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British Airways computer outage causes flight delays around the world British Airways computer outage causes flight delays
(about 4 hours later)
British Airways has apologised to passengers for delays after a technical problem hit check-in systems. British Airways has apologised to passengers for delays after an IT glitch hit check-in systems.
Angry travellers complained of hours queuing at airports and some reported they had been told the problem was worldwide. Angry travellers said they had queued for hours at airports, but the airline said it was not the worldwide problem described by some passengers.
Responding to passengers on Twitter, the airline wrote: “We apologise to our customers for the delay and we appreciate their patience as our IT teams work to resolve this issue.” A spokeswoman confirmed passengers were being checked in at Heathrow and Gatwick but said the process would be “a bit slower than usual”.
It added: “Our colleagues are doing everything possible to check in customers for their journey.” Asked where the IT problems were, the spokeswoman said: “It is patchy.”
@razankhabour We apologize to our customers for the delay and we appreciate their patience as our IT teams work to resolve this issue. Responding to passengers on Twitter, the airline wrote: “We apologise to our customers for the delay and we appreciate their patience as our IT teams work to resolve this issue.
One passenger stranded at Toronto Airport said: “I guess the check in application is down and it’s world wide.” “Our colleagues are doing everything possible to check in customers for their journey.”
Ewan Crawford, of Glasgow, said he was at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Ewan Crawford, of Glasgow, who was waiting at Chicago O’Hare international airport for a flight to Heathrow, tweeted: “Never a good sign when they deliver water to the gate! Waiting at ORD for British Airways 296. Worldwide computer outage apparently! Hmm.”
He tweeted: “Never a good sign when they deliver water to the gate! Waiting at ORD for British-Airways 296. Worldwide computer outage apparently! Hmm.” Matthew Walker, another passenger hoping to fly from the US to London, said he had been waiting for more than two hours to board his flight at Seattle.
Well done #britishairways on the customer service. 10 minutes before take off time you announce a 2 hour delay! The 29-year-old financial analyst, who lives in London but is originally from Australia, checked in online before arriving to catch his flight but said staff on the ground could not access their computer systems to see which passengers had gone through security.
“Huge computer issue affecting British Airways across USA. Friend at Dulles tells me pilots by gate but passengers still trying to check in!” Twitter user John Bevir wrote. Speaking from the airport, he said: “People were lining up, some had already checked in and got through security, but others, when this thing happened, whatever it is, were stuck in the check-in queue.
It was unclear the number of flights that were delayed. “So they [the staff] have the problem that they didn’t know who had already gone through the gate because all the systems literally just had a meltdown, basically.”
Passengers at Heathrow Terminal 5 reported waits of about 45 minutes to check in.
Elaine and Paul Barnett, who had come from Sheffield to travel to Sardinia, said the process had taken longer than usual and they had been required to give extra details once they reached the desk.
“You really have to get here early and expect that it’s busy,” Elaine Barnett said. Earlier problems appeared to have been smoothed out by early morning, with most queues moving.
Patrick Darby, from Dulwich, who was travelling to Russia, said: “There was a hold-up when nothing seemed to happen but that has eased up now.”
In July BA had to apologise after a glitch in its new check-in system caused delays. The airline began installing the system at airports across the world in October last year and the rollout was completed this year.
On the latest issues, BA said: “We are checking in customers at Heathrow and Gatwick airport this morning as normal, although it may take longer than usual.
“We would encourage customers to check in online before they reach the airport.”