Chaos at Heathrow

[citizen142]

Have just returned home from Heathrow where I couldn't even get into
the departure lounge as it was taped off with two guys handing out
leaflets basically saying 'Go home'. I was booked on a BA flight to
Cape Town.

What is my next step? I think I would rather have my money back and
rebook. I can't go through all that again as I am getting on a bit now.
Am I entitled to compensation?

All help much appreciated.

[citizen142]

Roland thanks for your reply. I have been offered a flight on Friday
but at the moment my heart is not in it and frankly I don't now trust
anything BA says. Why on earth did their site say scheduled at approx
10.00 when they knew the position and then cancel at 1.58 - the time
on the guys work sheet handing out the 'go home' leaflets.

Ok I can go or get a refund but their site says they don't handle
claims less than 3 days old and again I just don't trust these people.

[citizen142]

I quote from the leaflet handed out by their staff:

Due to the volume of passengers in the terminal we are unable to
service your booking at the airport and ask that you leave the airport
building.

Around here were have a simple term for this and the second word is
'off'.

[Roland Perry]

In message <SZhil.5860$536.4691@newsfe04.ams2>, at 14:53:42 on Wed, 4
Feb 2009, citizen142 <citizen142@***********m> remarked:
>Due to the volume of passengers in the terminal we are unable to
>service your booking at the airport and ask that you leave the airport
>building.

So it didn't matter if your flight was cancelled or not...

Was this Terminal 5?
--
Roland Perry

[citizen142]

So it didn't matter if your flight was cancelled or not...

Was this Terminal 5?

Sorry don't quite understand the first bit.

Yes it was Terminal 5.

PS - am I entitled to any compensation, at least the cost of my
journey to the airport?

[citizen142]

I was booked on the 19.20. I was at the airport by at least 3.30pm.

[Roland Perry]

In message <Sxjil.51$9u6.49@newsfe27.ams2>, at 16:40:23 on Wed, 4 Feb
2009, citizen142 <citizen142@***********m> remarked:
>I was booked on the 19.20.

OK, that's the later of the two, and was cancelled. Makes things simpler
(and yet probably reduces any case for compensation, as they could argue
you were denied travel because of a cancelled flight, not an over-full
terminal).

>I was at the airport by at least 3.30pm.

So what happened at 1.58?

And when you said "scheduled at 10" did you mean "originally estimated
to be delayed to 10pm".

[Sorry, but if you do eventually want to make a claim, you will have to
express what happened much more clearly. Using the 24hr clock would help
a lot.]
--
Roland Perry