[50047]

This letter has been sent to BA and still awaits response. A litany of fiasco, farce and failure. A ruined wedding and damaged friendships to boot, Thanks BA......

Sir

I must write to you regarding two separate journeys made with your airline which have been an abysmal fiasco which has nothing short of ruined a long planned and highly expensive holiday which my family and I have been looking forward to and saving for for well over a year.


The first journey was made by my wife, elderly mother in law (traveling one way to Cebu), two daughters (8 and 1), and son (5 months). Their journey started with BA0025 from Heathrow T5 departing on 4th November 2010, changing at Hong Kong to a Cathay Pacific flight to Cebu. Connection time should have been 1hr and 40mins. Their names for your records, Cheriane Hall, Carmencita Laput, Gherrie-Mari Laput (8), Jayne Laput-Hall (1) and Christopher Laput-Hall (5 months). I took a day off work and drove them to Heathrow T5 and stayed with them until they passed through security. Some days before arriving at Heathrow I rang and reserved appropriate seats for them so that was one less worry on arrival. We arrived at Heathrow T5 approx 14.30, long before the18.40 departure time. From this point on all went wrong for them. At check in the staff were unable to check my mother in law and Christopher all the way through to Cebu, instead only as far as Hong Kong where they would need to collect their luggage and check in again for the next leg through to Cebu. Not an easy thing with kids and their needs such as bags, as well as being elderly and having difficulty walking.

After an hour of trying we then established to get them booked right through it transpired that the seat reservations had been changed and now my family were scattered all over the airplane with not a single bassinette allocated. After much debate and being sent again to join another long queue this was changed back again to something more sensible. Eventually they passed through security but I waited before setting off home to ensure that all was well. My wife texted me an hour later to say the flight was going to be two hours late and that they had to go on a bus to the aircraft. No assistance was offered and all this with no buggies, which we were told, had to be checked in. They arrived at Hong Kong approx 1 hr late and were rushed through to the Cathay flight, all that is except my mother in law and Christopher who were told that they had to stay as they were not checked through to Cebu, and would be staying overnight in Hong Kong! After even more rushing this was sorted out and they managed to catch the flight. Sadly their luggage didn’t and after such a poor performance they then had to drive 50 miles back from our house in Talisay the next day (near Cebu), on the possibility that the luggage had arrived, No one could tell them if it would arrive the next day but somehow it did. My wife also tells me that the staff on the BA flight were totally inattentive, did not respond for calls to help, offered no assistance with the children, no sympathy or reassurance with their concerns about the connection. All in all, a disgrace. All this I expect of Ryanair, not BA!

And now for my flight, which was also a fiasco, but on a different scale.
I set off on December 4th from Heathrow with exactly the same itinerary. On the 6th I was to best man at a dear friends wedding at a resort in Lapu-Lapu (nearCebu), Start time for the wedding was 15.00.
My flight was delayed from 18.40 until 20,15 ish but left later than that. I also had the same concerns regarding connections but was assured after several inquiries that the connection would be fine. I pointed out that my suit was in the luggage and that that must also make the connection. Arrival at Hong Kong was some 40 minutes late. I have a question for the staff on BA0025. Why did it take seven calls to get one single glass of water. Pathetic. Also you may wish to consider providing headphones that enable people to actually listen to the entertainment as even on max volume, the sound of rushing air drowned out everything else.

On arrival at Hong Kong I was herded into a group with no explanation. After being ignored for 15 minutes it transpired that Cathay were not going to wait for me. Why waist 15 minutes?! I could have caught the flight easily in the time I had if I had been allowed to proceed.

We were then escorted to a desk were I explained my concerns, I was told that the next flight to Cebu was 16.00 the following day. Not a lot of good when you have to be somewhere at 15.00 the next day! After much debate, and I do mean a lot, I was offered a night flight to Manila and then 7 hours on the floor there for a flight to Cebu. Yes, on the floor! No hotel was offered because BA has no agreement with any hotels in Manila. I suggest you get one. This then transpired to be on stand by so no guarantees even of that. I was then offered the same flight but then only 5 hours on the floor at Manila. So there was an earlier flight from Manila begging the question why wasn’t that offered in the first place? Still no good though. Would you spend the night on an airport floor the day before your being your best friends best man? After an hour of further debate I was then told that there WAS a flight to Cebu that evening but…………I would have to pay for it and then ‘write to BA and maybe they will refund it’. Maybe?! This made me really angry. I could take it no longer and after several very expensive long distance phone calls my friend began to arrange for another best man. I have never been so down trodden. I accepted the hotel and meal vouchers and agreed to a flight the following day via Manila with arrival in Cebu at 13.55. This was written down for me. At least with a taxi I stood a chance of being there even if not as best man.

The next day I returned to the airport to check in with Cathay. They said I would need to rebook in Manila as the carrier from Manila to Cebu was a different airline. More hassle. I then went for breakfast with the voucher which was duly then refused as it had the wrong date on it. Thank you for that embarrassment. So no meal then. I was sent to BA customer services which was closed until night time! So why send me there then? I gave up and carried on towards the flight to Manila.

On arrival at Manila it transpired that the Cebu flight was from another terminal and I should go there on a shuttle bus. I was unable to board this, as the queue must have been 200 deep and no sign of a bus. I took a taxi as time was pressing. I withdrew some cash for this and have been charged 7 pounds by my bank for the pleasure, plus .34 p commission. The taxi should have been 70 pesos but the driver wanted 500pesos. I was too tired and in too much of a rush to argue. At check in with Philippines airlines I was told my luggage was too heavy so had to leave some gifts in Manila. I remonstrated but they just told me to contact BA. Thank you for that further embarrassment and meaningless reassurances, as well as 20 pounds worth of abandoned gifts. I was then charged 200pesos airport tax, something which BA in Hong Kong assured me wouldn’t happen. But like everything else I was told this transpired to be incorrect, as did the arrival time in Cebu, which was actually scheduled at 14.55. I had 5 minutes to change and travel 20 miles by taxi only for the flight to be late anyway and for me to arrive after the ceremony was completed.

My wife, kids and I are returning on 5th January 2011 from Cebu to Hong Kong with Cathay. From there we are taking BA0028 to London Heathrow. You have no idea how much we are dreading it. My wife was in tears for days after my arrival. My friend is angry with me and we now have to fly again with you in January. You have ruined a long dreamed of holiday for many people and have to wonder what we must face next. I look forward to your response with further trepidation.

Thank you






Unless suitable action is taken with a suitable response this will deffo be the last time I go anywhere near BA, and will make sure others know of this too.