British Airways Customers Got Mid-Air Email Cancelling Their Connection

It’s always upsetting to learn that your flight has been cancelled. What could be more aggravating? Receiving notice mid-flight, on the first leg of your journey, that the second portion of your flight has been cancelled.

That happened to a trio of British Airways passengers last week, in an incident first reported by Business Insider.

The three golf aficionados were on their way to the British Open through Austin, Texas, where they boarded a flight bound for London’s Heathrow Airport. They were supposed to go on to Edinburgh from there. The London-Edinburgh flight was cancelled, and passengers were notified by email shortly after the first jet took off — but they didn’t receive it until they arrived in London.

“We were unable to rebook your flight from LHR to EDI,” read the email from American Airlines (AAL). The party purchased tickets through American Airlines as part of a codeshare agreement with British Airways, which operated both flights.

The email said, “please call to schedule a new flight.” Finally, the travellers took a train to Edinburgh without their luggage, arriving roughly 12 hours late.

“These flights were operated by British Airways; therefore, you would need to contact them for details,” said American Airlines, which sold the tickets and sent the email.

Heathrow Airport in London, one of the busiest in the world, has been beset by severe delays in recent weeks. The airport has recommended airlines reduce traffic by stopping ticket sales, but some airlines, including Emirates, have opposed the approach and stated that they would not limit passenger capacity.

Source: CNN