BA technical glitch leads to lengthy flight delays – claim £100s in compo for free
If you've been affected by today's British Airways (BA) IT glitch, which sparked many hours of delays at a number of international airports, you may be able to claim £100s in compensation.
Passengers at airports around the world were forced to queue for hours this morning after a fault with BA's electronic check-in system meant that staff had to manually process flight check-ins.
BA has confirmed the glitch impacted "a number of airports" across the globe but stopped short of specifying exactly how many were affected.
A BA spokesperson told MoneySavingExpert.com that the problem has now been resolved, although the check-in process may take longer than usual and passengers are advised to check-in online before arriving at their departure airport.
If you're one of the many peeved passengers to have been affected by today's travel chaos then you should read on to find out how you may be able to bag £100s in flight delay compensation.
Check out our Flight Delay Compensation guide for the full picture on claiming compo.
Am I entitled to compensation?
BA has told us that no flights have been cancelled as a result of today's events, however many people have suffered long delays as a result of the glitch.
If you've been delayed by more than three hours or your flight's cancelled, under EU rule 261/2004 you're often entitled to between £110 and £510 in compensation – and it's possible to claim this for free. The amount you're able to claim will largely depend on the length of your flight (ie, you would get more compensation for a delayed long-haul flight than a short-haul flight).
It's important to note that as this is an EU rule you'll only receive compensation for an EU flight. This is where the flight departed from an EU airport, regardless of the airline, OR where an EU airline landed at an EU airport. Under this law, EU airports also include those in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson told us: "Unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as a hack, and it's just an IT glitch as part of the everyday running of the business, then we would expect BA to comply with the relevant regulations".
If you fit the relevant criteria (which is fully explained in our guide), you can make a claim using our free online reclaim tool, which uses technology from complaints site Resolver. Alternatively, you can use our free template letters.
If you want to claim flight delay compo you should go to BA in the first instance, then if dissatisfied, the CAA advises passengers to go to alternative resolution service CEDR.
How have people reacted to today's travel chaos?
Many BA travellers have vented their frustration on Twitter in the aftermath of the IT malfunction...
What does BA say?
Confirming that its check-in system is now up and running again, a BA spokesperson told us: "We are checking in customers at Heathrow and Gatwick Airport this morning as normal, although it may take longer than usual. We would encourage customers to check in online before they reach the airport."