British Airways passengers get mid-air email canceling their connecting flight

By Alexandra Peers, CNN Business

It’s always frustrating to find out your flight is canceled. Far more frustrating? Receiving word while mid-air, on the first leg of your trip, that the second part of your flight is canceled.

That’s what happened to a trio of British Airways passengers last week, in an incident first reported by Business Insider.

The three golf fans were headed for the British Open by way of Austin, Texas, where they boarded a flight destined for London’s Heathrow. They were scheduled to fly on from there to Edinburgh. That London-Edinburgh flight was canceled, and the passengers were sent an email shortly after the first plane departed — but they didn’t receive it until landing in London.

“We were unable to rebook your trip from LHR to EDI,” read the American Airlines email. The group had booked tickets through American Airlines in a codeshare arrangement with British Airways, which operated both flights.

The email instructed them to “please call to book a new flight.” Ultimately the passengers traveled to Edinburgh by train without their luggage, arriving about 12 hours late.

British Airways did not immediately respond to CNN Business’ request for comment. American Airlines, which sold the tickets and sent the email, said, “These flights were operated by British Airways, so you would need to contact them for information.”

London Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s busiest, has been plagued by severe delays in recent weeks. The airport has advised airlines to curb their traffic by cutting ticket sales, but some airlines such as Emirates have criticized the move and said they will not cap passenger capacity.

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