[GBAIR72]

https://www.gbc.gi/news/locals-removed-british-airways-flight-gibraltar-due-admin-error

How can a British airline get this so so wrong. I don’t understand how there is never anyone to get hold off that can help you in these circumstances either on the phone or on the ground.

If someone at the gate is so incompetent. What do you do when you know they are so wrong? Where do you go for help. Calling BA is not the answer obviously

[Jacobwhite]

That’s so sad, things like that should never happen.

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GBAIR72

[FDOS]

From a making it right perspective

Denied boarding – £350 ( greater than 1500km, less than 3500km)

Then I would consider the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which provides for a price reduction if the contract was delivered with less than reasonable care and skill. I’d probably seek a 50% reduction on the fare, for all the hassle created.

I am sure it was an unfortunate error, but traders have to fix these.

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GBAIR72

[FDOS]

Gibair72

Speculating, it is far more likely to be a systems error, than an incompetent individual.

Airlines use a system that provides the required documentation for a destination and if this is incorrect, then this type of situation is the result.

Airline employees cannot know the requirements for every country, so they have to follow the system, there should be an excalation path, however it is unclear if there was in this incident, as we do not have any relevant data to inform us.

[GBAIR72]

This is not an obscure destination. There are not that many destinations from T3 for BA.
Secondly this is not a British passport not from an obscure destination
Thirdly they should check and not say blanket No.

The airline handled this in worst possible way

[FDOS]

The trouble is, if the agent doesn’t follow the system, the airline could be charged large amounts by foreign governments (the UK also does this to airlines), so the individual agent has no discretion to make a different decision.

Therefore, if ‘computer says no’, the passenger will not travel.

Having said that, there does need to be an effective escalation path, to resolve anomalous situations.

What I don’t understand is why the airline personnel thought a Schengen visa would be required, thus my assumption (which may be incorrect) that their system was saying this.

I will post a very useful tool for checking, pre-journey, that I’ve found very helpful when going to new countries – as it may take a while to be moderated, I’kk post it separately.

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Woodpecker

[cybertravller]

Are passports issued by Gibraltar “British Citizen” or some other designation?

Having performed a Google search, it would appear Passports confer the title of British Citizen, giving them identical travel rights as those whose passports are issued in the UK, and the system would have shown that. I shadowed ground staff at Gatwick when I exceeded 900 hours of flying time and saw the system in action.

Interestingly, they were checked in, involving a document check and allowed to board the flight, only to be removed from the aircraft. This journey from security to aircraft would involve various stages of document checking, so I am finding this scenario bizarre.

[FDOS]

cybertraveller

I believe that the passports are BOTC (British Overseas Territory Citizen), not GBR.

BOTC passport holder do not require a Schengen visa, from what I understand.

I concur with your ‘bizarre’ analysis.

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cybertravller

[AJDC]

Airline staff don’t need to know every requirement for every country. That’s what the CRS is there for. They can look up every requirement for every country to which the airline flies. It’s not that difficult.

[AJDC]

Why would the plane have to be potentially divert to Malaga? Strange reasoning.

[FDOS]

“It’s not that difficult.”

With respect, it is when the CRS gives incorrect data.

[FDOS]

This is a useful site to check required travel documents.

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/

[ViajeroUK]

As I understand it Gibralter residents, with a Red ID card, are allowed free access to Spain, but not to any other Schengen countries. This is due to an interim agreement between Spain and Gibraltar after Brexit.

The possibility of the aircraft diverting to Malaga should not have been an issue because of this agreement, although Spanish immigration could possibly have needed to stamp the Gibraltarians passports as they do to any British/UK passport holder arriving in Spain without Spanish ID documents.

Hardly a valid reason to offload passengers. I have never had my Spanish ID document checked prior to travelling to Spain from UK, within Schengen area I use my Spanish ID at boarding checks.

[Author]

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