[BugAdvisor]

My PRG-LHR flight this evening was cancelled and BA re-booked me onto the Wednesday afternoon flight – as if that was going to help. There were two flights today but already full and never offered. I’m sure they’ll advise that EU261 doesn’t apply.
My separately-booked return is Friday and luckily I can cancel that as it was an Avios booking – I should really ask for the booking fee to be refunded, but don’t think I can face the wait on the Gold line.

[Daytripper]

Yesterday I was held for three hours on the tarmac, prior to take off on my flight home to London from Scotland, before landing into Heathrow at 2pm yesterday afternoon. I was lucky, as all the following flights from my point of origin (Aberdeen) were cancelled.

In response to those posters who have suggested that there wasn’t much snow yesterday at LHR, my car, parked in the Business car park adjacent to the runway, had 3 inches of snow on it upon my return. As I was landing I witnessed crews of at least 20 snow clearance vehicles in action. So it was a genuine ‘extreme’ set of circumstances. The BA pilot on my flight handled the situation commendably, with numerous clear (and very sympathetic) passenger announcements.

[AMcWhirter]

BA axes more flights leaving “100,000 stranded.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/british-airways-de-icing-heathrow-airport-terminal-five-diverted-delayed-a8104416.html

[K1ngston]

I may be sitting here smug as its a balmy 32C here in Bangkok, but to a point made previously by nevereconomy, we surely live in the 21st century where the snow I understand would have been predicted well in advance and therefore an operation like LHR or indeed any other airport in the UK can prepare? I dont except that as the UK doesn’t get snow they cannot prepare, if they say and they repeatedly do that they want to be the main hub in Europe or whats left of it, then you need to prepare for such eventualities!

I mean lets be honest here, if you are based in Northern Europe there is a chance of adverse weather in winter, LHR and probably BA in this instance have majorly screwed up again and should be held accountable…

Now where is the suncream????…….

[canucklad]

A couple of points to make on this issue……
I don’t travel half as much as I used to down to LHR, but I certainly wouldn’t use BA as my 1st choice carrier. Their track record when it comes to cancelling flights is atrocious.
I get that logistically they have the largest operation at LHR, but my per5ception is that they are lazy when it comes to managing out of the ordinary issues. Rather than thinking about the customer their instinct is to make it easy for themselves.

But why wouldn’t you, when your customer base behave like sheep. back in the day, BMI never failed to get me home, and they also managed their best to get loyal BA customer home too. Did those customers recognize BMI’s efforts whilst their first choice let down……some maybe, most not!!

And that’s exactly why BA will continue to adopt the cancel first policy!!

[TominScotland]

Just heard from a friend who has been stranded at Schiphol for two days, trying to get home to New Zealand. No idea of his routing or airlines (probably *) but perhaps this does put the aircraft out of position issue into a bit more perspective. It is not just LHR and BA…….

[TimFitzgeraldTC]

Europe has also had massive issues over the last few days with BRU,AMS & FRA also massively affected. So it isn’t just BA affected.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42310933

SN Brussels didn’t even bother from the reporting!

Also FRA last week had cancellations running into significant numbers affecting LH shorthaul flights. so a sense of perspective is needed before bashing LHR. Even the Scandanavian countries get affected with heavy snow from what family members living in Sweden say.

On the point of cancellations. BA are largest customer of Heathrow. If ATC require larger spacing of aircraft then flights will have to be cancelled even if weather isn’t as bad as forecast. No come back if ATC require a reduction of air services on a given day – this is outside airline control.

[K1ngston]

Tim, I get your point, but this is still systemic to the issues at Heathrow which dont afflict other airports or countries where snow or inclement weather persists..

The point is for a “first world” airport in a “first world” country situated where it is in the world there should be no reasons to have the issues every time there is the smell of snow!

The poor British traveller is constantly afflicted by the morons who run the train system, but that tends to be a window to the poor British people who use the service, screwing up so badly at the Nations Premier airport reverberate around the World…..

[MrDarwin]

A few months ago my flight to DUB from LHR was cancelled with about 6 hours notice ‘due to adverse weather conditions’. It was fine in both London and Dublin, and all across Europe seemingly. That day two Dublin flights were cancelled, and three other BA flights to different destinations, continents and aircraft types. Seemed like they were just chancing it really.

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