‘You’re off the plane’: British Airways under fire as it breaks key rule turning away overbooked passengers

Exclusive: ‘It has been a fiasco and compensation is unimportant, as our time and quality of life is more valuable’, says passenger Ross Butters

British Airways has been accused of denying boarding to 13 passengers booked on a holiday flight home from Spain – without asking for volunteers to travel on a later flight, as the law requires.

Ross Butters, 59, and his wife Samantha, 56, had confirmed tickets for BA flight 2763 from Palma de Mallorca to London Gatwick on 1 September. The couple from Surrey were in a group of a dozen friends on a golfing break on the island.

Mr Butters, a financial adviser, said problems began when they tried to check in online.

“Three couples were regular fliers and were travelling either Club Europe or had gold tier Executive Club membership and were able to check in online,” he told The Independent.

“The rest of us were not able to check in. After 30-plus attempts, we gave up on the understanding that we would check in at the airport.

“We arrived at the airport in good time and joined the queue to check in and drop bags. By the end of the process 13 of us were advised that there were too many passengers.

British Airways, like other airlines, is required to ask for volunteers before denying boarding to passengers against their will (Simon Calder)

“All of us were either couples or singles travelling economy. All had had the same problem trying to check in online.

“We were then told that we would be flying out the next day.”

Overbooking a flight is perfectly legal and widely practised. Most airlines (but not Ryanair) routinely sell more tickets than there are seats available because they know from experience that a certain number of passengers are likely to “no show”.

Often airlines predict correctly that number correctly and everyone flies as expected. But when more passengers show up than there are seats available, airlines must offer incentives to persuade enough people to postpone travel voluntarily.

Air passengers’ rights rules specify: “When an operating air carrier reasonably expects to deny boarding on a flight, it shall first call for volunteers to surrender their reservations in exchange for benefits under conditions to be agreed between the passenger concerned and the operating air carrier.”

The Independent has repeatedly asked British Airways if volunteers were sought, without a response.

After being denied boarding, Ross and Samantha Butters were taken to the Hotel Palma Bellver, which he described as “awful”. He said: “My bed was collapsing and our view was of a massage parlour.

“Dinner was poor – buffet style – and our ‘free drink’ was a bottle of fizzy or still water.”

The couple both take prescribed medication. They had brought sufficient for their stay, but supplies ran out due to the unexpected extended stay.

Mr Butters said: “It has been a fiasco, I know that we will receive €250 compensation but that’s really unimportant – our time and quality of life is more valuable.

“I’m normally very British and stoical in these situations. But it really has been a farce and should not be allowed to happen.

“My wife and I were both scheduled to work today. If she doesn’t work she doesn’t get paid.”

A spokesperson for British Airways said: “We know it’s frustrating for our customers when their travel plans are disrupted. We’re in contact with this customer to apologise to them and put things right.”

Read more: Is there a ‘pecking order’ for overbooked flights?