Passengers flying from London to Cayman found themselves stranded in the Bahamas overnight amid new delays on the British Airways route.
The flight, scheduled to arrive in George Town Wednesday 23 July, was delayed by almost 17 hours. The return flight out of Cayman to London, via the Bahamas, was also postponed overnight as a consequence.
It is the second time in two weeks that the route has been hit by overnight delays and travellers vented their frustration over a growing number of issues with the service.
BA flies between London and Cayman with a stop in the Bahamas five times a week. It is the most direct route from the islands to Europe and a lifeline for families with links to the UK, as well as students and business travellers.
Alison Sims, a Caymanian with family links in Italy and the UK, was scheduled to be on Wednesday’s flight to London.
Sims, who is travelling with her husband and 7-year-old son, said she was not informed of the delay by the airline until close to the scheduled take off. But she said she is so used to delays on the route that she tracked the aircraft progress on a website.
“It is an ongoing joke. Now everyone says ‘I am meant to be on the BA flight tonight. Who knows?’ No-one ever actually thinks it’s going to take off now, because it has so many delays.”
On this occasion, she said she had to book an extra night at her short-term rental property and pay an extra day for the vehicle as well as suffering impacts for her husband’s business. On previous occasions she said she has struggled to get compensation from BA for such expenses.
Another passenger, travelling in the other direction, said she had ended up stuck in Nassau overnight with her two young children.
The mother, who asked not to be named, said the passengers had already boarded and waited on the tarmac at Heathrow for two hours on Wednesday before being asked to deplane and then wait for another five hours before takeoff. The plane was then further delayed in Nassau, where passengers were bussed to the resort and told to be ready at 4am the next day to return to the airport for a flight that ultimately did not take off until almost 9am.
She said that throughout the process, communication and attitude of staff had been poor and information was in short supply.
Scores of other passengers contacted the Compass over the past few days to raise more general concerns about the BA flight – an issue we will look at in closer detail in a future story.
BA claims 9 out of 10 flight is on time
British Airways apologised for the delays and thanked passengers for their patience. The airline funded a hotel stay for those impacted in the Bahamas.
A spokesperson claimed 89% of the BA flights on the London-Bahamas-Cayman route are on time and “‘the number of cancellations has significantly reduced”.
She added, “On the rare occasions issues do occur, we work hard to support our customers and limit any impact on their travel plans.”
Fiona Brander, of Cayman based TravelPros, said, “My heart sinks every time there is a major BA delay and I feel bad for anyone affected by it.
“Delays and cancellations can happen with all airlines; however, the challenges are magnified with the BA direct when it results in a forced overnight in Nassau, which seems to happen too often. Being the only direct flight from the UK , when there is a problem, it affects a lot of people in Cayman. It is very frustrating and stressful.”
Brander advises, when possible, passengers should try and get their connecting flights protected, and all flights on the same ticket, to ensure the airline will help get you to your destination.
She added, “It’s also a good idea not to plan anything major on the day you land from any flight as delays and cancellations can result in plans being ruined, which is very upsetting.”