Problems on a diverted flight from Hong Kong
Apr 23, 2024, 6:11 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2024
Posts: 4
Problems on a diverted flight from Hong Kong
Grateful for any advice on this,
Briefly, departed on BA 032 Hong Kong to LHR flight. Got to within 4 hours of LHR but due to a problem with the plane we’re then diverted to Dubai! Before landing cabin crew notified a number of business class passengers around me (presumably Gold Card members) that upon landing they should proceed to transfers where they would be re-scheduled on the 10.00 am BA flight to LHR. The rest of us were ushered through arrivals and immigration. We were met by ground staff ( not BA staff) and transported to a hotel where we were told that BA staff would greet us and explain. No BA staff on arrival at hotel and no information on options.
BA fly 3 times a day from Dubai to LHR (including the 10 am flight) and in the meantime I had checked and confirmed there was availability on all 3 flights. 3 hours later at hotel, and with no update, I began calling the executive to transfer to one of their scheduled flights. On three separate occasions, after inordinate delays on the phone, I was told they would not transfer me but could not update me about the original flight. Some 3 hours later, and on the 4th attempt, a customer service operator agreed to ‘reserve’ tickets for me to collect at check in for the 02.00 hrs flight, which we took.
long and the short of it, arrived 24 hours late and with an astonishing 700 pounds phone bill for the hours on the phone with BA executive club. I’ve heard from other passengers that the original flight did take off the following morning, but they were only informed/confirmed some 14 hours after arrival in `Dubai.
apologies for the long winded tale, but any thoughts ?
Briefly, departed on BA 032 Hong Kong to LHR flight. Got to within 4 hours of LHR but due to a problem with the plane we’re then diverted to Dubai! Before landing cabin crew notified a number of business class passengers around me (presumably Gold Card members) that upon landing they should proceed to transfers where they would be re-scheduled on the 10.00 am BA flight to LHR. The rest of us were ushered through arrivals and immigration. We were met by ground staff ( not BA staff) and transported to a hotel where we were told that BA staff would greet us and explain. No BA staff on arrival at hotel and no information on options.
BA fly 3 times a day from Dubai to LHR (including the 10 am flight) and in the meantime I had checked and confirmed there was availability on all 3 flights. 3 hours later at hotel, and with no update, I began calling the executive to transfer to one of their scheduled flights. On three separate occasions, after inordinate delays on the phone, I was told they would not transfer me but could not update me about the original flight. Some 3 hours later, and on the 4th attempt, a customer service operator agreed to ‘reserve’ tickets for me to collect at check in for the 02.00 hrs flight, which we took.
long and the short of it, arrived 24 hours late and with an astonishing 700 pounds phone bill for the hours on the phone with BA executive club. I’ve heard from other passengers that the original flight did take off the following morning, but they were only informed/confirmed some 14 hours after arrival in `Dubai.
apologies for the long winded tale, but any thoughts ?
Apr 23, 2024, 6:15 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2014
Programs: BAEC, VS Flying Club
Posts: 799
My initial thought is why did you spend £700 on phone calls?
Skype or similar is your friend.
The good news is under UK261 legislation you’re entitled to two free phone calls in the event of a lengthy delay, so you should be able to get the two most expensive calls refunded once you submit your phone bill.
You’re also entitled to claim for food and non-alcoholic drinks you paid for yourself during the delay.
And have you put in a claim for delay compensation? You should be entitled to £520.
Skype or similar is your friend.
The good news is under UK261 legislation you’re entitled to two free phone calls in the event of a lengthy delay, so you should be able to get the two most expensive calls refunded once you submit your phone bill.
You’re also entitled to claim for food and non-alcoholic drinks you paid for yourself during the delay.
And have you put in a claim for delay compensation? You should be entitled to £520.
Last edited by GumshoeW12; Apr 23, 2024 at 6:45 pm
Apr 23, 2024, 6:27 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA ExPl, DL PM, UA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, probably some others
Posts: 4,109
Grateful for any advice on this,
Briefly, departed on BA 032 Hong Kong to LHR flight. Got to within 4 hours of LHR but due to a problem with the plane we’re then diverted to Dubai! Before landing cabin crew notified a number of business class passengers around me (presumably Gold Card members) that upon landing they should proceed to transfers where they would be re-scheduled on the 10.00 am BA flight to LHR. The rest of us were ushered through arrivals and immigration. We were met by ground staff ( not BA staff) and transported to a hotel where we were told that BA staff would greet us and explain. No BA staff on arrival at hotel and no information on options.
BA fly 3 times a day from Dubai to LHR (including the 10 am flight) and in the meantime I had checked and confirmed there was availability on all 3 flights. 3 hours later at hotel, and with no update, I began calling the executive to transfer to one of their scheduled flights. On three separate occasions, after inordinate delays on the phone, I was told they would not transfer me but could not update me about the original flight. Some 3 hours later, and on the 4th attempt, a customer service operator agreed to ‘reserve’ tickets for me to collect at check in for the 02.00 hrs flight, which we took.
long and the short of it, arrived 24 hours late and with an astonishing 700 pounds phone bill for the hours on the phone with BA executive club. I’ve heard from other passengers that the original flight did take off the following morning, but they were only informed/confirmed some 14 hours after arrival in `Dubai.
apologies for the long winded tale, but any thoughts ?
Briefly, departed on BA 032 Hong Kong to LHR flight. Got to within 4 hours of LHR but due to a problem with the plane we’re then diverted to Dubai! Before landing cabin crew notified a number of business class passengers around me (presumably Gold Card members) that upon landing they should proceed to transfers where they would be re-scheduled on the 10.00 am BA flight to LHR. The rest of us were ushered through arrivals and immigration. We were met by ground staff ( not BA staff) and transported to a hotel where we were told that BA staff would greet us and explain. No BA staff on arrival at hotel and no information on options.
BA fly 3 times a day from Dubai to LHR (including the 10 am flight) and in the meantime I had checked and confirmed there was availability on all 3 flights. 3 hours later at hotel, and with no update, I began calling the executive to transfer to one of their scheduled flights. On three separate occasions, after inordinate delays on the phone, I was told they would not transfer me but could not update me about the original flight. Some 3 hours later, and on the 4th attempt, a customer service operator agreed to ‘reserve’ tickets for me to collect at check in for the 02.00 hrs flight, which we took.
long and the short of it, arrived 24 hours late and with an astonishing 700 pounds phone bill for the hours on the phone with BA executive club. I’ve heard from other passengers that the original flight did take off the following morning, but they were only informed/confirmed some 14 hours after arrival in `Dubai.
apologies for the long winded tale, but any thoughts ?
With regards to "any thoughts", can you be more specific about what you're hoping to discuss? It doesn't sound pleasant, but these issues can happen when a plane has a technical issue.
Apr 23, 2024, 8:00 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,609
While probably not what you're wanting to hear, this is the reality of what happens in the course of a flight diversion.
You mention being 4 hours out of London but you don't mention how far out of Dubai the flight was at point of diversion, therefore there could have been precious little time for BA to coordinate all the necessary services for a plane load of stranded passengers (hotels, ground transportation, meals etc..) and to either send a replacement aircraft/crew or re accommodate on locally departing flights before you landed. You can see what a logistical nightmare a diversion involves not just for you but for the airline.
BA also don't have their own ground staff at Dubai. Everything is outsourced to Dnata ... their handling agent so I imagine there may have been capacity constraints here too and collectively why perhaps communication wasn't as slick as you'd have liked.
BA's normally quite good in communicating with passengers providing you've entered your mobile number and email in to your booking but this won't necessarily be instantaneous or on a 1/1 basis. In other words group communication will be sent to all affected passengers when there is sufficient and useful information to share. Until then there may be radio silence... this doesn't mean you're being ignored or forgotten.
I think it was a nice touch that your BA crew were able to confirm to some that their bookings had already been reprotected on to the 10am departure .... before the flight had even touched down in Dubai. It shows me the airline was already aware and working the diversion at that point, it's just disappointing you weren't one of the those passengers I suppose. There also won't have necessarily been the availability to protect everyone on to scheduled services to depart immediately, especially in the aftermath of the recent floods where there'll likely be only a handful of seats here and there on any given flight. BA was certainly overbooked at the weekend in the aftermath of the flooding and subsequent diversions/cancellations that event incurred so I'm not entirely convinced there was quite the capacity of availability that you suggest. If BA could have reprotected everyone onto the 10am departure they would have done.
I certainly wouldn't have run up a £700 phone bill trying to 'sort' something that will ultimately have been (and was being) sorted anyway. You're able to submit reasonable expenses (with receipts) to BA for a phonecall in the event of delay and diversion under their duty of care policy... not quite sure they'll accept £700 as reasonable however but there's no harm in chancing your arm and seeing what happens.
As others have mentioned you're likely to be entitled to the UK261 compensation of £520 for the delayed arrival if you submit your request for this to BA. This is separate to the above.
If BA did reprotect you on to the BA106 departing at 0130 then completely separately to everything that's gone on, you're likely to get the Avios/Tier points for both the diverted BA32 HKG-LHR as well as the BA106 DXB-LHR... so seeing this as a double dip, coupled with the eligibe compensation, I see this as not being too bad in the great scheme of things.
Diversions can and do happen on occasions. However providing you allow sufficient time for things to be put in place and appreciate it's not going to be instantaneous or on a personable 1/1 basis with someone reaching out specifically to you, BA's probably one of the better airlines you'd want to be flying with when this happens. Others might have left you high and dry to fend for yourself (American) while non UK/EU carriers do not have the delay compensation in place to protect you for events like this (Cathay for example) had it happened to them.
EDIT
Also when is this diversion meant to have happened? There's no BA32 diversion listed on FR24 in the last 7 days.
You mention being 4 hours out of London but you don't mention how far out of Dubai the flight was at point of diversion, therefore there could have been precious little time for BA to coordinate all the necessary services for a plane load of stranded passengers (hotels, ground transportation, meals etc..) and to either send a replacement aircraft/crew or re accommodate on locally departing flights before you landed. You can see what a logistical nightmare a diversion involves not just for you but for the airline.
BA also don't have their own ground staff at Dubai. Everything is outsourced to Dnata ... their handling agent so I imagine there may have been capacity constraints here too and collectively why perhaps communication wasn't as slick as you'd have liked.
BA's normally quite good in communicating with passengers providing you've entered your mobile number and email in to your booking but this won't necessarily be instantaneous or on a 1/1 basis. In other words group communication will be sent to all affected passengers when there is sufficient and useful information to share. Until then there may be radio silence... this doesn't mean you're being ignored or forgotten.
I think it was a nice touch that your BA crew were able to confirm to some that their bookings had already been reprotected on to the 10am departure .... before the flight had even touched down in Dubai. It shows me the airline was already aware and working the diversion at that point, it's just disappointing you weren't one of the those passengers I suppose. There also won't have necessarily been the availability to protect everyone on to scheduled services to depart immediately, especially in the aftermath of the recent floods where there'll likely be only a handful of seats here and there on any given flight. BA was certainly overbooked at the weekend in the aftermath of the flooding and subsequent diversions/cancellations that event incurred so I'm not entirely convinced there was quite the capacity of availability that you suggest. If BA could have reprotected everyone onto the 10am departure they would have done.
I certainly wouldn't have run up a £700 phone bill trying to 'sort' something that will ultimately have been (and was being) sorted anyway. You're able to submit reasonable expenses (with receipts) to BA for a phonecall in the event of delay and diversion under their duty of care policy... not quite sure they'll accept £700 as reasonable however but there's no harm in chancing your arm and seeing what happens.
As others have mentioned you're likely to be entitled to the UK261 compensation of £520 for the delayed arrival if you submit your request for this to BA. This is separate to the above.
If BA did reprotect you on to the BA106 departing at 0130 then completely separately to everything that's gone on, you're likely to get the Avios/Tier points for both the diverted BA32 HKG-LHR as well as the BA106 DXB-LHR... so seeing this as a double dip, coupled with the eligibe compensation, I see this as not being too bad in the great scheme of things.
Diversions can and do happen on occasions. However providing you allow sufficient time for things to be put in place and appreciate it's not going to be instantaneous or on a personable 1/1 basis with someone reaching out specifically to you, BA's probably one of the better airlines you'd want to be flying with when this happens. Others might have left you high and dry to fend for yourself (American) while non UK/EU carriers do not have the delay compensation in place to protect you for events like this (Cathay for example) had it happened to them.
EDIT
Also when is this diversion meant to have happened? There's no BA32 diversion listed on FR24 in the last 7 days.
Last edited by 1Aturnleft; Apr 23, 2024 at 8:50 pm
Apr 23, 2024, 8:43 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Brisbane
Programs: BAEC Blue/Bronze, Krisflyer, Qantas
Posts: 421
Oh dear, i've only had a few flights cancelled while at the airport but each time I have had an onwards booking in my app before leaving the airport for a hotel. Maybe the procedures are different on a redirect?
Apr 23, 2024, 9:12 pm
#6
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,810
I take it OP is not a very experienced traveller, has no status and redeemed the ticket with BA Executive Club.
There's not much more OP could have expected. In case of IRROPs he is at the mercy of the operating airline unless he has the ability to sort himself out or get the travel agency to do so. Tthe travel agency in this case is BAEC, which as Blue is a fat load of good. Go claim BA for the GBP 520 and the two most expensive phone calls as entitled under UK261 as suggested above.
There's not much more OP could have expected. In case of IRROPs he is at the mercy of the operating airline unless he has the ability to sort himself out or get the travel agency to do so. Tthe travel agency in this case is BAEC, which as Blue is a fat load of good. Go claim BA for the GBP 520 and the two most expensive phone calls as entitled under UK261 as suggested above.
Apr 23, 2024, 9:33 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Bay Area - East Bay
Programs: UA 1k, AS 75k, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 643
While I agree it was naive of OP to run up such a phone bill on (presumably) the hotel phone, it sounds like the lack of communication was pretty egregious. It's not hard to send out a group email with a general update, even if that update is "we don't know yet", and any pax on a diverted flight should have had no problem getting onto the first available alternative flight via phone agent or even online change.
Apr 23, 2024, 9:48 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,609
The status of the travel ticket will be in flown status (ie the beep you hear when your boarding pass is scanned on boarding the flight). OP was enroute between HKG-LHR at this point. What airline is realistically going to allow you change that out easily to DXB-LHR either by phone or online when you're already enroute?
It's only by virtue the diversion was to a city served by BA. Freeing up a booking to fly something different than booked is a very manual process which takes time. It is possible and appears did happen but it takes time.
Most irrops will involve repatriating collectively the entire flight on a rescue aircraft.
Apr 23, 2024, 10:02 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Bay Area - East Bay
Programs: UA 1k, AS 75k, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 643
Why would you think that?
The status of the travel ticket will be in flown status (ie the beep you hear when your boarding pass is scanned on boarding the flight). OP was enroute between HKG-LHR at this point. What airline is realistically going to allow you change that out easily to DXB-LHR either by phone or online?
It's only by virtue the diversion was to a city served by BA. Freeing up a booking to fly something different than booked is a very manual process which takes time. It is possible and did happen but it takes time.
The status of the travel ticket will be in flown status (ie the beep you hear when your boarding pass is scanned on boarding the flight). OP was enroute between HKG-LHR at this point. What airline is realistically going to allow you change that out easily to DXB-LHR either by phone or online?
It's only by virtue the diversion was to a city served by BA. Freeing up a booking to fly something different than booked is a very manual process which takes time. It is possible and did happen but it takes time.
Apr 23, 2024, 11:06 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,747
I suspect the OP probably had no idea it was going to cost that much at the time.
An example from my travels, I'm Canadian and when I travel to the UK I can buy a travel package from my mobile phone provider that extends my home plan to cover when I'm in the UK. All great. I parked on the street in Richmond where I had to phone in to register to pay for parking. It was an 020 number, so I thought no problem. Of course it's voice to text and it failed to understand me, and on the second and third times dropped the call, so I gave up. When I get home and get the phone bill I get charges for $60 for calls to Cairo - for the parking calls, as Egypt isn't on my phone plan. How would I have known I wasn't actually calling a local London number?
An example from my travels, I'm Canadian and when I travel to the UK I can buy a travel package from my mobile phone provider that extends my home plan to cover when I'm in the UK. All great. I parked on the street in Richmond where I had to phone in to register to pay for parking. It was an 020 number, so I thought no problem. Of course it's voice to text and it failed to understand me, and on the second and third times dropped the call, so I gave up. When I get home and get the phone bill I get charges for $60 for calls to Cairo - for the parking calls, as Egypt isn't on my phone plan. How would I have known I wasn't actually calling a local London number?
Apr 23, 2024, 11:19 pm
#11
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 1,905
Other posters have suggested Skype, which is correct, but only obvious to a seasoned traveller.
I have installed Skype on my phone and literally the only thing I use it for is phoning BA, either when abroad or when I need to ring a non-UK call centre out of hours.
And I probably wouldn't have even done that if I hadn't heard people talking about it on FT.
Apr 23, 2024, 11:36 pm
#12
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 19,810
No need to be too concerned about which airline or which origin until OP comes back - there's another version where the airline's not BA and the origin's not HKG. The commonality is DXB diversion and destination LHR.
Apr 23, 2024, 11:39 pm
#13
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,948
Welcome to Flyertalk and welcome to the BA Forum.
Hopefully it won't happen to you again, but if it does have a look at this thread and also consult with this forum, there are usually experts here - some of whom work for BA - who can give very precise information.
Disruption Assistance thread - signposts and what you need to know
And for claiming EC261 and Right to Care:
The 2024 BA compensation thread: Your guide to Regulation EC261 / UK261
The BA Forum Dashboard is the main route map to the information threads in this forum.
So this was a less than ideal situation, I'm not clear if you had the BA App, but increasingly / rightly / wrongly the App is linked to robotics which reschedule people. It doesn't always work (I had an irrop yesterday where the App didn't help) but mostly it does. But you should be able to reciaim all your costs and get EC261 compensation for the delay, just use this link
BA.com/complaints
On the final screen, when the reference number shows up, press the down arrow next to the word "..... feedback" and PDF save the complaint. Despite what it says on the screen you may not receive an email copy.
For the phone call cost, yes that may raise some eyebrows since it's so disproportionate. I hope BA will pay this, but I can't be certain since it really should not have come to that. The reason for having Skype (or one of several alternative products) on your phone is not because you want or need it, it's really because you don't want or don't need it.
Hopefully it won't happen to you again, but if it does have a look at this thread and also consult with this forum, there are usually experts here - some of whom work for BA - who can give very precise information.
Disruption Assistance thread - signposts and what you need to know
And for claiming EC261 and Right to Care:
The 2024 BA compensation thread: Your guide to Regulation EC261 / UK261
The BA Forum Dashboard is the main route map to the information threads in this forum.
So this was a less than ideal situation, I'm not clear if you had the BA App, but increasingly / rightly / wrongly the App is linked to robotics which reschedule people. It doesn't always work (I had an irrop yesterday where the App didn't help) but mostly it does. But you should be able to reciaim all your costs and get EC261 compensation for the delay, just use this link
BA.com/complaints
On the final screen, when the reference number shows up, press the down arrow next to the word "..... feedback" and PDF save the complaint. Despite what it says on the screen you may not receive an email copy.
For the phone call cost, yes that may raise some eyebrows since it's so disproportionate. I hope BA will pay this, but I can't be certain since it really should not have come to that. The reason for having Skype (or one of several alternative products) on your phone is not because you want or need it, it's really because you don't want or don't need it.
Apr 24, 2024, 12:19 am
#14
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,935
I suspect the OP probably had no idea it was going to cost that much at the time.
An example from my travels, I'm Canadian and when I travel to the UK I can buy a travel package from my mobile phone provider that extends my home plan to cover when I'm in the UK. All great. I parked on the street in Richmond where I had to phone in to register to pay for parking. It was an 020 number, so I thought no problem. Of course it's voice to text and it failed to understand me, and on the second and third times dropped the call, so I gave up. When I get home and get the phone bill I get charges for $60 for calls to Cairo - for the parking calls, as Egypt isn't on my phone plan. How would I have known I wasn't actually calling a local London number?
An example from my travels, I'm Canadian and when I travel to the UK I can buy a travel package from my mobile phone provider that extends my home plan to cover when I'm in the UK. All great. I parked on the street in Richmond where I had to phone in to register to pay for parking. It was an 020 number, so I thought no problem. Of course it's voice to text and it failed to understand me, and on the second and third times dropped the call, so I gave up. When I get home and get the phone bill I get charges for $60 for calls to Cairo - for the parking calls, as Egypt isn't on my phone plan. How would I have known I wasn't actually calling a local London number?