Derrick and Sheila Gordon from Oldham were left more than £1,040 out of pocket after being denied boarding on a British Airways flight from Heathrow to Los Angeles in December 2021. The couple, travelling to see their son Christopher for the first time in two years, arrived late for their connecting flight due to delays at Manchester Airport caused by additional immigration and customs checks.
Despite being told by the pilot that their next flight would wait, they were not allowed to board. They were offered an alternative flight 24 hours later but had to pay £70 for new PCR tests as their previous ones had expired. Mr Gordon described the experience as 'disastrous', noting a lack of customer service and a damaged suitcase.
On the rescheduled flight, Mr Gordon found his seat broken and unsteady. After protesting, the couple were upgraded to business class. However, they lost a day of their holiday and had to cancel plans. Nearly four months later, they have been unable to secure a refund or compensation from British Airways.
A British Airways spokesperson said: 'We are sorry that our customers were delayed... We got them on the next available flight and provided overnight accommodation. Our crew... looked after them and we have been in contact with the customer to resolve the matter.' Mr Gordon said the airline has agreed to refund the cost of the Covid tests but has not mentioned compensation for the delayed flights.
