| Complaint filed by | |
| Complaint filed on | February 7th, 2025 |
| Complaint filed against | british airways |
- Text of Complaint by Indrani Roy Dutta
Our flight was on 15th Jan 2025 from Mumbai airport at 08.55am.
i have a son who is 3.5y old. We reached airport by 6am as it was an International flight and had 6 heavy luggages and a small kid. We kept standing at the baggage drop in / check-in line from 6 am with a very slow moving queue in the front. we were told the system is down so it is little longer than expected.
At 8 am (please be reminded flight was at 8.55am) the 3 counters dropped to 1 and we were anxiously looking at the watch and every time we asked people came back with same answer ‘system being down’ apparently.
At 08.15 am some BA staff rushed to the check in counters asking ‘why are we still here’??? like what? How do you expect us to move without dropping baggages when your counters are closed or not working!
Anyway,
The idea they gave us was “tell the security that your flight leaves in 30mins and they shall let you pass”. Seriously?????? (we will complain to BA about this).
And not surprisingly at all, when we told the same to the Security they said “you can see the line, we cannot help you and also you should learn a lesson that you need to rush for International flight”!!!!!
I could not believe my ears! I told them I am here from 6 am and it is the BA staff who delayed the whole thing.
they answered saying “you go and find a smaller line”…. wonderful! I have lived abroad for 10 years and have taken umpteen international flights and had never had this experience at any airport except Mumbai and this kind of behaviour to top it up, just like cherry on the cake!
Then I and my son managed to come through but my husband was stuck as he was loading all our items on to security belt. I repeatedly requested the security staff to please help him skip the queue but they said “no they can only help when he is in the front”. what is there to help when he is already at the front???? also the security belt does not move automatically, passengers have to push items through before they pass through security. isn’t it ridiculous and medieval?
i had to carry my 3.5y old and run through the WHOLE airport so I could catch my flight. FYI I boarded the flight at 08.49am. please feel free to check your system for these details.
If it were Emirates or Qatar I am sure the ground staff as well as the airlines staff would be there to escort us and ensure we are on flight in time. I cannot imagine BA staff and all of Mumbai airport staff being absolutely ridiculous. how callous!!!! nobody even asked us why are you running? do you need help? People looked like as if it is normal to run frantically at airport. as if airports are olympic racing grounds where people do sprint to reach finishing line.
Instead of helping us with preboarding (as we had a under 5 kid) they made us run through the WHOLE airport panting like dogs!
I felt panicked, harassed and extremely stressed. I did not have time to feed my son, who ate nothing since he woke up at 4.30am that day, until food was served on flight. I had to request them to serve him asap as he was crying hungry. we were only carrying snacks as we were sure there will be enough time after security to have breakfast. But the wonderful energetic security staff who ALL kept going out and coming back to fill their coffee flasks but nobody cared to stop and help a family with a kid!
