South African travel agents have raised concerns about the handling of British Airways flight disruptions, saying late or insufficient communication can leave them scrambling to protect clients’ onward travel arrangements.
Agents who spoke to Travel News said their concern was less about the disruption itself than the way affected bookings were communicated and managed.
Omera Rohana from XL Sandown Travel said one of its clients had experienced a delay and missed their onward connections. “I had to purchase new tickets on another airline and put BA in for refund, as BA could not provide seats on any other airline, but not everyone has money for new tickets.”
She said other clients had also experienced delays on BA flights to and from the US in June.
BA, however, said disruption on its South African services had been limited. The airline operated more than 320 flights between London and South Africa during the current summer season, with seven cancellations, while more than 88% of flights departed on time.
Jacques Louw from XL Sandown Travel said disruption could have significant knock-on effects where itineraries included connecting flights, airport transfers, hotels, cruises or other time-sensitive arrangements.
He cited a client – travelling from Johannesburg via London to Athens for a cruise – who opted to travel on another airline following schedule changes and a delay to the Johannesburg flight rather than risk missing the onward arrangements.
Anil Varkey from XL Plettenberg Bay Travel, said the consequences could be particularly complicated for clients who must first connect domestically through Johannesburg or Cape Town before beginning their international journeys.
Communication concerns
Agents said a key concern was receiving disruption information too late to assist clients proactively.
“I have formally raised a complaint with British Airways because I find it concerning that my clients sometimes receive information about changes to their bookings before I do. My concerns are not about the product itself, but the overall service and support when disruption occurs,” said Louw.
He said clients paid a service fee and expected him to monitor their itinerary, identify potential problems and proactively assist them. “If the airline does not provide the relevant information to me through the GDS or directly, I cannot provide that level of service effectively.”
“Airlines claim they are upgrading their systems and investing heavily in technology, yet when disruptions happen, none of that innovation seems to be at play,” added Varkey.
Varkey also questioned why agents were left to resolve problems when flights were cancelled.
“That burden falls on the travel agent, who spends time gathering information, sourcing alternative flights, and reissuing documents. On top of that, agents must exercise extreme caution to avoid ADMs by ensuring all proper approval codes and endorsements are applied.”
British Airways, however, said it did notify both customers and travel agents.
“When there is disruption, we contact the email addresses of the customers we have and also travel agents. If a customer experiences any disruption, we will contact them as soon as possible to get them on their way,” said a spokesperson.
