So, this page exists to document my struggles with British Airway's customer service dept, as my previous rants about them are kind of getting lost in the noise of my general bloggage.

On the 23rd December 2007, I was due to fly out of LAX to Dublin via LHR on British Airways flight BA268. This flight did not depart, due to (what the crew told us was) a "problem with the flaps".

After several hours of empty promises of getting the problem fixed Real Soon Now, we were told the plane would not take off till the following morning, due to crew rotation rules. We then got the pleasure of marching through LAX down to the courtesy bus depot, where 300ish people tried to get on a courtesy bus that seats 25.

Once we reached the hotel and queued in the lobby for an hour, I get my room key, and head upstairs to find the room already occupied. I head back downstairs, luggage in tow, get another room key, go back upstairs, and promptly fall asleep.

The next morning, Christmas Eve, I head downstairs, check out, hop on the courtesy bus to LAX, and make my way to the BA desk. I wait a good half hour before anybody shows up to man said desk. When they do appear, they inform me the plane is a no-go, and won't be able to fly me to Dublin until the 25th.

So, I finally go back to the hotel, spend a few hours pointlessly wandering the internet, fall asleep, wake up the next morning, yes, the 25th, Christmas Day, head to LAX, and finally get on a plane home.

I arrive in Dublin on the evening of St. Stephen's day, the 26th. I was originally supposed to arrive the evening of Christmas Eve, the 24th. British Airways caused me to miss Christmas dinner with the family for the first time in my life. I got to have my Christmas dinner somewhere over the Atlantic. Oddly enough, airline turkey and stuffing doesn't really compare to one's mother's.

So, I fly back to LAX after new years, and dutifully plug my details into British Airway's rather cretinous online compensation tool. It tells me I'm not eligible for compensation, as the flight was delayed due to circumstances outside British Airway's control.

The plane broke. They could have fixed it. It's not like God reached down and pulled the wings off...

So, I ring up British Airways, where I get a recorded message telling me the only way to contact customer service is via fax or email.

I dutifully email them, outlining my rights under EU law EC261.

The automated receipt states it will take 2 weeks for them to get back to me.

I wait 2 weeks.

I email again.

I wait 2 weeks.

I've yet to hear from a real life human being at British Airways.

Next time I'll fly Aer Lingus.