Stranded BA passengers refused priority tickets

British Airways will spend another day dealing with angry passengers today after refusing to give stranded holidaymakers priority tickets over other travellers.

The airline is still dealing with a huge backlog at Heathrow airport despite more than 80% of its 500 scheduled flights running as normal yesterday and up to 85% of short-haul and 80% of long-haul flights due to depart today.

Up to 100,000 passengers have had their trips disrupted since BA staff walked out in sympathy on Wednesday with hundreds of catering workers sacked by in-flight meal supplier company Gate Gourmet.

Airport staff are working to reunite would-be travellers with 10,000 pieces of luggage that have become “stuck in the system” during the disruption.

However, those who have been stranded at the airport and suffered long delays are not being given priority tickets over people who are due to fly now, according to the company.

Instead they are being rebooked where seats are available, offered the chance to travel on another airline, or given a refund.

Marketing director Martin George said passengers booked on cancelled flights were being dealt with on an individual basis.

He told Sky News: “We’re working very hard on an individual basis to rebook them at a later time or on another airline, or offer them a refund.”

BA said it was impossible to give exact figures for the number of passengers who were still waiting for flights because many had made alternative arrangements, but it is thought to be several thousand.

Services began operating again at about 8.30pm on Friday after the BA employees agreed to return to their posts.

Meanwhile, talks between Gate Gourmet and the T&G, overseen by conciliation body Acas, continued at a hotel near the airport last night.

Analysts said the disruption – at the height of the holiday season – was set to lose BA up to £40 million because of the refunds, loss of flight revenues and the cost of putting passengers up in hotels.

A senior Labour MP condemned the Transport and General Workers’ Union for being “spineless” in failing to confront militants who cause regular summer travel misery at Heathrow.

Barry Sheerman, chairman of the Commons Education Select Committee, said a “malign influence” was at work in the airport, which has been hit by disruption three years in a row.

It is “no accident” the rows flare up in August as “they are pre-planned and plotted”, according to the Huddersfield MP.

“There is some malign influence at Heathrow that is putting these things on in August,” Mr Sheerman said.

“There is no doubt about it, we have a leadership out of control at Heathrow, the T&G particularly has no backbone. It is spineless union leadership.”

A huge marquee has been erected in order to accommodate people who turned up despite being urged to stay away from the airport, with free food and drink on offer.

Only BA passengers with confirmed reservations for flights are being asked to travel to Heathrow, and they should check with the company before leaving.

The revised schedule and expected departure times are available on the website, ba.com.