British Airways Comair
Overbooking of flights

I was due to fly on BA58 tonight (from Cape Town, via London to Brussels) and there were four of us that could not board the flight, due to British Airways's overbooking system. I tried to check in on-line 10 hours before the flight, and was unable to do so, possibly because the flight was already full. When I arrived at the airport (2.5 hours before the flight) I was also not able to check in at the kiosk, and I was then informed this was due to the overbooked flight. Apart from the obvious fact that I am now not able to meet very important business commitments in Belgium, I was further shock by the apathy from the ground staff in trying to sort this out. Not once did they apologize, seam to understand the serious consequences of this, or tried to find other flight arrangements.
It is shocking that airlines are allowed to sell you a ticket/seat that they do not have, and actually get away with it. In no other line of selling/buying does it work like that! BA could have done a number of things to resolve this issue (apart from praying that some people do not arrive to fly) for example contact passengers a day before the flight and make alternative arrangements (via Jhb)

Company: British Airways Comair
Country: South Africa
City: Cape Town

  <     >