Mum left stranded with baby after British Airways refuses boarding for mistake it admits
A mother was denied boarding on a British Airways flight due to a system error that misprinted her infant son's name on his ticket. Despite the airline admitting the fault, they have refused to provide the customer service logs requested by the passenger.
Why it matters
This case underscores the challenges passengers face with airline automated systems and the difficulties in enforcing data transparency rights against large corporations.
Auckland mum misses flight with baby after British Airways ticket error. Photo / Getty Images
It’s a parent’s nightmare - being stranded unexpectedly at an airport with a small child.
Fleur Lonsdale was travelling in late May with her son, Oakley, 1, from New Zealand, where she lives, to Europe for her mum’s birthday.
After flying to Auckland Airport, she arrived at the check-in counter three hours early for her next flight to Geneva.
But she missed it after being told her son couldn’t board because of a mistake on his ticket - a mistake the airline assured her would not matter.
“I’ve been in some fairly stressful situations, you know, I’ve worked for the military. I’ve worked with some very high-level people - and that had to be one that had to top some of them,” she said.
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