Caught in the BA Computer failure

["Dave Farber" <farber () gmail com>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Kobrin, Stephen J" <kobrins () wharton upenn edu>
> Date: May 30, 2017 at 4:20:02 PM EDT
> To: Dave Farber <farber () gmail com>
> Subject: BA Computer failure
>
> We were caught in the midst of the BA calamity at Heathrow on the 27th, catching a connecting flight back to Philly 
> just as the computers went down.  The crisis was handled abysmally as BA gate personnel disappeared immediately and 
> thousands and thousands of people milled around Terminal 5 with no information and no one to ask.  We found out that 
> all flights were cancelled from the Captain who told us that he heard it on television.  It was absolute chaos, with 
> multiple lines hours long with no one sure what they were waiting for.  No one know where to go or what to do and 
> there was no one to ask.  One thing you never think about is that the way from security to the departure gates is a 
> one-way street.  We were lucky enough to run into a friendly crew that got us back, only to face a two hour plus wait 
> at immigration.  We were in Heathrow from about 11:45 to 4:30 and never found a BA agent who knew what was going on.  
> When we got to baggage claim, there was one person who announced that no baggage would be “repatriated.”    We were 
> relatively lucky as we knew enough to call a hotel immediately and not stand in lines.   I did get through to BA that 
> night and rebooked for Monday.  We got back but our bags did not.
>  
> This was a management failure from the top down.  The CEO hid away in some sort of war room recording apologies.   
> The contingency plan seemed to be to flee and apologize.   Again, there was no information provided, no idea of what 
> to do or where to go and no one to ask.  While it is hard to understand the lack of a backup for a system failure, BA 
> is not the first airline to run into this issue.  What is beyond all explanation is the way the crisis was handled, 
> or not handled, on the ground.  Basically, it was leave the victims to bind their own wounds.
>  
> I would not fly BA again on a bet.  We both love London and had planned to visit for a week or so this winter, but 
> neither of us can stomach the idea at this point.
>  
>  
> It takes some effort to make American airlines look good.
>
> Steve
>  



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