British Airways turns away mum and 10-week-old baby from flight at the gate

Suzy Pope, her hubby Mark and 10-week-old girl Maeve were travelling to Mallorca for a vacation with friends, but accidental they were told they had been placed connected a reserve list

A mum has slammed British Airways for the alleged mistreatment of her household during what was to beryllium their inaugural household getaway.

Suzy Pope, a question writer by profession, had her plans thrown into disarray erstwhile upon accomplishment astatine Edinburgh Airport astatine 5am connected October 5, with babe Maeve and spouse Mark successful tow, they were informed the formation to Mallorca was overbooked and they were connected standby.

Despite being aboriginal birds, securing their accomplishment respective hours earlier their scheduled departure, the Popes faced the vexation of uncertainty arsenic they were instructed to walk information to await further quality astatine the gross post-pre-boarding. Hopes were momentarily precocious erstwhile they learnt of 'three spare seats' - precisely 1 much than they needed.

However, the alleviation was short-lived; aft an agonising 20-minute hold filled with unit disorder astatine the gate, it became official: they wouldn't marque it connected board, their level destined to instrumentality disconnected without them. Since this debacle, BA has issued an apology to Suzy and her clan, promising rectification, reports Edinburgh Live.

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Standing by their yearly tradition, albeit with a caller addition, Suzy recounted booking the travel good successful advance, stating, "We booked the vacation earlier I fell large arsenic soon arsenic BA released the nonstop flights. We publication it each twelvemonth arsenic I emotion to hike and my hubby cycles but we thought it would besides beryllium the cleanable spot for our archetypal vacation truthful we added our girl to the formation arsenic soon arsenic we could."

"As a question writer the logistics of travelling bash not signifier me. I ever marque definite everything is done decently and successful the past I recovered BA to beryllium mostly reliable. We had immoderate reward points near truthful decided to publication successful concern class. When we arrived the woman astatine the BA table told america we would beryllium connected stand-by and that our luggage, motorcycle and babe items would request to spell astatine the broadside of the plane.

"If we were allowed to committee past they would beryllium enactment connected the plane. If not past we would request to cod them domestically. It was a daze arsenic I thought being a young household with a babe we would not person been enactment connected stand-by. We had besides been successful interaction 3 oregon 4 times with BA anterior to flying to publication each the assorted elements and I could not publication our seats but was reassured this was thing to interest about."

"My suspicion present is we indispensable person been successful an exigency exit and erstwhile we added our kid it caused an issue. But this was ne'er raised with america and we were told everything was fine."

Suzy's household went done information and headed to the boarding gate, wherever they had to hold portion everybody other boarded.

"This is erstwhile alarm bells started ringing. I question a batch for enactment and felt it would not permission america with a batch of clip to benignant retired immoderate admin truthful I did not deliberation we were going to get connected the flight. Suddenly a woman said 3 seats were disposable and we rejoiced, adjacent joking to those astir america that we lone truly needed two. She disappeared for astir 20 minutes and we started to go acrophobic again but were told they were carrying retired immoderate checks and not to worry," she said.

"But each of a abrupt the pistillate returned and said atrocious we would not beryllium boarding. So we were near successful implicit limbo for a while."

What irked the Pope's was that they had a person connected the flight, who they were expected to stock a transportation with, who claimed the formation laic connected the tarmac for immoderate clip arsenic they claimed determination was a discrepancy with rider numbers. Stranded astatine Edinburgh Airport with their 10-week-old, Suzy and Mark approached the BA desk.

They were informed that their lone options would see a 5 hr stopover successful Munich oregon to alert to London to Madrid to Palma, going done information 3 times, successful bid to get to Mallorca connected Saturday 5.

"When thing goes incorrect astatine an airdrome you usually cognize erstwhile it's your responsibility but we did everything right. We booked it truthful acold successful advance, added each the close things, paid each the extras and inactive did not get connected that flight. We told them we were much than blessed to beryllium successful economy. We conscionable wanted to get to Mallorca," Suzy continued,

"Our person told america the formation near with bare seats which doesn't marque consciousness for BA. My spouse fed the babe portion helium waited for our luggage portion I tried to enactment thing out. The options we were fixed were not due for travelling with a baby. Having to halt implicit for 5 hours oregon spell done information 3 times, having the look checked and babe disturbed, would person been excessively much.

"They tried to archer maine the lone different enactment would beryllium to question connected Monday but owed to my occupation I knew determination were flights with different providers. They agreed to compensate america for immoderate caller flights we booked done different company. So we booked the 6.30pm formation to Palma done easyJet. But this meant we had to get taxis location earlier returning to the airport."

Suzy is seeking compensation for the mode her household was treated. The mates ended up shelling retired an further £750 to publication their motorcycle container and other luggage, arsenic good arsenic spending implicit £100 connected taxis to and from Edinburgh Airport. On apical of this, they had to put caller transport to instrumentality them to their villa successful Mallorca aft missing their archetypal transfer.

"It was a drastic mode to miss a flight. This is the worst acquisition I person had travelling with them. Travelling with a tiny babe you are already anxious astir however they volition header connected the formation but it ne'er erstwhile crossed my caput we would not beryllium allowed to committee the plane. I'm not definite I would question with BA again if determination is different viable option," she added.

"The thought you tin amusement up astatine the airdrome connected time, bash everything close and inactive not get connected the level truly puts maine off. The acquisition brought maine to tears. It ne'er erstwhile felt similar they were truly trying to assistance america retired of the situation, it felt similar everyone was flailing and each subordinate of unit was much acrophobic astir however they would look retired of the situation. We conscionable wanted idiosyncratic to archer america however we could get to Mallorca."

Suzy, Mark and Maeve person since landed safely successful Mallorca.

A BA spokesperson said: "We're truly atrocious for our customer's experience, and we're contacting them to apologise and enactment things right."