[Hktbound]

So rules are rules, albeit new rules but here is what happened to me just before a Christmas on my Miami to Gibraltar trip on British Airways.
I booked a flight from Miami to Heathrow in Club World (chosen to experience the A380) with Avios 9 months ago but there was no availability for my final leg to Gibraltar.

Prior to making the Avios booking I called the Executive Club (I have note of the agents name) who advised I should purchase a flight for the Heathrow-Gibraltar sector allowing a minimum of 90 minutes and the bookings would be linked at Miami and the bags sent directly to Gibraltar. I duly booked the only LHR-GIB flight departing 2 hours and 5 minutes after the scheduled arrival of the Miami flight.

We have done the same many, many times around the world on both One World and Star Alliance itineraries without question or incident.
On arrival at Miami Airport I was informed of a recent policy change where BA will not longer accept separate tickets on BA to BA connections and I needed to send my bags to London and check in again there.

The BA208 was operating almost 2 hours late meaning I would not be able to make the Gibraltar flight and as I would be classed as a no show we would lose our ticket and need to buy a new one just before Christmas and at our expense.

My dispute is that this policy change was made after I has booked my second (very expensive) one way flight from Heathrow to Gibraltar.
I was presented with a situation that was totally not my fault but caused tremendous stress on my journey home for Christmas.

I was aware of the late running Miami flight many hours before so I called BA hours before to voice my concerns as I was happy to take the earlier 17.35 BA flight but although the US Call Centre made a note on my booking nothing was done.

At the airport the duty manager told me this policy has affected many passengers every day and causes terrible issues as it was brought in with no warning. She has sent our report and similar reports daily to London but she has limited flexibility to help.
The key to my complaint was the policy change AFTER telling us to buy 2 tickets BA to BA and after much arguing in the uncomfortable check in area in MIA the manager did the only thing open to her and I was switched to an American Airlines flight which was running on time and we had at least a chance of getting to London in time to reclaim our bags and re-check in to BA.

In order to make the flight we had to run (with 3 bags) a long way and only just made the flight.
If nothing could be done to send myself and my bags to Gibraltar surely The call centre or Airport staff could have switched me to the earlier BA flight or the American flight.

The BA supervisor filed a report and I have written a strongly worded letter to BA but as the Duty Manager told me, there was no chance of me meeting my connection so BA didn’t want the hotel and re-booking to a later flight that was not available.

I’m pleased to say that the American Airlines flight arrived 30 minutes early. I made the connection and saw the A380 arrive on flight tracker as I was boarding the Gibraltar flight and I made it home for Christmas.
I enjoyed the American Airlines business class and I wonder how many people would have argued for an hour or just accepted the situation and missed the connection.
Let’s see if BA even bother to reply to me!
Any advice appreciated.

[FDOS_UK]

I don’t believe that you have recourse to law, because

1- you made your flights, so BA cannot be ordered to ‘perform’ per the policy in place when you booked

2 – you made your flights, so you suffered no loss which could be liquidated

I wouldn’t expect much, if anything from BA.

Therefore, my advice would be do not continue to support a company that reneges on policies.

[SimonS1]

On a point of detail you were not “connecting”. You had two separate journeys booked which is how BA will see it.

Otherwise it seems you got a good result with the change to AA.

Of course it’s very irritating to have conditions unilaterally changed after you have made the booking but that’s what BA is like these days. They have no interest in the paying customer.

All you can do in future is stick to one ticket where your journey will be protected.

[FDOS_UK]

SimonS1

I don’t think that’s quite right (your definition of connecting).

The OP had connecting flights, but not a ‘through ticket’ and therefore no obligation for assistance by the airline in the event of a misconnection.

[MartynSinclair]

“The BA208 was operating almost 2 hours late meaning I would not be able to make the Gibraltar flight and as I would be classed as a no show we would lose our ticket and need to buy a new one”

BA are being very harsh, irrespective of the LHR-GIB terms and conditions, by not allowing a change to this sector…. after all, BA were the sole cause of the OP possibly missing this flight.

When this situation has happened to me in the past (with separate tickets) Flight Connections in T5 were always very accommodating.

[FDOS_UK]

Martyn

I agree with your conclusion that the position was ‘harsh’, however, as the OP (thankfully) made the connection, we will never know if this position would have been maintained at LHR.

However, BA is sending a very clear message at the moment and my take is that you are dealing with the same approach that you would expect from Ryanair.

Would you risk a 2 hour connection between Ryanair flights (no, me neither), so one should not do it on BA, either.

there are two options arising

1 – pay for a through ticket

2 – find another carrier

[SimonS1]

In the OP’s mind he/she had connecting flights.

In BA’s eyes the first journey ended on arrival at LHR.

I think this all ended well for the OP – he/she could have been faced with having to buy new tickets to GIB and/or being stranded.

That has always been the case (whether harsh or not). The bit about not checking bags through is new though.

The same scenario seems to be coming up a bit more with ex EU tickets now, I guess travellers need to determine whether it is worth the risk and the savings.

[FDOS_UK]

SimonS1

In the CAA’s mind, as well as mine, the OP had connecting flights….

https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Before-you-fly/Making-a-booking/Connecting-flights/

but not a through ticket.

BA was not obliged to protect the connection, however whether they were entitled to refuse to check the bags through would need a lawyer’s review.

Once the bookings made under the old policy have cleared, the equation will be clear for ex EU flights – a matter of risk tolerance, though many people prefer to take hand baggage on complex, potentially tricky, itineraries.

[SimonS1]

Exactly. The CAA makes clear they were the OP’s “connections” (hence use of parentheses) but as far as the airline is concerned they were separate contracts.

In the OP’s scenario it is all academic, even if checked through the bags wouldn’t have made the second flight anyway.

If you have separate tickets / reservation references – either because your travel agent has booked your flights or you have put together your own “connections” using separate reservations – these are separate contracts and you will probably have to buy a new ticket if you miss the connecting flight.

[FDOS_UK]

SimonS1

The word ‘connection’ is meaningless, the words ‘through ticket’ are critical.

All journeys involving two or more flights are connections, but

– only connections on a through ticket (or tickets, if conjunction tickets) are protected.

– MCT (minimum connection times) are only relevant to through tickets

Here is another CAA page where they do not use parentheses.

https://www.caa.co.uk/Passengers/Resolving-travel-problems/Delays-cancellations/Your-rights/Your-rights-when-you-miss-a-connection/

[FaroFlyer]

Connecting flight has no real meaning unless you have a through ticket. Through tickets are more expensive than 2 separate tickets for flights as the ticketing carrier will ” take care” of you and your bags should there be delays or cancellations.

If a through ticket is not available, or you choose to buy separate tickets you are on your own. This is why low costs / no frills airlines generally do not offer through tickets, even though you may buy a ticket for “connecting” flights.

The higher price that you pay for a through ticket is essentially an “insurance premium” paid to the issuing carrier for looking after you.

[MartynSinclair]

So, an airline does not need to accept any responsibility/liability for a late inbound arrival that causes the passenger to miss an onward connection, on the same airline, but on a separate ticket (for the purpose of the question discard EU261)? I wonder if travel insurance will cover a missed connection…

Are there any routes requiring a connection where an airline will not issue a through ticket?

[AMcWhirter]

FaroFlyer – Through tickets can be cheaper. It really depends on the airline, class of travel/ticket type, the routing and the market.

[FDOS_UK]

Martyn

So, an airline does not need to accept any responsibility/liability for a late inbound arrival that causes the passenger to miss an onward connection, on the same airline, but on a separate ticket (for the purpose of the question discard EU261)?

That’s right, as you are delaing with two separate tickets (two unconnected contracts, to put it another way).

I wonder if travel insurance will cover a missed connection…

It might do, depending on your cover – I think the term is ‘failure of public transport’.

Are there any routes requiring a connection where an airline will not issue a through ticket?

Some loco routes, although that may change over time. e.g. presently, Ryanair will not sell you a through ticket on its network, you have to buy point to point and accept any risks arriving.

[Ahmad]

[quote quote=782950]

Prior to making the Avios booking I called the Executive Club (I have note of the agents name) who advised I should purchase a flight for the Heathrow-Gibraltar sector allowing a minimum of 90 minutes and the bookings would be linked at Miami and the bags sent directly to Gibraltar. I duly booked the only LHR-GIB flight departing 2 hours and 5 minutes after the scheduled arrival of the Miami flight.

[/quote]

In my opinion, without knowing all the facts or having read the terms and conditions of both tickets, OP has the right idea about BA having caused the angst they suffered. Firing from the hip, I would venture that BA represented that the bookings would be combined at MIA and baggage through checked to GIB. OP relied on BA’s representation and entered into the two contracts based on such representation. Without going into the legal mumbo jumbo of why, in my opinion BA is responsible to the OP in the given circumstances to convey both passenger and luggage all the way to GIB without the need to cross the UK border. As to the quantum of damages the OP will be entitled to, having successfully made the journey that day, it would depend on the harm caused by BA, how directly such harm is attributable to the misrepresentation and what BA did to mitigate such harm. By the way, this won’t be easy to prove and if it goes to trial, the outcome will largely depend on the witness testimony of the BA agent in question. Again my personal (as opposed to professional) opinion, without knowing all the facts or the exact terms and conditions of the two tickets.

[Author]

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