Hospitalized in London - BA Wants $4K to Change Flights Home

Do you have trip insurance? If so that could help offset the cost of changing your booking-hopefully the doctor gave you a written diagnostic note. Did you ask to be escalated to a manager?

I hope you get well soon.

Sorry for your troubles and wishing you a speedy recovery!
Your fare class must incur a change fee (minor) plus the difference in fare (which is clearly significant). You'll likely be better off just looking at other airlines' one-way fares. Good luck and take care!

First sorry for your health emergency.

Secondly, did you ask for the BA’s rep superior? Did you get the reps name?

Third find another airline and flight home.

Moments like this is why credit cards exist.

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I just checked google flights for one way ticket prices london to washington for thursday and I see prices starting at $408 dollars. Now the nonstops start $1900+ dollars so to get a better price you'd have to take connections.

Sorry for your troubles and good luck.

Sorry for your health troubles on your trip. You have already paid your round trip airfare. So, putting you on another flight home with available seats is the right and humane thing to do. If I were you I would post your story right here on this Facebook page. You may have to join. It is time that honest citizens who run into misfortune should call out the ridiculous bureaucratic idiocy.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RickStevesEurope

Be sure to use the full name British Airways so it will be picked up in multiple locations. They deserve this story told about them.

I’m so sorry for your health scare and the ordeal you are facing. I just checked Norse airways- a budget carrier- to see if they had anything. On Friday you could fly out of Gatwick back to DC non-stop. Basic economy is $465, economy classic for $555. Leaves at 10:00am arrives at Dulles 1:20 pm 8:20 duration.
Premium fare (more room, etc) is $893.

Wishing you well on your return journey and improved health going forward!

You mentioned “2 tickets”. Are you traveling solo or with someone else? Travel insurance should cover this cost for you, perhaps even the credit card you used to purchase the airfare can help. If you don’t have travel insurance, then you are discovering the reality of being self-insured, you pay the costs.

Hotels, check Premier Inns. Also, if you are resting, you could rest at an airport hotel just as well.

I agree that you should try BA one more time and speak to a Supervisor. If that doesn’t work, find the least expensive flight home, pay for it, and take good care of yourself now. Money doesn’t matter compared to your health and well being.

I'm sorry for your health issue.

After your recommended rest, go to the airport and see if BA will let you stand by for the flights for that day. It seems that works for many people. Airlines don't like empty seats.

Unfortunately, it is easy for people to get letters from doctors so it becomes difficult for companies to know who really has one out of true need.

I don't understand why you can't change your ticket, pay the fee and pay the difference in price.

There are lots of premier inns in London with availability for the next few nights- https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/search.html?searchModel.searchTerm=London,%20UK&PLACEID=ChIJdd4hrwug2EcRmSrV3Vo6llI&ARRdd=14&ARRmm=9&ARRyyyy=2023&NIGHTS=3&ROOMS=1&ADULT1=2&CHILD1=0&COT1=0&INTTYP1=DB&BOOKINGCHANNEL=WEB&SORT=1&VIEW=2

BA are indeed charging £2000 per person both to Washington and New York for Economy seats in the next few days but plenty of other airlines have availability at far more normal prices -Jet Blue is another.

If you had an inflexible ticket and were uninsured then, very, very, sadly and unfortunately, that is the reality of the situation. Far, far better now to book with another airline now, get home, then sort the mess out later when you are better and more up to it.

Well, hours have gone by.
The OP asked for help, but didn’t come back.
??

Talked at length with British Airways customer service rep (also w/ supervisor), to no avail. they just won't budge. finally bought two seats on United to IAD. I have been a loyal BA customer since 2009, and feel that they have really stuck it to me. Will spend some time when I get home on facebook. That's all I can do..

Jim, I am sorry because every aspect of this situation has to be stressful. I know we all hoped that maybe BA would make an exception.

To be fair, BA is following the fare rules you purchased. The big financial issue was not caused by BA, it was caused by not having trip insurance. I hope you can move on and focus on healing up and your heart health because those are the top priorities here.

I wish you the very best.

Two things I want to bring up have been mentionrd.

First, the concept of travel insurance. Most policies cover travel interruption which is what you are facing.

Second, check with the credit card you used. Some of them include some type of trip interruption insurance when you use the card.

It would have been nice for the OP to confirm that he had now found a hotel room to complete his rest and preparation for homebound flight in the UK.
At least with Premier Inn you know what you are getting, and have everything you require.

I hope a facebook campaign of harassment of BA does not succeed. If they can sell seats for £2,000 then there is no reason why they would offer them to someone who has paid far less.

That is capitalist business. No airline is a charity.

The OP 'signed' a contract with BA when purchasing the flights where he obtained a flight at a certain price in return for being bound by certain restrictions. If the flight was purchased on line, a box will have been ticked agreeing to those conditions and offering the opportunity to read them. Loyalty has nothing whatsoever to do with it.

That is why insurance exists.

Don't put a public post on Facebook. It's going to turn into a sh*tshow with people a lot less polite than those here having their say. It's only going to make you feel worse.

Take it easy Jim. All the best.

I'm surprised BA didn't do more for you. A few years ago I was hospitalised with appendicitis whilst in California. As a result it meant changing our flights back to London, BA changed them without any fuss and without any fee. We were flying first class so that may have been the reason.

I’m glad you were able to make arrangements to get back to the states, but unfortunately not in the way you’d like. You tried with BA, and that’s really all that you can do.

I agree with several others, let it go. Focus on your health, not this situation. Facebook can be such a cesspool of negativity and shared grievances and pessimism … especially in situations like this. With your recent health development, those expressions can cause further stress. Choose to avoid that. Wishing you all the best.

Very sorry about your heart attack, especially while traveling overseas. My comments are not directed at you, but at the general notion that a private business should provide special or discounted services to someone who has a medical or other issue not caused by the business. As others have pointed out, when we book a flight we accept the terms and conditions of the airline. While it would be nice if an airline offered to waive its conditions to accommodate an emergency, it has no legal or even ethical obligation to do so. Do we expect a hotel to provide a free or discounted room following a hospital stay? Should a restaurant deliver a free meal while a traveler recuperates? Need the taxi driver get us to the airport for free because we are too weak to ride the train? Of course all of these actions would be good customer service and some businesses do so, but those that don’t should not be publicly shamed as someone suggested. Since I rarely purchase travel insurance, I know that I am assuming some financial risk. That is my choice and the choice of every traveler. Once that choice is made, we all have to accept the consequences if things don’t go as expected.

Glad you are feeling better and hope you can return to London soon.

Put it this way--it's probably nearly a wash, money wise and time wise, because what you paid for the extra ticket is likely partly cancelled out by what you would have paid for travel insurance (any policy worth its salt costs a few hundred at least) PLUS you have spared yourself the time suck of having to deal with the insurance company to get you home and reimbursed, which is not insignificant time (and aggravation).
And you have reminded those of us who play fast and loose to at least book the flexible fare if not travel insurance, so thank you and take care!

I've used Twitter (before Musk ruined it) to get the attention of companies and it was very effective. Customer service reached out to me immediately in DMs on a couple of occasions. I was able to get a defective LG television screen replaced when phone calls didn't work.

I doubt Facebook will be effective because tagging doesn't work the same way, but I know companies monitor social media so it might be worth trying to get some help on Twitter or Threads.

Best wishes for a quick recovery, Jim. I am pleased that you received fine emergency hospital care.

Sadly, emergencies happen. As a former expat, I have needed to purchase last minute very expensive tickets one direction or another. That was part of my life then.

When pleasure traveling as part of my life now, I make a conscious decision - pay now for flexible fare or travel insurance, or face the possibility of paying later to solve a travel emergency, crisis, or simple change of plans. If I couldn't afford the out-of-pocket to extricate myself and family, I would re-think the plans.

I would drop any campaigns against BA. It can't possibly be good for your recovery. Focus on the positives of a chance for a full return to health.

A few years ago I was hospitalised with appendicitis whilst in California. As a result it meant changing our flights back to London, BA changed them without any fuss and without any fee. We were flying first class so that may have been the reason.

I would say that definitely was the reason. It sounds like the OP booked a non-refundable flight with no options for changing it at the same price. Anyone who purchases first class will almost always have that option.

Jim

So sorry this happened. It appears you did not have travel insurance. You may still be able to be reimbursed thru your credit card as many credit cards have hidden "travel reimbursements" for lost luggage or travel emergencies. They will put you through some challenges getting the money (long phone waits, forms to fill out, maybe even being given wrong info initially). I was injured in Portugal and was able to get reimbursed for the cost of flight changes through my Visa (and it isn't one of those high fee fancy Visa cards). Worth Googling and calling your credit card. Also buy travel insurance. I will be doing so in the future!!

Good luck and speedy recovery,
Kaye

Hope the OP is now recovering at home in VA.

His health and safety far more important than bad customer service.

"Put it this way--it's probably nearly a wash, money wise and time wise, because what you paid for the extra ticket is likely partly cancelled out by what you would have paid for travel insurance (any policy worth its salt costs a few hundred at least)"
Blimey - the market for travel insurance in the US must be a great deal different to that in the UK. I have a decent annual travel insurance policy for as many trips as we like up to 45 days each for around £150, and that includes other benefits as well.

Presumably if you have no travel insurance you also have no medical insurance and so will also have to pay for any medical care received as well?

Good to hear back from you.
I hope you are feeling much better now and will get a full checkup from your own doctor at home.

Johnew52:
Travel insurance is more expensive in N. America than the UK, but these days it is not worth putting one foot out of the country without it.
I cannot understand people who travel without it, but that’s just my humble opinion.
Everybody is different.

I’m off to buy mine in the next couple of days, and I see it’s gone up by another $300 CAN from this time last year for a one year policy.
And that’s only for medical, as I have trip cancellation and interruption with my credit card.
Grr.

I had better travel a lot next year to get my money’s worth…. ;)

Re pricing travel insurance
It could be that I never bothered with any policy that is not “cancel for any reason”—and those cost more. If I’ll have to jump through hoops to prove every little aspect of a problem, the insurance is of little use to me. For all we know, they’d call this a “preexisting condition.”
Yes I have little use for insurance policies!

Yes the difference in travel insurance policies between here and North America really shocks me.

The policies are really expensive and the coverage far less, eg I have £2million of medical costs plus things like luggage is covered and for that pay around £125 for a ANNUAL policy. That’s standard here. I don’t see why there should be such a marked difference.

You can get insurance with pre-existing conditions. You just have to declare them and you may have to pay more depending on what the conditions are.

I became very ill at the LHR Sofitel hotel the night before our scheduled flight back to US on British Air. The Sofitel’s Concierge took over and dealt with BA, rearranging our flights home. No problems. We were switched a flight home two days later . She arranged for a doctor, delivered easy to digest food, etc. We always have travel insurance too.
I am so very you weren’t helped by BA, Jim. I guess we had a different type of ticket than you have. I wonder if our particular class of ticket was the reason everything went so well for us, not because BA cared about a passenger who had become very ill.
I hope once you get home and contact BA again they will be more understanding. Best wishes for your improved health too.
Don’t start bashing BA in social media as revenge.

"I have been a loyal BA customer since 2009"

Jim, if you were a high tier member with BA, you would undoubtedly have found a different response to your unfortunate situation. This also holds true for those who purchased an upgraded ticket fare such as 1st or business class, as noted above.

I have flipped back and forth between member tier levels on several different carriers, both foreign and domestic in the past 10 - 15 years. I can tell you that your membership level or fare class makes a big difference on how you are treated. Unsurprisingly, the highest status member or highest ticket class holder gets the best treatment.

We would like to think life doesn't work that way - we are truly of equal human value after all!! But the most valuable customer to the corporate bottom line are those individuals whose high club member status was earned from multiple, frequent flights and/or upgraded ticket purchases with their airline.

If you feel BA hasn't treated you fairly, by all means switch carriers - it looks like there are multiple United non-stops out of IAD, for instance. Personally, I haven't flown BA out of Chicago for years as United and American compete with the route and either offers me more due to my "status".

I sincerely hope your recovery is progressing well.

No travel insurance is not that expensive. I have an annual policy that would cover this for a few hundred dollars. It would also cover the bill Jim will probably get.