British Airways holidaymakers and travellers found themselves stuck at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 last night before being told to “go home” by the airline, it’s been reported.
The pandemonium at Europe’s busiest hub was reportedly due to a “technical issue”.
A blip with BA’s allocation system resulted in craft touching down without their cargo and created long waits for passengers left scrambling to find their lost baggage throughout Tuesday night and into Wednesday. Many passengers lingered around the terminal, expressing their dissatisfaction with the poor communication.
One annoyed traveller took to social media to air his grievances: “Communication was so poor this evening, not great BA. I don’t have much hope about getting my luggage any time soon.”
Another added: “Shambles at Heathrow Airport, no bags arriving. No info just told to go home. but need the bag for a wedding tomorrow and you’re telling me 48 hours for my bag.”
British Airways reassured customers that today’s schedules from Terminal 5 will proceed smoothly, despite the previous night’s technical setback.
In a statement to The Mirror, Heathrow Airport said: “We are supporting British Airways with a technical issue with their allocation system. We advise passengers to check with British Airways before travelling to the airport.
“British Airways passengers in Terminal 5 may be impacted, and are advised to contact British Airways for assistance. No other airlines are impacted.”
The Daily Mail reported that out of the 174 flights slated for departure, a mere 11 managed to take off on schedule amidst a day riddled with confusion and cancellations that plagued those embarking on their summer getaways.
British Airways has yet to release an official statement, but they are responding to customer complaints on Twitter with: “I’m sorry you were affected by the disruption at LHR. If you want to make a complaint, you can do so here: https://britishairways.com/en-gb/information/help-and-contacts/complaints-and-claims.”