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Business Profile

Airlines

British Airways

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for British Airways's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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British Airways has 42 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 790 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 285 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/27/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I am a travel agent and made a booking for my client. I am a registered user on his ********************** account. I tried to cancel the flight online as suggested by British Airways but there was absolutely no clarity on what the options were or whether or not the Avios points used to book the flight would be returned. The flight was booked with Avios Points and about **** GBP but when processing the cancellation it looked like only 300 GBP would be refunded and there was no indication if the Avios points would be returned or if the funds already spent would be returned to us for future flights I called British Airways on 3/24/23 and reached an agent after waiting on the line for 20 minutes. The agent I reached. The first agent I spoke with told me that the cancellation policy was per fare rules but couldn't actually tell me what those rules were. When I asked for more clarity she actually hung up on me.The second agent I spoke with was much more helpful. I explained that my client had sustained an injury skiing and he told me what some of my possible options were but was unable to give me specifics since he could also not see what the fare rules were. He said I would need to reach another department which was closed at that time. He gave me the options on the menu to reach them.I called the new department and after about 20 minutes reached an agent - I said hello and explained my situation and asked her if she wanted the booking code or his membership number to get started and then she hung up on me. I am still on hold

      Business Response

      Date: 05/11/2023

      The following email was sent to ************************************** on 02May23:

      Dear **** ****

      Thank you for your recent correspondence to the Better Business Bureau dated 28 April. 

      As you are the travel agent who made the booking for your client, you should be aware of the fare rules for the portion of the booking made by cash.  If you are unsure please contact our Travel Trade team for further assistance. 

      Again since you have not provided a booking reference or ticket number I cannot fully respond however, most likely the cash part of the ticket you issued was non refundable with penalties.  If you cancelled the booking while all the flights were still scheduled to operate any refund would have been per the fare rules. 

      Thank you for getting in touch once again. I hope I have managed to offer a bit more information.  



      Best regards

      ***************************************
      British Airways Customer Relations
      Your case reference ***********

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/27/2023

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      They have lost our stroller damaged our luggage. After months of correspondence with the customer service representative she has now become unresponsive.We are seeking compensation to replacing our stroller that the airline has lost has yet to been contacted on resolving the issue. We have o my revived $150 for the unprecedented and unnecessary charges we had to face for not having a stroller in the airport that has cost a huge inconvenience especially traveling with a ******* old at the time. With no assistance from the floor staff at anytime.We have tried to contact the customer service representative on multiple occasions to get an update on the case but have had no luck or response.Email of customer service representative who has been unresponsive ever ************************** We hope we can get some assistance as we have not been able to replace the lost stroller due to financial burden caused by the airline.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/21/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, I have not been contacted by British Airways regarding complaint ID ********.

      Sincerely,

      *****************************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/27/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      This is in reference to BA Claim: ********. Due to BA delays, I missed a connecting BA flight from ******** to ***. Due to many other cancellations and delays, I was not able to be rebooked on another flight until 2 days after my intended departure. I had to pay for all delay costs, such as hotel, transfer to/from airport, clothing (since I could not retrieve my bag), toiletries and meals. I also did not receive a refund for my seat upgrade from my original flight. I returned to *** on 12/13 and immediately filed a claim with British Airways. On 12/24, I received an email from British Airways that "they were on my case" and I submitted all receipts from that were incurred from the delayed travel, which was approximately $1400 US dollars. I also provided my bank details for the funds transfer via secure link to be reimburse for the expenses as soon as I received the request to do so. I have followed up via phone, only to be told the claims department does not have a team to support phone inquiries and that everything needs to be handled online. I cannot check the status of my case via the British Airways website. I've received an email apology on 1/9 from BA for the inconvenience; however, I have received no compensation for the expenses I incurred due to the delay. It has been more than 3 months since this incident with no resolution. The customer service I received (or lack there of ) from British Airways at the ****************, customer service trying to rebook a flight, and after my return to try to sort out compensation has been horrible and I have spent more that 13 hours (8+ hours at the airport and another 5 sitting on hold with customer relations at home) dealing with this. I also missed 2 days or work due to the delay and lack of willingness to find another airline to rebook me on to get back to *************. Highly disappointing situation from that until now. Hoping that flagging this issue will help expedite a resolution.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/27/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I had a flight booked through British Airways from *************** to ******, BA ****, on June 9, 2023. I was not allowed on the plane because the passenger's name on the ticket had the names of my parents on it who booked the ticket for me. Obviously, they made a mistake by not only putting the purchaser's name on it but having two names on the ticket! I had to buy another ticket on the same flight as I had a meeting in which I could not be late. I had to pay an additional $356.77 for the flight and also $48.51 for baggage. The British Airways agent told me to contact them, and I would receive a refund. Given that it was their mistake, they should have honored the ticket and let me board the flight. I have called multiple times to address the issue, and no one ever picks up!! Finally, I went online and keep getting the same answer with a very impersonal form letter which shows they don't even read my complaint. They said I had to call ****** airlines which operated the flight, which I did, and they told me British Airways owed me the refund not them for ticket # *************. I have contacted British Airways online multiple times and they keep repeating the same thing, telling me that they are not the "agent" and therefore don't owe me a refund. I have done everything I can to resolve this issue. I have already sent them the receipts from the purchase of the second flight along with the baggage. I even told them I would pursue this issue this issue if not resolved by them and got the same form letter back in response. This is the absolute worse customer service experience I have ever had. I can't help but feel that I was taken advantage of because I really needed to make that flight, and it was obvious that they made a mistake and then charged me for another seat. I already submitted to British Airways a copy of my flight plan and the receipt for the second ticket and baggage. Please contact me if I need to submit any additional information. Thank you.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/20/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, I have not been contacted by British Airways regarding complaint ID ********.

      Sincerely,

      *********************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/24/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      British Airways stated they would refund tickets if the flights were canceled in 2020 by them. However, they denied our refund request. I assume they did not closely review the details of our trip or else they would have issued a refund. As such, let me explain:* January 6, 2020 - I purchase 3 tickets under book reference ****** for round trip tickets from ******** to ******. Departing ******** on March 20, 2020 and returning from ****** on March 27, 2020.* March 2, 2020 - Our flight from ******** to ****** was cancelled. We rebooked the same day.* March 11, 2020 - Our return flight from ****** on March 27, 2020 was cancelled.During this time, **** of ***** was rampant and we were in fear of our life. We had no return flight. Thereafter, we asked for a refund and was told we could only ask for a voucher. Did they really expect us to travel to ****** with no return flight when the world was crashing around us due to *****.We are again asking for a cash refund and for $500 in compensation for the emotional duress dealing with British Airways has caused.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/18/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, I have not been contacted by British Airways regarding complaint ID ********.

      Sincerely,

      ******* ******

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/24/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On March 14th I tried to change my returning flight date for my British Airways ticket. I spent a lot of time looking at the different days I could fly to find the cheapest option. I found an option that was 83 GBP per person to change the flights and selected that one. I charged 166 GBP to my credit card, which was converted to ~202 USD. I saw this amount charged to my card in my online portal. I then received an email receipt from British Airways stating that the amount I paid was 534 GBP. I checked my credit card portal - it still said ~202 USD but it was still "pending". I called British Airways and they said there was nothing they could do because on their side it looked like I was charged 534 GBP. They told me to contact my bank and that I could file a complaint. I filed a complaint, which they responded to 10 days later stating that I should contact customer service (which I did to begin with). Their website completely misrepresented how much they were going to charge me. I contacted my bank and am still waiting for a resolution.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/18/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

      At this time, I have not been contacted by British Airways regarding complaint ID ********.

      Sincerely,

      *********************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/22/2023

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased a round trip plane ticket for my sick 75 year old mother to visit me for her medical checkup on March 14th 2023. Booking reference number: ****** On 3/18 she arrived at the airport 6am airport in the morning to fly. The British airways team was very rude and not helpful at all. They advised she could not board due to lack of visiting **** for **. We were not aware it was needed and never notified by anyone or even via email. We received Covid and travel notifications but not **** travel requirements. Such notice should be standard on British airways flight via **. British airways staff pretty much ignored her and left her on her wheelchair for over an hour unattended. She finally called me which was around midnight central time crying and to report the situation, so I advised she speak with manager. Speaking with manager he explained that she could not board with permanent citizenship. He was not helpful in trying to get another airline to fly but recommended ***** She did not even apologize or try and deescalate the situation. She claimed she was going to cancel her flight and would be refunded. We the ***** airline ticket in order for her not to miss her doctors appointment which was scheduled for March 20th. The next day I called British airways customer support to report the incident and follow up on my refund. The customer service agent was not very knowledgeable on how to address the situation and kept placing me on hold to speak with "back channel team" after an hour later she says she doesn't see my refunds in the system as stated by manager at the airport and There is nothing she can do to address the terrible customer service experienced by my mom. She says they will look into my refund but at this point I'm not confident in anything we are being told from British airways. They neglected my mother and almost had her stranded with no remorse. I wish to resolve this matter without having to post our experience on social media etc .

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/21/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My son *********************** received military orders from the ** Air Force and had to cancel his trip booked under British Airways confirmation ******, we paid $900 USD for this ticket. We cancelled his ticket 4 weeks prior to the flight and they only offered a $41.98 refund. We have submitted his military orders and British Airways stated it's not interested in refunding any portion of the actual ticket, just some of the partial fees totaling $41?! I understand not receiving a full refund, however US Military are not provided orders on convenience and it would be a crime for him to not ship when ordered. British Airways has already relisted his seat and I believe even a partial refund of 50% would be fair.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/17/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Reservation is cancelled for Reference No: ****** Awaiting for the Refund of the Voucher as well as the Credit Card Amount. Passengers: *********************, ***** *****************************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/14/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      In early February I noticed missing ***** points from my British Airways ********* account. My entire household account of 7 members was missing points. Apparently, someone made an on-board purchase of food/drink and my ********* number was accidentally used and/or incorrectly input into the system by the flight attendant. I called BA to get this resolved and proved that nobody in my household took a BA flight nor had any upcoming. They said it would get resolved within 72 hours. Then nothing. Then I noticed all our BA ********* accounts were locked. I then opened up a case online (#********) and received a received a response from ***********************, Audit Executive on 2/28 that stated that once I change my password on my online acct, he will reinstate Avios for all household members and accounts would all be unlocked quickly. I did as he requested the same day and no change. I have repeatedly responded back to that original case as well as called BA to get this resolved. Nothing. Cust Svc just says it will be escalated and resolved within 72 hours so I check every 72 hours and nothing changes. All of our accounts are still locked, we cannot make use of our Avios points to book a reservation, nothing. This is terrible customer service by a major airline. Our accounts should have never been locked to begin with, there was no breach of security. It is simply BA's own poor practice of not confirming an account number on-board that allowed someone to use my account number and Avios points. They should have a more secure method of letting someone redeem their Avios points. I want this resolved asap. Thanks.

      Business Response

      Date: 03/29/2023

      The following emails were sent to *********************** on 28Feb23 & 20Mar23:

      STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL, FOR ATTENTION OF ADDRESSEE ONLY.


      Your case reference is: ********
      ************** Number: ********
      Dear *****************

      Thank you for contacting us about your ************** account.
      I'm sorry to hear you recently had an onboard purchase made from your account, which you do not recognise. To make sure this cannot happen again please can you update your password to secure your account. You can confirm you have done this by contacting me on the link at the end of this email.
      In the meantime, to make sure your account is safe, I have had to place it into Lock status. Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience this may cause but please be assured you will still be able to accrue awards as normal.
      To reset your password you'll need to click on the 'Forgotten PIN/Password?' link under the login box on ba.com, enter your Login ID and then submit your request.
      We'll send you a verification email to the address on your account. The email contains a link to take you to a new page where you can re-enter your Login ID and confirm your new password. Passwords need to have eight to twenty characters with at least one number, and one special character taken from the number keys at the top of your keyboard such as &, +, etc...
      For security reasons, the link is only valid for a short time, so if you're unable to reset your password while the link is still active, you'll need to start the process again.
      Sometimes our emails are misidentified as marketing or promotional material by some providers, so may get treated as spam. If you think this has happened, you'll want to make sure you add us to your list of trusted sites and check your spam folders. One of the emails we use is ************************.
      If you're still unable to successfully reset your password, you're welcome to call us or click on the link below, so we can talk you through the steps to get you into your account.
      Once I have received confirmation I will unlock your account and reinstate your Avios.
      Thank you for your patience during this time and I hope to hear from you soon.



      If you would like to contact me again about this case please click on this link:
      ********************** case

      Best regards

      ***********************
      Audit Executive

      =================================

      STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL, FOR ATTENTION OF ADDRESSEE ONLY.


      Your case reference is: ********
      ************** Number: ********
      Dear *****************

      Thank you for getting in touch with us. Please accept my apologies for the delay in my reply.
      I can fully appreciate how frustrating this has been for you.
      I would like to assure you that we are continually making improvements to our systems as a result of feedback we get from our customers. So your comments are invaluable to us.
      I have now unlocked your British Airways ************** account and refunded the Avios used to across your Household Account. You are now able to use it as normal.
      I would like to thank you for your patience and co-operation during this time and hope that you can now continue to enjoy the many great benefits of your ************** membership.

      If you would like to contact me again about this case please click on this link:
      ********************** case

      Best regards

      ***********************
      Audit Executive

      Customer Answer

      Date: 04/26/2023

      Better Business Bureau:

       

      This was already resolved back in March




       


    British Airways is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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