Furious passengers say BA is a ‘disgrace’ after email error saying flights are cancelled means they’ve had to pay for flights TWICE
BRITISH Airways customers are furious after an mistake left some travellers paying for two flights to the same destination unnecessarily.
The mistake saw the airline contact customers saying that their flights were cancelled when actually they were going ahead.
The email said that customers would need to rebook those flights causing plenty of people to pay for new travel arrangements to make sure holiday plans could go ahead.
By the time the airline realised its mistake and contacted its passengers some of them had already shelled out for replacement fights.
Since then, people have taken to social media to vent their fury at the bungle.
Baba said that the company's series of errors is a disgrace.
He tweeted: "Email in the morning about my flight cancelled. I've spent hours/ money to re-book, in the evening another email: "We’re pleased to update you that your flight will now be operating as originally planned."
What an absolute disgrace!!"
Kaanthan said: "Got your email that our flight is cancelled. We spent a few hours last night sorting alternative flights out last night with another airline.
"I’ve requested a refund but another member of the travelling party got an email saying the flight is now happening..."
Annabelle added: "I received an email saying my flight on 11 September was cancelled. I rebooked with another airline and then received an email to say my original flight was going ahead.
"Please confirm that you will be processing my refund."
Ian said: "Now I have received an email to advise that the original flights have been re-instated and I now have too many flights in my booking which I cant change on-line.
"I am on hold again trying to resolve."
Even more confusingly some customers have had emails saying that flights have been reinstated, but they're still showing as cancelled in the app.
There are also reports of flights disappearing and reappearing several times.
Hayley said: "Please can you clarify if flight MN4HH6 from Kingston Jamaica on the 9th September is cancelled or not, went on this morning it was back on now it’s cancelled again?? So confused & need to know ASAP."
And Phil tweeted: "BA0297 To Chicago on 11/09/2019 at 16:05. Email says not cancelled. My bookings in app says cancelled! Which is it? #shambles."
With only 14 days until the first strike date on September 9, customers have been left in limbo, wondering whether or not to purchase new flights.
Meanwhile customers are reporting that British Airways is selling seats on cancelled flights for ten times the price.
The Sun has asked how many customers received the incorrect email and will update this story when we know more.
British Airways said: "We are sorry that some customers received an email in error to say that their flight had been cancelled on non-strike days.
"We emailed all those customers within a few hours to clarify that their flight will go ahead as planned.
"We are sorry for any confusion and inconvenience this has caused.
"We would encourage anyone who has incurred any expenses as a direct result to get in touch, and we will deal with each case on an individual basis."
The company received 38,000 calls and 33,000 tweets from customers asking for help in the first 24 hours.
The peak for calls was 8.30-9pm last night, when the rate was nine times higher than a normal Friday night.
There are more than 500 Customer Relations colleagues working this weekend to help customers.
How compensation works for cancelled flights
CITIZENS Advice say that customers whose flights have been cancelled are entitled to either a replacement flight or a full refund.
The refund can include other flights from the airline that you won’t use in the same booking such as onward or return flights.
Ask for a refund or replacement at the airport if you can. If not, you can claim from the airline later.
You also have a legal right to:
- help with costs - if the cancellation delays you two or more hours
- compensation - if you’d be delayed two or more hours by the replacement flight offered and you were given less than two weeks' notice.
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