British Airways passengers told to wait EIGHT DAYS in Mumbai airport

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British Airways passengers told to wait EIGHT DAYS in Mumbai airport

Posted by travelling-blogger on Monday, January 5, 2015 Label:

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Nearly 40 British Airways passengers are still waiting to leave India after being stranded in Mumbai airport because they missed a connecting flight.

The holidaymakers - including young children and those with special needs - had flown from Goa to Mumbai after a two-week holiday, where they were due to catch a BA flight to London Heathrow.

But when the internal Air India flight was delayed, the 38 passengers missed their all-important connection.

Nearly 40 British Airways passengers are said to be facing an eight day wait for their next flight home after being stranded in Mumbai airport because they missed a connecting flight.

Sean Read, the keyboard player for the Manic Street Preachers and Chrissie Hynde, said 'mad scenes' had erupted at the Indian airport

Worried passengers were allegedly originally told by BA staff that they could face an eight-day wait for their next flight home - because all the flights back to the UK are fully booked.

The passengers are now set spending a second night at the airport, however some families are believed to have been so desperate to leave, they have been forced into paying up to £5,000 to get home.

One of those stranded at the airport is Sean Read, the keyboard player for the Manic Street Preachers, the Rockingbirds and Chrissie Hynde.

Speaking to MailOnline Travel, Mr Read said: 'After waiting all day looks like we've been abandoned for the night by British Airways again.

'Among the left behind; a wheelchair bound woman, a cancer patient and several small children.

'Some families have given up and paid up to £5,000 just to get home. We haven't slept for 36 hours now. We were offered a hotel earlier today but horror stories of not being let back into airport without tickets put us off.

'We would take a hotel tonight rather than sleep rough again but no British Airways staff around to apply to now.'

He tweeted that there had been a 'massive shouting match' between BA and Air India staff over who was to blame for the hiccup. Another passenger tweeted that none of the staff had been seen since.

Mr Read then posted a photo of members of his group curled up on the airport floor among their luggage, before writing 'no hotel no food no flight'.

Simon Fisher posted updates on Twitter appealing to BA over a period of several hours

The musician added that Turkish Airlines had offered the passengers seven spaces on one of its flights - but that BA staff had not been around to approve it.

Other passengers also took to Twitter to air their frustrations and appeal to British Airways, but many of their tweets appeared to go without a response from the airline.

Simon Fisher posted a picture of people sleeping on the floor, writing: 'Our kids asleep on the FLOOR at Mumbai airport. #britishairways @british_airways sort this out now'.

He continued with updates over several hours and at one point accused the airline of ignoring the stranded passengers.

Sandi Dunn, from Hackney, London, whose daughter Lisa is stranded at the airport, told MailOnline: 'BA staff were literally shouting at Air India staff over what had happened.

'Now everyone has left them there after telling them they might be stuck there for eight days because all the flights are overbooked.

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He added that Turkish Airlines had offered seven seats to the stranded passengers but that no one from BA was there to accept them

One passenger said they were 'desperate for help and sanity' after BA staff went home and left them stranded

Another said they were 'starving cold and have been sleeping on floors'

'They had been on a two-week holiday and just missed the connection, through no fault of their own. BA wouldn't hold the flight and now can't get them home. I just cannot get over that BA would leave them there like that - it is a first world airline.'

Ms Dunn says her daughter, a director-producer for the BBC, is due to be at work today but has no way of knowing when she will be home.

She added that several of the group - made up of six adults and six children - could not contact their insurance companies until today, due to the time difference.

BA issued a statement saying: ''Our staff in Mumbai worked hard to assist customers who missed their connection from Mumbai to London.

Samuel Hagger helped a friend book an alternative flight after she became stranded in Mumbai

A friend of stranded passengers also messaged comedian David Walliams in an attempt to drum up support

'Our flights from Mumbai are incredibly busy at this time of year, and in order to get customers on their way as quickly as possible we booked those affected onto flights operated by both British Airways and other airlines.'

The airline was unable to confirm how many passengers had been booked onto alternative flights, saying the situation was ever-changing. Adding to the difficulty was the fact that customers had booked the flights using differing methods, and so BA and Air India had to work together to come to a resolution.

They did however tell MailOnline Travel that they have booked the last connecting customers onto flights departing tomorrow lunchtime, Mumbai time, so early tomorrow UK time.

The British Airways Twitter account appeared to be responding to passengers and their relatives today.

However, one Twitter user, Samuel Hagger, informed the airline that they had booked their own alternative flights.

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