expect a response.
Regards,
Graham Mac
B.A. Response (January 2025):
Dear Mr Mac
An update from British Airways
Thank you for coming back to us.
I’d like to get this sorted for you as quickly as I can, so please send me an itemized list of your total claim by mentioning the cost, currency, date and type of the item you purchased. You can reply to this email.
Thanks again for getting in touch with us. We hope to hear from you soon.
Best regards
Mohd Xxxx
British Airways Customer Relations
Fourth email to B.A. (February 2025)
Dear Customer Relations,
I have already provided details of expenses incurred, including receipts, in a previous email.
The taxi from Heathrow to the hotel on xx/10 was £19.80 and the taxi the next day was £20+. The taxi journey from Xxxxxx airport to my home was £28.40 (an expense due to missing my pick-up the previous evening). How do I calculate the inconvenience experienced of this whole needless episode?
You did not answer any of the questions that I asked in my previous emails. Please refer to them as I do expect answers. If you are not the person who can answer them, please forward my questions to someone who can.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Mac
B.A. Response (February 2025):
Dear Mr Mac
An update from British Airways
Thank you for coming back to us.
We are happy to pay £68.20 towards your out-of-pocket expenses. The best way to settle your claim is by bank transfer and it would be helpful if you could send me the following information you can send us your information by replying directly to this email.
· Your contact telephone number
· Bank name in full
· Bank branch name
· Bank country
· Account holder’s name as it appears on their statement or pass book
· Bank account number, this is also known as an IBAN number. This is made up of 2 letters, followed by 22 numbers. This would be the 2 letter country code, followed by your sort code and account/IBAN number
Once again, please accept our apologies for your experience on this trip. We hope to welcome you back on board soon.
Best regards
Rushikesh
British Airways Customer Relations
Fifth email to B.A. (April 2025)
Dear Customer Relations,
Here is the information that you requested:
Contact telephone number - 346587290
Bank of Spain
Graham Mac
IBAN - ES12 3456 7890 1234 5678 9012
Now I would like you to respond to my request for information which you have completely ignored so far. Please refer to my previous emails. If you are not the person who can answer my questions, please forward my questions to someone who can. On previous occasions, I have not made complaints when I should have, but this time, I am not going to let this go. This is the fourth time I have had to repeat the same questions because you have not even attempted to provide any answers.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Mac
B.A. Response (April 2025):
Dear Mr Mac
An update from British Airways
We’re sorry it was necessary to delay your flight to London Heathrow on xx October 2024 and understand why you needed to get in contact about this. We take all reasonable measures to avoid delaying a flight, and we’ll always consider if there are any alternative solutions available before we make a decision. We'd also like to thank you for your patience while we got back to you about this.
Your claim's been refused because British Airways didn’t operate flight BA1234 code share, IB1234 operating code, on xx October 2024, your flight was operated by Iberia. Please contact Iberia, to resolve your claim.
Best regards
Calin
British Airways Customer Relations
Sixth email to B.A. (April 2025):
Dear Customer Relations,
I don’t understand why you give me a case reference number if you clearly don't refer to my previous emails or indeed, emails sent to me by your colleagues..
The following is the second last emaiI received from you:
Dear Mr Mac
An update from British Airways
Thank you for coming back to us.
We are happy to pay £68.20 towards your out-of-pocket expenses. The best way to settle your claim is by bank transfer and it would be helpful if you could send me the following information you can send us your information by replying directly to this email.
.....
Best regards
Rushikesh
British Airways Customer Relations
Now in your latest email you have gone back on your word. I have provided all my details you asked for and I expect to receive my out-of-pocket expenses from British Airways. I bought my ticket vía British Airways and if you had read my initial email, you would know that me missing the connecting flight was due to British Airways. This is not the way to treat a frequent flyer of your airline. And you still ignore my questions about my treatment on the relevant day
I do hope that this is the last email I have to send you. This is beyond tiring.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Mac
B.A. Response (April 2025):
Dear Mr Mac
An update from British Airways
We’re sorry it was necessary to delay your flight to London Heathrow on xx October 2024 and understand why you needed to get in contact about this. We take all reasonable measures to avoid delaying a flight, and we’ll always consider if there are any alternative solutions available before we make a decision. We'd also like to thank you for your patience while we got back to you about this.
Your claim's been refused because British Airways didn’t operate flight BA1234 code share, IB1234 operating code, on xx October 2024, your flight was operated by Iberia. Please contact Iberia, to resolve your claim.
Best regards
Calin
British Airways Customer Relations
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Seventh email to B.A. (April 2025):
Dear Customer Relations,
You have just confirmed that you don’t have real people replying to customers. If I am mistaken and “Cain” is a real person, something is seriously wrong at British Airways. The same employee can’t just copy and paste the exact same response to a loyal customer. I should now also be compensated for all the time that I have spent responding to Brutish Airways. You can't continue to completely ignore customers' questions. Once again, you can see below one of your previous responses in which you say that you will refund me for my out of pocket expenses:
...........
This time I would like a response from the senior manager within your department. If I don’t receive a full response to my emails, I will take matters further.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Mac
B.A. Response (April 2025):
Dear Mr Mac
An update from British Airways
We’re sorry you’re unhappy with the outcome of your claim, and we understand why you needed to get back in contact with us about this.
I’ve had another look at your claim for compensation, and I’ve taken time to make sure our response is accurate and up-to-date. Based on this, our decision hasn’t changed and the responses you’ve received about the eligibility of your compensation claim are correct.
As British Airways didn’t operate flight BA1234 code share, IB1234 operating code, on xx October 2024, your flight being operated by Iberia, it means you’re not eligible for compensation. Please contact Iberia, to resolve your claim.
If you would like to know more about compensation, please visit our pages on ba.com.
Once again, we're sorry for your experience this time.
Best regards
Calin
British Airways Customer Relations
Eighth email to B.A. (May 2025):
Dear Customer Relations,
Please read this response from your colleague Rushikesh on the xxth February 2025 and pay particular attention to the lines I have highlighted in yellow.
Dear Mr Mac
An update from British Airways
Thank you for coming back to us.
We are happy to pay £68.20 towards your out-of-pocket expenses. The best way to settle your claim is by bank transfer and it would be helpful if you could send me the following information you can send us your information by replying directly to this email.
........
Your colleague (Karan) at Heathrow airport on the night of the missed connection also told me that I would be refunded for out-of-pocket expenses.
Can you please explain why Calin has reneged on what his BA colleagues had previously promised me? I have provided all the details requested and I expect BA to keep to their word and pay me forthwith. Contrary to what Calin says, I have never asked for compensation. Had he read all my previous emails as he claims, he would have known that.
He would also have seen that my missing the connecting flight was due to British Airways. Please read my first two communications with you and again pay close attention to what I have highlighted:
Message sent via BA website on xxth October 2024:
........
I ran off the flight to passport control where a BA assistant said I could still make the flight but my boarding pass didn’t let me through. The only BA employee (Ágata) behind a desk there was attending a customer (whose flight was 2 hours later), though was not doing anything other than being on hold on a mobile phone.
I told her that I was going to miss my flight if she didn't help me but she completely ignored me. After around ten minutes, and thanks to a border force employee, she reluctantly attended to me. She then told me that my name had been taken of the connecting flight (Why did this happen when there was still time for me to make it to the plane before boarding closed 20 minutes before the flight?) Security was particularly quiet so had it not been for the unhelpful BA assistant (Ágata) and my premature removal from the flight, I would have made my connecting flight.
..........
*******************************
December 2024
Dear Customer Relations,
I refer you to my first email regarding my BA1234 flight from Heathrow to Inverness on xxth October. If you had read it, you would see that I did not ask for compensation (as you say in your response). I did ask for an explanation as to why my name had already been removed from the flight 20 minutes before boarding was due to close. Yet my flight from Heathrow to Inverness the next morning was delayed by more than 30 minutes due to the pilot waiting for customers from a connecting flight (and in the end, they did not board). Please, this time provide an explanation as to why I was not given the chance to make my connecting flight yet my flight the next morning was delayed to give connecting passengers the opportunity to fly.
Had it not been for the lack of help from the BA assistant at the boarding pass control, I could have been at the boarding gate on time. In my email to you, I explained what had happened and gave you the name of the assistant (Agata) but you make no reference to this in your reply. I would like to know what happens when you receive a complaint about a member of staff. Will she be informed of my complaint? I take great exception to the way I was treated.
The second assistant, Karan, was everything his colleague Agata was not - sympathetic and helpful. After doing his best to get me on my flight, he gave me a voucher for an overnight stay in a hotel. He told me to send the taxi receipts (between the airport and the hotel) to Customer Relations for a refund.
........
***************************************
You will see from the above that as well as not fulfilling your promises of refunds, you have failed to give me any explanation of what happened that night. After seven months, I am still waiting for answers. As I have said previously, if there is nobody within your department who is able to provide me with answers, please forward all my mails to someone who can.
I want this
issue resolved this time.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Mac
B.A. Response (May 2025):
Dear Mr Mac
An update from British Airways
We’re sorry it was necessary to delay your flight to London Heathrow on xx October 2024 and understand why you needed to get in contact about this. We take all reasonable measures to avoid delaying a flight, and we’ll always consider if there are any alternative solutions available before we make a decision. We'd also like to thank you for your patience while we got back to you about this.
We've checked again and your claim's been refused because British Airways didn’t operate flight BA1234 code share, IB1234 operating code, on xx October 2024, your flight was operated by Iberia. Please contact Iberia, to resolve your claim.
Best regards
Florentina
British Airways Customer Relations
Ninth email to B.A. (May2025):
Dear Customer Relations,
You obviously have not read my last email. Can you at least explain to me why you offered to pay for my out-of-pocket expenses and then
withdrew the offer?
And I would like to speak to someone more senior to resolve this issue.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Mac
B.A. Response (May2025):
Dear Mr
An update from British Airways
We’re sorry it was necessary to delay your flight to London Heathrow on xx October 2024 and understand why you needed to get in contact about this. We take all reasonable measures to avoid delaying a flight, and we’ll always consider if there are any alternative solutions available before we make a decision. We'd also like to thank you for your patience while we got back to you about this.
We've checked again and your claim's been refused because British Airways didn’t operate flight BA1234 code share, IB1234 operating code, on xx October 2024, your flight was operated by Iberia. Please contact Iberia, to resolve your claim. (The) Previous offer (sic) was wrongly made by the agent so that )sic) it was withdrew withdrawn (sic) after further checks.
If you would like to know more about compensation, please visit our pages on ba.com. I've already passed this issue to the specialized team and manager to prevent further same such experiences.
Once again, we're sorry for your experience this time.
Best regards
Florentina
British Airways Customer Relations
Tenth email to B.A. (May 2025):
Dear Customer Relations,
I quote from your email below:
We are happy to pay £68.20 towards your out-of-pocket expenses.
............
Please keep to your word and refund me for my out-of-pocket expenses. I have already provided you with my bank details as you requested.
My missing the flight was due to British Airways as I have explained to you several times already in my emails. Please do not send me another “cut and paste” reply passing the buck to Iberia.
I would like the manager within the department to respond to me because so far, (and it's now been seven months of this), the customer service has been abysmal.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Mac
B.A. Response (May 2025):
Dear Mr
Your claim from British Airways
We’re sorry your flight was delayed during your recent trip to London Heathrow. We understand why you needed to get in touch with us. We’d also like to thank you for your patience while we got back to you about this.
We've looked into what happened and checked the relevant legislation and we’re unable to pay your claim this time. This is because we aren’t legally responsible for the delay as flight was operated by Iberia. We appreciate this won’t be what you’re hoping for.
You may be able to claim through your travel insurer and operating carrier. If you need me to send you any information to support your claim, please let me know but after you contact them.
Thanks for taking the time to let us know about this. I’ve passed your comments to the relevant managers, and we’ll be using them to help us improve our service.
Once again, I’m sorry you had this experience on your trip, and that we couldn’t be more help this time.
Best regards
Florentina
British Airways Customer Relations
Eleventh email to B.A. (May 2025):
Dear Customer Relations,
I would like to speak to the manager of your department to resolve this. You have completely ignored everything I have said over the last seven months.
As I I have told you repeatedly, it is because of British Airways that I missed my flight. Had it not been for the unhelpful British Airways assistant and being prematurely removed from the passenger list, I would have made the flight. So please do not pass the blame onto Iberia. I bought my ticket via British Airways.
I have showed you several times the email from your colleague who said that British Airways was “happy to refund my out-of-pocket expenses”. You have my bank details and I expect you to keep to your word.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Mac
B.A. Response (May 2025):
Dear Mr
An update from British Airways
I’m sorry we’ve been unable to settle your claim for the delayed flight during your recent trip to London Heathrow. Thank you for sending through all information and documents.
We’ve looked at your claim again and we are confident that we are not legally responsible or at fault for the delay of the flight operated by other (sic) the other carrier and therefore we aren’t liable for the costs you’re claiming. We do appreciate how strongly you feel about this but we’re unable to assess your claim any further.
We always welcome feedback, as it helps us understand what we need to focus on, so thank you for taking the time to let us know about this.
I’m sorry this isn’t the answer you were hoping for. If there’s anything else I can help you with, please contact me directly.
Best regards
Florentina
British Airways Customer Relations
Twelfth email to B.A. (May2025):
Dear Florentina / Customer Relations,
Your colleagues at Customer Relations Mohd Xxxx and Rushikesh both offered to pay me for my out-of-pocket expenses. Karan, who is a member of BA ground staff, also told me on the night of my missed connection that I would be refunded via Customer Relations. You have failed to explain why British Airways reneges on promises that they make to passengers.
You have also failed, once again, to address the fact that it was the actions of British Airways staff that caused me to miss my connection.
I also asked to speak to the person in charge at Customer Relations and you refuse to do so.
I would also advise you to pay more attention when copying and pasting standard sentences in your replies. You failed to address me by my name in your last two emails, starting them with “Dear Mr”.
This time, please address and resolve these issues fully.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Mac
B.A Response (June 2025)::
Dear Mr Mac
An update from British Airways
We’re sorry it was necessary your flight operated by Iberia on xx October 2024 to be delayed and we understand why you needed to get in contact about this. We'd also like to thank you for your patience while we got back to you about this.
Your claim for compensation has been refused because IB1234 on xx October 2024 was delayed only 22-minutes. As the delay was less than two hours, it does not meet the minimum threshold for compensation under EC261/2004 and is therefore not eligible for indemnification. We've been advised to inform you accordingly.
Once again, please accept our apologies for your experience on this trip. We hope to welcome you back on board soon.
Best regards
Florentina
British Airways Customer Relations
Thirteenth email to B.A. (June 2025):
Dear Customer Relations,
I would like to speak to the senior manager in charge of the department. I have repeatedly made this request before but thus far, as with everything else over the last nine months, has been ignored.
You also told me repeatedly that I should get in touch with Iberia despite knowing that the delay was less than two hours. Now you inform me that the delay was "only 22 minutes", which would have given me ample time to make the connecting flight. So it appears that you now admit that, as I have always told you, my missing the flight was due to British Airways (the lack of help from Agata, the British Airways employee at the boarding pass gates and my removal from the passenger list well before the boarding gate had closed). I am still waiting for you to address this issue. Please do not continue to just ignore it.
You have again failed to explain why you have reneged on the promise made by three British Airways employees to reimburse me for the taxi fares. Why did British Airways provide me with hotel accommodation and meal vouchers if they were not at fault?
I have wasted so much time these last nine months writing to you, I now feel that I should be compensated for this time. If you do not refund my out-of-pocket expenses as you promised and fully answer my questions, I will be taking this matter further.
Yours sincerely,
Graham Mac
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