28 July 2010

BA defends itself against AITO anger

British Airways has responded to criticism from AITO over its handling of the ash cloud crisis.

The association, which represents independent tour operators, has written to the Lords committee voicing its anger over the airlineââ¬â¢s refusal to reimburse operators for looking after BA passengers during the ash crisis (see earlier story on TravelMole).

In a statement issued today, BA defended itself and expressed its disappointment at AITO's actions.

ââ¬ÅâœWe're enormously grateful for the support the trade has shown us in recent months,ââ¬~ said the statement.

ââ¬ÅâœHowever, we are disappointed that AITO has taken the opportunity to criticise BA in respect of issues arising from the airspace closure, clearly a situation that was entirely outside BA's control.

ââ¬ÅâœThe volcanic ash affected the entire travel industry. It was an unprecedented situation. There were no winners.ââ¬~

It said the ash cloud disruption had cost BA Ã&#pound;100 million at a time when the aviation industry is facing its most difficult period in its history.

ââ¬ÅâœDuring the volcanic ash crisis, we worked tirelessly to get airspace reopened and BA CEO, Willie Walsh, led the first flight by a British commercial airliner back into the sky to collect data on the presence of ash in UK airspace.

ââ¬ÅâœWe allowed customers who were affected to get a full refund or rebook onto another flight and paid for the hotel accommodation and reasonable costs for thousands of people who were stranded. ââ¬ÅâœWe accepted our responsibility towards our customers and have paid out millions to cover our duty of care.

ââ¬ÅâœWe sell seats to the travel trade at discounted rates, which tour operators then package with additional services and onward sell to their customers at prices they determine.

ââ¬ÅâœWhilst we are happy to return the cost of the flight to the trade's clients, by their very nature, travel trade companies also have a relationship of their own with their customers and obligations of their own to those customers.

ââ¬ÅâœWe would also like to take this opportunity to say that we were overwhelmed with positive feedback from the trade about the way we handled the ash crisis. We continue to thank them for the support they have given us over recent times.ââ¬~


By Bev Fearis

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