British Airways Faces Criticism Over Insensitive Bereavement Policy
A British woman has spoken out about her deeply distressing experience with British Airways after the airline allegedly told her she would need to provide her father's death certificate to receive a refund for flights home – despite the fact he was still alive at the time of the request.
A Holiday Interrupted by Devastating News
Liz Horne, 61, from Bristol, was enjoying a long-awaited bucket list holiday in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with her husband Nevil, 63, when she received a devastating call on November 29. Her 88-year-old father, Kevin Duvall, who had been battling dementia for six years, had taken a turn for the worse and was gravely ill.
"I was shocked," Liz recalled. "I'd only seen him a few days before I left. I processed it for a minute and thought I need to go and be with him." The couple were ten days into their three-week getaway when Liz made the immediate decision to return home to be by her father's side.
The Shocking Customer Service Exchange
Having already paid £3,500 for two business-class return tickets to the UK, Liz contacted British Airways customer services to see if she could swap their seats for an earlier flight. What followed was an exchange she describes as "shocking and insensitive."
"They said on the phone 'send us the death certificate and then you'll be able to make the claim'," Liz explained. "And I said 'but he's not dead yet'. It was quite shocking. I think I was quite numb. It was rather insensitive. There wasn't any empathy."
Liz claims the operator advised her to book two new tickets at a cost of £2,500 and then claim a refund for the original tickets after submitting the death certificate. She was horrified at the implication and the lack of basic care shown during a highly emotional time.
A Race Against Time and Bureaucracy
Faced with no alternative, Liz paid the £2,500 for the new flights and returned to the UK. She arrived home just two days before her father sadly passed away on December 1.
In the grief-stricken days that followed, while organising her father's funeral, Liz began the arduous process of liaising with BA for the refund on her original £3,500 tickets. She claims this involved sending her father's death certificate to the airline on four separate occasions over the following month, alongside multiple phone calls and emails.
"There was just a lot of insensitivity and bureaucracy," she said. "I'd sent the death certificate on four occasions and still got asked to send it again. They agreed they could refund the £3,500 on the phone but I haven't seen the money yet."
Broken Trust and a Vow Never to Fly BA Again
The entire ordeal has left Liz resolute in her decision to never fly with British Airways again. She expressed deep disappointment in an airline she once trusted as a "great British institution."
"BA just added to all those stresses," she stated. "I later found out that there's a bereavement line that BA should've referred me to and they would've sorted it. I'll never fly BA again after all the stress and anxiety they have added to an already very difficult time."
She added: "You're paying a lot of money for a flight - you want something you can rely on."
British Airways Responds
When approached for comment, a British Airways spokesperson acknowledged the shortcomings in their service.
"We know how stressful it must be to receive difficult news about a family member whilst abroad, and our teams work very hard to get people home as quickly as possible when this happens," the spokesperson said. "On this occasion, our customer's experience fell short of expectation, and we are in touch with them directly to resolve this matter."
The case highlights significant concerns about customer service protocols and empathy within major airlines, particularly when dealing with passengers facing family emergencies and bereavement.
